International Day of Play 2026 High-Level Event

Good morning, everyone.
Welcome to International Day of Play 2026.
We're going to start now with a play activation from our children.
Thank you.
Good morning, everyone.
We are the junior school young ambassadors.
Today, we will invite you to begin not only by listening, but by playing.
Please open your air dry clay.
Notice the color and hold in your hands.
Before you wake anything, just like this.
Roll it, press it and let your hands wake up.
Play helps us relax, imagine, and connect with ourselves.
Now, a game, a person, or a happy memory.
There is no right or wrong shape.
Now, gently change your shape into something you wish for children in the world.
Maybe it's peace, friendship, safety, joy, or freedom.
Let your hands show your hope.
For a final shape, create something that represents every child's right to play.
Once you're done, hold it up so we can see the many ways play can look like.
Yes.
Thank you for playing with us.
We hope this moment reminded you that play is small, powerful, and worth protecting.
Thank you for that reminder of what play looks like when we give children space to lead.
That simple moment already tells us something important.
Play does not need permission, but it does need protection.
With that, I would now like to officially welcome you to the 20 26th International Day of Play High level event.
A.
To open our gathering, it is only right that we hear first from children themselves.
Please join me in welcoming our child representative who will introduce today's event.
Good morning, everyone.
Hello, Bonjou Ola.
My name is Yasmin Malika Alikan and I'm proud to welcome you to the 2026 International Day of Play.
Today, we're here because play matters for children, Play is not something fun we do after everything else is finished.
Play is how we grow.
It's how we make friends, use our imagination and learn new things and feel like we belong.
When I play, I feel free, I feel creative.
I feel brave enough to try, make mistakes, and try again.
I feel like it can be myself.
But not every child has the same chance to play.
Some children don't have safe places.
So children don't have enough time.
So children have worries that make it hard to play, and some children are not always included.
That's why today's theme is so important.
Protect play, protect childhood.
To me, this means when adults protect play, they're protecting children's joy, friendships, imaginations, and the right to be children.
Today, children are here to speak, to lead, and to remind everyone that play is not small.
Play is powerful.
Thank you for listening.
To us today.
I hope you remember your own childhood.
Listen to children's voices and help make sure every child has the same chance to play.
Protect play, P childhood.
Yes.
Thank you for grounding us so formally here today.
The International Day of P is not just a moment of celebration.
It is also a commitment by the international community.
I now invite the chair of IDP, 2026 Ambassador Do Hong Vit permanent representative of Vietnam to the UN to formally welcome us on behalf of the permanent missions leading this effort.
Thank you so much, Min and thank you to Yasmin, of course, and to you, too, Hediki.
I mean, give us another round of app.
I am so overwhelmed today.
I mean, I've been speaking to hundreds of diplomats before, but this is much more pressure, I have to say.
But welcome to all of you to today's International Day of Play celebration here at the United Nations and welcome to the best place to be at the UN today.
A special welcome, of course, to the stars of today, our children.
And thank you so much for kick starting our event by giving us this little piece of Play Doh.
I have to confess that it feels a little bit like at home because I have twins exactly this age.
But instead of sitting next to me like this, they would be climbing on me if we were playing.
But it's such a pleasure to be here today.
And also, you know, it was hard to keep up with the pace that you guys played.
I only managed to do one little thing.
But I guess this is us adults, right? Before we try to do something, we have to think a lot.
What can I do? What can we make it meaningful? You know, would it be beautiful or nice? But for you guys, I think it's just, you know, you simply begin.
This, I guess, can be a flower, a unicorn, a ball that I can see over there or more complex, maybe a little house, something, right? But that's also the beauty of play because it doesn't require perfection.
It just require, I think, you know, The things a curious kid, that's you, a caring adult, that's us, and a safe and safe space to create this space.
That is exactly why our work this year focuses on three accelerators, playful parenting, learning through play, and safe and healthy spaces to play.
At the UN, we work with a dream to build a better world for all of us, and of course, for our children.
Perhaps that better world is simply a world where every child can play.
Yet for too many children, this basic right is still out of reach.
I think our hearts and minds are with those kids who may lack the space, who may be suffering from conflict or violence or crisis or the absence of adult care.
I believe that when a child can play safely, there is care, there's protection, there's inclusion, and of course, there's space to grow, and their childhood is not only protected from harm, but also allowed to flourish.
This is the responsibility that we adults all share.
As governments, we must create the safe and inclusive spaces for children to play.
Educators can help children learn by building, by moving things, by asking questions, and by making mistakes.
Private sector can also help by designing spaces, toys, and technologies that protect children's well being and promote their imagination.
And of course, parents and caregivers can give children something that may sound extremely simple but is invaluable our time and our attention.
This is something that I have to keep reminding myself every day to spend at least some time to play with my kids.
So it is my hope that as we celebrate another international day of play, we will spare no effort to turn that right to play into everyday reality so that every child everywhere will have the joy of play, just like us all here today.
Let me conclude by thanking our co organizers, the permanent missions of Bulgaria, of El Salvador, Jamaica, Kenya, and Luxembourg, together with our partners, UNICEF and UNSCO, and of course, also the Legal Foundation, and thanks to US for bringing the stars of today's celebration.
Thanks to all of you for making today possible and I look forward to an engaging discussion and also an eventful, enjoyable day.
Thank you very much.
We will now hear from our partners who are working every day to ensure that play is protected not only in words, but also in policies, programs, investments, and actions.
It is, first of all, my great pleasure to introduce miss Katherine Russell, the Executive Director of UNICEF.
Miss Russell, you have the floor.
Thank you.
Thank you so much, Ambassador, colleagues, friends, and especially children.
It is really such a privilege for us to have you all here.
Everyone says this is their favorite day of the year and it's because of you.
Usually we're sitting in these meetings, it's a bunch of adults talking to each other.
It's always a good reminder for us to see why we do the work that we do and why it matters, why it makes a difference.
Just a huge thank you to all of you for being here.
This year, I think it's a coincidence, but the International Day of play coincides with the opening of the FIFA World Cup.
And while that tournament unfolds in one of the biggest stages, children's play happens every single day in homes, and streets, in schools, parks, playgrounds, all around the world.
Both remind us of something truly fundamental about our shared humanity.
The creativity, the teamwork, resilience, and joy we celebrate on the pitch often begin much earlier through play.
Play is a biological need and a fundamental right, one that is protected under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
UNICEF is the UN agency that is responsible for children and that convention is what guides all of our work.
