Don’t switch off – the world’s children have never needed you more

The cascading crises that the world has witnessed this year give child rights advocates such as myself pause for thought: what are the ways forward and how can we all ensure that all children have their rights fulfilled and the chance of a brighter future? Today’s children are facing unprecedented conflicts and geopolitical power struggles that ignore their mental, physical, and emotional safety and rights. As a Palestinian child, I really want our lives to change, and for the war to end, and for us to be able to live free and with our rights respected.” New analysis by Save the Children ahead of the COP29 summit in Azerbaijan last month showed that one in eight of the world’s children has been directly impacted by the 10 biggest extreme weather events so far this year, while the number of children in crisis levels of hunger due to extreme weather events had doubled in five years. On top of this, the rates of violence against children are staggering, with half of the world’s 2.4 billion children experiencing physical, sexual, emotional abuse and neglect every year leading to far-reaching consequences that can persist into adulthood such as the risk of mental health conditions and social problems such as substance abuse. We need to engage to tackle these challenges and ensure that children – who make up one-third of the world population – can have their rights met today and in the future.