Protect my future: Why child protection matters in the post 2015 agenda

This inter-agency paper is the culmination of a series on the links between child protection and major development goals, designed to feed into the thematic debates around the post-2015 development framework. The alarming impacts of child protection failures are likely to grow in significance unless something is done urgently. Global trends such as climate change, migration and urbanisation are all increasing children’s vulnerability and governments are not investing enough resources in building and maintaining comprehensive child protection systems. Children around the world want more support to enable them to grow up free from violence, and within caring, safe families. It is therefore is essential that governments, UN agencies and other actors engaged in the design of the framework that will replace the current Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2015:

1. Include a goal on child protection. For example: All children live a life free from all forms of violence, are protected in conflicts and disasters, and thrive in a safe family environment;

2. Listen to the voices of children, including vulnerable and commonly excluded groups such as those without adequate care and protection, in debates around the design of the post 2015 development framework and in the implementation and monitoring of this framework;

3. Promote the equitable achievement of all other goals included in the post 2015 development framework through assessing progress within commonly excluded and discriminated against groups, including children without adequate care and protection.