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	The protection of children online by UN Office for Human Rights, agencies   UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk calls for more robust measures by both States and tech companies to make online platforms safer for children, insisting on effective regulation, oversight and accountability.   “The digital world that connects children to learning, community, and creativity also exposes them to real risks to their safety, privacy, and wellbeing,” Turk said. “Online harms to kids’ safety, privacy and wellbeing are not innate or inevitable; they result from design choices and business practices that undermine safety, including addictive design features, such as infinite scroll, autoplay, and persistent notifications from apps.”   “Enhancing protection of children online is an urgent priority that we need to make sure not only gets done - but that it gets done right,” he added.   To ensure the approaches to these complex issues are grounded in human rights, the Office has issued a set of guidelines to enhance children’s safety online and protect their rights.   “Blanket social media bans are not a one-off panacea for what is a multifaceted issue. Simply limiting access to platforms that remain unsafe cannot stand as the endpoint in effectively protecting children. We need much wider action – by Governments and companies – to ensure that the platforms themselves are made safer by design, that data is protected, that those responsible for harm can held to account, and that children’s rights and needs are fully respected throughout.”   Turk pointed out that regulations focusing solely on the ages of those who have access to specific digital tools and platforms can leave unaltered the design choices and algorithmic practices that render the platforms unsafe in the first place.   “States need to require tech companies to embed safety into their platforms by design, instead of shifting the burden to parents and children.”   Proposed social media bans for children are proliferating across many countries following Australia’s adoption of a regulation restricting access for children under 16 in December 2025 – with age-based restrictions coming into force in Indonesia and Malaysia. More than a dozen other countries are considering restricting social media access for children.   The UN Human Rights Office guidelines state that age restrictions on children’s access to specific services or content should be targeted to clearly-identified harms, and recommend a number of additional steps for effective regulation that avoids human rights risks.   Measures suggested include guardrails around age verification processes, mandatory child rights impact assessments, and including children when defining regulatory responses. These steps should be backed up by mandated transparency, strengthened oversight and accountability for companies, and access to remedy for children whose rights are violated.   “Whatever regulations are adopted, it is essential to avoid inadvertently causing further harms. For example, age verification done wrong can both fail at its goal and endanger the privacy of both kids and adults.” Turk said.   The UN Human Rights Chief also noted that experience so far shows that bans can be easily circumvented and expressed concern that such bans may end up pushing children to riskier, even less monitored platforms.   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/05/protection-children-online-needs-be-done-right-un-human-rights-office-issues http://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/issues/children/getting-childrens-safety-online-right.pdf http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/1-5-children-across-21-countries-have-experienced-tech-facilitated-sexual http://www.savethechildren.net/news/global-coalition-tells-governments-make-ai-safe-children-ahead-un-summit http://www.savethechildren.net/news/child-sexual-abuse-increases-due-evolving-technologies-save-children-calls-public-health http://www.savethechildren.net/news/global-coalition-tells-governments-make-ai-safe-children-ahead-un-summit http://5rightsfoundation.com/100-organisations-call-for-mandatory-safety-testing-of-ai-used-by-children-ahead-of-un-summit/ http://childfundalliance.org/blog/directory_documents/coalition-for-childrens-rights-in-age-of-ai http://childfriendlygovernance.org/me-and-ai http://news.un.org/en/story/2026/09/1168403 http://www.ipsnews.net/2026/08/un-special-rapporteur-urges-the-protection-of-childrens-rights-amid-deepening-conflict-and-digital-threats/ http://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/crc/activities/2025-11-joint-stm-itu-crc-e.pdf Visit the related web page
	Every war is a war against children. But it must never be accepted as an inevitability by Save the Children, War Child Alliance, agencies   Sep. 2026   “A single explosion can change everything,” Deputy UN relief chief Mohamed Yahya warns on harm to children.   Across different areas, from countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Lebanon to Myanmar to Sudan to Ukraine to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, civilians are being killed and maimed in their homes and in their communities.   Drones are increasingly carrying explosive weapons into populated areas, bringing the battlefield closer to people’s homes, schools and communities. And you see them everywhere, especially how drones have changed the conflict, but also how it has changed and impacted civilians.   Children are among those who pay the highest price. A single explosion can change everything. A parent killed, a child loses a limb, a family loses their home. But harm goes beyond those killed or injured.   You destroy a hospital, healthcare disappears. You destroy a water system and disease spreads. You destroy a school and children lose not only education, but a place of safety and normality.   