High level meeting to stop violence against children in Oslo, Norway

Around 80 participants attended a high level meeting on the prevention of violence against children on 24 April 2017 in Oslo, Norway. The meeting was organized by Dr Anne Lindboe, the Norwegian Ombudsman for Children, and attended by Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway. Dr Lindboe welcomed participants and spoke about the importance of greater emphasis on the prevention of violence against children. Ms Solveig Horne the Minister of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion explained that the meeting had been called prior to a parliamentary debate that would emphasize the need for greater prevention of violence to children.

More than one billion children experience violence every year globally and the health and social consequences lead to great suffering and societal loss, and are a threat to development. The consequences of violence and other adverse childhood experiences are far reaching, leading to poorer physical and mental health and an economic cost of 1–2% of gross domestic product.

At the meeting, Dr Dinesh Sethi, WHO Regional Office for Europe, presented WHO’s policy “Investing in children: the European child maltreatment prevention action plan 2015–2020” and emphasized the importance of investing in children to bring them up well rather than to mend broken adults. The Norwegian government and other stakeholders are committed to ending all violence against children and guaranteeing the well-being of children, who should have the opportunity to meet their fullest potential. A declaration was signed by stakeholders emphasizing a greater commitment to stopping violence against children. This was followed by a meeting at the Norwegian Board of Health, where greater engagement of the health sector in violence prevention was debated.