As the first quarter of the 21st century draws to a close, the report The State of the World's Children 2024published by UNICEFThe vision of the future that the boys and girls will face in 2050. The paper asks a crucial question: how do we build a world where every child can survive, thrive and reach his or her full potential?
The report details the challenges and opportunities that three of the three global megatrends will bring for future generations. Although not predictions, these trends outline possible scenarios that will be in our hands to shape.
Demographic transition
By 2050, it is expected that the world child population stabilize at around 2.3 billion, a figure similar to today's. However, demographic changes will vary by region. However, demographic changes will vary by region. South Asia, Eastern and Southern Africa, and West and Central Africa will concentrate a large part of the child population, facing enormous challenges in guaranteeing basic services and dealing with climate risks.
Meanwhile, high-income regions, such as North America and Western Europe, will experience significant population aging. These dynamics may generate advantages, such as a "demographic dividend" in some areas, but also challenges in maintaining child-focused policies in a context of limited resources.
Climate and environmental crises
The report highlights that nearly half of the world's children, approximately one billion, live in countries with a high risk of climate disasters. Phenomena such as pollution, rising temperatures, and the food insecurity disproportionately affect children, both physically and emotionally.
Floods, for example, contaminate drinking water sources, increasing disease among children under five, while the increase in mosquitoes leads to the spread of diseases such as dengue fever and malaria.
In addition, extreme weather events have disrupted the education of 400 million students since 2022, infringing on their right to learn and affecting global economic development.
The UNICEF report underscores the urgent need for immediate action to reduce emissions, promote clean energy and protect the most vulnerable from the impacts of climate change.
State-of-the-art technologies
The technological progress can positively transform children's lives. Innovations such as the artificial intelligence (IA), the renewable energies and the advances in vaccines open up opportunities to improve education, health and child welfare.
However, the report warns of associated risks, such as algorithmic bias, privacy breaches and inequalities in digital access.
The digital divide remains alarming: while 95% of the population in high-income countries has access to the Internet, only 26% of the inhabitants of low-income countries enjoy this connectivity. This exclusion threatens to perpetuate inequalities, particularly in regions with a rapidly growing child population.
In the face of the rollback of children's rights and the disproportionate impact on girls, UNICEF urges governments and the international community to prioritize inclusive and sustainable policies that will ensure a more equitable futureo for all children.
The report underlines the importance of the Convention on the Rights of the Childadopted 35 years ago, as a guide to face the challenges of the future, because the construction of 2050 depends on the decisions and actions we take today.
Source: UNICEF
