Governments working on policy changes can be part of an educational forum to learn from one another, connect to ideas, tools and resources across practice and data to transform child protection systems.
Bring together policymakers, practitioners, researchers, survivors and youth leaders at the annual flagship ISPCAN International Congress to co-create solutions and exchange best practices.
Promote the development and implementation of effective, evidence-based child protection policies grounded in public health principles at local, national, and global levels.
Encourage alignment of data and research with practical applications to inform shareable data-driven solutions and enhance accountability.
Develop context-specific, scalable strategies that address regional challenges and support sustainable, community-led change.
Optimize use of resources and cross-sector collaboration to assist governments in child protection prevention and response.
We hope you will join us in shaping a more coordinated and sustainable future for child protection financing with honest dialogue. As child protection continues to evolve as a global priority, we recognize that sustainable progress depends not only on effective policies, research, and practice, but also on strategic, coordinated, and long-term investment.
During the early development of the Rise Up Policy Forum initiative, funders were identified as an essential pillar of the child protection ecosystem. As the initiative moves from concept to implementation and focuses increasingly on strengthening national child protection systems, there is a unique opportunity to bring together funding and development partners to discuss how investment strategies can better support long-term, sustainable change. Building resilient systems focused more on prevention is the goal.
This roundtable is intended to provide a trusted and informal space for open dialogue among funders. Our hope is that the discussion will explore broader questions around how funding can better support country-led child protection system strengthening to effectively enable sustainable impact. We invite you to share perspectives on emerging priorities, identify common challenges, and explore opportunities for greater coordination across the global child protection landscape.
Please use this online form: Registration of Interest to let us know if you want to be part of this brainstorming conversation. We invite you to also participate in the Rise Up Policy Forum and ISPCAN Congress to contribute to the solutions think tank we are building with research, practice and policy built around systems strengthening in real world scenarios. We plan to host a closed forum, by invitation only for Funders to share the challenges and opportunities that will convene in person at each ISPCAN Congress.
The ISPCAN Rise Up Policy Forum aims to help countries improve the foundations of child protection by advancing the six pillars of a public health and system-strengthening approach to preventing child abuse and neglect. Together these pillars form the basis of a strong child protection system.
Create a community of learning, sharing and networking
Make child protection a winnable battle for all governments
ISPCAN boldly launched the Rise Up Policy Forum in Vilnius at the ISPCAN 2025 Congress, focusing the fourth day of the international gathering on solutions. The Forum was attended by 270 multi-sectoral experts including 63 government delegates, researchers, practitioners, NGOs, survivors and activists, funders and policy makers from 60 countries .
This first ever Rise Up Policy Forum was opened by Jūratė Zailskienė, Lithuanian Minister of Social Security and Labour and Najat Maalla M’jid, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children. The CEO of ISPCAN, Pragathi Tummala, who envisioned and created this innovative new learning forum to accelerate progress in child protection and translate country pledges made at the 2024 Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children into action– set the tone for how we need to think and act differently.
On the final day of the ISPCAN International Congress in Melbourne, governments, policy makers, researchers, public health agencies, NGOs and others working at country, regional and international level to end child abuse and neglect will convene to advance public health and system strengthening child protection solutions.
The programme will be comprised of interactive sessions sharing practical solutions, breakthrough strategies, best practice and real world experience on the following themes:
Country progress case studies presented by governments and their cross sectoral partner(s)
Critical current issues, including prevention of online/IT/AI facilitated child abuse and child protection in conflict and crisis settings
Investment case and cost/benefit analysis of child protection interventions
Best-practice examples of bringing together policy, research and practice to address a child protection issue
High impact/breakthrough strategies to end violence against children (ie. parenting support, safe schools and multi-sectoral child protection responses)
The role of faith and cultural communities in child protection
Development and experience of unique models of multi-sectoral coordination
Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children
UNICEF for every child
World Health Organization
HGFD
ECPAT International - End Child Exploitation
International Association of Family Support Networks
International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC)
Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI)
SOS Children's Villages International
The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action
To-Zero
Together for girls
World Vision
The INSPIRE Working Group
Save the Children
The Government of Lithuania
Parenting for Lifelong Health
ECDAN
National Commission for the Promotion of the Rights and the Protection of Children and Young People, Portugal
Kids First Australia
International Rescue Committee
Somali Federal Republic Ministry of Family and Human Rights Development
Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare, Australia
National Council for Family Affairs, Jordan
Impact Initiative
Victoria State Government
Safe Futures Hub
Violence, Evidence, Guidance, Action (VEGA) Project, McMaster University
Ministry of Health, Namibia
Public Health Wales
National Council on the Administration of Justice, Republic of Kenya
Down to Zero
Australian Childhood Foundation
Department of Special Investigation, Thailand
Dubai Police
Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development, Govt of Uganda
“Safety and security don’t just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear.”
-Nelson Mandela, First Black South African President + Civil Rights Activist
