A renewed
commitment to
children's rights

It is very important at this moment in time to recommit to the realisation of child rights. Not only because we commemorate the global commitment made 100 years ago, but because child rights realisation is still an ideal for many children across the world. Times have changed, requiring us all to reflect on how we evolve our thinking on child rights. But at the same time, the fundamentals have not shifted significantly – we still require child rights champions to promote and protect child rights.

As we commemorate the centennial of the Geneva Declaration and affirm the universality of children’s rights, it is our duty to overcome the challenges that we face in translating these ideals into action. We must draw deeply from our collective wisdom and resolve as only through the respect, protection and fulfilment of child rights can we ensure that all children get the best that humanity has to offer.

100 years after the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of the Child, we celebrate significant advances for many children around the world. We also recommit to addressing the threats and obstacles that continue to rob children of their rights. As we move into a new century of advocacy, our child rights community is more important than ever.

Celebramos 100 años de la 1ra declaración de derechos del niño en un momento crítico para la humanidad y particularmente para los niños y niñas en el mundo.
Que estos 100 años nos reafirmen el compromiso con la paz entre los pueblos, sólo así podremos construir sociedades respetuosas con los derechos humanos de todos en especial de los niños y niñas.

The Declaration of Geneva has provided the foundation for international children’s rights. In today’s world where children face some many challenges and crises, we need to remind ourselves of the very core of that foundation: Mankind owes to children the best it has to give and all children of today and of future generations are entitled to that. 

Les profondes disparités entre le Nord et le Sud global menacent gravement l’avenir des enfants, notamment en matière de santé, d’éducation, d’alimentation et d’accès à internet. Ces enjeux cruciaux nécessitent une vigilance accrue. Signez et diffusez largement cette Déclaration, car elle représente un engagement fort pour l’avenir de notre humanité et pour l’Histoire.

Il y a cent ans, Eglantyne Jebb a déclenché un mouvement universel : celui des droits de l’enfant ! Sa Déclaration, officialisée par la Société des Nations, symbolise la révolution du statut de l’enfant, devenu personne, qui ne doit pas seulement être protégé et éduqué, mais qui détient ses propres droits ! Saura-t-on assez la remercier ?

There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.” – so proclaimed Madiba Nelson Mandela. The 1924 Geneva Declaration asserted that humanity “owes to the Child the best that it has to give.” As the world celebrates its 100th anniversary, I am inspired to sign the Renewed Geneva Declaration and take the vow to uphold and ensure the inherent rights of the child in the best interest of humanity.

Rewriting the Geneva Declaration is an important step in reaffirming that children everywhere are the actors of tomorrow. This Declaration should be a tool to enable them to amplify their voice, to give them a voice, to offer them the means to build a fairer and more united future.

The Geneva Declaration put a foundation of not protecting children but recognising them as human. As we celebrate the 100 years of the Declaration we need to think on how we can build the next floor of the building from the UNCRC, in a world where children are faced with climate change and digital expansion. Thank you Jebb. 

As we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Geneva Declaration, we must all ask ourselves if we have done our utmost to give every Child the best we have to give. Adoption of the Declaration was a watershed moment for all children: Recognition of the human rights of every child. And that the society had an obligation to protect, promote, and provide ample circumstances and opportunities for every child to realize their inherent basic human rights here and now. We must all recommit our pledge to fulfill what we had promised 100 years ago to every child in the present and for future generations.

The 2024 Declaration on the Rights of the Child is a testament to our shared responsibilities, values and commitments to protect children’s rights and to ensure that they are given the space to enjoy their childhood and to develop and thrive in safety and free from fear everywhere they are – offline and online.

As we commemorate the centennial of the Geneva Declaration and affirm the universality of children’s rights, it is our duty to overcome the challenges that we face in translating these ideals into action. We must draw deeply from our collective wisdom and resolve as only through the respect, protection and fulfilment of child rights can we ensure that all children get the best that humanity has to offer.

After 100 years of progress, we are observing a breaking point of children’s rights. An increasing number of children suffer in the crossfire of wars, lose their living environments, and fall out of school. Right now, we must defend children’s rights together, and I am engaged to join this movement.

Today, by celebrating the 2024 Geneva Declaration, we reaffirm our commitment to uphold the rights of all children. Protecting children’s rights to safety, education, and dignity is not just a moral duty but an imperative. This is crucial for their future and for building lasting peace.

Today, we celebrate the inspiring vision of the Geneva Declaration, adopted a century ago, and renew our unwavering commitment to the safeguard of the human rights of every child. Investing in children’s rights will bring peace and human progress to the world at large.

This year we celebrate the Centenary of the Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the Child, which affirmed for the first time the existence of rights specific to children, and the responsibility of adults towards them. While marking this milestone, let us work together towards a world where children  can live in safety, be free from fear and need, go to school, stay healthy and happy, and where every child can unleash its full potential.

The work of Eglantyne Jebb and Janusz Korczak, along with other champions of children’s rights 100 years ago, has not lost its relevance. It’s incredible how accurately they identified the most important issues that have only recently been associated with many others. Today, we cannot be satisfied with the results we have achieved so far, despite the progress made. That is why we must continue what they started and emphasize that we are still far from complete accomplishment.

In the early 1920s in Geneva, Eglantyne Jebb, the founder of Save the Children, was coordinating relief aid reaching vulnerable children across Europe in the aftermath of the First World War. However, she was of the opinion that children should not only be considered as recipients of charitable aid, but that children have their own agency and rights. That’s the reason why she developed the Geneva Declaration on Children’s Rights. 100 years later, Save the Children continues every day to work alongside children and promote their rights, inspired by Eglantyne Jebb’s vision.

En ces temps incertains, il faut rappeler que, en plus du droit humanitaire, Genève est aussi le berceau des droits de l’enfant. Alors que tous deux sont bafoués à travers le monde, un nouveau souffle provenant de Genève ne sera jamais de trop!

The Geneva Declaration continues to be an inspiration for our moral obligation that we owe to children over generations. Enormous challenges to children in today’s world urge us to work harder for realizing their rights. The centenary of the Geneva Declaration is the moment to renew our commitment as global citizens in solidarity with all including children.

By celebrating and ‘updating’ the Geneva Declaration, we pay tribute to the early child rights champions, and we recommit to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of all children enshrined in the UNCRC and its Optional Protocols. We remind ourselves there is still an enormous amount of work to be done.