Through play, children learn to solve problems, build relationships, manage emotions, and imagine new possibilities.
Play helps children develop the skills they need to thrive.
It also helps build stronger, healthier and more connected societies.
We cannot afford to be complacent about this essential right.
The data we're highlighting today is really alarming.
It shows that one in five children aged two to four do not regularly play with their caregivers at home, that more than 90 million children under five don't have toys or play items where they live, and that children are less than half as likely to play with their fathers as they are with their mothers or other caregivers.
These are longstanding challenges, often shaped by poverty, conflict, displacement, or family hardship.
But new threats are also emerging.
Many of us remember the freedom of playing outside with friends and neighbors, a nearly universal childhood experience that helped build confidence, independence, and community.
Today, those opportunities are shrinking for children.
Safe places to play are disappearing under the pressures of urbanization, traffic, climate change, and concerns about their safety.
As a result, we're witnessing a profound shift from play based childhoods to what is increasingly digital childhoods.
This shift was not inevitable.
It's not what children need, and it's not irreversible.
On this International Day of play, we call on governments and communities to protect and expand safe public spaces where children can play freely and without fear.
It's not simply an investment in children.
It's an investment in healthier communities, stronger societies, and a better future for all of us.
Must also support families and teachers.
That means investing in parenting programs that give caregivers strong connections with their children through play.
It means ensuring universal access to quality early childhood education, where learning through play is at the heart of how children grow and develop.
Today, let's do more than celebrate play, although that's important.
Let's protect it and let's invest in it.
Let's work together, governments, businesses, civil society, educators, parents, communities, private sector to ensure that every child everywhere has the chance to play.
Because when children play, they do more than grow, they connect, they learn, and they imagine.
That in a way helps build a better future for all of us.
Again, thank you to the children for reminding us why we're here and thank you to all of you for your concern about this issue.
Thanks.
Thank you very much, miss Russell, for your remarks and thank you for UNICEF's leadership in advancing every child's right to play, learn, and thrive.
We now turn to UNESCO whose work reminds us that play is also deeply connected to education, to culture, to creativity, and lifelong learning.
So it's my great pleasure to invite miss Lily Gray, senior Liaison Officer of the UNESCO Liaison Office here in New York.
Unicef, distinguished guests and panelists and most importantly, dear children and young people.
Happy International Day of play from Ues as well.
I'm also overjoyed to join you today as we celebrate something really simple yet so powerful play.
I want to start by putting up a question to all of you.
Do you know why play is the best job in the world? Any ideas? Because you never need a break.
You are already on one.
Apart from that, I have to say that play is essential and I agree with you, Arch and with everyone here in the room saying that it protects children's right to learn, imagine, express yourself, build relationship and grow in safety and dignity.
Also, play does not belong to one stage of life.
From early childhood through adolescence, it remains a powerful pathway for learning and resilience.
From a child in a play corner to a young person navigating an increasingly complex world, plays a powerful pathway for learning and resilience.
This is why UNESCO, the UN Specialized Agency for Education, sees play not as an add on activity.
We see it as a threat that runs across the entire education journey.
Linking early learning, classroom engagement, social and emotional development, and the overall well being of education systems.
This really matters today, especially as we face a global learning crisis.
There are 273 million children and young people out of school.
Even for those in school, learning cannot thrive in a rigid and disengaging environments.
What children really need and what some of the previous speakers also mentions is that what children need are safe, inclusive, and joyful places to learn.
Evidence shows that when learners feel respected, engaged, and happy, outcomes improve.
Pedagogy also matters in that matter because with the right support, teachers can create classrooms that foster curiosity, confidence, and inclusion.
This is indeed the vision at US's global happy Schools initiative that places well being at the center of education.
Today, I think for every one of us, the path forward is clear.
We join forces and call first to invest in play based early childhood education.
Second, to promote joyful learning across all levels, and finally, reaffirm a simple but powerful principle.
Every child at every age has the right to learn with joy.
It's also time for every education system to deliver on this right.
I thank you.
Thank you very much, miss Gray, for your remarks.
We will now hear from a partner who has long championed the power of learning through play, and it is my pleasure to invite miss Ida Tigu, lead program manager at the Lego Foundation.
Thank you so much, Your Excellencys distinguished colleagues, partners, friends, and the awesome children in this room.
Whoo.
Who I have been in this conference room a few times before, but never have I felt this energy and excitement and cheer.
There's not enough cheer going on, usually, so thank you so much.
You truly are the reason why we are here today.
You are not future leaders, but leaders, full stop.
And it's such a privilege for me to be here alongside you.
Some people, I think, countdown to their birthday and some countdown to Christmas.
I countdown to the international the ala It is my absolute favorite day of the year.
I had the great privilege of growing up in Denmark, the land of Lego, a country where I was safe, cared for, I had what I needed, a country where I had the time and the space to be a child and endless opportunities to play.
I didn't know back then how fortunate I was, and I know that now.
Years later, I became a mother, in fact, three times over.
Gosh, what a humbling experience parenthood is.
I still remember so vividly 18 years ago when I first held my newborn in my arms.
I remember this overwhelming feeling of love, but also a feeling of terror because I literally have that little tiny person's life in my hands.
I felt completely unprepared for it, and I felt quite alone.
I thought to myself, How come they can trust me to take care of this human? I don't even know what I'm having for dinner tonight.
But where I was, there was support.
There was a midwife that could also explain to me all that happens to the woman's body after giving birth.
You've never see that in the movies and importantly could help me bond with my newborn baby.
I soon realized that you bond through play.
It's the eye contact, it's the cuddles.
It's the turn taking, the peekaboo.
Oh, the peekaboo.
Hours and hours of entertainment.
I have a feeling that peekaboo is something that is in every country and every context because it is the language of play and play is universal.
And whether you are in Denmark or in New York City or in Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, play is so essential.
It is not nice to have.
It is not a luxury.
It is absolutely essential, and in fact, it's a lifeline.
Play is how children learn.
It's how they build resilience.
It's how they process this crazy world they've been born into.
It's how they connect with their parents.
It's how they cope, it's how they dream.
The science is clear, the evidence is overwhelming, and yet millions of children still lack the opportunity, the time, the space, and the safety to play.
It is so utterly wrong and it's so unacceptable, and it is why we are here today.
And not surprisingly, the Lego Group and the Lego Foundation have believed in the power of play for a very long time.
