Open Letter to World Leaders: Uphold children & young people's rights in the digital world

#CovidUnder19 initiative launched this petition to World Leaders

We, the undersigned children, young people and adult allies, are writing this open letter to our leaders in order to share evidence and experiences about children and young people’s human rights online, especially since the start of the pandemic, and to request action. 

Children and young people want and need access to the digital world. 

However, against the backdrop of COVID-19, access to the internet has emerged as a frontline for struggles to fulfil the human rights of children and young people. Some governments have used internet shut-downs as a means of controlling populations and quelling dissent and unrest. During lockdowns, the impact of the digital divide weighed more heavily on some groups than others, preventing children and young people from being able to access information, get a quality education and stay in contact with friends and loved ones. 

According to the #CovidUnder19 Life Under Coronavirus global survey of 26,258 children aged 8–17 years old, more than half of respondents (55%) said they had regular internet access, while 13% said they had no to little access. Children identifying as migrants and asylum seekers had significantly lower access (38% and 27% respectively). Also, 62% of children in detention centres, refugee camps and homeless centres said they had no access or hardly any access to internet. 

There were big regional differences in who could access the internet often or very often: 20% in Africa, 35% in Asia-Pacific, 61% in Latin American and Caribbean, 77% in Western Europe and Other, and 86% in Eastern Europe.

Given that internet access ia a gateway to rights, unequal access directly translates into unequal opportunities to fulfil children and young people’s human rights. 

Across the globe, children and adult human rights defenders have been working in partnership to ensure that the digital environment is a safe and empowering place where the human rights of children and young people are upheld. 

Action from civil society is crucial, but more needs to be done by duty bearers to make sure that these rights are fulfilled.

Therefore, we call on heads of State, governments and multilateral coalitions to : 

1) Take note of General Comment 25 on children’s rights in relation to the digital environment, and use this as a framework to ensure children’s right to information, freedom and privacy online by: 

• Protecting children’s rights online.
• Making rules that support children’s rights online.
• Ensuring that everyone understands the rules, including government officials, businesses, parents, teachers and children themselves.
• Listening to children when they have a problem.
• Stopping businesses putting profit above children’s rights.
• Making sure that there are consequences for organisations or people who break the rules
• Making sure children know and understand what action has been taken.[1]

2) Take action to bridge the digital divide by investing in accessible and independent digital infrastructure, with a view to providing access to free internet, technologies and digital literacy skills to all children and young people. 

3)  Open up communication and decision-making channels for children and young people to meaningfully participate in designing the future of the digital world. 

4) Refrain from shutting down the internet.