World Children’s Day: Joint Statement by the European Commission and the High Representative

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.

33 years after the signature of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, we highlight the fact that children’s rights are universal human rights. The European Year of Youth has been key to ensuring that the concerns and needs of children and young people remain at the heart of EU policymaking.

The EU is committed to ensuring the protection, promotion and fulfilment of the rights of the child is a Treaty objective and a core commitment of the European Union. Every child, regardless of its background, origins, socio-economic status, race, gender, sexual orientation or abilities has access to the exactly the same set of rights and protection.

Within the EU, one in four children remain at risk of poverty and social exclusion. The European Child Guarantee ensures free and effective access for children in need to early childhood education and care, education and school-based activities, health school meals, healthcare, as well as effective access to healthy nutrition and adequate housing. In full recognition of the pivotal role children and young people play as agents of change, we are creating more space for children, and to participate meaningfully in our decision-making through the setup of an EU Children’s Participation Platform.

Around the world, children are going online earlier and staying online for longer. To ensure their protection, empowerment and respect, we have launched a new strategy for a Better Internet for Kids. In May, the Commission presented a proposal for a Regulation on preventing and combating child sexual abuse to put in place a legal obligation for companies to detect, report and remove child sexual abuse material from their networks. 

To strengthen our engagement with children and young people worldwide, and help amplify their role in shaping their societies’ future we have launched the first Youth Action Plan in EU External Action.

Half of all children worldwide suffer some form of violence each year, and children are the first victims of war, crisis, disasters, climate change. The EU has made the prevention of grave violations against children affected by armed conflict, their effective reintegration and safe schools and communities a priority.

In Ukraine, Russia’s illegal aggression is having a devastating impact on the country’s 7.5 million children. In response, the EU is providing information and educational support to ensure students inside Ukraine and newly arrived in EU Member States can access online educational resources in Ukrainian provided with quality childcare and we are working with Member States to help identify and recruit Ukrainian teachers. Child protection remains central to the Commission’s support to member states and authorities welcoming children.

Worldwide the EU continues to be a leading voice in the area of education in emergencies and protracted crises, with 10% of our humanitarian aid and 10% of funding for international partnerships under the NDICI supporting education. The EU is also one of the main contributors to global programmes combatting violence against girls and we have a zero-tolerance policy on child labour.

The EU will continue to work tirelessly with its international partners to ensure that no child is left behind and that the rights of every child are protected, promoted and fulfilled. Everywhere and all the time.

Background

During the European Year of Youth, young Europeans benefited from many opportunities and initiatives to gain knowledge, skills, and competences for their professional development, and to strengthen their civic engagement to shape Europe’s future. The impact and legacy of all activities and engagement opportunities should be long-lasting, beyond 2022.

The EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child sets out to ensure that every child in the EU has the same protection and access to key services, regardless. In this context, the European Child Guarantee adopted last year is our commitment to offset the impact of child poverty and social exclusion on children, by guaranteeing the access of all children in need in the EU to early childhood education and care, school-based activities, healthcare, healthy nutrition and adequate housing. Inclusive and quality early childhood education and care, are also part of the EU Care Strategy.

The Conference on the Future of Europe demonstrated how children are committed to shape our democratic life and the future of Europe. The development of an EU Children’s Participation Platform will help ensure children can meaningfully contribute and are empowered to have their voices heard.

The new Strategy for a Better Internet for Kids (BIK+) aims to make sure that children and young people are protected, empowered and respected whenever they go online. The new proposal we put forward will oblige providers to detect, report and remove child sexual abuse material on their services. A new independent EU Centre on Child Sexual Abuse will facilitate the efforts of service providers by acting as a hub of expertise, swiftly forwarding relevant reports for law enforcement action, implementing effective prevention initiatives and by providing support to victims. The Commission is also proposing to better protect children as victims and witnesses, in its proposal to combat gender-based violence against women and domestic violence.

In response to intolerable abuses against children in conflicts around the world, the EU has made the prevention and elimination of grave violations against children affected by armed conflict, their effective reintegration and safe schools and communities a priority.

Protecting also the Ukrainian children fleeing the war, the Commission the activated the Temporary Protection Directive, Operational Guidance on its application, and Commission’s specific recommendations to Member States. Unaccompanied and separated children, as well as children from institutions, require specific attention given their increased vulnerability. Through the School Education Gateway platform and EU Education Solidarity Group for Ukraine, we are providing information and educational support to ensure students inside Ukraine and newly arrived in EU Member States.

On child labour, the EU supports the 2022 Durban Call to Action on the Elimination of Child Labour,  and reaffirms its commitment to SDG target 8.7 to end child labour in all forms by 2025. The EU works to eliminate child labour globally through a comprehensive approach: development cooperation, political dialogues, human rights, social and trade policies, providing support to partners to deliver on social protection and quality education.The European Commission has adopted the proposal for a directive a new on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence proposal this year. It will require EU companies to perform due diligence to address human rights – including child labour – and environmental risks in their supply chains.