What is the status of digital children’s rights?
In this Digital Child Rights Monitor we give insight how the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) addressed digital child rights in its 2022 Concluding Observations on South Sudan. The priority scale reflects how strongly the CRC highlights an issue in its recommendations — the higher the score, the bigger or more pressing the problem. This scale helps visualize which digital child rights issues the CRC considers most urgent and where South Sudan faces its greatest challenges. If a country gets a low urgency score it does not necessarily mean the country is doing good, it just means the CRC made little to no mention to it.
Summary
High Priority
Digital Access & Participation (6) and Infrastructure & Capacity (6) emerge as the most pressing priorities. Within access, equal attention is given to civic participation via digital means, the digital divide, and IT infrastructure, while infrastructure concerns are entirely focused on digitalized systems. Together, these findings highlight fundamental challenges in both access to and development of digital environments.
Medium Priority
No themes fall within a clear medium priority range, as attention is concentrated on a limited number of areas.
Low Priority
Online Safety & Protection (0), Privacy & Data Protection (0), Violence & Exploitation Online (0), and Digital Health & Well-being (0) are not addressed in the data. This absence indicates significant gaps in attention to protection, data rights, online risks, and wellbeing.
Overview themes
- Digital Access & Participation
- Digital Health & Well-Being
- Infrastructure & Capacity
- Online Safety & Protection
- Privacy & Data Protection
- Violence & Exploitation Online
Digital Access & Participation and Infrastructure & Capacity dominate the landscape, reflecting a strong focus on foundational access and system development challenges. The emphasis on digital divide and infrastructure suggests barriers to both connectivity and meaningful engagement. However, the overall scope remains narrow, with only a limited number of subthemes addressed. In contrast, all protection, privacy, and wellbeing-related themes are entirely absent, pointing to major gaps in coverage.
Digital access and participation
- Access for children with disabilities
- Civic participation via digital means
- Digital Divide
- E-learning
- IT Infrastructure
Digital Access & Participation receives high attention (6), with equal focus on civic participation via digital means, the digital divide, and IT infrastructure. This indicates a broad recognition of access-related challenges. However, the absence of other areas such as e-learning and inclusion suggests an incomplete approach.
Infrastructure and capacity
- Cybercrime and cybersecurity laws
- Digitalized systems
- Training of professionals on online offences
Infrastructure & Capacity receives high attention (6), focused entirely on digitalized systems. This highlights the importance of developing core digital infrastructure. The absence of cybercrime laws and professional training suggests limited attention to regulatory frameworks and capacity-building.
Digital health and wellbeing
Digital Health & Well-being is not addressed (0), with no references to mental health, screen time, or support services. This indicates that children’s digital wellbeing is not currently considered. It highlights a significant gap in awareness and policy focus.
Online safety and protection
Online Safety & Protection is not addressed (0), with no references to awareness, safeguarding, or reporting mechanisms. This suggests that protective frameworks are not captured in the available data. The absence indicates a significant gap in addressing online risks.
Privacy and data protection
Privacy & Data Protection is not addressed (0), with no mention of privacy rights, data protection, or surveillance. This indicates limited visibility into how children’s data is handled. It highlights a gap in both policy attention and reporting.
Violence and exploitation online
Violence & Exploitation Online is not addressed (0), with no references to online harms such as exploitation, harassment, or trafficking. This suggests that risks to children in digital environments are not captured. The absence likely reflects gaps in assessment.
Concluding Observations CRC
- “The Committee recommends that the State party ensure that children have access to information and the media by increasing the number of radio stations, Internet facilities and other media outlets throughout the country, including in remote areas.”
- “Incorporate the management of cases of child abuse and neglect into the workload of social workers and strengthen the information management system to systematically collect data on incidents of, or trends in, violence against and abuse, exploitation and neglect of children in South Sudan;”
- “Systematically collect data on food security and nutrition for children, develop a national multisectoral nutrition strategic plan and regularly monitor and assess the effectiveness of policies and programmes on security and nutrition among children;”
- “Strengthen the registration of unaccompanied, separated and missing children in the national Child Protection Information Management System plus database to facilitate the tracing of their families.”
South Sudan
2022
Digital Child Rights Network
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