Digital Equity for Children

Topic: 2026 – Digital Equity for Children
Country: Malaysia
Delegate Name: Kailani Gardner

United Nations Children’s Fund
Digital Equity for Children
Malaysia
Kailani Gardner
City High Middle

The Delegation of Malaysia recognizes the importance of digital equity for children in this modern digital era. As internet access is used more and more for education, disability assistance, healthcare, and social participation, having an equitable digital environment is undoubtedly not just a preference but a necessity. Current disparities are concerningly large, with UNICEF finding that around 60 per cent of school-age children in urban areas do not have internet access at home globally, leaving them severely disadvantaged in an increasingly digital world. Malaysia acknowledges that digital equity has become an increasingly substantial component of of childrens access to education, information, and societal participation. The delegation of Malaysia recognizes the role the digital world has taken in today’s society, making digital equity through widespread access to broadband net, devices, and digital literacy irreplable.

Malaysia has worked extremely hard to bring internet access to all citizens, ranking 37th globally for broadband-fixed prescriptions and boasting 100% internet access rate. The COVID-19 pandemic shined a spotlight on digital equity issues globally, spurring many initiatives such as the MyDgitial Coorperation partnership with UNDP to create a digital equity index. The delegation of Malaysia notes the success of the JENDELA initiative, an initiative that addresses gaps in wireless access and increases intenet speeds after the shift in the digital world after COVID-19. Moreover, Malaysia recognizes that digital equity also requires addressing digital literacy, online safety, and the promotion of an inclusive, child-friendly digital environment, making international collaboration and shares of best practice vital to solving issues of digital equity for children.

To create a digitally equitable world for all children, the Delegation of Malaysia stresses the importance of approaching the issue with mulitple elements to create a more effective solution to digital equity. First, the Delegation of Malaysia suggest increased international collaboration on affordable and accessible connectivity infrastructure with a stress in underserved communities. Second, Malaysia emphasizes the need for an increase in digital literacy programs to ensure children are able to safely and efficiently navigate digital spaces. Moreover, Malaysia notes that global standards for digital safety and privacy, including safeguarding children from inappropriate content, would set a more elevated digital safety precedent internationally. Finally, the Delegation of Malaysia suggests the establishment of programs and/or initiatives that create more equitable access to wireless technology for all children. Through coordinated initiatives, programs, and international collaborations, Malaysia believes UNICEF can effectively empower the children of the world to explore a safe and equitable digital environment.

Topic: 2026 – Digital Equity for Children
Country: Republic of Korea
Delegate Name: Fiona Rodrigues

Country: Republic of Korea (South Korea)
Committee: UNICEF
Topic: Combating Malnutrition
Name: Fiona Rodrigues
School: City High Middle School

The partnership between UNICEF and South Korea needs to develop a program which provides equal digital access to all students.

The Republic of Korea (South Korea) views digital equity as essential to children’s rights to education, development, and participation in an increasingly online world. South Korea has established itself as a highly connected society where almost all citizens access the internet while the country understands that rapid digitalization creates both benefits and dangers which affect children from low-income families and rural areas and migrant communities and marginalized groups. The Republic of Korea believes that UNICEF should focus on creating equitable access to technological resources through digital skills development and secure access because these measures will help all children access technology which will benefit them.

Digital equity requires more than strong infrastructure according to South Korea because disadvantaged children need special assistance to use digital tools. The government has invested heavily in broadband networks, device provision, and “smart classrooms,” but the shift to online learning during emergencies revealed gaps in access for students from poorer households and those with disabilities. South Korea has increased its device lending programs and public Wi-Fi services and digital education content development to create safe and productive online access for all children. The Republic of Korea states that digital equity needs hardware solutions and internet access and digital literacy development and protection technologies against internet threats.

South Korea supports UNICEF through its international work which aims to provide educational access to children through its child protection programs and innovation initiatives. The Republic of Korea has increased development cooperation which focuses on building ICT infrastructure.

