United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

Topic 1: Improving Global Access to Digital Education Tools

The online learning industry is the fastest-growing educational industry in history, expected to reach over $370 billion by 2026. The COVID-19 pandemic in particular has shown that countries with less infrastructure in place to accommodate digital learning saw greater education disruptions, revealing a need to build more modern and resilient education systems worldwide. As online and e-learning gains popularity, the implementation and distribution of educational technologies becomes paramount to effectively preparing children for the technology-dominated world they will grow up in. 

Topic 2: Eliminating Child Marriage

Child marriage, defined as a marriage where one or both parties is under 18 years of age, is a violation of human rights and prevents billions of women and girls worldwide from living lives free of restriction and abuse. Every year, 12 million girls are married underage, and in the world’s least developed countries, child marriage rates double. Early marriage often leads to earlier and more frequent pregnancy, makes married girls more vulnerable to violence, and takes away their freedom to fully participate in society. Despite global efforts and the effect of education on reducing child marriage, no country is on track to end the practice by 2030, as set out in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal #5.