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Globally, 1.4 billion children aged 0-15 lack any form of social protection
by ILO, Save the Children, UNICEF
 
Feb. 2024
 
Globally, 1.4 billion children aged 0-15 lack any form of social protection, leaving them vulnerable to disease, poor nutrition and poverty, according to new data released today by the International Labour Organization (ILO), Save the Children and UNICEF.
 
In low-income countries, less than one in ten children in this age group have access to child benefits, highlighting a significant disparity compared to the coverage enjoyed by children in high-income countries.
 
Child benefits are a critical form of social protection, intended to promote the long-term wellbeing of children. Paid in cash or tax credits, child benefits are essential for reducing poverty, as well as accessing healthcare, nutrition, quality education and water and sanitation. Additionally, these benefits support socio-economic development, particularly in times of crisis.
 
In such contexts, many children are deprived of the basic resources and services they need to escape poverty, and are therefore exposed to the long-lasting impacts of hunger, malnutrition, and unrealised potential.
 
The three organisations are calling on governments to ensure all children are shielded by social protection mechanisms, including through universal child benefits.
 
The data shows there has been a modest global increase in access to child benefits over a period of 14 years, from 20% in 2009 to 28.1% in 2023. However, the progress has been unequal. In low-income countries, rates of coverage remain staggeringly low, at around 9%. At the same time, 84.6% of children in high-income countries are covered.
 
Coverage rates for children in countries that are highly vulnerable to climate impacts are a third lower than those in countries that are not classified as being at high risk. Ensuring children are covered by social protection is key to protecting them from the worst impacts of the climate crisis.
 
"Globally, there are 333 million children living in extreme poverty, struggling to survive on less than US$2.15 per day, and nearly 1 billion children living in multidimensional poverty. At the current rate of progress, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals' poverty targets are out of reach. This is unacceptable. However, ending child poverty is a policy choice. Expanding social protection coverage of children in the fight against poverty is critical, including the progressive realisation of universal child benefits," said Natalia Winder Rossi, Director, Social Policy and Social Protection, UNICEF.
 
"This is a crisis for the over one billion children who are not covered by benefits, and for the countries in which they live. There is an urgent need for effective policymaking to help us close protection gaps. Regional inequalities in coverage and progress are of serious concern -- improvement in child benefit coverage is marginal in most regions and too many children are still being left behind." said Shahra Razavi, Director of the Social Protection Department at the ILO.
 
To bolster efforts to monitor child benefit coverage, Save the Children, ILO and UNICEF have developed the Global Child Benefits Tracker, an online platform to monitor children's access to benefits, and advocate with governments and donors to close the gaps. This launch comes at a critical time when most recent data shows that 829 million children globally are living in households with per-person incomes below US$3.65 a day and progress on child poverty reduction has largely stalled.
 
"Child benefits support families to afford better nourishment, health, education, and protection and are key for realising children's rights and enhancing their potential as adults. Child benefits are therefore critical to building inclusive and resilient economies for the future. Unfortunately, many countries have not prioritised investment in social protection. Through the Child Benefits Tracker, we highlight the scale of global child poverty and examples of progress to inspire greater political will and investment in child-sensitive social protection systems," said David Lambert Tumwesigye, Global Policy & Advocacy Lead for Child Poverty at Save the Children International.
 
The three agencies urge policymakers and donors to take decisive steps to attain universal social protection for all children, by:
 
Building social protection systems that are rights-based, gender-responsive, inclusive, and shock-responsive to address inequities and deliver better results for girls and women, children with disabilities, migrant children, and children in child labour for example.
 
Closing protection gaps require filling the 'financing gap'. This means investing in child benefits for all children offers a proven and cost-effective way to combat child poverty and ensure children thrive. Providing a comprehensive range of child benefits through national social protection systems that also connect families to crucial health and social services, such as free or affordable high-quality childcare.
 
Securing sustainable financing for social protection systems by mobilising domestic resources and increasing public investment in children. Strengthening social protection for parents and caregivers by guaranteeing access to decent work and adequate benefits, including unemployment, sickness, maternity, disability, and pensions.
 
http://www.savethechildren.net/news/14-billion-children-globally-missing-out-basic-social-protection-according-latest-data http://www.childbenefitstracker.org/
 
Jan. 2024
 
Cooperation in a fragmented world. (UNICEF)
 
In 2024, the world must recognize its shared destiny. We must rekindle the cooperative spirit envisioned by the post-World War II international order, placing children, their interests and their voices at the centre of decisions about our common future.
 