Humanitarian access becomes very difficult. Aid workers have been pushed back from the front line, and you probably know in the last three years, we lost about 1,000 aid workers across these battlefields.   But schools and learning places are also being destroyed. When healthcare is damaged, treatment disappears, people die of preventable diseases.   And danger can remain long after the fighting ends. Explosive remnants contaminate homes, street, farmlands, playgrounds – and prevent families from returning home and rebuilding their communities. We know this. We know the consequences of explosive weapons. They’re documented. They’re foreseeable.   What makes this tragedy even more unacceptable is that it’s preventable. It’s man-made. It’s choices we make. That’s why the Secretary-General has repeatedly called for parties in conflict to avoid the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.   And that’s why States and parties to conflict must take all meaningful steps to change the ways military operations are conducted in towns and in cities. The tools already exist.   States have adopted the Political Declaration on explosive weapons in populated areas. Now we need action.   We need more States to endorse the Declaration. We need those commitments translated into military policy, planning and practice. We want to see all parties avoid the use of explosive weapons with in populated areas.   Arms transfers must not contribute to ever expanding patterns of harm to civilians. As drones and other technologies change how wars are fought, innovation must be used to minimize civilian harm and not multiply it.   What is really concerning when we talk about conflicts and harm, is that States are playing a disproportionate role in bringing these harms. It’s not non-State actors; it’s the State actors, which makes this issue even more urgent.   Sep. 2026   Why is war more dangerous for children than ever – and what can States do about it. (War Child Alliance)   The world today is increasingly shaped by armed conflict – and children are bearing the greatest consequences.   More children than ever are living in conflict zones. And in each, children are being killed and maimed, displaced, denied humanitarian assistance, and cut off from school, health care and other services.   The scale of grave violations against children has reached unprecedented levels: The UN verified 38,558 grave violations against children in 2025 affecting 24,174 children. That’s the highest number of children affected since UN monitoring began nearly 30 years ago.   But size and scale are not the only problems. The way war is waged is increasingly creating unique and compounding risks for children.   1. Explosive weapons in populated areas put children in the crosshairs   The data cannot be ignored: when explosive weapons are used in cities and towns, civilians suffer the most.   Armed conflict is increasingly taking place in urban and populated areas. Neighborhoods become frontlines, and civilians are caught in the crosshairs.   While explosive weapons were designed for fighting in open spaces, they are now regularly used in towns and cities. The vast majority – 96% – of casualties of explosive weapons in populated areas are civilians. And explosive weapons are now the leading cause of death and injury to children in conflict settings.   Technological developments, including the growing use of drones and artificial intelligence, are increasing these harms while also having less oversight and accountability.   2. Children experience conflict differently than adults – with lifelong consequences   Children are particularly vulnerable to the physical and psychological effects of conflict. When it comes to explosive weapons, children are more likely to die or suffer life-threatening injuries. They are also more likely to sustain multiple injuries.   And for children who survive, the psychological impact can be devastating. Children can experience anxiety, PTSD, depression, fear, aggression, and emotional withdrawal, and these consequences can persist long after the fighting ends.   3. Destruction of infrastructure is disrupting childhoods   A house, school, hospital, water treatment centre – these aren’t just buildings, they provide the safety, security, services and resources that support children’s survival, development, and wellbeing.   Yet attacks on civilian infrastructure continue at an alarming pace. In 2025, the UN verified 2,493 attacks on schools and hospitals.   4. Aid is under attack   In 2025, 350 aid workers were killed in conflict – second only to the record 383 killed the previous year. Also in 2025, the UN registered 8,322 incidents of denial of humanitarian access to children, a figure that has steadily climbed in recent years.   5. States are investing in war, not peace   While governments are increasing military spending, they are cutting vital humanitarian, development and peacebuilding assistance. Humanitarian funding fell by 30% between 2022 and 2025, and development assistance dropped 23% in 2025 alone. These cuts have left children with even fewer resources to help ensure their survival and support their development.   6. Failure to hold perpetrators accountable has led to an era of impunity   Despite States’ responsibility to protect civilians and children affected by conflict, grave violations against children continue to rise – and States are now the main perpetrators.   In 2025, government forces were for the first time the main perpetrators of grave violations against children. And for the fourth consecutive year, state armed forces and associated armed actors were primarily responsible for the killing and maiming of children, attacks on schools and hospitals, and denial of humanitarian access.   When acting without consequence becomes the norm and attacks on children commonplace, we have failed.   