Protracted
conflicts, the worsening climate crisis, a rising level of mental
illness among young people, and online misinformation are some of the
most concerning emerging global threats to children, UNICEF said today
in an open letter issued by the organization’s Executive Director Henrietta Fore.
In addition to existing threats to young people, such as access to
education, poverty, inequality and discrimination, the inaugural letter
warns of emerging threats to children’s rights, and outlines a path to
stepping up efforts to address them. The letter is being issued as part
of UNICEF’s commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child – the world’s most widely ratified human rights treaty.
“And your generation, the children of today, are facing a new set of
challenges and global shifts that were unimaginable to your parents,”
writes Fore. “Our climate is changing beyond recognition. Inequality is
deepening. Technology is transforming how we perceive the world. And
more families are migrating than ever before. Childhood has changed, and
we need to change our approaches along with it.”
The letter outlines eight growing challenges for the world’s children: prolonged conflicts; pollution and the climate crisis; a decline in mental health; mass migration and population movements; statelessness; future skills for future work; data rights and online privacy; and online misinformation.
On conflict, the letter notes that the number of
countries experiencing conflict is the highest it has been since the
adoption of the Child Rights Convention in 1989, with one in four
children living in countries affected by violent fighting or disaster.
On climate change, the letter warns that children are already having to contend with rampant destruction to the planet and a global climate crisis
that has the potential to undermine most of the gains made in child
survival and development over the past 30 years. The rise in extreme
weather patterns and toxic air, prolonged drought and flash floods are
all part of this crisis, and are disproportionately affecting the
poorest, most vulnerable children.
UNICEF is working to mitigate the impact of the climate crisis in
countries across the world. For example, in Ethiopia, UNICEF has
pioneered new technology to map groundwater, and is developing solutions
for chronically water-scarce communities. In Malawi, UNICEF has
developed a long-lasting, eco-friendly system using solar power to
improve access to clean water for communities. Yet more must be done to
slow down climate change altogether.
“Governments and business must work hand in hand to reduce fossil
fuel consumption, develop cleaner agricultural, industrial and transport
systems and invest in scaling renewable energy sources,” writes Fore.
The letter also expresses concern that the majority of children will grow up as natives of a digital environment saturated with online misinformation.
For example, so-called ‘deep fake’ technology uses artificial
intelligence techniques to create convincing fakes of audio and video
content, relatively easily. The letter warns that an online environment
where truth can become indistinguishable from fiction has the potential
to totally undermine trust in institutions and information sources, and
has been demonstrated to skew democratic debate, voter intentions, and
sow doubt about other ethnic, religious or social groups.
The letter warns that online misinformation is already leaving
children vulnerable to grooming, abuse, and other forms of exploitation;
skewing democratic debate; and, in some communities, even prompting
resurgence in deadly diseases due to distrust in vaccines fueled by
online misinformation – the results of which could be the creation of an
entire generation of citizens who do not trust anything. To respond to
this challenge, UNICEF has been piloting media literacy programme, such
as the Young Reporters
programme in Montenegro, aimed at teaching young people about spotting
misinformation online, how to fact check online content, and the roles
and techniques of responsible journalism.
“We can no longer rest on the naïve assurance that truth has an
innate upper hand against falsehood in the digital era, and so we must,
as societies, build resilience against the daily deluge of falsity
online,” writes Fore. “We should start by equipping young people with
the ability to understand who and what they can trust online, so they
can become active, engaged citizens.”
On mental health, the letter cautions that mental illness among adolescents has been on the rise
in the years since the adoption of the CRC, and that depression is now
among the leading causes of disability in the young. The letter urges
that appropriate promotion, prevention and therapeutic treatment and
rehabilitation for children and young people affected by mental health
issues be prioritized, and that the stigma and taboo surrounding mental
illness be challenged so that treatment can be sought and support
provided.
Finally, the letter recognizes that children and young people have
already created movements across the world in search of solutions to
overcome the challenges they – and their peers – face, and calls for
world leaders to follow their lead.
“Children and young people of today are taking the lead on demanding
urgent action, and empowering yourselves to learn about, and shape the
world around you,” writes Fore. “You are taking a stand now, and we are
listening.”