More than 100 organisations press governments to protect children in AI governance

Following the United Nations' first Global Dialogue on AI Governance, more than 100 organisations from across the world have issued a joint statement calling on governments to move, in their words, from commitments to action to protect children in the governance of AI. The effort is coordinated by the 5Rights Foundation.

The coalition argues that current approaches too often address individual harms after they occur, rather than tackling the commercial incentives and governance failures that produce unsafe systems. It states that children are frequently absent from national AI strategies and governance frameworks, despite being among the most enthusiastic users of new technology.

The statement sets out 10 recommendations. Among them are:

• Precertification, so that companies must demonstrate that systems affecting children respect their rights and are safe before they reach the market.
• A ban on manipulative design practices that exploit children's vulnerabilities, jeopardise their agency, or foster unhealthy dependency.
• Transparency, the closing of loopholes, and mechanisms for redress, alongside limits on digital surveillance.
• Effective regulatory oversight across the AI lifecycle, backed by technical standards and codes.

Leanda Barrington-Leach, executive director of the 5Rights Foundation, says children are asking not for a block on innovation but for a change to the incentives that produce unsafe systems in the first place. She warns that as long as companies are rewarded for speed, engagement and data extraction rather than safety, the underlying problem will persist. The coalition frames accountability as the central question: whether governments are prepared to act on obligations they have already accepted.

This account is based on original reporting by Biometric Update.