Topic: 2026 – Digital Equity for Children
Country: Iran
Delegate Name: Natalie KIngera

Delegation: Iran
Committee: UNICEF

Digital Equity for Children

In this fast-moving world, technology continues to shape education, communication, and the world’s access to information. However, with this concept comes reliability for the safety of those using the digital world. Children use the internet almost daily, as schools have moved toward an online approach as technology continues to grow. It is crucial that our children get the safety they deserve, without violating their rights. In Iran, the concept of digital equity has received limited attention in the past because of political and cultural factors. Iran also faces difficulties because of sanctions put in place. Sanctions restrict Iran’s access to the digital world, by denying the access to tools and knowledge needed for progression digitally for the country (Digital). Sanction barriers block access to online platforms essential for educational development, which is important to the growth and teachings of our students.
Along with these sanctions, Iran also faces challenges of unrestricted internet access. This is concerning, as children have free reign of whichever sites they may choose. The Iranian government has had many attempts to support the safety of children online. However, many proposed laws or acts often conflict with either Article 15 of the Iranian constitution, or agenda of internet censorship and control of information. There have been efforts to ban or restrict internet access for those under 16, however; this was also violating the same laws in place. Iran has also seen large social media platform alternatives, Rubika and Baleh, lacking the correct safeguards for keeping unattended children safe online. These apps were both found to be sharing children’s personal information and photos and uploading them to the web. They also lacked the implementation of age filtering for the content on these apps (Beyond). This rings concerns for the digital equity of young children in Iran. If action is not taken fast enough, many children will continue to float in the deep, dangerous waters of the internet.
Currently, not many steps have been taken to support the equity and rights of children’s use of the digital world. The digital divide within Iran has created large challenges for many citizens. The Delegation of Iran proposes that countries can come together and create safe rules and regulations that will not interfere with the infringement of rights. We propose that a restriction on internet access for children ages 12 and under can be set in place across the globe. This will not mean that internet access will be banned; it means it will be strictly moderated at all times by an UN-based program for a special internet browser installment called the ISC (Internet Safeguards of Children). Parents can download this browser where it will constantly keep the child’s information safe, keep their content age appropriate, [KK1.1]and flag websites that seem unsafe for parents’ review. The browsers will be monitored by the Digital & Technology Network (DTN) one of the UN’s technology branches. These monitors will be the only ones to have access to viewing information to keep children’s identity hidden. This browser will not conflict with right violations, nor will it be restricted by sanctions of any sort for any country. It is our duty to keep our children safe, especially in the vast, ever-expanding world online.

MLA Citations

“Beyond Ones and Zeros: A Look at Children’s Rights in the Digital Space.” Filter Watch, 23 Oct. 2024, filter.watch. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.

“Digital Exclusion: How Sanctions Act As a Major Force in Iran’s Digital Divide.” Tehran, etchamber.ir. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.

SILMUN Background Guide

Topic: 2026 – Digital Equity for Children
Country: Belarus
Delegate Name: Asher Sternberg

Digital safety and equity for children is one of the most important things in countries. Over ⅔ of children in the world don’t have a stable internet connection and for a post covid world there are 10 of millions of kids in the world that don’t have internet access and during Crouna virus some kids couldn’t learn in school because they had no internet for online school or could not afford a device for virtual school. Now those kids are behind in school because they could not have quality learning in the classroom. The Republic of Belarus current policy on digital equity for children is that the children can use the internet to learn and possibly have a better way of learning. The State Programme on digital development of Belarus 2021-2025 aims to use technology for education purposes to get the citizens of The Republic of Belarus ready for day to day life and ready to understand the world in a civilized way and the economy. The State Programme Education and youth policy states that the use of digital help and modern technology teaching aid into educational practice in day to day classroom activities. In conclusion these two policies help the citizens of Belarus go to school and use technology and a safe and educational way. The Republic of Belarus has many ways we keep our citizens safe online, one way we keep them safe is we have a policy called Guidelines on the Organisation of the Educational Process in Educational Institution amid the Spread of COVID-19 says that teachers in classrooms could teach the class on line if so needed detriment by the head of school whether it is online social distancing or using facial covering to slow the spread of illness. During the conference the Republic of Belarus would like to see a safe way for children to use electronic devices in day to day schooling whether it is computers, tablets or anything else.

“Belarus | Technology | Education Profiles.” Education-Profiles.org, 2019, education-profiles.org/europe-and-northern-america/belarus/~technology. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
Poole, Gregory. “UNICEF Digital Equity – GLICA.org.” Glica.org, 6 Nov. 2025, glica.org/simun/committees/unicef-digital-equity/.

