‘We are at a crossroads’: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle issue new video message

'We are at a crossroads': Prince Harry and Meghan Markle issue new video messageArchwell Foundation

Transcript

00:00Good morning and thank you to both the Colombian and Swedish governments, the World Health

00:04Organization, UNICEF and the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Ending Violence

00:09Against Children for bringing us all together today. The first ever Ministerial Conference

00:14on Ending Violence Against Children comes at a crucial time and, quite frankly, should not be

00:19required. But here we are. We are at a crossroads where the urgency to reassess and redefine our

00:26approach to protecting children has become increasingly evident. While the necessity has

00:31always been apparent, it is now time to translate that awareness into meaningful action. So we thank

00:36you all for your attention to this critical issue. My husband and I recognize today's reality is

00:42marked by greater connectivity and advanced technology, which of course has many positives,

00:47but which also compels us to better understand how digital violence against children

00:52is manifesting itself in this age. At the Archwell Foundation, we engage with young people,

00:56families and experts worldwide, learning how every aspect of a child's life, from their livelihood

01:02to their physical and mental well-being, now operate within an online economy that has the

01:08power to both shape and misshape our connections. While the online world can help develop strategies

01:14to protect children from violence, it also introduces new risks, such as from individuals

01:19who exploit gaps in outdated legal systems, which often don't account for today's digital realities.

01:25We know that supporting parents is essential in reducing digital violence against children.

01:29That's why earlier this year we launched the Parents Network, a support network for families

01:34dealing with online harm. Through trauma-informed practices, we help parents come together to forge

01:40strong bonds, offering healing support through community with the ultimate goal of prioritizing

01:45safety at the source. Parents from the Parents Network are sharing their personal stories

01:51about their families' experiences with you all this week. We hope their voices and message will

01:56reaffirm this room's commitment to taking a clear-eyed approach to the reality of violence

02:00targeting children in this digital age. The stories have helped us to understand that as we better

02:06equip parents and caregivers and work to establish norms around the use of and access to technology

02:11as they relate to preventing violence, we must also commit to establishing standards that

02:16prioritize children's safety. Young people are calling for help. Families are desperately seeking

02:23support. They are urging us to leverage the resources in this room to confront the new reality

02:28our youth are facing. We look forward to the actions and outcomes of the discussions that

02:33will take place here in Columbia and are grateful for the leadership, expertise, and testimonies

02:38that will come together in this room to address all forms of violence targeting the most vulnerable

02:44in our world. Thank you again for your commitment to preventing violence against children

02:49both offline and online. Together we can harness this moment to drive lasting change. Thank you.