Children on the move are among those most exposed to violence: trafficking, exploitation, family separation, gender-based violence and unsafe recruitment. Yet the systems meant to protect them are rarely designed with them.
The Migration Youth and Children Platform (MYCP) exists to close that gap. Through advocacy, research, capacity strengthening and partnerships, we connect the experiences of young people affected by migration with the institutions and decisions responsible for protecting their rights. That means working with youth-led initiatives, civil society, humanitarian actors and international organisations.
Our contribution to Ending Violence Against Children (EVAC) starts from one idea: violence prevention has to account for the systems around a child, not just the incident. Whether a child can seek protection depends on whether they can reach a school, a clinic, psychosocial support or a trusted way to report harm, without discrimination or fear. These conditions apply before, during and after migration and displacement.
In October 2026, MYCP brought these questions to young people directly through our Global Youth Consultation for EVAC. The consultation spanned five regions, with written submissions, eight multilingual live discussions, thematic roundtables and a Youth On The Move follow-up session. As one contributor put it:
“Before deciding what children need, please ask them what they are going through.”
What came back shifts the question from whether services and commitments exist on paper to whether children can actually reach them, trust them and influence them.
We’ve published two pieces from this work, ahead of the Second Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children in Manila, 18–19 November 2026:
From Consultation to Protection. The youth and civil society research contribution: what young people’s evidence reveals.
Youth and survivor-led priorities to end violence against children on the move. The policy paper with five priorities for the Ministerial Conference.
Children on the move are not only rights-holders who need protection. They are contributors to the design and accountability of the systems meant to keep them safe.