So, what can States do? States have the ability – and the obligation – to reverse these trends and uphold their commitments to protect children in conflict. There are several ways for States to take meaningful action:   Renew commitments to uphold international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Endorse and implement applicable legal frameworks and political commitments and publicly reaffirm obligations for all parties to conflict to uphold international humanitarian law (IHL) and applicable international human rights law (IHRL) in all armed conflicts, including specific protections for children.   Avoid the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. States should endorse – and meaningfully implement – the Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (EWIPA) Declaration and other commitments that are designed to strengthen protections for civilians and civilian infrastructure.   Strengthen and reinforce child and civilian protection throughout military preparation and operations. States should integrate child-specific standards in weapons development and military engagement, implement laws to regulate the use of new technologies – including AI – in warfare, and increase scrutiny of arms transfers and military assistance.   Ensure accountability for violations. Uphold obligations to pursue accountability for all serious violations of IHL and IHRL. States should defend and reinforce the independence and authority of the International Criminal Court and impose targeted sanctions against individuals and entities implicated in serious violations.   Strengthen independent monitoring, investigation, and reporting of grave violations against children, including by resourcing and supporting the UN Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism 227 to comprehensively and impartially track and report on grave violations against children.   Redouble investment in children’s protection and well-being by recognising and funding child protection, education and mental health and psychosocial support as life-saving interventions for children. Investment in evidence-based, integrated programming is critical to ensure limited resources have maximum impact.   http://www.warchild.net/latest/article/why-is-war-more-dangerous-for-children-than-ever http://www.warchild.net/latest/article/new-war-child-report-warns-aid-cuts-are-leaving-children-unprotected/   June 2026   Protecting Children in Conflict through a Child-Sensitive Application of International Humanitarian Law. (Save the Children)   In armed conflict, children suffer disproportionately - more acutely than adults, sooner, and with harms that persist long after hostilities end. Their smaller, still-developing bodies are uniquely vulnerable to the impacts of explosive weapons, malnutrition, and disease. Their minds, still forming their sense of self, safety and understanding of the world, absorb trauma differently and more deeply.   Their survival and development depend on caregivers, specialist services, and functioning civilian systems in ways that go far beyond adult dependency.   These vulnerabilities are the reason children hold a distinct legal status under international law. They are entitled not only to the protections afforded to all civilians under International Humanitarian Law (IHL), but to special respect and protection, a deliberately higher standard, enshrined in the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols and reinforced by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified by 196 States.   Yet by every available measure, warfare is becoming more dangerous for children, not less- in part as their special protections are not being given effect. In short, the gap between the promise and the performance of international law is widening, and children are paying the highest price.   The challenge does not lie in the law itself. IHL’s existing framework is sufficient, when properly applied, to afford children meaningful and differentiated protection. The problem lies in how the law is being interpreted and implemented.   Children are routinely treated as generic members of the civilian population, as just ‘mini-civilians’, without adequate consideration of their unique rights, risks, or needs.   Civilian harm mitigation frameworks are calculated on and calibrated to the most robust members of the civilian population, rather than the most vulnerable.   This is a fundamental inversion of the protective logic of international law. When the tools used to protect civilians are designed around adults, children fall through the gaps. That is not just a moral failure, rather it means children are being denied the protection the law already guarantees them.   Addressing this does not require new treaties or new codification. It requires existing law to be applied consistently, in full, and through a child-sensitive lens. Children’s distinct vulnerabilities should be accounted at every stage of conflict: from operational planning and the design, use, and legal review of weapons, through conduct of hostilities, to efforts to secure justice.   If implemented, this could prevent immeasurable harm, and its benefits would extend beyond children. Civilian harm mitigation frameworks modelled on the most vulnerable members of the population will raise the floor of protection for all civilians. Protecting children is therefore not a narrow ask - it is a path to preventing more civilian harm overall.   Children suffer disproportionately from both the direct and reverberating impact of conflict. Though often under-prioritised, the reverberating effects of conflict are not peripheral — they are often the harms that kill, maim, or permanently alter the trajectory of a child’s life.   This paper documents the distinct harms children face in conflict, outlines the legal obligations that already exist to address them, explores what meaningful protection for children looks like in practice, and sets out recommendations for action.   