David Beckham, Millie Bobby Brown call for stronger child rights

NEW YORK (DPA) - The footballer David Beckham and actor Millie Bobby Brown called for action to strengthen children's rights on Wednesday (Nov 20) at the United Nations.

The two Unicef goodwill ambassadors headlined a summit at the UN headquarters in New York to celebrate world children's day and the 30th anniversary of the UN convention of the rights of the child.

"As leaders, as public figures, as parents and, as human beings, we must all do more to protect children's dreams," Beckham said.

The British former football star spoke of his nearly 20 years working with the children's agency, during which he met boys and girls around the world calling for better health care, nutrition, education and protection.

Brown, the 15-year-old star of the television series Stranger Things, spoke of her own experiences of being bullied at school and online.

"It's a terrifying feeling to look at your phone and see that the messages that people are sending you are filled with anger, hate and even threats," she said.

She added that she believed "social media doesn't have to be a place of fear, bullying and harassment."

Brown also highlighted the threat of climate change, which she said "will undermine decades of progress towards children's rights."

The two celebrities were joined by young people in the famed UN General Assembly hall.

Children participated in similar summits in more than 50 countries, Unicef said.

Landmarks around the world, including the European Parliament in Belgium, the Acropolis of Athens and Petra in Jordan, turned blue to mark world children's day.