Topic: 2026 – Digital Equity for Children
Country: South Africa
Delegate Name: Srihan Aravabhumi

Topic: Digital Equity for Children
Country: South Africa
Delegate: Srihan Aravabhumi
Farmington High School

United Nations Children’s Fund

When the COVID-19 pandemic shut the world down, we became more aware of problems that already existed in our world. Most apparently, technological problems. The world’s infrastructure was not ready for such a paradigm shift towards the online world, and the digital divide became especially clear.

The digital divide in South Africa is especially gaping mainly due to the lack of universal internet access across the country in households. While the South African government has been making improvements in overall internet access across the country, bringing the percentage of households without access from 64.8% in 2011 to 21.1% in 2022, there is still a huge imbalance, namely in rural areas. Specifically, only 1.7% of households in the Limpopo province in South Africa has reliable internet access. This huge gap between the percentage in a rural area and the national percentage shows how significant the problem of the digital divide is, and why it should be handled immediately. When talking about schools, many schools don’t have reliable technology services, which is a problem that along with the digital divide, we have been attacking through the SAConnect program.
However, there are ways to minimize the digital divide, maybe even eliminate it completely. One way is through digital inclusion.
Digital inclusion can advance broader goals of equity, education and child protection by allowing all citizens, especially children to advocate for their rights and to advance their studies through technology. The delegation of South Africa believes that utilizing technology as a bridging tool can create unity as a country, and allow our children to live a better future. When the digital divide is minimized, there will be much more equal representation of our country as a whole, so regions like Limpopo won’t be disadvantaged. This would result in more collaboration and expansion nationwide and would be a net benefit for the country’s economy. In terms of education, the use of technology in learning is extremely beneficial for students in order for them to be able to adapt to the ever-changing world. Making technology accessible to all schools would equalize the educational playing field for all students. For child protection, the ease of reporting crimes will be much higher with technology. With internet and cellular access, a child can immediately alert the authorities of any problems.

However, there are still challenges in the process.

The main challenge in providing safe, affordable and meaningful access is that there is a severe lack of infrastructure. Internet is still extremely expensive in some areas, which will need huge government intervention to fix. This is why we are entering phase 2 of the SAConnect program. The SAConnect program is a broadband connectivity project meant to increase internet infrastructure across the country. Phase 1 of the program brought immense success, lowering the percentage of households without internet access by 43%, and creating several community Wi-Fi hotspots in the process. Phase 2 aims to expand on Phase 1’s successes, and bring them to a larger scale. We aim to hit over 32000 community Wi-Fi hotspots and bring internet to over 5.5million households by the end of this year. We plan to connect to thousands of schools and healthcare centers. A program like this can be conceived at an international level. Instead of South Africa approaching this issue by ourselves, we can collaborate with other countries who need to develop their infrastructure, such as Vietnam, Brazil and more.
Continuing with these kinds of initiatives across the country, and across the United Nations as a whole will minimize the digital divide and create equity among children.

Work Cited
Masia, Laticia. “South Africa Connect.” South African Government, 4 March 2024, https://www.gov.za/blog/south-africa-connect. Accessed 12 February 2026.

Topic: 2026 – Digital Equity for Children
Country: Ukraine
Delegate Name: Thomson Manoj

