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xUN dedicates annual meeting to early years
Date: 18th March 2025
Category:
Respect for the views of the child, Recreation, play and cultural activities, Babies and early years
The UN Human Rights Council held its annual full-day meeting on children’s rights on 13th March, with a theme of Early Childhood Development. The session emphasised the urgent need for investment to uphold the rights of the very youngest children.
Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, opened the session by welcoming children and young people to the panel. He stressed that 80% of brain development occurs in the first three years of a child’s life. He highlighted the impact of armed conflicts, poverty, climate change, and healthcare disparities on young children, calling them “the most vulnerable victims of our failure to uphold human rights.”
Vlad, a 13-year-old child rights defender from Moldova, emphasised the uniqueness of early childhood and the importance that governments get things right from the start, stating: “raising a child is not a maths test that you can retake if you don’t get it right the first time.” Children also contributed via video message. The youngest - a seven-year-old child - shared a heartfelt message on the importance of love and family.
Dr. Najat Maalla M’Jid (Special Representative on Violence against Children) and Philip Jaffé (UN Committee on the Rights of the Child) highlighted that adults often overlook young children’s right to express their views and participate in decision-making (Article 12 UNCRC):
“Infants, toddlers, pre-schoolers do not participate in the same way as older children. Child Rights Mainstreaming [at UN level] does not favour the youngest of us – [jokingly asks] any toddlers in the room? It takes a lot of creativity and human resources for early childhood participation. Since I’ve been on the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the youngest child who participated physically in Geneva was eight years old – and this was exceptional. But I’m also aware of wonderful projects that engage with very young children and even babies in terms of participation.” (Philip Jaffé)
Government representatives shared statements of support, while NGOs, including Hope and Homes for Children, Lumos, and SOS Children’s Villages, provided evidence on the need for child-centred policies.
Together submitted evidence ahead of the session, drawing from babies’ stories in our State of Children's Rights Report 2024. This evidence was gathered through a creative methodology developed by Art at the Start, University of Dundee, with further sessions delivered by Circle.
The afternoon session continued with discussions on practical steps to strengthen early childhood rights, focusing on the need for greater commitment to early childhood development, particularly the right to play.