International Development Aid: A key context for speeding universal prohibition of violent punishment of children

Ending violent punishment – the most common form of violence against children – is fundamental to creating the peaceful, non-violent and rights-respecting societies envisioned in the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030. Prohibition of all violent punishment is a wellestablished human rights imperative which raises the status of children and is a key strategy in reducing violence in society; it is a fundamental element in fulfilling target 16.2 of Agenda 2030, recognised by the prevalence indicator adopted by the UN Statistical Commission in March 2016, and is highly relevant to other targets, particularly around health and education. The process of negotiating and granting development aid – in particular regarding school and health systems – is one context in which prohibition and elimination of corporal punishment should be legitimately and urgently pursued.