“It will be a very, very difficult day,” he said on the eve of the internationally celebrated day.
From war to the mental health crisis and the challenge of climate change, “those who claim to be leaders need to do a lot,” he said, emphasizing the issue of legal immunity.
World Children’s Day, founded by the United Nations (UN) in 1954, is celebrated every year on November 20 to foster international solidarity, awareness of children’s rights, and action to improve their welfare. This date also marks the anniversary of the declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989.
However, this year’s celebration was shrouded in somber atmosphere, highlighting the plight of children caught up in the global crisis.
Elder urged world leaders to fulfill their commitments under international humanitarian law and treaties to protect children and prioritize their well-being.
“Spend 10 minutes on World Children’s Day to imagine if it was their seven-year-old daughter or their 15-year-old son who experienced this horror, and how they would react. Maybe they will use their position of influence to act accordingly,” he said.
While the crises in Gaza, Lebanon, and Sudan are in the spotlight, UNICEF emphasizes the importance of paying attention to all the challenges facing children around the world.
“There are children living in poverty in South Africa, orphans in Malawi, child laborers in Bangladesh, and a mental health crisis in Sydney. Kids are kids, wherever they are,” Elder said.
He said influential parties and local governments should pause for a moment on World Children’s Day and see what else can be done to improve the lives of children around them.
On the challenges facing the media and international organizations in ensuring balanced attention to the needs of children around the world — where new conflicts often overshadow previous crises — she said, “The evidence and the data are there, but the news cycle is often more about emotions than issues which is important.”
“If we really hope for a better future in the next 10 or 20 years, psychological and physical investment must be made,” he said. – Named