We have invested in the amazing partners, so many of you here today in the evidence.
We have invested in parenting programs, in advocacy, in building the infrastructure for a global movement for play.
And today, I am incredibly proud to announce that we are committing $10 million to UNICEF over the next five years.
Yes.
Yes.
To really help scale this international day of play into a sustained global movement for children's rights, because this isn't just the 11th of June.
While really important and while really fun, this is a declaration.
It is a commitment that play is not optional.
It is a right.
And our job is to make sure that right is real.
Not just on paper, but in the lives of every child, in every country, whether you're in a city apartment, in a rural village, or in a refugee camp.
None of us can do this alone.
The challenges children face every day are too interconnected, too systemic, too huge, and too urgent for any of us to solve on our own.
What we need and what this day represents is exactly what is in this room.
It is governments, it's businesses, it's philanthropy, it's civil society, it's the UN, and it's the children, all pulling in the same direction.
Because the responsibility for childhood doesn't rest only on parents.
It rests on all of us.
So let's protect it.
Let's invest in it.
Let's play our part.
Happy International Day of play.
Thank you very much, miss Trig, for those very thoughtful remarks and especially for your commitment and the significant announcement that you just made to help all of us to make every day the International Day of a play.
Thank you.
So now I have the honor to hand it back to Anna Ming and Hideki to lead us through the next part of the program.
You have the floor.
We have heard why Po matters systemically and globally, but Pi is also deeply personal, rooted in identity, memory, and everyday life.
Our next moment brings that global message to life through a special message from a play champion.
When I think about my childhood, I think about playing football in my local club where I grew up.
It was simple, just a ball, some friends, and a place where I felt safe enough to play.
But today, too many children don't have that chance.
Play isn't a luxury.
It's a right.
It's how children grow and learn and yet safe places to play are disappearing for many children around the world.
That's why the international day of play really matters.
Today, I'm asking you to commit to play and give every child the chance to grow, dream, and thrive.
Thank you.
We will have another video message from a new goodwill ambassador.
Partners in wife and the res of the play for every child.
This message reminds us that advocacy for play is strongest when it is anchored in real experiences, and no one understands those experiences better than children themselves.
Our next segment is therefore the heart of today's event, a conversation led by children about W P matters in their lives.
This panel is led by children.
We invite the adults in the room to listen to us.
I invite our children panelists to join us in this segment.
First up, we will have Azra Campbell Shepherd.
What does play mean to you in your everyday life? When I play, I feel free.
To me, play is the time to just take a break, switch from serious to silly, and relax.
An example of play is Bom baboons, that batoms Thank you for your response.
Now we invite Beyond Stuart Walla.
Can you tell us about a time when you couldn't play and how that felt? Well, once when I was six, about four years ago, I was in a playground and they were these bigger kids.
They were very unfriendly.
I noticed by when they gave me a response on my first question I asked them, it's because they were really using the whole thing.
I asked if I could just join, not really play with them, but to see if they would let me at least use the space too.
But then they refused.
Then I tried a different approach where I asked if I could have one little space.
Oh, but they said no again.
So what I tried to do was think about a positive side, a lesson that I learned from that.
And one thing I did learn was that along the way, you meet unfriendly people and friendly people.
You just need to learn how to deal with both of them.
So I think everyone deserves a chance to play, even if they are from a different culture, even if they don't have the best reputation, everyone deserves play.
Thank you for those awesome words.
But next up, we will have Poppy given Hollander.
Children today also play with technology in ways many adults did not when they were young.
How can adults help children use technology to play, imagine, create, and connect safely? I think adults have to set safety boundaries for children so all children can have technology, but still be safe.
But I also think that we have to make sure that all children have technology in their everyday life so they can have heness like we do.
But I also think adults have to show children how to be kind offline and online because today people are getting bullied online and we have to stop that.
It's not good.
Adults have to show children how to be kind.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I would like to make.
Thank you for those words.
At last, we invite Kenzo Johan.
What do you want leaders here today to understand about play and what do you want them to do to protect play? I want them to understand that play is important.
And what I want them to do to protect play is give children a little bit of free time.
Always let them explore and grow by themselves, but also help them if they need help and I think that adults should also take action, definitely help children if they need help.
So that's why I think play is important.
Thank you to our panelists for your honesty, courage, and clarity.
What we have just heard is powerful, but children experiences are not isolated stories.
They reflect global patterns.
We now turn to the data to understand where children are being supported at play and where they are being left behind.
I 7-year-old Lamar lives in a shelter in Syria.
When she plays with her friends, her world changes.
For a moment, hardship fades.
She laughs and becomes what every child has a right to be simply a child.
This is the power of play.
Play brings joy.
It builds connections.
It bonds children with parents, caregivers, friends, communities, and culture.
This is especially important in the earliest years when the brain is growing fastest and early attachments are formed.
But around the world, more than 80 million children aged two to four years do not play regularly with caregivers at home.
Over 90 million children under age five have nothing to play with at home.
The inequality is stark.
Three in four children who miss out on playful interactions at home live in Sub Saharan Africa and South Asia.
Children in the poorest households, rural areas, and those whose mothers have little education are all less likely to experience playful interactions.
Similar disparities exist in children's access to a sufficient variety of playthings at home.
Children are half as likely to play with their fathers as with their mothers or other caregivers.
Still, the world is beginning to see play differently.
For decades, global data focused on what children need to survive from health and nutrition to safe water and sanitation.
But today, countries are widening the lens by investing in data on what children need to thrive, including play.
Today, 95 countries have comparable data on children's opportunity to play at home, up from only 102 decades ago.
Now, evidence must lead to action.
Governments, businesses, and communities all have a role to play.
Protect safe and inclusive play spaces, support playful parenting, expand learning through play.
No matter where they live, all children deserve what Lamar feels when she plays.
Joy and the freedom to be a child.
We've heard the data.
We've heard the experts.
In the next segment, we will ask adults across generations some rapid fire questions.
This is an intergenerational conversation.
Children will ask the questions.
Adults will respond briefly and directly.
To respond to the questions, we have with us a GenZi leader Mikal Kai Namura from UNSCO, who will answer first, and a Mllennial leader Alu Watn Akin Bulu from Unicef, who will answer right after.
Let's make this a fun moment.
What's one word that comes to mind when you hear play? One word that comes to my mind when I hear play is freedom.
For me, it's creativity.
Running or crafting.
Running.