Delegation of Ukraine
Farmington High School
Thomson Manoj

Ukraine knows that digital equity is now a basic part of children’s right to education.
Because of the recent Russo-Ukrainian conflict, many schools are closed or unsafe,
and a lot of learning has moved to online or mixed formats. It sounds good in theory, but
in reality a lot of kids do not have a stable internet connection, their own device, or even
quiet place to study at home, and this is much worse for lower income families, rural
areas, displaced children, and children with disabilities. Studies show only around 60%
of students from Ukraine have stable, high-quality internet for online learning, and
children from the poorest households are far more likely to have constant connection
problems and to share a single devices with their whole family, which makes it easy to
fall behind. This digital gap affects education first, but also affects future job
opportunities, mental health, and how fairly children can participate in society.
Ukraine is working with UNICEF and other partners to close this gap instead of
pretending everybody had access to go fully online. UNICEF has supported
improvements to the All-Ukrainian School Online platform, set up digital learning centers
in frontline areas like Zaporizhzhia, and helped provide laptops and other devices so
children can actually access classes and resources, not just in theory but in practice.
The Ukrainian government and partners have also launched efforts like the National
Digital Literacy Platform and device coalitions to boost digital skills and get hardware to
vulnerable students and teachers, especially those from poorer families, children in
orphanages, and kids with special education needs. For Ukraine, digital equity means
three things at the same time: connection (internet and electricity), tools (devices and
platforms that actually work), and skills and safety (kids, parents, teachers who know to
use tech in safe, useful ways).
Ukraine is asking UNICEF and Member States to see digital access as a core part of
child rights, not an afterthought. In the short term, Ukraine wants more support for
devices, school-connected and community Wi-Fi, and safe digital learning spaces so
children affected by war cam keep learning even when they cannot sit in a regular
classroom. At the same time, Ukraine needs long-term investment in affordable, reliable
internet across regions, teacher training for online and mixed learning, and programs
building digital literacy and online safety skills for kids & parents, with special attention
to lower income households, rural areas, displaced families, and children with
disabilities. No Ukrainian child should be left behind just because of where they live,

how much money their family has, or whether a missile hit their school. The digital world
should offer these children more chances in life, not fewer

Works Cited (MLA)
“Bridging the Digital Divide in Education: Lessons from Armenia, Moldova and
Ukraine.” Global Campus of Human Rights, 25 Sept.
2024, www.gchumanrights.org/preparedness/bridging-the-digital-divide-in-education-
lessons-from-armenia-moldova-and-ukraine.
“Learning Boost for Ukrainian Children Shut Out of School for Years.” Theirworld, 23
Jan. 2024, theirworld.org/news/learning-boost-for-ukrainian-children-shut-out-of-school-
for-years.
“Online Learning in Ukraine: How It Works and Whether Knowledge Levels Are
Declining. Part 1.” VoxUkraine, 24 Sept. 2025, voxukraine.org/en/online-learning-in-
ukraine-how-it-works-and-whether-knowledge-levels-are-declining-part-1.
“UNICEF Won’t Stop Helping Children in Ukraine: Full-Scale War Hits 2-Year
Mark.” UNICEF USA, 8 May 2025, www.unicefusa.org/stories/unicef-wont-stop-helping-
children-ukraine-full-scale-war-hits-2-year-mark.
“Back to School for Ukrainian Children at Digital Learning Centers.” UNICEF
Technology (LinkedIn), 30 June 2025, www.linkedin.com/posts/unicef-
technology_ukraine-back-to-school-for-ukrainian-children-activity-
7345748431144951808–R7E.

Topic: 2026 – Digital Equity for Children
Country: Russian Federation
Delegate Name: Rishi Babu

Committee: UNICEF
Topic: Digital Equity for Children
Country: Russian Federation
School: Farmington High School

In essence, digital equity makes sure that all children have fair and equal access to the internet, digital technology, and also the skills and capacity to use them effectively. School aged children globally experience the issue of unequal access to digital resources such as computers or even just internet access. Especially those in rural, low income, or marginalized communities are the most vulnerable to this issue. According to UNICEF, two thirds of school aged children around the world do not have access to reliable internet at home. Digital inequality can easily worsen educational gaps, limit access to job opportunities, and increase social gaps and inequality. Finding digital equality for children is important for education, child protection, and preparing children for the future filled with digital aspects. The significance of this issue was magnified during the COVID-19 pandemic when many children fell behind due to not having proper access to the internet or technology.
UNICEF has said in the past that the digital divide not only threatens the education of millions of children worldwide but also their development. Bridging the gap between digital inequality is relevant towards the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 and Goal 10 which are Quality Education and Reduced Inequalities respectively. In the past, UNICEF has also had programs on digital literacy and online safety for children. Along with UNICEF, some other global efforts have been taken towards digital equity for our children such as “One Laptop Per Child.” Russia also has taken similar measures as seen through “Generation M,” a charitable organization that provides equal access to creative education for children.
Many Russian children have internet access, but in rural areas there are clear disparities. Russia prioritizes digital literacy and online safety. Russia has taken much domestic action towards reaching digital equity for children. Digital Education Programs have been implemented in schools, teaching cybersecurity, online safety, and digital literacy. Russia also has expanded infrastructure, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Large scaled initiatives were taken, aiming to provide devices and connectivity to children, especially those in low income families. Also, Russia worked to restrict access to dangerous content for children through The Russian Alliance for the Protection of Children in the Digital Environment, making sure online communication is safe for children. Russia supports cooperation with member states for digital equity and advocates for not only inclusive but also safe internet access for all children.
Russia believes that the UN should fund programs with goals to expand broadband and internet access especially in underserved or Global South countries. The UN also should provide devices and forms of training to ensure that digital participation is meaningful and effective. Russia holds that member states should make efforts to implement digital literacy programs. Along with this, safe online practices and other restrictions should be made to ensure online safety for children. These solutions work well towards reaching digital equity for children because they create access, training, and also safety measures for children and the digital world.

