• Topic

    Civil rights and freedoms

    The digital environment provides unique opportunities for children to realize the right to access to information and freedom of expression. The digital environment can enable children to form their social, religious, cultural, ethnic, sexual and political identities and to participate in associated communities and in public spaces for deliberation, cultural exchange, social cohesion and diversity.

    The fulfilment of these rights must be ensured and the right of the child to freedom of thought, conscience and religion in the digital environment must be respected. Privacy is vital to children’s agency, dignity and safety and for the exercise of their rights.

    Children’s personal data are processed to offer educational, health and other benefits to them. Therefore, it must be ensured by legislative, administrative and other measures that children’s privacy is respected and protected by all organizations and in all environments that process their data.

    By use of digital identification systems that enable all newborn children to have their birth registered and officially recognized by the national authorities, access to services, including health, education and welfare shall be facilitated.

Current News

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The Future of Multistakeholderism, what role do Children’s rights play in this regard?

The final day of the IGF 2025 was all about multistakeholderism. As the IGF is the only global platform that enables individuals and organisations…

Stand up for children's rights and a better and fairer future!

Children's rights took center stage in the Plenary Hall of the Internet Governance Forum today. Further details are provided on the following sessions: "Securing Child Safety in the Age of Algorithms" and "Elevating Children's Voices in AI Design".

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PROTECTION of children is written in capitals today!

Although the rights of children to protection, provision and participation are all equally important and should not be prioritised over each other, sessions on the second day of the 2025 IGF put a strong focus on child protection.

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Working together for a safer digital environment

On Tuesday, the 20th United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) officially opened in Lillestrøm, Norway. Under the motto 'Shaping and governing the digital environment together', the internet community from the fields of politics, business, science and civil society is coming together this year to discuss aspects of trust and resilience, sustainable and responsible innovation, universal access and digital rights, and the design of digital cooperation.

One for all – all for one: In the best interest of the child

Day Zero of the IGF 2025 startet with an opening key note by Karianne Tung, Minister of Digitalisation and Public Governance Norway stating that the Norwegian Government sees the IGF as a key part of the UN role in responsible human centric digital development. The questions addressed in the following five days are «about our lives and our common future», she said, demanding to build »a digital world that works for everyone ».

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ICANN Policy Forum met in Prague

From 9 to 12 June, the Internet community came together in Prague, Czech Republic, to discuss current processes and developments for guaranteeing the…

Children's Rights at IGF 2025

Norway is hosting the 20th United Nations Internet Governance Forum(IGF). This will take place from 23 to 27 June in Lillestrom near Oslo.

Child Rights Impact Assessment (CRIA)

Although children and young people make up about one third of internet users worldwide, their perspectives are still rarely taken into account in technology-related policies, design processes, and decision-making structures. To counter this, the authors Sonia Livingstone and Kruakae Pothong argue that a tool such as the “Child Rights Impact Assessment Tool” can serve as a practical instrument for integrating children’s rights more comprehensively, early on, and systematically into political and administrative decision-making processes.

Age assurance must not result in exclusions

The last day of the European Dialogue on Internet Regulation focused on age verification.

Preventing discrimination and protecting data

On the second day of the European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG) conference in Strasbourg, France, the focus was on the links between artificial intelligence and discrimination, and the impact of neurotechnologies on privacy.