The world is facing a new era of crisis for children that is intensifying due to conflicts, inequality, and climate change. The latest report from UNICEF “Prospects for Children in 2025: Building Resilient Systems for Children’s Futures” highlights key trends affecting children and youth amid global changes through five critical areas: Geopolitics, Economics, Environment and climate change, Technology, and Global governance, while presenting concrete solutions to create a better future for all children.
- Impact of Geopolitics on Children and Youth in an Era of Conflict
Global conflict situations have widespread impacts on children and youth. Data from 2023 shows that 473 million children, or approximately 1 in 6 of the world’s child population, live in conflict areas, with this figure expected to increase in 2025. What is concerning is that attacks on critical infrastructure for children’s lives, including schools and hospitals, are becoming commonplace in conflict zones, reflecting ongoing violations of international law and the lack of effective enforcement mechanisms. This results in children and youth facing multiple risks including displacement, malnutrition, and mental health problems.
Looking deeper into the root causes, geopolitical competition and weakening international cooperation are key factors. The resulting impacts not only affect the present but also create intergenerational poverty, as children and youth lose educational opportunities and essential emotional development skills.
Concrete solutions should focus on integrating assistance through the United Nations’ Triple Nexus framework, which links humanitarian aid, development, and peacebuilding together, while accelerating the enforcement of strong international law to protect children and youth in conflict areas. Addressing this problem requires cooperation from all parties to create effective and sustainable child and youth protection systems, ensuring that all children and youth have opportunities to grow in safe environments conducive to their full potential development.
- Impact of the Global Economic System on Child and Youth Development
The global economic situation is impacting child and youth development, particularly in developing countries facing public debt crises. Currently, over 400 million children live in countries with high debt burdens. Low-income countries spend 11 times more on debt servicing than on investing in children and youth. What is concerning is the unfair structure of the global financial system, particularly high interest rates and lending conditions that favor wealthy countries, resulting in developing country governments lacking budgets for investing in basic services essential for children and youth, including education and public health.
Looking deeper into the root causes, this situation reflects the failure of economic thinking that views child and youth development as merely “expenditure” rather than “investment” in the future. Neglecting investment in human resources from childhood will have long-term impacts on national development.
Concrete solutions should begin with reforming the global financial system, particularly considering debt reset that affects children and youth. Additionally, fiscal policies should allocate at least 20% of budgets specifically for child development. Reforming the economic system to be conducive to child and youth development is not only an ethical issue but also an investment for long-term economic sustainability.
- Impact of Climate Crisis on Children and Youth
The climate crisis is severely impacting children and youth worldwide, particularly children under 5 years old who bear 88% of the burden of climate change-related diseases, with only 2.4% of climate finance allocated to meet children’s needs. What is concerning is the lack of child and youth representation in global forums such as COP meetings, causing issues related to children and youth to be often overlooked. Additionally, funding allocation mechanisms lack focus on the specific needs of children and youth, particularly in health and education.
Looking deeper into the root causes, although children and youth are the most severely affected group by climate change, their voices have no space in climate policy formulation, which will affect the quality of life of children and youth in the future.
Concrete solutions should include establishing child and youth advisory councils in climate working groups at both UN and government levels, while integrating disaster response skills into educational curricula to prepare children and youth to handle emergency situations, as well as improving national greenhouse gas reduction plans to consider the vulnerability of children and youth more, increasing the proportion of climate finance allocation specifically focused on protecting and developing children and youth. Prioritizing children in addressing the climate crisis is not only an investment for the future but also creates intergenerational justice.
- Technology Access for Children and Youth Today
Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) has become an important tool in promoting access to basic services for children and youth, particularly in education and public health. What is concerning is the inequality in access to both devices and digital skills, with 90% of girls in low-income countries still unable to access online services. Additionally, there are issues regarding personal data security and risks from exploitation of children and youth data.
Looking deeper into the root causes, inequality in technology access is not only due to lack of devices but also includes lack of understanding of technology’s benefits in improving quality of life, which is a significant barrier to technology acceptance and usage.
Concrete solutions should develop free-access digital learning platforms, promote effective legislation and measures to protect children’s personal data, along with creating secure data integration systems, coupled with promoting digital literacy skills, which will help create appropriate understanding and acceptance of technology. Reducing technological inequality is not just about providing devices or infrastructure but must consider skill development, awareness creation, and protection of children and youth rights simultaneously, so that digital technology becomes an effective tool for improving the quality of life of all children.
- Global Governance and Protection of Children and Youth Rights
The current global governance situation faces significant challenges as conflicts between major powers weaken international cooperation, while global frameworks lack unity in addressing crises affecting children and youth. What is concerning is the trend of international politics focusing on short-term benefits rather than investing in the future of children and youth, and international organizations still lack effective policy enforcement power, causing global efforts to protect children and youth rights to proceed slowly.
Looking deeper into the root causes, current crises require global leaders with long-term vision, although decision-making processes do not align with the urgency of problems. Restructuring decision-making processes is therefore an issue that must be prioritized. Additionally, UNICEF should expand cooperation to global activists and artists to use soft power in creating awareness and social pressure.
Concrete solutions should focus on strengthening and developing mechanisms linking with global frameworks, while creating concrete monitoring and evaluation systems for international cooperation to drive effective policies. Improving global governance to protect children and youth rights requires changes at both structural and attitudinal levels, aiming to create balance between global cooperation and local-level operations to achieve concrete and sustainable change.
- The Future of Children and Youth in 2025
The current situation reflects both threats and opportunities in creating systems that are more resilient and equitable, starting with changing attitudes and perspectives toward children and youth from viewing them as merely “vulnerable groups needing assistance” to recognizing that children and youth are “vital forces in driving the future.”
Strategy and International Cooperation Coordination Division
National Economic and Social Development Council
References
UNICEF. (2025). Prospects for Children in 2025: Building Resilient Systems for Children’s Futures. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/innocenti/reports/prospects-children-2025-global-outlook#report
United Nations. (2025). New era of crisis for children, as global conflicts intensify and inequality worsens. Retrieved from https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/01/1158771
United Nations. (2025). Prospects for Children in 2025: Building Resilient Systems. Retrieved from https://social.desa.un.org/sdn/prospects-for-children-in-2025-building-resilient-systems
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