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- Ελληνικά
Dear children,
June 1, as International Children's Day, is dedicated to each and every one of you individually. A day of celebration that should be inextricably linked to your rights, as enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Unfortunately, however, children's unimpeded access to their rights continues to be a major challenge. Wars, the migration crisis, the energy crisis, the financial crisis, the economic crisis, natural disasters, including the climate crisis, are creating new social realities, affecting vulnerable groups the most.
Many children and their families are pushed every day into poverty, destitution and social exclusion. The economic hardship of families has a direct impact on children's lives, causing great concern. Poverty and social exclusion not only affects them during childhood, but often limits the life chances they have later as adults, and poverty is passed down from generation to generation.
Creating those conditions that allow children to enjoy their rights and develop their full range of abilities is immediate and urgent. Child poverty must be made a priority issue, focusing both on equal opportunities and social inclusion, and on the rights of children in crisis and emergency situations. The State and local government have a responsibility to support low-income households by taking all appropriate preventive measures and ensuring that every child at risk of poverty has access to all basic services: free health care, free education, early childhood care, adequate housing and healthy nutrition.
Remember that a prerequisite for the success of any action is that children themselves are involved in the decision-making process in everything that concerns them. After all, children are in a better position than adults to speak out about what they themselves experience.
As Commissioner for Children's Rights, I call on everyone, children and adults alike, to renew our society's commitment to promote and safeguard children's rights in every aspect of their lives, claiming a decent living and quality of life for every child.
(GA/EP)
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