Crafting.
One place you loved when you were a child.
Um, I love the streets in front of my house.
For me, I love playing in the school playground.
You remember playing with as a child.
My dad.
For me, it's my uncle.
Football drawing.
It's FFA, but I will choose drawing.
It's the start of the world cup.
Today's I chose football.
What is one thing children can teach adults about play? The less rules, more room for creativity.
Let go and have fun.
Thank you.
Yes.
Because I think play will help children learn and grow the best.
I'll add to that and say it's integral for brain development of children.
Board games or video games? I will choose both.
Board games for me.
If play had a taste, what would it be? Sweet and spicy.
For me, what comes to mind is the taste of mango.
I wanted you to play with us after this meeting, would you say yes? Of course, yes.
Absolutely.
Snow or sunshine play? Sunshine.
Yes, Sunshine.
Finish this sentence.
Play helps children too.
To know themselves the best.
To become resilient.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Thank you for engaging in this dialogue.
We will now step back and reflect on what it truly means to protect play across systems and sectors.
We now give the floor to Chemba Raghavan, UNICEF, Global Lead for Early Childhood Development.
Thank you.
Can you hear me? Yes.
Great.
Thank you so much.
Give yourselves a big ground of applause, first.
What a wonderful day.
This has been the best day in the last few months for all of us.
I'm sure I learned so many things from you all today as you spoke.
I learned why play has been vitally important for all of you.
Thank you for sharing that.
I learned that people may not be very friendly, but we still should persist.
That's a message we're all going to take away today as we try to convince others that play is really, really important.
I learned that when you have hardships, you get to know yourself better and you are able to deal with problems, and those problems seem to melt away and many of you said freedom and joy, something I totally agree with.
I learned that we have to stop bullying.
Online, I learned that chairing and rapid fire should be much more interesting than how we do it.
Thank you so much.
But really, Excellencies, colleagues, friends, and especially all children here, it's really a privilege to join you as we mark this third International Day of play, a day fully dedicated to celebrating something profoundly simple, as the children have reminded us, yet extraordinarily powerful play.
Ida has reminded us with her, you know, as always eloquent comments that play is not a luxury, it's essential.
It's a fundamental right.
It's enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the child.
It's really indispensable.
I work with young children, very privileged to lead the global early childhood development portfolio in UNICEF, and I learn every day how vital play is to children's well being and development.
Play really is an anchor.
It's a connective tissue.
It connects generations, it connects communities, it connects families.
It's really sharpens cognitive development.
It fuels physical health, it nurtures social and emotional development.
Its impact does not end in childhood.
That's the first thing I've learned working in early childhood, that it really has to go beyond early childhood, that we have to continue playing.
I have to continue playing.
We all have to continue playing because it shapes our skills, our resilience, and the creativity that we carry throughout our lives.
Yet, as we have seen from many of the evidence presented today, millions of children around the world are being denied this right, especially true, and I can attest to this, for the most marginalized and vulnerable children, including children with disabilities and those in humanitarian and conflict settings.
And this would be not just a loss for children themselves, it will be a loss for families, communities and societies at large.
We have not to bore everyone, but cost of inaction estimates.
We have data on returns of investment when we invest in play.
So at UNICEF, we really believe that protecting and promoting play is foundational to building a more just peaceful and prosperous world.
That is why we are committed to ensuring every child has the opportunity to play.
We have many examples of the three things that people are asking for playful parenting.
In Paraguay, for example, we have integrated play into home visiting programs.
We empower parents to engage in meaningful play with children.
This is not an add on, it's integrated into what we already do.
In South Africa, play based curricula are really transforming.
Education overall and especially early childhood education.
In Ukraine, there are child friendly spaces that restore that sense of healing and that sense of safety for children as they play in normalcy and especially for children that are displaced.
But there's absolutely more to be done.
All this begins with, thank you for reminding us listening.
Listening to children themselves, your voices, your experiences, and your ideas and shape the solutions that we need to build.
I'm so inspired today to see so many children and young people reminding me once again why the work I do really matters.
So thank you for that.
Because when children play, they are free to play, they actually flourish, and we have the evidence for that.
Simply put, when we protect play, we protect childhood and we protect communities, and we protect families.
Happy International Day.
Thank you.
Thank you for your response.
Now, we invite Miuri Komaragri, education specialist at right to Play on behalf of the Poy movement.
Thank you very much.
Hopefully you can hear me okay and beautiful pronunciation of my name.
I appreciate that very much.
Hi, colleagues and your Excellencies, and friends, children, colleagues.
I'm so delighted as well to be here today.
The energy in this room is absolutely beautiful.
And as we mark the third international day of play, I can't help but imagine what will the tenth anniversary the tenth DOP look like in the 20th.
I want us to dream big and imagine, and I hope all of you will be sitting around the table as our current and future leaders.
My name is Mauri Kamara Gary and I'm an education specialist at right to play.
Of course, this is a really special day for us.
But I am here representing the play movement, which is a group of civil society actors that are working to promote children adolescents and young people's right to play.
As we continue to hear from children, I hope we'll also continue to think of adolescence as well and the rights across the age spectrum to have protection through play.
So as we come together today, as other folks have said, we're not only celebrating the power of play, but we're also here to listen.
So thank you all so much for your messages so far.
More than 10,000 children have told us that the play movement clearly what they want and need through something that's called the Children and Young People's Call to action on play.
I encourage everyone to read that if you haven't.
Through these consultations and surveys with children, we've learned that one in three children say they do not have enough time to play.
One in five lack safe spaces to play, and one in five say they have no one to play with.
And so to add onto everything that we've heard from the children here, that play makes me feel free, that there's always something to learn, even if it's a negative experience, you can turn that into learning.
The importance of safety with play and prevention of violence and bullying is so important and that it helps you explore on your own, but it's important for you to have time to play on your own and also parents and adults to help you if you need it.
So having that independence.
So thank you because we are here around the table and we are listening, so I want to assure you of that.
What children are describing across today in these surveys is not a lack of play opportunities solely, but the erosion of childhood itself.
And so across contexts, children, adolescents and youth are experiencing that shrinking time, space, and freedom to play.
Public spaces are becoming less safe, less accessible for the most marginalized children, as we've heard, and in situations of crisis conflict, displacement, poverty, and now climate related disruption more frequently, we are seeing heightened risks to safety, well being, and their fundamental rights.
So when those spaces disappear, the risks can often grow, and that's what really concerns us.
