On World Children’s Day, we celebrate the youngest members of our human family.

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But today is also a moment to recognize the enormous challenges children face in our deeply divided, tumultuous and often violent world.

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It is shocking that, in the 21st century, any child still goes hungry, uneducated, or without even the most basic health care.

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It is a stain on humanity’s conscience when children’s lives are caught in the grinding wheels of poverty, or upended by disasters or violent conflicts that are killing and maiming children.

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One hundred years ago, the League of Nations adopted the Declaration on the Rights of the Child — the foundation of the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child, the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history.

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This year’s theme reminds us that we must listen to children as they fight for their rights — and for humanity’s future.

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The recently adopted Pact for the Future includes a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations. All three texts contained strong commitments to protect and support children, invest in their rights, and expand opportunities to actively participate in the decisions affecting them.

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Every child has the right to live in peace, health and safety.

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Today and every day, let’s protect and support children as they meaningfully contribute to making our world a better, brighter, more peaceful place for all people.