HLPF 2025 Side Event: Reducing Violence to Promote Well-Being: Violence as a Public Health Crisis

July 17, 2025 | 1:15–2:30 p.m. (ET)
Permanent Mission of Portugal to the United Nations

On the sidelines of the High-Level Political Forum 2025, this event is co-hosted by the Permanent Mission of Portugal to the United Nations, the Permanent Mission of Czechia to the United Nations, and New York University’s Center on International Cooperation

Violence is everywhere. While conflict-related violence dominates the headlines and the global agenda, it is consistently dwarfed by the levels of violence that take place outside of conflict, in our homes, streets, and communities. Intentional homicides alone are responsible for 3.7 more deaths than conflict and terrorism combined. On average, a woman or girl is a victim of violence by an intimate partner every 12 minutes, and one billion children will experience some form of violence—physical, sexual, or emotional—every year. Even in countries considered “peaceful,” the costs related to violence comprise a significant percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

This violence shortens lives, leaves people injured, disabled, traumatized, and unable to fully rejoin life in society. There is a 14 year life expectancy gap between the most and least violent countries, meaning that at 10 years old, a child from a country with higher rates of violence is expected to die more than a decade sooner than a child from a less violent country. Given the ways in which violence impacts life and health, how it spreads between communities, and its ability to become endemic, it is fair to say that it operates as a transmissible disease, and it should be treated as such.

Violence is therefore a global health crisis, and its treatment demands a public health approach. In practical terms, this means identifying and addressing the underlying causes of violence, through a thorough diagnosis of the issue and its risk factors, and implementing interventions that are grounded in evidence and human rights, utilize ethical approaches, and are carefully designed, monitored and evaluated.

Goals and Format

In this event, we will discuss the theoretical foundations and policy implications of taking a public health approach to reduce and prevent violence, and highlight initiatives that are effectively utilizing this model to increase well-being in our communities.

This event will be a roundtable discussion, preceded by opening remarks from high-level representatives of the co-hosting member states. The session will close with a Q&A segment.

Speakers

• Representative from Portuguese Delegation.
• Mr. Radim Sršeň, Deputy Minister of Regional Development of Czechia.
• Dr. Etienne Krug, Director of the Department for Social Determinants of Health, World Health Organization (virtual).
• Ms. Monika Šamová, Head of Unit – Gender Equality Department, Government Office of the Czech Republic.
• Dr. Holly Joshi, Department of Violence Prevention Chief, City of Oakland, US.
• Mr. Dan Foy, Principal, Global Analytics, Gallup.
• Mr. Daniel Friedman, Program Director, Halving Global Violence, Center on International Cooperation.

Run-Of-Show

1:15–1:20 p.m. Welcome Remarks, Mr. Daniel Friedman
1:20–1:30 p.m. Opening Statements

• Representative from Portuguese Delegation
• Mr. Radim Sršeň

1:30–2:00 p.m. Panelist Remarks

• Dr. Etienne Krug (virtual)
• Ms. Monika Šamová
• Dr. Holly Joshi
• Mr. Dan Foy

2:00–2:25 p.m. Q&A Segment
2:25–2:30 p.m. Closing Remarks, Mr. Daniel Friedman