Blog:

By Neil Raw, Jenny Vaughan and Dave Bradley – Senior Policy Advisors

The International Development Strategy (IDS) released last week by the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) outlines the approach the UK will take to aid and development over the next 10 years.  Reactions have been mixed and here we will focus on the implications for children.

Its publication has come amid an unprecedented child rights crisis caused by multiple intersecting events and children must be placed at the heart of its implementation.  

The strategy contains welcome ambitious commitments to advance girls education, take action on climate change, strengthen health systems and end preventable child deaths. 

Yet, only by funding these commitments will opportunities for catalytic change be realised to safeguard children’s rights against future shocks. Over a billion children will be born over the lifetime of the strategy, meaning the UK has an incredible opportunity to help galvanise progress for both this and the world’s next generation. 

Urgent action is needed now to end the child rights crisis  

The COVID-19 pandemic is a child rights crisis which is actively reversing years of progress on child health and access to education. The number of children missing out on essential vaccines is rising not falling, with increases in vaccine-preventable diseases such as the recently reported 79% increase in measles cases. In education, the picture is equally concerning. Studies estimate 10 million children could fall off-track in early childhood development and 87 countries or territories have reported learning losses in their children. Learning Poverty is also set to rise to 70% in low- and middle-income countries because of the pandemic. 

For the UK to comprehensively deliver the International Development Strategy and protect children futures the UK Government should prioritise a return to spending 0.7% of national income on aid.  Ambitious actions are also still required to swiftly end the global pandemic while limiting and mitigating its ongoing impacts. These actions should include making additional financial commitments to the international COVID-19 response and continuing to leverage the UK’s political leadership in the efforts to end COVID-19 for everyone, everywhere. 

Moment for change 

COVID-19 is not the only crisis threatening the realisation of child rights globally. Conflict in many regions around the world and the adverse effects of climate change continue to severely undermine children’s right to health, adequate nutrition and education. One billion children are found to be ‘at extremely high-risk’ due to the impacts of the impacts of climate change whilst the conflict in Ukraine has led to major concerns of ‘catastrophic levels’ of severe malnutrition for children in the Horn of Africa.  

Robust and resilient education and health systems are needed to safeguard children’s futures against the future shocks which may come from pandemics, conflict, and climate change. By strengthening access to primary health care services, countries can help mitigate against the adverse climate shocks, new conflicts, and pandemics both now and in the years to come. Investment is essential in school and education systems to increase access to digital learning, secure a resilient workforce, and ensure constituent access to high-quality learning, even in times of crisis.  

In responding to these global crises, there is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create transformational change for children by strengthening health and educations systems. This will increase children’s access to essential services, and develop resilience against futures crises, helping get the world back on track towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. 

Child Rights at the heart of implementation 

To realise targets of girl’s education, climate action and ending preventable deaths, child rights must be at the heart of the implementation of the UK International Development Strategy.  

It is therefore critical that the UK Government takes decisive action now to protect children’s futures. In operationalising this new strategy, the Government should:  

1. Show financial and political leadership in ending the COVID-19 pandemic 
2. Work with global partners to ensure the response to global crises acts as a catalytic opportunity to strengthen health and education systems to safeguard against future shocks
3. Return to spending 0.7% of national income on aid  
4. Be an international leader in nutrition and work with other governments to ensure that the Global Action Plan to address severe malnutrition in children is realised 
5. Ensure child rights are at the heart of the implementation of the International Development Strategy.