Joint position on child rights and the digital environment

In this joint position paper, 5Rights alongside other organisations argues that the Human Rights Council Annual Day on the Rights of the Child (ADRC), the 2023 planned UN General
Assembly Resolution on the Rights of the Child, as well as the Global Digital Compact, are important opportunities to drive awareness and reinforce global political commitment to the implementation of children’s existing rights in the digital environment as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and its General comment No. 25.

In particular, the ADRC should provide a forum for focused discussion together with children, experts, and other stakeholders, aiming to build consensus regarding the core content of the UNGA Resolution. These discussions should also inform the Global Digital Compact and take a holistic approach to children’s rights, focusing on the specificities of effective implementation in the digital environment.

In this joint position paper, the group of 9 organisations sets out a list of recommendations on how States should review and update their national policy frameworks to ensure a holistic and comprehensive approach to implementing children’s rights in the digital environment in line with the UNCRC.