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Investment case

Investment in child protection and well-being cannot wait

Children’s vulnerability to violence has continued to be exacerbated worldwide by multiple and overlapping crises. With risks being magnified and responses failing to meet the scale of the challenge, the world is not on track to keep the promise made under the 2030 Agenda to end all forms of violence against children. The impact of violence is devastating, immediate and lifelong. It impairs children’s brain development, physical and mental health, and learning ability. In addition to the human cost, the economic costs are staggering.

Magnifying Vulnerabilities

 

Children's vulnerability to violence persists amidst multiple crises, with responses falling short of addressing the scale of the challenge. Despite commitments under the 2030 Agenda, the promise to end all forms of violence against children remains unfulfilled. The consequences of violence are profound, affecting children's development, health, and education, with staggering economic costs.

Impact of Crises

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed an additional 100 million children into multidimensional poverty, while millions of births go unrecorded annually. Poverty serves as a catalyst for various forms of violence, including child labor, marriage, and trafficking. Climate-related shocks exacerbate existing crises, putting 1 billion children at extreme risk, while access to social protection remains limited for many.

Investing in Protection

 

Efforts to address these challenges require increased investment in prevention and response mechanisms. The economic case for investing in children's protection is clear, with high returns on integrated approaches to violence prevention. The Special Representative advocates for child-sensitive climate policies, non-discriminatory access to services for children on the move, and strengthened regulations to protect children in the digital sphere.

 

While the digital environment offers new opportunities for the realization of children’s rights, it carries risks for the violation of those rights. The Special Representative stresses the urgent need to strengthen legal and regulatory frameworks to ensure children’s protection and privacy online, including in the context of the development of the Global Digital Compact and the elaboration of a comprehensive international convention to counter the use of information and communications technologies for criminal purposes. Voluntary approaches by industry to ensure that its services and platforms are safe for children are insufficient, as outlined in the Special Representative’s report to the Human Rights Council in March 2023 and the accompanying advocacy brief In addition, the Special Representative conducted an opinion poll of more than 600 children from different regions about their views on online safety in collaboration with the WeProtect Global Alliance. Results revealed that 8 out of 10 children think that they are likely or very likely to experience things online that may harm them or make them feel unsafe. The children indicated that they want stronger laws to address this, as well as clear ways to report harmful and abusive content within online platforms.