“War on our Young? Who is Stepping up to Protect Them?”

Armed Conflicts, Environmental Disasters, Pandemics – these are just some of the global challenges facing all of us, but especially young people.

As a result of armed conflicts including the war in Ukraine there are currently twenty-seven international and in state armed conflicts around the world, disrupting livelihoods, and hampering or preventing children’s education, health, and security.

Environmental disasters threaten and take lives, resulting in displacement and contributing to the ongoing refugee crisis.

The COVID – 19 pandemic has set back economic and educational gains by years and has thrown many families into poverty. While its effect on children’s health has been relatively mild, it has severely hampered their education and aggravated economic hardships. Among the fallouts are increased child trafficking, child marriage, and diminished opportunities.

All these obstacles violate young people’s rights – as enshrined in the Universal Convention on Human Rights and in the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Let’s listen to the voices of the children themselves and to the voices of their teachers. The United Nations and its NGO partners have a mission to make everyone – especially educators – aware of this problem and to show the programs the United Nations and its partners have in place to protect the youth of the world.

DKG/UN