“UNICEF France takes note of the creation of a high commission for children, announced today by the President of the Republic.
Paris, December 28, 2024 – If this initiative demonstrates recognition of the challenges faced by children in France, it nevertheless arouses a certain perplexity. Indeed, it marks a step backwards compared to the ambitions displayed during the 2022 presidential campaign, where Emmanuel Macron declared that childhood would be a great national cause.
This decline is all the more notable as it is a continuation of the absence, already regretted under the previous government, of a global policy dedicated to children's rights. Although a portfolio dedicated to early childhood existed, it did not make it possible to address all the issues related to all children in a transversal and ambitious manner.
For many years, UNICEF France has called for the creation of a full ministry specifically dedicated to children and their rights. Such a structure would have made it possible to guarantee clear and coherent action in the face of persistent challenges: child poverty, child protection, educational inequalities, mental health and even social exclusion. The establishment of a High Commission cannot compensate for the absence of this ministry, whose institutional weight is essential to advance public policies in favor of children.
In any case, for this high commission to have a real impact, it must have the necessary human and financial resources, be fully autonomous and be part of an ambitious interministerial dynamic. Otherwise, it risks being only a cosmetic measure, with no concrete effect on the situation of children in France.
We also recall the urgency of responding to the legitimate expectations of children and families, in particular by implementing recent commitments such as the Solidarity Pact and the Out-of-School Observatory, and by providing immediate solutions to the most vulnerable. 2000 children without accommodation to date. »
France