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In Effect Policy Child Protection

UN/ITU AI & Child Rights Statement

Joint Statement on Artificial Intelligence and the Rights of the Child

Non-binding multilateral statement signed by thirteen UN and international organisations setting out principles for protecting children's rights in the design, deployment, and governance of AI systems, including provisions on harmful content, age assurance, transparency, and child-rights impact assessments.

Jurisdiction

International

Enacted

Jan 19, 2026

Effective

Jan 19, 2026

Enforcement

Voluntary commitment; no central enforcement body. Signatories include ITU, UNICEF, UNESCO, OHCHR, and other UN and international organisations.

Launched and signed at a high-level ceremony hosted by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on January 19, 2026, with thirteen UN and international organisations as co-signatories.

ITU - High-level launch and signing ceremony (January 19, 2026)

Why It Matters

Reinforces emerging international consensus that AI systems used by or affecting children require child-rights-specific safeguards beyond general AI governance frameworks. Although non-binding, it sets a normative baseline that national regulators and standards bodies are likely to reference.

Recent Developments

Launched and signed January 19, 2026 at an ITU-hosted high-level ceremony with thirteen UN and international co-signatories. Complements UNICEF's AI for Children policy guidance and the Council of Europe AI Convention by establishing a multilateral statement of principle specifically focused on AI's impact on children's rights.

At a Glance

Who Must Comply

  • States and national regulators
  • UN bodies and international organisations
  • Civil society and academic institutions
  • Enterprises developing or deploying AI systems used by or affecting children

Obligations fall on:

Safety Provisions

  • Privacy-by-design and child-rights-by-design approaches for AI systems used by or affecting children
  • Detection and removal mechanisms for content promoting self-harm, eating disorders, and child sexual abuse material
  • Age assurance mechanisms appropriate to risk and context
  • Mandatory child-rights impact assessments for relevant AI systems
  • Transparency on AI system operation and human oversight
  • Capacity building and digital literacy for children, parents, and educators

View on map

International

Focus Areas

Mental health & crisis
Child safety
Algorithmic accountability

Cite This

APA

International. (2026). Joint Statement on Artificial Intelligence and the Rights of the Child.

Related Regulations

In Effect GB

Ofcom Children's Codes

Ofcom codes requiring user-to-user services and search services to protect children from harmful content including suicide, self-harm, and eating disorder content. Explicitly covers AI chatbots that enable content sharing between users. Requires detection technology, content moderation, and recommender system controls.

In Effect BR

Brazil ECA Digital

Comprehensive child digital safety law applying to any IT product or service directed at or likely to be accessed by minors in Brazil, with extraterritorial reach.

Proposed US-CA

CA AI Child Safety Ballot

Comprehensive child AI safety ballot initiative by Common Sense Media. Expands companion chatbot definitions, raises age threshold for data sale consent, prohibits certain AI products for children, establishes new state regulatory structure. Allows state and private lawsuits, requires AI literacy in curriculum, mandates school device bans during instruction, creates children's AI safety fund.

In Effect INT

OECD AI Due Diligence

Non-binding OECD guidance applying the OECD's six-step responsible business conduct (RBC) due-diligence process to enterprises across the AI value chain, providing practical recommendations for identifying, preventing, mitigating, and accounting for adverse human-rights and societal impacts of AI systems.

In Effect UK

UK OSA

One of the most comprehensive platform content moderation regimes globally. Creates specific duties around suicide, self-harm, and eating disorder content for children with 'highly effective' age assurance requirements.

In Effect AU

AU OSA Phase 2 Codes

Phase 2 industry codes under Australia's Online Safety Act extending age-restricted material obligations to AI companion chatbots, generative AI services, search engines, app stores, and gaming platforms. Requires robust age assurance, prohibits AI-generated sexually explicit conversations with minors, and mandates suicide/self-harm content safeguards.

All regulations Check if this applies to you

Last updated May 10, 2026. Verify against primary sources before relying on this information.