UNITED NATIONS – Violence and economic hardship are key threats to the world's children amid eight global trends that will negatively impact them this year, a forecast report from the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) warned.
The document, “Outlook for Children 2024: Cooperation in a Fragmented World,” examines the key global risks children are likely to face and suggests ways to reduce harm, starting with ongoing violence and war.
The report says the potential for conflict is being fueled by increasing competition between world powers, threatening the rights and lives of children, threatening their livelihoods and diverting resources that could be used for education, healthcare and nutrition.
On the positive side, medium and small powers are distancing themselves from this competition and UNICEF is calling on them to promote monitoring and accountability mechanisms to protect children in conflict situations.
The text underlines the need for the international community to expand humanitarian assistance and avoid the emergence of “forgotten emergencies”.
Stagnant economic growth is undermining years of progress in reducing child poverty and making it harder for young people to access global labor markets, the text says.
It points out that food prices could rise and child nutrition could suffer if international trade is hampered by mistrust and “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” tariffs between nations.
According to the report, children can be protected through economic solidarity, cooperation between markets and investment in the skills of the future.
The report expresses concern that a fragmented multilateral system is failing to deliver on issues important to children such as peace, security, climate change and financing for development.
Many countries, particularly in the Global South, believe that the multilateral system has failed to address key challenges, that it is no longer fit for purpose in a changing world, and that alignments and alliances among nations have changed as a result.
The analysis recommends seizing the opportunity presented by the United Nations Future Summit in September 2024 to make new commitments on inclusive multilateralism, financial reform, global peace and security policy.
It highlights that developing countries continue to face structural financial inequalities, which do not distribute resources, opportunities and power fairly and limit a country's ability to invest in children.
One result is that many people rely on remittances to cover their health and education costs, and the report believes new technologies and reforms to credit systems could offer hope for a more equal future.
Another theme raised is the threats to democracy, recalling that dozens of national elections will take place around the world in 2024, with unprecedented risks as disinformation and political violence spread, threatening both rights and freedoms . Get services that children expect.
Children and young people may be particularly vulnerable to this type of violence, which can result in physical or emotional harm, disruption to public services, school closures and even death.
It recommends that governments, technology companies, media, academia and civil society “act together with young people to reshape the public debate while respecting freedom of expression and the integrity of information.”
The report then points to the climate crisis and finds that the accelerated transition to green energy is reconfiguring labor markets and key mineral markets, with significant benefits for children and young people.
But it also poses risks, as young people and children are exposed to harmful work practices in mining communities, for example. The ecological transition is also changing their employment prospects in the green economy and challenging governments to meet education and training needs.
But if this transition is managed responsibly, cooperatively and fairly, it can be positive for children and young people, the report says.
He then explains that the El Niño phenomenon – winds over the Pacific that change rainfall patterns – mosquito-borne diseases and water shortages (3.3 billion people live in water-stressed areas) will also threaten the health and well-being of children .
Factors of this kind lead to food insecurity, an increased risk of food poverty among children and forced migration, the UNICEF text says.
This suggests that greater cross-border cooperation in environmental risk management and technological innovation can mitigate negative impacts.
Finally, the potential impact of uncontrolled technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), is once again fueling fear and concern for the well-being of children, UNICEF warns.
It says that new policies and regulations, when designed in a child-friendly and responsible manner, can provide opportunities and minimize negative impacts.
The report's authors conclude that the world faces the dilemma of choosing between a future of fragmentation and division or a future of collaboration and cooperation in which opportunities are seized to create a safer and more just world. fair for children.
They argue that with the renewal of the spirit of cooperation, financial reform, political responsibility, solidarity and proactive social policies envisioned by the post-World War II international order, children can inherit an inclusive and resilient society.
AE/HM