World Children's Day
Conscience Leads the Way
Protecting Innocence and Creating Hope
Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze
Zhang-men-ren of Tai Ji Men
Vice President of the Association of World Citizens,
NGO in Consultative Status with ECOSOC and Associated with the UN DPI
President of the Federation of World Peace and Love
November 20, 2025
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen — good day!
In 1959, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, and in 1989 it adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which to date has been ratified by 196 countries. Since then, the United Nations has designated November 20 as World Children’s Day, formally affirming that children are not merely objects of protection, but full holders of human rights. Safeguarding children’s rights—to survival, to education, to freedom from discrimination, and to express their views—includes guiding them to understand principles of conduct, follow rules, and cultivate courtesy and respect. Governments, societies, and families all share the responsibility to uphold a wholesome and nurturing environment, enabling children to naturally develop kindness, grow into upright individuals, and contribute to their peers and to society.
Yet children around the world continue to face severe challenges. More than 140 million children still suffer from malnutrition, especially in Africa, South Asia, and conflict-affected regions. Insufficient funding for food assistance, frequent natural disasters, and the devastation caused by war have led to food shortages and collapse of the healthcare system, placing children in acute danger of not having their basic survival needs met. UNICEF projects that by 2050, hundreds of millions of children will be affected by extreme climate conditions, including heatwaves, floods, and wildfires. Furthermore, education disruption and inequality persist: to this day, about 220 million children are still unable to receive consistent schooling. Girls, refugee children, and children with disabilities remain disproportionately excluded from the right to education. Inequitable resource distribution, the digital divide, and language and cultural barriers continue to deepen this gap. In addition, the post-pandemic era has brought a mental health crisis among children worldwide, with significant increases in depression, anxiety, and self-harm. Excessive immersion in online social media has replaced interpersonal interaction and learning, affecting brain development, emotional stability, and social skills. Moreover, the proliferation of AI tools, while beneficial to adults, can—for children whose bodies and minds are still developing—become sources of confusion or harm rather than support for learning and growth. Children are the driving force of our future world. The challenges they encounter during their formative years urgently require the united attention and action of all nations.
The full realization of the Convention on the Rights of the Child requires not only institutional strengthening but also cultural transformation. Culture is the foundation of all development, and conscience is the key to cultivating depth within culture. A healthy culture enables quality education; quality education enables a thriving economy. Policymakers, educators, and all sectors of society should work together to advance holistic education and conscience-based education, integrating children’s rights and conscience education into foundational teacher training and school curricula. “Today’s education shapes tomorrow’s world.” The responsibility of educators is to guide children to become agents of conscience. The core of education is to awaken the goodness inherent in humanity, to nurture responsibility and moral awareness, while cultivating knowledge, practical skills, character, and lifelong learning that fosters the coexistence of society and the environment. School curricula should incorporate conscience, peace, human rights, and digital literacy, while strengthening media literacy and ethics education. It is essential to cultivate in children sound moral judgment, a sense of social responsibility, and the radiance of humanity. Only when guided by conscience can technology truly serve humankind. Educators are the sowers of conscience. They must begin with themselves, setting an example through conscientious action. Conscience is not a theory, nor merely a teaching material—it is possessed only by those who practice goodness. Governments should work with parents, teachers, volunteers, and NGOs to share experiences and achievements in conscience-based action, and expand impact through international cooperation.
The importance of fostering a culture of conscience is ever more evident in today’s international landscape. UNICEF reports that more than 5 million children in Ukraine have been affected by the war, with approximately 3 million forced to flee their homes. Armed conflict inflicts profound and lasting humanitarian suffering on children. At a time when the world faces geopolitical tensions, fractured values, and a crisis of trust, only by being guided by conscience can we rebuild shared values of integrity, respect, and responsibility, and create a peaceful and loving environment in which children can grow with security and hope. Conscience is the wellspring of love and peace, and the natural guiding principle of a harmonious society. Conscience-based education is a fundamental force for preventing violence and hatred, and its true impact lies in practicing conscience and acting with love. When everyone practices conscience—understanding truth and falsehood, right and wrong, good and evil—and embraces one another with love, we can strengthen mutual understanding, trust, and cooperation among individuals and nations alike. In doing so, we lay the groundwork for the well-being of all humankind.
Children are the future stewards of the nation, and they need our wholehearted care and sincere guidance so that they may preserve the “true conscience” that enables them to discern right from wrong. Only when governments, educators, and all sectors of society conscience as the compass and implement conscience-based holistic education can the principles of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of the Child be fully realized. In doing so, every child can grow safely in an environment of love and peace and become a driving force in shaping a better world for the future.
Wishing all the children of the world health, safety, and happiness!
Thank you!