Children become more isolated, they spend more time in unsafe environments, or they can be pushed into hazardous work and other harmful situations.
That's why, Ida, as you said, play is not a luxury.
It is part of the exact protective fabric we need for childhood itself.
It is essential.
And play is where children experience joy, leisure, freedom, time that is self directed, it's creative, and it's meaningful as well.
It's highly universal, but it's also highly localized.
Everyone here from a different country, culture, you can probably think back to what is your local form of play? It's so special in its universality and its specificity.
So we've seen that it's where children bring friendships and social skills where they experience connection with family, caregivers, teachers, communities, and it's how they learn, as we've been reminded from UNSCO and Lego Foundation colleagues, academic skills, but even more importantly, problem solving, confidence, imagination.
And as we know, mental health and psychosocial well being.
Children are facing stress, loss, change in ways that are socially impactful, and so play can be something that's really a tool for psychosocial well being.
So in response to what you have told us, dear youth and child representatives, we want to highlight three urgent priorities for everyone here.
First, recognize play as essential to childhood, not an optional extra.
It is fundamental to well being, protection, learning, and development.
What this means is treating play as a priority in our budgets, schools, communities, and public spaces, so not an afterthought.
Second, we must guarantee safe, inclusive and accessible spaces and time for play for all children, including those experiencing vulnerability in everyday life and especially for contexts of crisis displacement and insecurity.
Third, we must ensure children's meaningful participation in decisions about play and public spaces as real influence over the environments that are shaping your lives.
On this International Day of play, let's do what children are asking of us.
Let us listen and then let us act.
Happy International Day of Play.
Thank you for that powerful response.
Next up, we will have Aya Petkova, director of the Children's Science Museum Musco.
Hello, everyone.
Can you hear me? Excellence, distinguished colleagues, dear friends, and wonderful children.
When we think about communication, we usually think about words.
But today on the International Day of Play, I would like to speak about a language that existed long before many of us learned to speak.
It's the language of play.
Wherever we travel in the world, we encounter different languages, cultures, traditions and beliefs and yet there is one place where these differences often become secondary, the playground.
Child arriving in a new country may not understand a single word in the local language, and yet within minutes, they can join a game.
They understand when to run, when to hide, when to wait their turn, when to laugh, when to help, and when to celebrate together.
Play hay has its own code of communication.
It is perhaps one of the most universal languages humanity has ever created.
Through play, children learn to cooperate before they learn diplomacy.
They learned fairness before they learned law, they learn empathy before they learn politics.
On the playground around the globe, children from different cultures speaking different languages and coming from families of different faiths can play together, they can learn together and create friendships.
In a world that often struggles to find common ground, it is a remarkable lesson.
But plays not only a universal language, it is also a carrier of our unique identities.
Just as the song travels across borders while acquiring local rhythms and meanings, children's games do the same.
We find similar games played in different countries, yet each community adds its own stories, traditions, and cultural memory.
Hidden within these games are traces of history, geography, values, and way of seeing the world.
Through play children inherit culture while also reshaping it for the future.
This dual nature of play is both a universal language and a guardian of cultural diversity.
Yet for too many children, opportunities to play remain limited.
So many children worldwide are still engaged in child labor and they are performing hazardous work that threatens their health, safety, and.
If play is a language, then millions of children are being denied the opportunity to speak it.
Our responsibility is therefore not only to celebrate play, but to protect it, to create safe spaces where children can meet, explore, communicate, and grow, to ensure that every child has the freedom to experience both the universal joy of play and the unique cultural heritage that play carries.
Because every game played together is more than a game.
It is a small act of understanding, a small active learning, and a small act of peace.
And perhaps that is why Astrid Klingern reminded us, give the children love, more love, and still more love, and common sense will come by itself.
On this International Day of play, let us remember to give children not only our love, but also the time, space, and freedom to play.
Happy International Day of play.
Thank you.
Now we invite Chloe Sasha Brooks, Ted Curator, Hello.
Hello, everyone.
Can you all hear me? Hello, children.
So good to see you all and excellencies, colleagues, friends, and partners.
If you look at where the most durable human progress actually comes from, the ideas that stick, that spread, that genuinely change how we live, a lot of it traces back to play.
I had the honor of experiencing this firsthand as a curator at TED because I chose the speakers and collaborated with them on their talks for a TED event called Play a TED, which we held last month in the TED headquarters in partnerships with the Fantastic Lego Foundation and Lego Group.
And to choose these 12 speakers and one musical performer, I first interviewed nearly 100 people whose work touches on play in some way.
I was so moved by how many people have truly made powerful discoveries and advanced humanity through play.
The final play at Ted lineup included an activist who helps children reconnect to their dignity through play in refugee camps, an urban planner using toys to help communities redesign their neighborhoods, an AI researcher building toys that protect children's wonder instead of eroding it.
A kid whose doodles help us think about the power of imagination in childhood and how we cannot lose it, a professional athlete and artist succeeding because of a philosophy that play brings out our best, a teenager innovating in the space of structural engineering while playing with origami, who is here today, Myles Wu.
And so many more.
None of the speakers would describe what they do as just play, and that tension is exactly what is worth acknowledging because the moment we qualify it, it's not just play, it's learning or it's not just play, it's innovation.
We've already conceded the argument.
We've accepted a hierarchy that puts play at the bottom.
It shows up in school budgets in urban design in which ideas get taken seriously on a stage like the TED stage.
We heard at Playa Ted made one thing undeniable.
Play isn't a pathway to the real work, it is the real work.
I think that we're at a genuine inflection point.
More researchers, designers, educators, and policymakers are making that case with evidence that's increasingly hard to ignore.
The conversation is shifting and what Playa Ted showed me is that when you put these ideas on a serious stage and treat them with the seriousness that they deserve, something opens up in the room and in the people inside it.
That's the future I'm optimistic about, one where play doesn't just have to justify itself to get a seat at the table because it's already there doing the work and let's enjoy it.
Happy International Day of play.
Thank you.
Thank you for your words.
Next up, we will have Kevin Kline, Senior Director of America's Government and Public Affairs, the Lego Group.
Thank you so much for that introduction.
And before I dive in my remarks here, we have so many great children in the room.
I just have to ask, is there anybody here show of hands who likes playing with Lego bricks? Anyone? Awesome.
All right.
We're in the right room.
Kindred spirits.
I appreciate it.
I'm so excited to be here.