Trends that will impact children in 2024:
 
1. Geopolitical shifts and the risk of conflict may threaten children’s survival and well-being – but avenues for accountability and cooperation hold promise.
 
In 2024, major powers will continue competing to expand their military, political, economic, and technological influence globally, including within multilateral institutions.
 
Meanwhile, small and middle powers, including many in the Global South, are distancing themselves from confrontation between the major powers by forging new, flexible alliances in an emerging ‘multi-aligned movement’.
 
As power becomes more diffused, a more inclusive and collaborative approach to solving global problems may develop.
 
This shifting geopolitical landscape means 2024 will likely remain volatile, with reverberating impacts. Potential risks include new armed conflicts, cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns and clashes inflamed by climate change and environmental stresses.
 
The heightened risk of conflict could entangle neighboring nations in regional disputes. It could also see continued engagement by private military contractors and mercenaries, and urban warfare tactics that endanger civilians.
 
For children, this volatility will likely mean increased exposure to violence and war. It will also raise their risk of experiencing grave violations of rights in conflict.
 
Moreover, as humanitarian needs reach unprecedented levels, surging military spending may well divert precious resources from health care, education and nutrition.
 
States must strengthen monitoring and accountability mechanisms to protect children in conflict situations. The international community needs to expand humanitarian aid to avoid ‘forgotten emergencies’. Reforming global peace and security governance to revitalize tools for protecting children and maintaining peace must be a priority.
 
2. Economic fragmentation threatens families’ livelihoods, children’s development and youth employment.
 
Economic fragmentation, often driven by geopolitical interests and strategic considerations, is projected to widen disparities between nations in 2024. It adds fiscal pressure at a time when child poverty is rising in many parts of the world.
 
Our analysis shows that, from March 2022 to October 2022, millions of newborns in 127 low- and middle-income countries may have been at risk of stunting due to higher food prices because of Russia–Ukraine war. Youth employment prospects, particularly in low-income countries are uncertain due to economic disruptions.
 
Crises linked to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia–Ukraine war have erased years of progress in reducing extreme child poverty. Estimates show this backsliding will continue, with millions more children living in poverty by 2030 than would have otherwise.
 
The developed world needs to demonstrate economic solidarity and prioritize children in trade policy formulation and cooperation on commodity markets to ensuring access to essential goods and services.
 
Equitable budgeting, tax policies, debt management and public finance are key to ensuring essential services and securing environments that allow children to thrive.
 
Unified policy action and strategic investments are needed in youth employment and education to provide skills for emerging sectors.
 
3. A fragmented multilateral system is not delivering on key issues for children – but it has a chance to reset its course in 2024 through global governance reforms.
 
The year 2024 will be pivotal for addressing a fragmented multilateral system that is failing on issues such as peace, security, climate change, financing for developing countries and the enforcement of normative standards – all of which can have an impact on children and their rights.
 
Many countries, especially those in the Global South, believe the multilateral system has failed to address core challenges and is no longer fit for purpose in an evolving world.
 
As a result, alignments and alliances among nations have shifted. These shifts can be positive or negative for children: Alliances among smaller groupings of countries can help advance issues at an impasse globally, but multiple groupings may stretch the already limited resources of smaller and less developed countries.
 
The international community needs to seize the opportunity of the United Nations’ Summit of the Future in September 2024 to renew commitments to inclusive multilateralism and reform global peace and security governance.​
 
The multilateral system – including the United Nations, international financial institutions, regional organizations, and other organizations – should mainstream child rights and interests into policies, programmes and agreements​.
 
Children and young people need to meaningfully participate in decision-making processes.
 
4. Developing economies still face structural inequities in the international financial architecture, limiting their ability to invest in children – but reforms to lending approaches offer hope.
 
Structural inequities in international financing will continue to limit developing countries’ investments in children in 2024. Excessive debt burdens, high remittance costs, overreliance on unpredictable economic monetary policies, and lack of voice in financial governance penalize poorer states. Debt crises triggered by these factors hurt children through austerity budgets and weakened social safety nets.
 
Overhauling the governance and lending capacity of international financial institutions is a major reform effort needed to address debt challenges facing developing countries.
 
