Morocco outpaced its Maghreb neighbors in the recent 2024 Global Kids Rights Index from the Amsterdam-based NGO KidsRights.
Published this week, the annual index measures children’s rights using five metrics that include the right to life, health, education, protection, and enabling environment.
Globally, Morocco ranked 54th, ahead of Algeria (56th) and Tunisia (59th). Libya and Mauritania were further behind, placing 100th and 134th respectively. In Africa, Morocco stands second only to Egypt, which ranked 28th.
The top global performers are Luxembourg, Iceland, Greece, Germany, Thailand, Slovenia, Finland, Belgium, Denmark, and Austria.
At the bottom of the list are Afghanistan, South Sudan, Chad, and the Central African Republic.
The 2024 report highlights a 21% increase in severe child rights violations in conflict zones, including Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan.
In addition, the report sheds light on delays in achieving the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to children.
Currently, only one-third of child-related SDG indicators have been met, suggesting that only a quarter of children may live in countries where these goals are fully achieved.
The Global Child Rights Index is a joint initiative of the KidsRights Foundation and Erasmus University Rotterdam, covering all UN member states that have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.