I really appreciate the opportunity to come in.
This event, the International Day of Play, is very, very close to our company's heart.
You've already heard from the Lego Foundation and how important it is there as well.
I want to take this opportunity to thank UNICEF for their leadership on the play agenda.
I'm excited to hear more from the member states who have been waiting patiently to share everything that they are doing to promote play.
They're coming up in just a few minutes.
I also want to speak on the theme of protecting play for every child, which is for this panel.
It's a really important one.
We've heard a lot of statistics today, but we know there's a play deficit around the world.
So LeGo's most recent Plawell study, pooling Children and adults was released at the start of this month, and that had some stark findings in it.
We found that 89% of families wish that they could play more.
That's basically nine out of ten.
85% of children say they feel sad when they can't play enough when they don't have enough time, and 75% of parents worry that a lack of play will negatively impact their child's future.
That's part of why we're all here.
That's part of why International Day of Play is a thing and why we've created it and work together amongst this team to do that.
The International Day of P can be a catalyst for change that we all want to see.
And we've already heard about UNICEF three accelerator outcomes, you know, playful parenting, learning through play, development, playful spaces.
These are all great metrics to measure progress and to provide the environment necessary for more play moving forward.
At the Lego Group, specifically, we say that children are our role models.
We don't just say that.
That ethos comes directly from our owner family.
It's the core belief that drives everything that the company does.
It's the number one thing in our idea paper.
That's why this event is so important to us.
We're proud to be working with UNICEF.
I'm also delighted to present our Plaguide.
Everyone should have one of these at their seats.
This is a Plaguide for DOP 2026, and we've been working on it with you at UNICEF.
It includes tips on how you can support the day.
Please do share it far and wide.
We hope it's helpful.
Thank you again for the opportunity to speak.
The last thing I'll leave you with is that Lego Group wants to be helpful and if there's anything more we can provide, anything more we can do to move our common goals forward, please let us know.
Thank you.
Thank you for your words.
As we prepare for the next speaker, please enjoy this video.
Welcome to Play Matters the Cos.
We're bringing together distinguished leaders from countries whose permanent missions to the United Nations have chaired the International Day of Play since 2024.
Through these conversations, we're going to be hearing reflections from them on what it took to place play on the global agenda, but also how important play is to every child's development and well being.
So let's dive in.
Well, I think that when we say play is a right, it means that every child should have that ability and that chance to enjoy play.
It also means, in my view, that governments have to build bridges, what I'm trying to do here, to connect different peoples, connect generations, to bridge the development gaps, to ensure that every child, no matter where they are in what conditions, they can still enjoy their right to play.
But Bulgaria has a history being institutionally more interested to improving childhood development, also through experimenting with more playful approaches to education.
We were very eager to participate in this because it is a national priority for us from the highest level.
Our prime minister has been involved in days of play at home.
Our entire Ministry of education has a full program with that.
Initially, folks were, just not another day of something.
And then When we shared the data and the statistics and the impact of play, the level of enthusiasm just went through the roof.
That was one of the most rewarding feelings to be part of something positive as an agenda and something that is creating and gaining traction among our international partners and fellow member states, and this is the best measure to my opinion of relevance when we are contributing to this kind of positive agenda.
To children, continue playing, keep learning through play, and keep imagining.
To parents, including to myself, we should spend more time with our children, playing with them.
That is probably the best gift that we can give to our children.
Play is serious business.
It really is essential because so much development happens through play.
So much is learned, so much is taught through play.
The bonds of society are made and developed through play.
Are promoting again, creativity, free thinking, critical thinking, children reaching their full potential, and also adults remaining playful and creative and governments again, build bridges so that we can all enjoy a more playful, more healthy and more connected world.
Happy International Day of play, P play, protect childhood.
Protect play is protecting childhood.
Protect play, protect childhood.
Thank you for joining P Mars, the Co.
The journey doesn't end yet.
Let's keep working together to ensure every child everywhere can have access to play.
Protect play, protect childhood.
Thank you.
We will also hear a special message from Lori Hernandez, UNICEF Ambassador, and Olympic gold medalist.
Everyone, can you hear me? Perfect.
Hi, my name is Lori Hernandez.
I am an Olympic gold medalist and UNICEF USA ambassador.
I believe when everyone thinks of my gymnastics career and competing professionally, the first thing that's thought about is the sparkly Letards, what is being shown on TV.
They're seeing our hair pulled back tight.
My goodness.
But the first thing that I think about are the summers that I had growing up.
I think of the garage doors open in the gym that I trained at.
I think of the sun coming through the windows.
I think of music playing, I think of trying new skills.
I think of my teammates cheering me on.
I think of the excitement of playing a game after practice because we all decided to try something new today and got rewarded for it.
I think of play.
And I think of how important that is for children around the world to have access to safe spaces to play, to fail, to get up, to try again.
My experience with play was having the opportunity to know I have a desire to be ambitious.
I want to have goals.
I want to try something new.
I want to risk something knowing that there's a really beautiful thing ahead and that I'm safe to embark on that journey.
And that's why having a safe place to play for children is just as important as education, as clean water, as mental health and psychosocial support.
It is a part of all of those things.
Play matters because it is how children learn and grow and make sense of the world around them.
It's how they engage with their communities.
It's how they learn to communicate their fears and their wants.
It allows for social skills, and it also allows for managing stress and developing emotional strength, physical strength.
It allows us to form connections and feel supported.
That's why when we protect play, we protect the confidence of kids, we protect well being, and we protect possibility.
It is so important to encourage play friendly spaces for children, so that way one day, when we look to the future and we see that there is success around us, we know it is because they played and they connected with their communities and engaged with themselves.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Reflection is essential, but action is the measure that matters.
As we move toward the close of this event, we now invite member states to share commitments and statements of support to protect play, and I will hand over the segment to the chair of this occasion, Ambassador Do Hong Vit permanent representative of the Vietnam to the UN.
Thank you very much, Ana Min.
You know what? You have done something amazing.
You have kept us ahead of schedule for 15 minutes.
Yes.
That is a major feat if we comparing with UN meetings that we run here.
But thank you so much.
As chair of the International Day of Play 2026, Vietnam is pleased to open this commitment segment.
For Vietnam, the right to play must be translated into practical action.
Our commitments are, one, raise awareness among parents and caregivers about the importance of play so that play can be part of daily care and positive interaction at home.
