Pope Francis Opens Children's Rights Summit, Megawati Calls for Global Concern

VATICAN, KOMPAS - The World Leaders Summit on Children's Rights, attended by several prominent figures and world leaders, was opened by Pope Francis on Monday (3/3/2025). The 5th President of Indonesia, Megawati Soekarnoputri, who was present as a panelist, emphasized the importance of collaboration to fulfill children's rights worldwide.

The meeting of world figures and leaders, the World Leaders Summit on Children's Rights, was held in the Clementine Hall, Vatican Palace. In addition to Megawati, several world figures were also present as panelists. Among them were Queen Rania of Jordan and former Vice President of the United States Al Gore.

In his speech, Pope Francis highlighted the various crises that threaten children around the world. From war, poverty, to child exploitation.

The Pope also expressed his concern for the millions of children who have lost their rights due to armed conflict, human trafficking, and domestic violence. More than 40 million children are currently forced to flee due to armed conflict, while around 100 million children are homeless.

In some countries, children are even forced to fight on the front lines of war under the influence of drugs. Not only in conflict zones, violence against children also occurs in relatively peaceful countries.

The Pope condemned the phenomenon. "What we witness almost every day, children dying because of bombs, sacrificed for power, ideology, and nationalistic interests, is something that is unacceptable. Nothing is more valuable than the life of a child," he asserted.

The Pope also highlighted the phenomenon of modern slavery that affects millions of children worldwide. Some 160 million children are victims of forced labor, human trafficking, violence and exploitation, including forced marriage.

Even for children who survive the threats of war and exploitation, there are still other obstacles such as unrecognized legal status. It is estimated that 150 million children worldwide do not have legal identity, making them unable to access education, healthcare services, and vulnerable to being trafficked.

"This is not just an individual tragedy, but a global moral crisis," he stressed.

Therefore, the Pope stressed that child protection must be a global priority. He urged countries to take concrete action to improve children's welfare, eliminate exploitation, and provide wider access to education and health services.

Concluding his speech, the Pope called on the world to listen more to the voices of children. “They speak to us, whether through their words, their gazes or their silence. So let us listen to them,” he said.

This is not just an individual tragedy, but a moral crisis.

The speech is a reminder that amidst the world's rapid progress, there are still millions of children living in uncertainty. Pope Francis stressed that the future of humanity depends on how the world treats children today.

Several figures who were panelists in the forum also expressed their views on solutions to the problems that children still have to face, in addition to affirming the commitment to strive to fulfill children's rights. Megawati, for example, emphasized that the world must ensure that every child has the right to grow and develop in a safe environment and have access to education, health, and protection from exploitation.

Megawati reminded that children will bear the brunt of the global crisis created by adults. She mentioned several major challenges that increasingly threaten future generations, including climate change, social and economic injustice, food insecurity and malnutrition, and the digital divide that creates inequality in access to education and information.

As the world's largest archipelagic country with more than 17,000 islands, Indonesia is called Megawati as one of the countries most affected by climate change. Increasingly frequent ecological disasters, she said, have a major impact on children, especially in access to education, health and nutrition.

"I saw firsthand how children from poor families are increasingly vulnerable. They are not only threatened by poverty, but also by the lack of access to proper education and health," he said.

Megawati also highlighted that the digital divide has created a new form of colonialism. While technology offers great opportunities, unequal access deepens injustice.

In facing global challenges, Megawati emphasized the importance of instilling the values of tolerance, mutual cooperation, and humanity as a foundation for children to face an increasingly complex world.

According to him, Indonesia has Pancasila as the basis for character education that can be an inspiration to the world.

"Pancasila is the foundation and philosophy of our nation's life. The five principles in Pancasila teach about divinity, humanity, unity, democracy, and social justice. These are universal values that can be the foundation for our children's education," he explained.

Megawati reminded that the future of the world is in the hands of children, and they must be equipped with strong human values. "If we want to build a better world, we must instill unlimited hopes and dreams for our children," she added.

Megawati also quoted the message of President Soekarno, her father, who advised the young generation, "Hang your ideals as high as the sky. If you fall, you will fall among the stars in the sky."

The five principles of Pancasila teach about divinity, humanity, unity, democracy, and social justice. These are universal values that can be the foundation for our children's education.

According to him, children should be encouraged to have big dreams and not be afraid to face the future.

Closing her speech, Megawati called on world leaders to reaffirm their commitment to children's rights. She called for cross-country cooperation to create a better environment for children around the world.

Megawati hopes that this conference will not only be a discussion forum, but also result in real steps in protecting and empowering children throughout the world.

With this speech, Megawati emphasized Indonesia's role in global efforts to protect children's rights, while also conveying the idea that the values of Pancasila can be an inspiration for the world in building a better generation.