BOAO, Hainan, March 28 (Xinhua) -- A representative from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has called for greater attention to the protection of vulnerable children in Asia, emphasizing the need to ensure access to education, healthcare, and a sustainable future.

UNICEF Representative to China Amakobe Sande, stressed that children must be placed at the center of the international development and cooperation agenda in today's increasingly complex and rapidly, ever-changing world, in an exclusive interview with Xinhua at the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2025 in south China's Hainan Province.

Children in Asia face overlapping crises including conflict, widening inequality and climate change, Sande said. "These crises erode children's coping strategies, deepen inequalities, and hinder their potential to thrive."

The Asia-Pacific region is home to a large proportion of the world's children. According to UNICEF, children in this region are disproportionately affected by climate-related disasters, with increasingly frequent and intense storms, floods, droughts, and other environmental hazards.

Beyond natural disasters, ongoing conflicts and deepening economic disparities continue to place millions of children at risk, Sande noted, underscoring the urgent need for coordinated international responses.

In her interview, the UNICEF representative also highlighted the impact of rapidly evolving technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and digitalization. While digitalization presents new opportunities to empower children, she cautioned that the digital divide remains a significant challenge.

"A large percentage of young people in low- and middle-income countries have limited access to digital technologies and difficulty developing digital skills. This impacts their ability to use digital tools in their schools and future workplaces," Sande said.

To tackle the challenges, UNICEF advocates for strong online regulations, including for AI, to protect children's data, as well as child rights-based design principles to prevent biased or exploitative content. The organization also emphasizes the importance of comprehensive digital literacy programs to empower both children and parents, ensuring that children remain safe and secure in the digital space.

Sande also hailed China's impressive gains in reducing child and maternal mortality rates, universal basic education, and poverty alleviation. "China's successes in child health and development can inspire other countries," she said.

China has also made contributions to supporting children's welfare internationally, according to the representative. So far, UNICEF has also been working with China in 23 countries across Africa and Asia, in terms of maternal and child health, education, child protection, and climate resilience.

"These China-supported projects are saving lives and delivering tangible benefits to children," the representative said.

Sande views the BFA as a unique platform for promoting children's rights in the context of global development. "By working together with a shared vision to pursue the Sustainable Development Goals, we can ensure that no child is left behind." Enditem

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