http://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/document/protecting-children-in-conflict-through-a-child-sensitive-application-of-international-humanitarian-law   Mar. 2026   “Children were already paying the highest price in wars worldwide, and the escalating conflict in the Middle East is only deepening the crisis, with hundreds killed, thousands displaced, and millions living in fear.   As the world marks Annual Day on the Rights of the Child this year, bombardment, displacement, and terror are inflicting new wounds on a generation of children across the Middle East and wider region, many of whom already carry the physical and mental scars of years of violence, insecurity, or deprivation. What our teams are seeing and hearing is devastating.   More than 200 children have been killed in the first week, according to official and media reports. Across the region, children are terrified - unable to sleep as sirens sound or blasts shake the walls around them.   In Iran, children were killed in their classrooms. In Israel, where children have also died, rocket and drone attacks have forced thousands of children back into bomb shelters.   In Lebanon, families are fleeing for the second or third time. In Gaza, closures at crossings bring fears of prolonged siege and deprivation, and in the West Bank, checkpoint closures have prevented children from going to school. This latest escalation compounds harm upon harm.   In every conflict - from Ukraine to the Democratic Republic of Congo - children bear the heaviest burden. Children are seven times more likely to die from blast injuries than adults. When hunger sets in and malnutrition strikes, their developing bodies succumb faster, and preventable childhood illnesses become fatal.   The harms do not end when the hostilities do. The wounds of war follow children through their lives.   The current conflict in the Middle East and wider region is unfolding against the backdrop of a fracturing of the laws, norms, and institutions designed to protect civilians and uphold the rights of the most vulnerable. Children are among the intended beneficiaries of that system. They are also its most visible victims when it fails.   There was a record number of grave violations against children in armed conflict documented by the United Nations in 2024, with violations including killing, maiming, abduction, sexual violence, recruitment into armed groups, attacks on schools and hospitals, and denial of humanitarian access to children. These are not abstract statistics, but rather a record of our collective failure.   We have the tools to protect children. The Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Geneva Conventions, and the Children and Armed Conflict mechanisms are enshrined in international law and exist precisely to prevent what we are now witnessing.   Yet many in positions of power are failing to uphold these laws, and the broader international community is failing to ensure compliance.   Leaders have spent the better part of a decade perfecting the art of deep concern - releasing statements that are masterpieces of diplomatic posturing but that fall short of consequence.   When the law becomes a set of suggestions rather than a collective responsibility, children pay the price.   Last year, Sila, 17, from Idlib, Syria, addressed the United Nations Security Council, the body charged with overseeing international peace and security. Sila shared her powerful experience of growing up amidst conflict in Syria for almost her entire childhood:   “I am from a generation that survived physically, but our hearts still live in fear. Help us replace the word ‘displacement’ with ‘return’, the word ‘rubble’ with ‘home’, and the word ‘war’ with ‘life’.”   Today, Sila and more than 100 million children like her across the Middle East are once again living under the terrifying shadow of an expanding war. Her plea should echo in every chamber of power.   Over a century ago, Save the Children’s founder, Eglantyne Jebb, declared that “every war is a war against children.” That truth is as irrefutable today as it was then. But it must not be accepted as an inevitability. It is a choice.   Leaders must prioritise diplomacy over escalation, uphold international law, and ensure that all States renew their commitment to global stability and the mechanisms designed to protect children in armed conflict before erosion becomes irreversible and children around the world pay the highest price.   We must reject a global system that has decided children’s lives are acceptable geopolitical collateral. The stakes could not be higher - and the time for posture alone has long passed.”   http://www.savethechildren.net/news/every-war-war-against-children-it-must-never-be-accepted-inevitability-statement-save-children http://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/document/stop-the-war-on-children-security-for-whom-2025 http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/child-casualties-rise-amidst-deepening-middle-east-conflict http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/remarks-unicef-deputy-executive-director-ted-chaiban-un-secretary-general http://www.icrc.org/en/statement/unhrc-statement-children-rights-armed-conflict http://childrenandarmedconflict.un.org/en/news/year-unthinkable-suffering-record-number-children-conflict-victims-grave-violations-2025   http://eua2026.protectingeducation.org/ http://alliancecpha.org/en/child-protection-humanitarian-action-advocacy-resource-hub http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/urgent-action-needed-ensure-more-children-conflict-zones-are-vaccinated http://view-hub.org/topics/immunizationinconflict http://globalprotectioncluster.org/latest/publications http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2026/06/high-commissioner-turk-we-need-far-greater-accountability-war http://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/thematic-reports/ahrc6051-rights-child-and-violations-human-rights-children-armed
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