Several developed countries have serious shortcomings in respect of children's rights, with the United Kingdom and New Zealand reporting lower scores than Syria and North Korea given their economic wealth, according to a Dutch organization.
UK and New Zealand discrimination against young migrants, as well as the lack of protection for poorer children, put them in a bad position in KidsRights' annual ranking, the NGO said. defending the rights of children.
Thailand and Tunisia well placed
The United Kingdom and New Zealand rank respectively at the 170th and 169th positions in this ranking based on UN data, which includes 181 countries. The results deplores Marc Dulleart, founder and president of KidsRights. "Of course, the situation in the UK is much better than Afghanistan or Syria but (ranking) is relative to their position," he said. "Given their economic and democratic status (...) it is appalling that developed countries so rich" get such a score, regretted Marc Dulleart.
Thailand and Tunisia placed themselves surprisingly high in 14th and 15th place, because despite "limited resources", these countries "bet everything on the next generation," he said.
France eighth
Iceland came first, followed by Portugal, Switzerland, Finland and Germany. The Netherlands, Belgium and France are sixth, seventh and eighth respectively. Afghanistan closes the march, preceded by Sierra Leone, Chad, Equatorial Guinea and the Central African Republic.
For KidsRights, it is important to give a greater voice to children around the world. In particular, the NGO mentioned the example of youth climate marches across the globe, initiated by young activist Greta Thunberg. "We still underestimate the power of these movements," said Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, who together with KidsRights created a foundation that encourages children's participation in business. "We have to get rid of this old-fashioned state of mind that we adults have all the answers," added the sister-in-law of the Netherlands king Willem-Alexander.