Two, promote play based approaches in early childhood education, helping children develop curiosity, confidence, language, social skills, and creativity from the earliest years.
Three, promote safe, child friendly spaces in schools and in communities, as well as online, as someone reminded us earlier.
And ensure that children's needs are reflected in local planning and urban development, especially in disadvantaged and remote areas.
In this connection, allow me to mention also something very close to my heart, our mi action efforts to clear our lands of explosive remnants of war, to provide safe grounds for development and for play.
With the support of international partners, we are doing just that.
Will also continue to promote risk education programs, like a program called Play Football, Don't Play with unexploded ordinances.
And just for context, the cluster munitions that are unexploded, they are round little balls, look like a tennis ball that are very colorful and extremely attractive to young kids.
The education programs are meant to teach them not to play with those little balls, bombs, in fact.
So these commitments are part of Vietnam's broader efforts to place children at the center of sustainable development and inclusive development.
I now invite fellow member states to share commitments and actions.
It is, first of all, my pleasure to invite miss Krasima Pshova, Sched Daffir of the permanent mission of Bulgaria to the United Nations.
Thank you.
Thank you very much, chair.
Excellencies, partners, colleagues, friends, and first of all, dear, awesome children, welcome in celebrating together with us the third Day, International Day of play.
Of course, we have now started the more serious part of our event, but I would like to start with a confession and it is that I don't remember myself having taken the floor here at the UN feeling so unprepared.
No, indeed, because very often when I'm entering this building in the morning, I know very well what is my schedule, what I'm going to do.
This is not a difficult question to be answered.
But there is usually another question and it is why I am doing what is on my schedule for the day.
Today, the answer of this question for me is very, very easy indeed.
And when I was entering this morning, as you Ambassador Hong said, everybody was envying me that I'm going to conference room six.
Because in other rooms, they were dealing with documents or with reports with numerous pages.
Here we are having the play doh.
It is very clear why everybody was envy but actually, what they didn't know is that this is not only the best room in the building today, it is the most beautiful room.
Not actually due to all of us here, of course, but first and foremost to the children.
And it is also the room that is the gateway to the future.
Because here at the UN we very often worry about the future.
But today, when I look around, I feel so secure about the future and I can't wait the future to come and I to live in it.
Now I will actually Go back to my formal speech in which you will find, I mean, you dear children will find words you will find difficult to understand, but bear with me because there is also this part of the room, the adults for whom it does matter when we say convention, instruments, policies, or mental well being.
When you hear these words, just remember you have the Play Doh next to you and this will make you survive my speech.
Bulgaria is truly pleased to join this celebration of the International Day of Play.
As a member of the core group that led to the adoption of the General Assembly resolution establishing this day in 2024, we take particular pride in seeing it celebrated for the third consecutive year with the active support of Unicef and in cooperation with UNESCO, civil society organizations including the LEGO Foundation, and many other partners around the world.
We are also delighted that Musco, Bulgaria's Children's Science Center and museum, is represented once again this year, continuing its valuable engagement for a second consecutive year in promoting the importance of play for every child.
Bulgaria reaffirms its commitment to the right of play.
Play is not only a source of joy and creativity.
It is essential for children's learning, development, well being and inclusion.
Furthermore, play is an important part of lives of adults, helping them keep their heads above the water and facing the tsunami of their schedules and timesheets.
We support efforts to expand access to safe, inclusive, environmentally sustainable play spaces to strengthen policies and promote playful parenting and family well being.
And to integrate play based approaches throughout early childhood education systems.
We also recognize that meaningful progress requires strong cross sector partnerships.
As we celebrate today, we also look beyond 11th of June.
Bulgaria remains committed to advancing the objectives of the International Day of Play throughout the whole year through sustained action, investment, and cooperation.
We believe that children's voices and leadership must be at the center of policies and programs affecting their lives, including those related to play, education, and well being.
We also believe that play is right for all children and adults alike.
Let us continue working together to ensure that every child everywhere can enjoy their right to play and to thrive.
When we protect playing, we prevent conflicts, conflicts not only on the playgrounds, but conflicts everywhere.
I was thinking I would like to to mention something, but I'm so much helped by some of the speakers who before me said that play is serious business.
I would say play as humor, are the most serious businesses on earth.
Happy International Day of play to every child, to every grown up child, and to every adult who each day takes care of this little child inside us.
Thank you.
Thank you very much, miss Pshkova.
I now have the pleasure to invite Camila Lopez de Castillo, distinguished child representative of El Salvador.
You have the floor.
Good morning, everyone.
My name is Camila and I'm very proud to be here today representing one of my countries, El Salvador.
In my art class, we learned about children's rights.
Each student chose one right to create an art project about it.
I chose the right to play.
My artwork shows two girls playing together, my friend Josie and me.
I chose this right because playing is very important.
It helps children have fun, learn new things, and make friends and be happy.
I believe every child deserves to be happy and safe, but not every child has the chance to play.
Today, I'd like to ask all adults in this room to remember something.
Children are not just the future.
We are also the present.
Please help make sure every child has a safe place to play, to learn, and to dream.
Now I'd like to invite you to wash a short video about how El Salvador is working to help children grow, dream, and enjoy being children.
Thank you.
Grass, yes.
Welcome to S Salvador Thank you very much.
Deputy Permanent Representative of Jamaica to the United Nations.
You have the floor.
Thank you, Ambassadors.
Thanks to their children for very lively engagement this morning.
I have to say that this is by far the most enjoyable events I've ever attended in this building.
I'm starting to see why this is a favorite date on the calendar for so many people in this room today, so I'm very happy to be here.
Colleagues, Jamaica is pleased to be a member of this excellent core group of states leading the observance of International Day of Play alongside UNICEF, UNSCO, the LGA Group, and other partners.
We take this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to the rights of play for every child as enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
For Jamaica, this observance holds special significance.
At the national level, we have also designated February seven each year to be celebrated as what we call Play Day JA.
This is an initiative that's championed by our Ministry of Education, Skills Youth and Information and supported by the UNICEF team in Jamaica.
This is an effort to bring player based approaches that are backed by evidence into classrooms, family life, and community spaces across the country.
So today, Jamaica commits to advancing the goals of International Day of Play beyond this annual observance, and we're calling on all member states to do the same.
We will continue to elevate the importance of play by ensuring that it remains a visible and valued component of child well being and development, and we'll continue to strengthen opportunities for play within early childhood development, education, and community programs.
Thank you very much and happy International Day of Play to everyone.
