In a press release published on 20 November, World Children’s Day, UNICEF calls attention to the challenges children are facing in a world that is changing at breakneck speed - and not always for the better.
UNICEF’s report on the future of childhood highlights the impact of three major global forces - demographic change, climate crises, and breakthrough technologies - on children by 2050.
Climate hazards are expected to increase, with children’s well-being dependent on access to resources. From a demographic standpoint, sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia will have the largest child populations in the 2050s, while aging populations pose challenges globally.
Technologies like AI offer both promise and peril for children, but the digital divide remains significant, hindering youth in low-income countries.
Positive projections include increased life expectancy and education access.
The report emphasizes the importance of placing child rights at the centre of all policies.
World Children’s Day focuses on listening to children’s aspirations for the future, and calls for investments in education and climate resilience, safe technology design, and connectivity for all children.
The main sentiment worldwide is that children wish for a safe, healthy, and educated future free from conflict and climate threats. UNICEF urges leaders to prioritize children’s well-being for a better tomorrow.
You can read the full press release here.
On Wednesday morning, Ombudsman for Children’s Rights Charel Schmit presented his authority’s latest report in the Chamber of Deputies. The Ombudsman raised concerns about societal tendencies that question past gains, stressing that “children’s rights are not negotiable.”
The report also outlines priorities for the coming year, including mental health, improved child protection legislation, and better protection against the dangers of the internet and the risk of falling into poverty.
Schmit described the latest figures as “alarming” and warned that pressure on Luxembourg’s youth is rising. Among other factors, the Covid-19 crisis took a toll on the well-being of children and adolescents, he said.
Read more about it in this article.
In the coming days, our friends at Today Radio will be interviewing UNICEF Luxembourg’s Paul Heber on The Sam Steen Show. Stay tuned for what will be an assuredly insightful conversation about children and their future.
