BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 23. Despite the vast opportunities the digital environment offers for children, it also presents serious challenges, and strong state leadership is essential to safeguard children’s rights, said Sophie Kiladze, Chair of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), Trend reports.
Speaking at an international conference titled "Protecting children in the digital environment: Modern tools and international cooperation" in Baku, organized by the State Committee for Family, Women, and Children’s Affairs, Kiladze noted that meaningful progress requires strong cooperation with all relevant stakeholders, including international organizations, the private sector, businesses, civil society, academic institutions, and children themselves.
“While the digital environment creates significant opportunities for children, it also poses serious challenges. I firmly believe that states must take the lead in promoting and protecting children’s rights in the digital sphere. Without active state leadership, it is impossible to achieve sustainable outcomes for children,” Kiladze stated.
She noted that UNCRC operates as the primary global oversight entity for the enforcement of children's rights within the framework of the UN system.
“The primary international mechanism for the protection of children's rights within the framework of the United Nations is the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. With 196 parties having accepted the Convention and its Optional Protocols, the Committee is responsible for monitoring their execution. It examines how all children’s rights are protected, both online and offline, including how these rights are upheld in the digital environment,” she added.
The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child is a group of 18 impartial experts tasked with keeping tabs on how nations are carrying out the 1989 United Nations treaty on children's rights. The committee was first convened in 1991 to oversee implementation, make recommendations, and address complaints related to the rights of children.
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