The United Nations has raised concerns over the growing threats of child trafficking and the misuse of neurotechnologies, urging immediate global action to address these issues.
In a report to the Human Rights Council, Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Violence Against Children, highlighted that traffickers are exploiting technological advancements and humanitarian crises to target vulnerable children, particularly girls.
She warned that poverty, displacement, and conflict remain key drivers of child trafficking, which continues to be a highly profitable but low-risk crime. “Convictions for trafficking children remain low, allowing perpetrators to act with impunity,” she said, pointing to corruption, stigma, and fear as barriers to justice for victims.
Criminal networks are increasingly using artificial intelligence to evade detection while engaging in exploitative activities, including sexual exploitation, forced labor, child marriage, and recruitment into armed groups.
Meanwhile, Virginia Gamba, the UN Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict, reported that over one in six children worldwide live in conflict zones, urging governments to implement policies ensuring children are protected from harm.
Separately, Ana Nougrères, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Privacy, warned about the ethical risks of neurotechnology. While brain-stimulating devices offer potential benefits for treating neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, she cautioned that they could also be misused.
“Without proper safeguards, neurotechnology could allow unauthorized access to an individual’s thoughts, leading to surveillance, coercion, and even manipulation of personal beliefs,” she said. She also warned about “brainjacking,” where hackers or state actors could exploit internet-connected neural devices.
The UN has called for urgent regulations to prevent the misuse of both child trafficking networks and emerging neurotechnologies, emphasizing the need for global cooperation to protect human rights.
