European Union and Sri Lanka host landmark International Conference on Child Protection to tackle violence against children

MARKING a critical push to combat all forms of violence against children in Sri Lanka, the International Conference on Child Protection (ICCP’25) was inaugurated on 25 July and ran until yesterday (27 July).

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The conference brings together over 250 participants, including Government leaders, leading Government institutions, international and local experts, researchers, and child protection practitioners, to forge stronger protection systems for children.

Hosted by the Centre for Gender Studies at the University of Kelaniya in collaboration with the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) and supported by the European Union (EU) through UNICEF Sri Lanka, ICCP’25 aims to drive policy, academic, and institutional action on some of the country’s most pressing issues related to children.

According to NCPA, over 10,000 child abuse and related complaints were reported in 2024, with over 8% involving some form of sexual abuse. Recognising the urgent need for evidence-informed solutions, ICCP'25 brings together policy makers, academics and practitioners with the aim of supporting Sri Lanka's renewed commitments in addressing violence against children. Therefore, the conference is fully aligned with the national policy on child protection and represents a milestone in implementing the international pledges made at the 2024 Global Ministerial Conference to End Violence Against Children.