Throughout its history, the United Nations System has brought a range of crucial issues to the international public agenda, highlighting their importance through the declaration of specific days, weeks, years, and decades. This approach aims to raise awareness, foster sensitivity, and encourage the development of global policies with a significant social impact.
The declaration of The United Nations Decade for Early Childhood Care and Education would hold immense significance, as it would provide governments with a set of guidelines and strategies to ensure that children in early childhood can fully enjoy their fundamental rights. Often overlooked as beneficiaries of public policies, children’s citizenship continues to be marginalised, limiting their access to state support and creating serious barriers to realising the rights outlined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the International Human Rights Legal Framework — particularly in relation to economic, social, and cultural rights (ESCR).
The document Towards the Decade for Early Childhood Care and Education, advocates for declaration of a United Nations Decade for Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) to address the critical needs of children under 8 years old. It highlights the current global challenges faced by early childhood, including poverty, malnutrition, lack of access to education, and the impact of COVID-19. The initiative aims to place early childhood at the centre of global agendas, promoting comprehensive policies, increased funding, and inclusive programs to ensure the holistic development and protection of children’s rights. The document outlines specific objectives to improve ECCE services, support families, and foster international cooperation.
