For every child, all rights

Celebrated on November 20th with the aim of promoting global awareness and reflection on children's rights, International Children's Rights Day marks the proclamation of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1959) and the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) by the UN.

Recognized as a historical milestone, the Convention acknowledges the need to protect and guarantee the fundamental rights of children worldwide (civil, political, economic, social, and cultural), such as: non-discrimination, the best interests of the child, survival, development, and the child's opinion.

Despite significant advances in promoting and defending children's rights, it is never too much to insist that disturbing elements persist that fuel the vulnerability of millions of children worldwide. On the one hand, child exploitation, forced labor, human trafficking, and armed conflict continue to be more serious problems in many regions, requiring a more urgent response from international organizations that protect children's rights. On the other hand, we cannot ignore that the constant advancement and dependence on technology expose children to increased, contemporary dangers and bring with them new challenges of digital security and privacy.

With growing challenges, International Children's Rights Day is an opportunity to reinforce the need for a global commitment to the protection, defense, and promotion of children's rights. Digital education should become a priority, with investments in promoting awareness of digital safety, encouraging both adults and children to receive digital training, making it easier to identify risks and distinguish between what is real and what is false.

The digital environment to which children are exposed not only requires the strict application of policies that prioritize the proactive protection of children, promoting digital security strategies and tools, but also makes it necessary and urgent to raise the digital awareness of the educational community, especially teachers, parents, and caregivers, in order to empower them and equip them with knowledge and digital security methods.

International Children's Rights Day reminds us of the importance of ensuring that all children have their rights respected and protected. For this reason, we cannot ignore the contemporary challenge of digital security, because building a future for children will always depend on the effort that society invests in defending and promoting children's rights, as, in fact, such investment is what will dictate a fairer and more sustainable future for all.