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international

“The children do not suffer from what the adult have devoted – and will continue to devote
world is doing. – attention to all persons with disabilities,
architecture
but especially to children with disabilities,
of children’s This was the basic notion in the very first for they face multiple challenges. We became

rights declaration on the rights of the child – the very sensitive to this during the Covid 19
so called Geneva Declaration endorsed pandemic. We saw how children were affected
has been by the League of Nations in 1924, which by restrictions imposed on everyone but were
progressively proclaimed that children are holders of rights especially difficult to endure for them. In
evolving in themselves, that is, as independent subjects particular, they were suffering because they
of rights, which are not a function of their were unable to go to school, a major source of
over the parents or their families, but that they are their normal socialization process.

years.” entitled in their own capacity to certain rights,
and to special duty of care by the adults. They needed educational activities and
socializing, and these were provided virtually,
Therefore, adults are those who are responsible using technical means, but not in a natural
for ensuring that children are in a position to environment with personal human to human
enjoy their rights. Children are entitled to contacts. Human contacts are so important,
special care and special protection, especially but the children had to live through this using
in situations of challenge and difficulty like virtual means of communication.
armed conflicts, pandemics, natural disasters, This incited us to pay more attention and build
because they are the most vulnerable members on past experience in promoting children’s
of the human kind. rights, to include this as one of four major
priority areas of engagement.
It is interesting to note that the Geneva
Declaration of 1924 actually inspired the Women and girls in particular are of course
United Nations to adopt another declaration also facing a number of gender-related
on the same subject, a more detailed one, in challenges, where we need to continue our
1959. And 30 years later, in 1989, it was the engagement, and they will also remain a high
Convention on the Rights of the Child that priority.
was adopted by the General Assembly of the
United Nations and opened for signature. So, It’s encouraging that you put the human being
the architecture of children’s rights has been in the centre of everything.
progressively evolving over the years. When you’re dealing with human rights, it’s
impossible not to deal with human beings. By
It is interesting that you put children’s rights in definition, human beings are in the centre of
the forefront, especially these days when there human rights.
seems to be so much indifference to children.
Why it is a priority for your country? You also are very interested in “fake” media,
It is a priority not just for us but for many countries and “fake news”. How are you going to tackle
and for the European Union. Of course, when that subject?
prioritizing children, we shouldn’t lose sight of It is important, first of all, to raise awareness
other groups of persons in vulnerable situations about the risks that fake news, distortion of
who require specific attention and greater effort facts and disinformation are playing in our
to ensure their equal access to rights and to daily lives. In the past, media outlets were,
opportunities, which others take for granted. technically speaking, limited to a few kinds
of media carriers. It was printed media, radio
For people who are vulnerable, this is and TV. They have long been expanding their
challenging. They need special support, capacity to influence human behaviour and
special attention, and sometimes special create a certain common information space.
measures to ensure that they enjoy equality
both in opportunities and in enjoyment of Compared to the technologies that nowadays
the rights they are entitled to. In the past we are in place, these “older” media’s influencing

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