Works Cited
Better Internet for Kids: Home, https://better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en. Accessed 12 February 2026.
“Childhood in a Digital World | Office of Strategy and Evidence Innocenti.” Unicef, 12 June 2025, https://www.unicef.org/innocenti/reports/childhood-digital-world. Accessed 12 February 2026.
“D ICT Statistics.” ITU, https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Pages/stat/default.aspx. Accessed 12 February 2026.
“Global Digital Compact | Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies.” the United Nations, https://www.un.org/digital-emerging-technologies/global-digital-compact. Accessed 12 February 2026.

Topic: 2026 – Digital Equity for Children
Country: France
Delegate Name: Siddaly Sykes

Committee: UNICEF
Delegation: France
Name: Siddaly Sykes

Digital Equity for Children
Over the past several decades, the internet has become an increasingly integral part of most people’s lives. More than 2/3 of the world’s population are online, and as more people become connected, the age in which individuals are first introduced to the internet gets younger. As the digital world has progressed, the issue of internet access and digital security has transformed. Now, not only must we address the gap between individuals who have material access to devices and actual technologies, but we must also understand that just because a child has internet access does not mean they are digitally literate, and this has proved to be a huge factor of division between children in the digital age. Barriers causing digital illiteracy stem from two distinct categories, material and social. Material barriers are tangible, students who do not have access to devices, who live in isolated rural areas, and who cannot afford internet access all cannot physically become digitally literate without internet access. Social barriers however are more complex. Factors such as language, culture, disabilities, and gender are all reasons why an individual might not be digitally literate, even if they have access to devices and services (Advancing). his gap between digitally literate versus digitally illiterate children proves to be a major issue, that will only worsen as we depend more on the internet. Digitally illiterate children are at an automatic disadvantage in terms of education and employment, growing the gap between these two groups of people in the future. To be digitally literate is a constantly evolving topic as well, one that must be considered by the entire UN. We must not only ensure that children understand how to use the internet safely, but also must determine what threats children are facing, how to protect them, and how to address the issues.
In France, the issue of digital literacy is mostly concerned with ensuring the safety of our children online. According to several reports, 99% of children 12-17 and 98% of children 8-11 have internet access (Protecting). Even though regulations are in place against children creating social media accounts, 63% of children under 13 have a personal account. This is incredibly dangerous for several reasons, the first of which being the risk of losing a “normal” childhood due to commercialization. This not only endangers a child’s privacy, but also their protection (Discover). This leads to the second reason a personal social media account is dangerous, which is the risk of losing protection and privacy because of photos posted online. Like their children, over 50% of parents post photos of their children, 91% of those post photos of their children under 5 years old. (Protecting). Not only is posting yourself and your surroundings dangerous because of kidnapping and stalkers, but the photos most often founded on illegal pornography sites are those from accounts just like these. France has taken several steps in protecting children against online threats. The Elysée Screen Commission in 2024 reported the scientific evidence detailing the negative impacts of screens on children, and implemented limitations on internet usage for children under 15 (Advancing). More specifically, in 2025 the TikTok Report also created limitations, banning TikTok usage for children under 15, and created a digital curfew between the hours of 10pm to 8am for children ages 15 to 18 (Protecting). France has also created a Digital Education Agenda outlining plans and goals for 2023-2027, including teaching digital citizenship to children in schools to develop digital skills, strengthen media and information literacy, promote critical thinking, and many more ideas (Discover). Ultimately, France strives to ensure every child is able to participate in this increasingly digital world, and is committed to preparing them to be safe and smart online.
The issues concerning digital literacy are unique to every country, so in order to understand and assist each other in the UN, the Delegation of France believes our first step should be to have a meeting held in Paris, to voice each country’s concerns and position regarding the internet. Once prominent issues have been outlined, we can then most effectively begin tackling them. For example, If another country is similar to France in that our main concern is digital safety and age restrictions online, then we would collaborate and develop similar plans. Another key aspect of a comprehensive meeting is to ensure that countries who do not have access to internet are provided with internet access. If these individuals are not provided with these tools, the gaps between impoverished and rich communities will only grow, and the economy will suffer for it. By extending the internet with devices and infrastructure, these individuals can build on their human capital and in the near future all groups will benefit. The issue that is digital illiteracy is different for each country, which is precisely why we need extensive collaboration to make sure no child is left behind in this new, digital world.

