Najat Maalla M'jid

"Q: You've talked about how with some children the light goes out of their eyes. Is there a situation during your practice, whether in the hospital or on the streets, where you just weren't able to help? A: Oh yes, I have seen so much, my dear. There are children who are so deeply broken that it becomes too late to reach them. It’s incredibly difficult to work with those in such dire situations so much trauma, so many emotional scars, a lack of affection, and cases of rape and incest. What I have witnessed in my life is overwhelming. More recently, while visiting a refugee camp in Lebanon, I met a 13-year-old boy. He told me, When I arrived here, I was very young. I’ve been living in this camp for seven years. I feel like I’m imprisoned in this camp and in my own body. Then he said, This is not life. When I asked him what could make him want to live again, he replied, It’s too late. Around the world, suffering, despair, and suicide are on the rise. We must be very careful about what we do it’s always a fragile balance between hope and despair. That is why I keep urging that we act swiftly. We must act quickly."

"Q: In 2008, you were named UN Special Rapporteur on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography. That must have been quite a challenge, you know, for the world. What did you try to achieve with that role and what needs to be done in the world on behalf of those children? A: We have to never forget. Children are becoming a big market. You have not only child sexual abuse material, but you have grooming, sexting, sextortion, live streaming. You have promotion of suicide. You have promotion of self harm. You have enrollment. You have fake news. You have, you know, theft of identity and privacy of children that are used. You have gambling. You have gaming. The list is huge. And exposure to violence, exposure to harmful content, exposure to violence, sexual, you know. It's why I'm pushing currently, even when we are seeing with countries, we have this pushback regarding sexual education and reproductive health, to tell them, My God, it's needed more than ever. It’s not encouraging them to have sex. So, we need to make sure that they are aware."

"The number of 300 million, you know, of children victims of sexual exploitation online is not reflecting the truth because the problem is also reporting, and we have not all the data. Why we arrive at this stage? Because you have more and more children connected, and more and more children younger, more and more younger children are connected. The other point that it's important that you have also more and more predators and sexual offenders who are connected."

"The issue is truly significant, which is why we are strongly advocating within the Global Digital Compact. I also recently returned from the Global Cybersecurity Forum to ensure that child protection online is properly integrated."

"It is not an easy issue to resolve, as there are three key aspects to consider: the child who is the victim, the child who is the bully, and the bystander."

"Child labor is considered as a violence against children because normally children have to be in school, or in another way, but not working. The problem is currently is this number is high because of what is going worldwide. Because of all this crisis, you know, forced displacement, food insecurity, poverty, social disparities, you know, conflict, climate crisis. The number of children who are enrolled in child labor and in many cases in the worst forms of child labor, really is increasing. And many children are victims of violence at the place of their work. But many children who are victim of child labor are also victim of trafficking. Are victims of smuggling, are victims of sexual exploitation."

"That is why I emphasize that violence results from multiple factors. Unless we address all the key causes, we will neither end it nor prevent it."

"You hear some strong policymakers telling us our children are our future. They are not your future. You are the past; they are the present and they are their own future."

"What I learned in my life, it's the eyes. When you are speaking with children, when you have light in their eyes, it's still possible. When the light switches off, it’s too late."