This week in Geneva, Child Helpline International (CHI) co-hosted a side event at the UN Human Rights Council with the Permanent Mission of Iceland to the United Nations in Geneva, exploring a question that sits at the heart of our work: how can we strengthen child protection systems so that every child who reaches out for help receives a timely, high-quality response and access to the support they need?
The event, Every Call Matters: Strengthening Child Protection through Child Helplines and International Standards, brought together representatives from governments, the United Nations, international organisations and the international standards body ISO to discuss how global standards for child helplines could help ensure consistent, high-quality services for children everywhere.
Why Child Helplines Matter
For many children and young people, reaching out to a child helpline is the first, and sometimes the only, way they seek help. As Helen Mason, Executive Director of Child Helpline International, explained during the event:
“I often describe child helpline as a spider in the web of the child protection system, linking different actors together. For many young people, it is the entry point into a system they should never have to navigate alone.”
Every day, staff and volunteers at child helplines around the world listen to children who are experiencing abuse, exploitation, mental health struggles or loneliness. And many children contact a helpline several times before they feel ready to speak about what is happening in their lives.
The Scale of the Challenge
Violence against children, unfortunately, remains widespread. As Berit Kieselbach from the World Health Organization shared a stark reminder:
“Despite a lot of efforts, we know that violence against children still remains very high across the world, with half of all children affected by some form of violence during childhood.”
Children exposed to violence are significantly more likely to experience mental health problems later in life. Yet the majority of children and young people who need support never reach formal services.
This is where child helplines can play a critical role. As Ms. Kieselbach noted, they “have enormous potential to close these gaps and generate valuable insights.”
Turning Commitments to Practice
A central theme of the discussion was how international standards can help translate children’s rights commitments into practical systems.
Páll Magnússon, Councillor at the Icelandic Permanent Mission to Geneva and Chair of the ISO Technical Committee on Children’s Rights Management, explained that although the Convention on the Rights of the Child has near-universal support, implementation still faces challenges.
“We still see fundamental gaps in implementation.”
According to Mr. Magnússon, international standards can help address this by providing practical tools that translate principles into everyday processes for governments, organisations and institutions. It’s important to note that these standards are not about creating new rights, but about helping systems implement the rights that already exist.
Dr Philip D. Jaffé, Vice-Chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and Chair of the CHI Board, highlighted the importance of recognising child helplines as core infrastructure within child protection systems. He also noted that international standards can help bridge the gap between child rights principles and institutional practice:
“ISO translates our child rights language into the operational grammar of engineers, CFOs and CEOs.”
A Global Opportunity
Developing international standards for child helplines could help ensure that services worldwide operate according to shared principles, including accessibility, confidentiality, trained staff and effective referral systems.
Dr Najat Maalla M’jid, UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children, emphasised that “child helplines are part of child protection.”
But to truly protect children, existing systems must ensure that support is both accessible and effective.
As she reminded the attendees of the High-Level Side Event:
“Every call matters—but we must ensure that when children call, they receive the right response at the right time.”
Looking Ahead
The discussion in Geneva highlighted the potential for international standards to strengthen child helplines as a trusted entry point into protection systems worldwide.
For Child Helpline International and its members, this work is about more than systems and standards. It is about ensuring that every child who reaches out for help is heard, supported and protected.
Because sometimes the first step toward safety begins with something simple:
a phone call, a message, or a chat.
And every call matters.
Thank You
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all speakers, co-sponsors and participants who shared their time, expertise and perspectives during this important discussion.
We are grateful to our distinguished speakers:
- H.E. Mr. Einar Gunnarsson, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Iceland to the United Nations in Geneva
- Ms. Helen Mason, Executive Director, Child Helpline International
- Dr Najat Maalla M’jid, United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children
- Dr Philip D. Jaffé, Vice-Chair, UN Committee on the Rights of the Child; Board Chair, Child Helpline International
- Ms. Berit Kieselbach, Technical Officer, Prevention of Violence, World Health Organization
- Páll Magnússon, Counsellor and Chair, ISO Technical Committee on Children’s Rights Management
This event would not be possible without our co-sponsors:
- Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children
- The Permanent Mission of the Philippines to the United Nations in Geneva
- The Permanent Mission of Malawi to the United Nations in Geneva
- The Permanent Mission of Sierra Leone to the United Nations in Geneva
- The Permanent Mission of Thailand to the United Nations in Geneva
- The Permanent Mission of Chile to the United Nations in Geneva.
We also thank all attendees who joined us at the Human Rights Council and contributed to the conversation.