A successful approach involving increased social investments and access to sustainable finance can benefit children and offer hope of a faster reduction of extreme poverty, higher education spending, fewer children leaving school early, and increased employment opportunities for youth. But these gains require a commitment to a more inclusive and equitable global financial system.
 
The international community should give due consideration to the impact on child well-being in the global finance reform processes.
 
Proposed reforms must be accompanied by efforts to address developing country’s debt and balance economic growth and debt management​.
 
The international community can reap further gains by modernizing cross-border payment infrastructure and advancing digital finance.
 
Reforms to the global financial architecture should also balance financial returns with long-term development potential.
 
5. Global democracy will face unprecedented risks presented by disinformation and higher levels of political violence – but positive forces, including those led by children and youth, may still reverse the democratic decline.
 
Democratic backsliding has been unfolding for years. But in 2024, as many nations face critical elections, two concerning trends emerge.
 
First, advances in the digital technology and generative AI have introduced dangerous new disinformation capabilities that can create convincing text and realistic images quickly and cheaply. The impact of disinformation and technology on democracy will likely continue in 2024, potentially affecting 4 billion people living in countries with upcoming elections.
 
Second, political violence has increased, impacting even established democracies. Of the 50 countries facing the worst levels of political violence, half are considered ‘free’ or ‘partly free’, according to the categorization by Freedom House.
 
Children and young people are becoming citizens during uncertain times. They may be misled by disinformation and are especially vulnerable to violence and the damage it causes to public services. At the same time, they continue to be engaged in civic action, bringing hope for a reinvigoration of the public debate and a reversal of the democratic decline.
 
Governments, together with tech companies, the media,​ academia and civil society, including youth, should act to reshape public debate, preserving freedom of expression and information integrity.
 
Governments must invest in civic education, better platforms for children and youth participation in the political process, and equitable access to existing democratic structures.​ Governments must also take a fresh understanding of how young people act politically and take concrete action to address their demands.​
 
6. Fast-tracking transition to green energy if managed responsibly, cooperatively and justly, will benefit children and create demand for skilled labour in the green job market.
 
A faster transition from fossil fuels to green energy requires careful management of resources such as critical minerals, greater collaboration among countries and political will.​ Joint action between governments and businesses is essential to ensure that regulatory frameworks and corporate standards consider child rights issues.​
 
Inclusive opportunities for young people to build new skills and access green jobs are critical to realizing a transition that works for young generations. Policymakers should consider a holistic, lifecycle approach to supporting green school-to-work transitions​.
 
7. Climate change will continue to pose many threats to children’s health and nutrition. Three key forces stand out: the continuation of El Nino; the rise in outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases due to climate change; and water scarcity.
 
The 2024 El Nino could be even hotter and more dangerous to people and the planet than in 2023. Coming on the heels of the polycrisis, it may further exacerbate impacts on the cost of living, food security and poverty.
 
Outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases including dengue and malaria have appeared with increasing frequency and in new locations, reversing years of progress in child survival and health.
 
Water scarcity, exacerbated by climate change, directly impacts children worldwide – even children in high-income countries. By 2050, 4.3 billion people will live in arid and regions with high levels of water stress – a billion more people than in 2023. Clean and safe water access is fundamental for children’s health and development.
 
Together, these three forces present major dangers to children, including dehydration, disease, malnutrition, developmental deficits, trauma from displacement and even death.
 
Given the transboundary nature of these threats and the vulnerability of low-income countries, international cooperation is critical to address climate-related health and nutrition risks for children.
 
Governments need to adopt integrated health and solutions to the climate crisis that focus on prevention, are backed by research and development and emphasize global collaboration and innovation. Early warning systems need to be strengthened along with greater access to vaccines, bed nets and clean water to shield children from climate threats.
 
Climate change adaptation and resilience tailored to the goal of protecting children’s well-being must be at the core of climate action.
 
8. Potential impacts of unchecked technologies spark fear and concern for children’s well-being – but proactive policy and global digital cooperation can place children at the centre of responsible design and regulation.
 
The digital environment continues to shape children’s lives. Advances such as artificial intelligence (AI) can bring new opportunities for children's learning, health care and development. But new technologies also poses risks for children, regulatory frameworks will be a 2024 priority for three main reasons:
 
Regulation is crucial for children as they interact with AI in many ways, and children will feel the negative impacts of unchecked AI now and throughout their lives.
 
