Ms. Najat Maalla M’jid of Morocco has been appointed a Special Representative on Violence Against Children at the level of Assistant of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, which was announced on 30 May.
A medical doctor specialized in paediatrics, Ms. M’jid has devoted her life over the last three decades to promoting and protecting children’s rights. She was also an expert-consultant for national and international projects, strategies and policies relating to the promotion and protection of child rights.
Ms. Najat Maalla M’jid chaired the High Level Taskforce on Child Protection in Travel and Tourism from 2015 to 2018. The Taskforce guided the development of the first Global Study on Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism that turned out to be a model for multi-stakeholder cooperation.
She provided guidance for the implementation of the recommendations of the Study and fostered leadership that resulted in a global commitment to prioritize action that protects children in the travel and tourism sector.
See here for the Call for Action from the first International Summit on Child Protection in Travel and Tourism.