The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC), UNICEF, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), UNESCO, UNICRI, UNODA, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Special Representatives of the United Nations Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and on Violence against Children, and theUnited Nations Special Rapporteur on the sale, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children issued the Joint Statement on Artificial Intelligence and the Rights of the Child in Geneva on 19 January 2026. The document confirms the shared commitment to fostering an approach to artificial intelligence based on children's rights and calls for coordinated action to ensure that AI is designed, developed and governed in a way that respects, protects and fulfils the rights of the child. In addition to the United Nations organisations, the statement is also supported by more than 50 organisations, including the Digital Opportunities Foundation.
The document can be downloaded below.