NCSR Demokritos and UNICEF Greece have established a new Child Rights Centre on the campus of Demokritos, the first of its kind hosted within a research institution in Greece.

The collaboration was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding signed by Dr. Vangelis Karkaletsis, Chairman of the Board and Director of NCSR Demokritos, and Dr. Ghassan Khalil, UNICEF Representative in Greece. The Centre will operate in close partnership with the Institute of Informatics and Telecommunications and is guided by the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The new Child Rights Centre will focus on promoting and advocating for children’s rights, generating knowledge and evidence about children’s needs, integrating child rights into education and training, and supporting children in the digital environment through responsible AI use, online protection and digital literacy.

At the launch event, Dr. Ghassan Khalil highlighted that the Centre marks an important step in UNICEF’s collaboration with the research community in Greece, emphasizing the role of science and innovation in supporting children’s rights.

Dr. Vangelis Karkaletsis noted that the initiative reflects a shared commitment to ensuring that technology serves the rights of the child and not the other way around. Through this collaboration, Demokritos will work to strengthen digital awareness, responsibility and safety for children growing up in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

Demokritos remains committed to contributing scientific expertise to issues of societal relevance, ensuring that the digital world becomes a space where every child can learn, create and thrive securely.

The official press release (in Greek) is available on the NCSR Demokritos website.