Technology’s negative influence has sparked widespread demands for more consideration about design, deployment and regulation of technology.
 
The politicization of technology will hinder efforts to build consensus on digital governance. Mounting tensions between countries often take priority over children’s rights when it comes to digital governance.
 
As a result, children may be more exposed to risks from emerging technology, including from AI. Greater child-centred regulation can help shield young technology users from its negative impact. Digital policies and cooperation must prioritize children, resonate with their lived digital experiences and truly serve their needs and hopes.
 
States need to promote digital equality by providing digital skills and meaningful access and hold Big Tech accountable to minimize risks.​ Children and youth should be meaningfully and continually engaged in digital policy and development. Employing foresight methods – with children and youth – to map potential digital futures that inform anticipatory policies fit for our age.
 
http://www.unicef.org/globalinsight/reports/prospects-children-2024-global-outlook


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African leaders need to address hunger, conflict, gender inequalities
by African Child Policy Forum, Action Against Hunger
 
Feb. 2024
 
Action Against Hunger calls on African Union Summit to prioritize actions to address hunger, conflict resolution and gender equality.
 
Action Against Hunger is calling on African Heads of States and Governments to prioritize regional conflict resolution and gender equality at the Feb. 18th AU Summit. The AU Heads of State Assembly, Africa’s supreme policy and decision-making body that determines AU policies, programs, and priorities, will meet for the 37th Session.
 
This year’s Summit occurs against a backdrop of growing challenges throughout the continent, including droughts and floods fueled by climate change, increasing food insecurity, widespread conflict, and a rise in gender-based violence.
 
Action Against Hunger urges leaders to take action, especially as food prices spike following the aftermath of global events including the war in Ukraine, the Rea Sea crisis, and the conflict in Gaza.
 
Conflict is a primary driver of hunger in Africa. An estimated 149 million Africans face acute food insecurity, and 82% of those impacted live in conflict-affected countries.
 
Conflict disrupts agriculture, destroys key infrastructure, and prevents people from accessing markets, schools, and hospitals. It forces people to flee their homes, leaving lives and livelihoods behind. Humanitarian workers are unable to deliver assistance in areas with increasing violence.
 
At a time when conflict is rampant and hunger is rising, Action Against Hunger calls on African leaders to take a stronger stance and commit to resolving conflicts across the region.
 
“We welcome that peace and security issues are high on the 2024 AU Summit agenda and urge leaders to focus on the link between conflict and hunger—both of which are preventable,” says Michelle Brown, Associate Director of Advocacy for Action Against Hunger. “The alarming resurgence of hunger goes hand-in-hand with the growing number and intensity of armed conflicts and warring parties’ flagrant disregard of international humanitarian law.”
 
In January, Action Against Hunger released its 2024 Hunger Funding Gap report, which revealed a significant gap in funding for humanitarian assistance in African countries dealing with crisis levels of hunger. The report found that, globally, only 35% of appeals from countries dealing with crisis levels of hunger were funded, resulting in a hunger funding gap of 65%, up 23% from 2022.
 
The world is not responding to these hunger crises with sufficient funding. African countries in the report included Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan.
 
Globally, more than one billion adolescent girls and women suffer from undernutrition, according to The Gender Nutrition Gap Report released by a coalition of partners, including Action Against Hunger. In Africa, nearly 60% of women are experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity.
 
“By failing to close the gender nutrition gap, Action Against Hunger believes we are jeopardizing the lives of women and girls and our collective future as a continent,” said Alvin Munyasia, Action Against Hunger’s Advocacy and Communications Specialist for the Horn and Eastern Africa, who is attending the AU Summit.
 
Action Against Hunger is a partner and member of the Gender Is My Agenda Campaign (GIMAC), advocating for the full participation, empowerment, and enhanced leadership roles for women and young girls in Africa, and advancing guarantees of full gender equity, equality, food security, and social protection for all.
 
* Nov. 2023
 
Child rights and wellbeing campaigners have urged African governments to take immediate action to end child poverty and hunger across the continent. The call comes as new research reveals Africa is home to nearly 60 percent of the world’s poor children.
 
Two new reports from the African Child Policy Forum (ACPF) show that African children are the poorest in the world, and that they are getting poorer. At the same time, 55 million African children under the age of five are stunted due to malnutrition. In the Horn of Africa nearly two million children are at risk of starvation, and in the Sahel, seven million are suffering severe hunger.
 