Works Cited
Advancing Digital Equality for Children | Innocenti Global Office of Research and Foresight, www.unicef.org/innocenti/projects/advancing-digital-equality-children. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
“Discover France’s Digital Education Agenda 2023-2027.” WWW, www.eun.org/news/detail?articleId=10808602. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
“Protecting Children in the Digital Age: Insights from France’s Educational and Regulatory Initiatives.” Better Internet for Kids, 10 Dec. 2025, better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en/news/protecting-children-digital-age-insights-frances-educational-and-regulatory-initiatives.

Topic: 2026 – Digital Equity for Children
Country: Denmark
Delegate Name: Victoria Kim

Kingdom of Denmark
United Nations Children’s Fund
Digital Equity for Children
Victoria Kim
City High Middle School

For over two decades, Denmark has been faced with the challenge of digital equity and we have attempted to combat this issue with our “digital-by-default” approach to public sector modernization that began in the late 1990s. Although Denmark has been strongly urging the digitalization of health and welfare services, people living in rural areas are at risk of being left behind technologically due to its population generally being older or having less access to education. Denmark has continued its path to universal connectivity, with 98% of households having access to 1 Gbps download speeds by 2025. In the midst of being the first country to appoint a Tech Ambassador, Denmark views digital equity as a diplomatic and human rights issue, rather than a technical one. A key aspect of this committee is defining the broad topic of digital equity for children, as it is not a fixed concept, rather an evolving and context-dependent framework. Whether it is digital isolation due to residence, parental literacy gaps, or low-income conditions, digital inequity must be addressed through a unified global strategy that secures both digital connectivity and guarantees the safety of technology users.

As a global leader in digital infrastructure, Denmark’s concerns of a “digital divide” has sparked since 1999 as the government launched initiatives to include vulnerable populations into the digital population. Denmark consistently ranks #1 in the UN E-Government Survey (2018, 2020, 2022, 2024), giving it the “moral authority” to lead on digital topics. Recently, Denmark has announced a national age of 15 for social media, aiming for a “Digital Wellbeing” country that focuses on educational and purposeful use of digital technologies. Through the Danish-UNICEF Strategy 2022-2025, Denmark has been a major core donor and prioritizes quality education and child protection in digital settings.

Denmark believes that resolutions should be centered around The Education-Labor Nexus, allowing vocational education for rural youth and leading directly to work opportunities; and reducing homework gaps, partnering with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to ensure children can access sites including Wikipedia without expensive technology. Furthermore, Denmark intends to initiate a project to include rural and elderly populations to pair youth workers with vulnerable populations to ensure a digitally literate home condition for children. As a digitally aware nation, Denmark hopes to encourage the use of digital technologies, however, we hope to recover the analogue and digital balance in classrooms for children, prioritizing mental health and a longer attention span. Denmark urges the UNICEF committee to adopt a “Safety First” approach and dealing with digital access with age protection, through measures including Denmark’s MitID, our national e-ID system that allows age verification before use.

Position papers for SIMUN 2026 will appear above this line, with the newest being at the top.