• Topic

    Respect for the views of the child

    Children reported that the digital environment afforded them crucial opportunities for their voices to be heard in matters that affected them.

    The use of digital technologies can help to realize children’s participation at the local, national and international levels.

    Therefore, awareness of, and access to, digital means for children to express their views must be promoted and support for children must be offered.

Current News

Help shape the EU Youth Strategy

As part of a survey, the European Commission is encouraging people to share their perspectives and ideas to help shape the EU Youth Strategy beyond 2027. The Youth Strategy promotes the active participation of young people in democracy and society. It focuses primarily on the areas of participation, empowerment, and interaction.

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Survey of the United Nations on AI Governance

The United Nations is committed to ensuring that children and young people can grow up safely in a digital world, while actively involving young people themselves in this process. Since artificial intelligence is an increasingly important part of this, the UN is now seeking to learn about young people’s experiences.

(c) UNICEF Office of Strategy and Evidence –  Innocenti

UNICEF: From Children’s Voices to Action

The UNICEF working paper, published in March 2026, focuses on the perspectives of children and adolescents gathered through research.

Global Age Assurance Standards Summit: Final Communiqué

All participants at the Global Age Assurance Standards Summit were invited to contribute to a conference communiqué. You can find more information here.

European Commission: The Digital Services Act (DSA) explained

This European Commission publication explains the Digital Services Act (DSA) in simple terms.

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5Rights Foundation: Building a Digital Environment Designed with Children in Mind

The brochure presents an international blueprint for creating digital environments that respect and uphold children’s rights. Building on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and General Comment No. 25, it outlines how digital spaces can be designed to effectively protect and promote children’s rights. The report examines common policy approaches, identifies implementation gaps, and sets out ten regulatory principles to guide legislators in applying international best practices.

Lisbon Council High-Level Working Lunch: „To Ban Or Not To Ban”

On Monday Feb. 9th, 2026, ahead of Safer Internet Day the Lisbon Council invited a group of experts to discuss what scientific evidence and practice teach us about children and social media. In the light of the Australian experiment on banning under 16th from a certain selection of social media platforms governments around the globe are rushing to decide whether to follow the same path or find a different approach.

YOUthDIG 2026 – Call for applications!

Young people with an interest in digital issues are sought for YOUthDIG, which will take place in Brussels from May 23 to 27. In preliminary webinars, participants will address practical issues of internet governance and provide input for EuroDIG.

Joint Statement on Artificial Intelligence and the Rights of the Child

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.

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Artificial intelligence to advance children's rights

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 the United 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.