“There appears to be no end in sight to Africa’s child poverty and hunger crisis,” said ACPF Executive Director Dr Joan Nyanyuki. “Across the continent, millions of children face hunger, slow starvation and even death. African governments must take their responsibilities seriously and ramp up their investment in eradicating poverty and hunger.
 
“Child hunger is fundamentally a political problem, and I refuse to accept that it is either inevitable or insoluble. Time after time we have pointed out to governments that poverty and hunger are not only a humanitarian crisis, they are a huge drag on social and economic development. It is governments’ own interests to put and end to them.”
 
In an effort to galvanise African governments into action, ACPF have released two new reports: the African Report on Child Wellbeing 2023 Justice not Charity: African Governments Must End Child Poverty and No End in Sight: Child Hunger in Africa.
 
352 million African children - more than half of all the children in the continent - live in multidimensional poverty. Of these, six in every ten experience severe forms of poverty.
 
Another 110 million African children are on the brink of poverty, at significant risk of being tipped into it by the illness of a parent or caregiver, or by drought, conflict, displacement or economic crisis.
 
More than half of African children living in extreme poverty live in six countries: Nigeria, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Tanzania, Uganda and Niger.
 
In South Sudan and Niger, almost every child faces severe deprivations in almost every aspect of their wellbeing.
 
Of the 600 million children in Africa, 90 percent lack a minimum acceptable diet and 60 percent lack minimum meal frequency. Girls, children living in urban slums or remote rural areas, children living in conflict zones, children with disabilities, and children affected by HIV/AIDS are among the most deprived groups facing a greater risk of severe poverty.
 
Most African countries fail to provide for the basic needs of children and to deliver basic services to them. Of the 52 countries assessed only 14 have above average scores for addressing child deprivation and poverty.
 
“Poverty leads to hunger, which in turn leads to greater poverty,” added Dr Nyanyuki. “This vicious circle threatens Africa’s future economic and social prosperity. Poverty and hunger damage a child’s cognitive development, physical health and growth, educational outcomes and future employment opportunities. Their impacts last a lifetime. Tackling the root causes of child undernutrition is crucial for the social and economic transformation of Africa. The performance of African governments in addressing child poverty is poor and unacceptable.”
 
ACPF urged African governments to adopt a six point action plan as a matter of urgency:
 
Recognise child hunger and undernutrition as a national emergency. Integrate child rights into national development planning. Invest in high-quality pre-primary and primary education. Improve access to and the quality of maternal and child health services. Establish universal child-sensitive social protection programmes. Strengthen governance and accountability.
 
“Failure to address child undernutrition costs countries a significant proportion of their annual gross domestic product and hinders post pandemic recovery. Healthy and well-nourished children tend to be better educated, get better jobs, and earn, save and invest more - all of which are critical for Africa’s economic growth and prosperity,” concluded Dr Nyanyuki.
 
* African Report on Child Wellbeing 2023: Justice not Charity: African Governments Must End Child Poverty. African Child Policy Forum (140pp): http://tinyurl.com/2vju669w
 
http://www.actionagainsthunger.org/press-releases/action-against-hunger-calls-on-african-union-summit-to-prioritize-conflict-resolution-and-gender-equality/ http://africacenter.org/spotlight/unresolved-conflicts-continue-to-drive-africas-food-crisis/ http://actionaid.org/publications/2024/over-18-million-girls-missing-school-africa-continent-loses-usd29-billion http://www.savethechildren.net/news/education-africa-violent-attacks-against-schools-rose-20-2023 http://theconversation.com/development-aid-cuts-will-hit-fragile-countries-hard-could-fuel-violent-conflict-215914 http://actionaid.org/publications/2023/fifty-years-failure-imf-debt-and-austerity-africa http://theconversation.com/african-countries-lost-control-to-foreign-mining-companies-the-3-steps-that-allowed-this-to-happen-218437 http://theconversation.com/climate-change-alarming-africa-wide-report-predicts-30-drop-in-crop-revenue-50-million-without-water-224543 http://www.fidh.org/en/region/Africa/sudan/sudan-international-community-should-prioritize-the-will-of-sudanese http://www.fidh.org/en/region/Africa/37th-au-summit-rule-of-law-and-human-rights-must-be-at-the-heart-of


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