Thank you very much, miss Reed.
We will now see a video message from miss Patrin Chilaa, Directorate of Early Childhood Education of the Ministry of Education of Zambia.
We are so excited because play that hopefully.
It is some way where you can see this super in terms of c thinking, in terms of hope and also and emotional.
That they live, they put together fas that bo to support us as well, how nice they they are built.
We have a donate teachers, for us, we are looking at ability, that.
Thank you to Zambia for that message, and I don't know if you noticed, but there was a central bank in the classroom too.
I now have the pleasure to invite the distinguished representative of Kenya to the United Nations.
You have the floor, sir.
Thank you.
Thank you, Ambassador, Distinguished delegates, our distinguished guests, the young ones here.
Ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to read a statement on behalf of my permanent representative who unfortunately was not able to be here and would have loved to be here with the young ones here.
But I need to make a few remarks about how Kenya what Kenya has done on the International Day of play.
How we have incorporated this into our education system.
Kenya is first and foremost, honored to join the co sponsors of this event.
That's Burgelia, El Salvador, Jamaica, Luxebourg and Vietnam.
And all our guests and partners in celebrating the third International Day of play.
Slightly more than two years ago, Kenya was privileged to join in tabling the resolution establishing this uniquely important UN day because we believe that the right of play to play is not a privilege.
But a right that belongs to every child.
This is enshrined in our national laws, the Kenyan laws and policies.
The basic law of the land, that is the Constitution of Kenya assures the right of every child to education, leisure, and play.
We have a specific act, a law governing children, we call the Children Act.
The Children Act further reaffirms the right of every child to participate in sports, cultural activities, and constructive recreational pursuits, and to access and play is one of the fundamental right of the child, which is enforceable under the Kenyan infrastructure under the Kenyan law.
In practice, the national education sector, the Kenyan policy a strategic plan and the competence based curriculum.
We have a competence based curriculum where children develop their competence, their area of competence, their area of interest, and they go that particular stream in order to identify the skills and maybe the skills of a child and also to as a child's interest or area of interest, which, of course, finally leads to career of the child.
We acknowledge that there are gaps, including, of course, the insufficiency of access to safe, inclusive and environmentally healthy space to play.
But this is precisely why Kenya stands firmly behind today's action call to action and concretely continues reaffirming the following commitments.
One, Kenya commits to continuing strengthening the play infrastructure within our competence based curriculum.
And ensuring that play based learning methodologies are adequately resourced, that teachers are trained, and that every public primary school has a safe fiscal space for a child to play.
Secondly, through our early childhood development and education program, which is now devolved to counties to the lowest unit of the government, Kenya commits to continuing expanding access to quality, play centered early learning with particular emphasis on recreation that reaches the last child in the most disadvantaged disadvantaged or marginalized community.
So every child even to the lowest and the most marginalized community is able to get to access these play centers.
And thirdly, Kenya continues to champion the play parenting agenda by integrating parent and caregiver engagement into a social protection and child welfare program.
I wish to assure all of us that Kenya stands ready to work with all partners to turn this commitment into a reality for every child everywhere.
I thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Kenya.
I now invite miss Nadeen Mueller, Manager and Head of Division for People with Disabilities at the Ministry of Family Affairs Solidarity Living Together and Reception of Refugees of Luxeburg.
You have the floor, ma'am.
Thank you, Chair.
Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, dear friends, and most importantly, dear children.
It's an honor for Luxembourg to join the celebration of the International Day of Play and to stand alongside member states, Unicef Unesco, the Lego Group, partners, and most importantly, your children.
Today reminds us something both simple and profound.
Play matters, not only because it brings joy, creativity, and laughter, but because it is fundamental to human development, participation, and well being.
Through play, children discover the world, build confidence, form relationships, and learn that they belong.
And yet for many children around the world, barriers to play still exist.
Children with disabilities continue to face inaccessible environments, exclusion, stigma, and unequal opportunities to participate in everyday childhood experiences.
This is why inclusive play matters so deeply.
The Convention on the Rights of persons with disabilities reminds us that children with disabilities have the right to participate fully and equally in recreation, leisure, cultural life, and play.
Inclusion therefore cannot remain an aspiration.
It must become a lived reality in communities, schools, playgrounds, sports, and public spaces everywhere.
Inclusive play is not only about adapted infrastructure.
It is about creating spaces where every child feels welcomed, respected, safe, and able to participate alongside others.
Because when children play together, they also learn to live together.
Luxemburg's approach reflects this.
Inclusion starts in early childhood, but this must be sustained across the lifespan.
Our national strategies link early intervention, inclusive education, and community participation because play is not confined to childhood.
It is how we learn resilience, build relationships, and practice citizenship.
When we invest in inclusive play, we invest in societies where no one is left behind.
This requires collaboration across governments, municipalities, civil society, educators, families, and the children themselves.
In doing so, inclusive initiatives often emerge from private and community led efforts supported by the government.
One inspiring example is Felt, a mini company created by secondary school students that developed an inclusive tactile game designed for people with and without disabilities to play together.
A student with a visual impairment was part of the leadership team, ensuring inclusion throughout the project.
This example shows us that inclusive play is very often driven by the innovative ideas of those who are concerned.
But above all, it calls for us to listen to children.
Their voices remind us that play is not secondary to childhood.
It defines childhood.
On this international day of play, let us reaffirm our shared responsibility to protect every child's right to play freely, safely, and inclusively.
Because when every child can play, every child can reach their full potential.
Happy international day of play to all of you.
Thank you very much, miss Mueller.
We will now see a video message from Mr.
Daniel Serves, Director of Public Health Policies of the Ministry of Health of Mexico.
If services, Director of political public Secretariat del Go de Mexico.
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Thank you to Mexico for that message.
I now have the honor to invite His Excellency, Eloy Alfaro de Alba, permanent representative of Panama to the United Nations.
You have the floor, sir.
Thank you, Chair.
Dear Excellencies, colleagues and child delegates.
As the color of my hair would suggest, I think it's a safe bet to say that I am probably the oldest person in the room.
So you may be wondering what I am doing here, and I'm wondering too.
But I have one grandson and seven granddaughters.
Wow.
And I would not have missed this day for the world.
Panama is pleased to join the celebration of the International Day of Play and would like to thank, of course, the permanent mission of Vietnam, the co hosting missions, and UNICEF for organizing this delightful initiative.
As we gather at the United Nations to address some of the world's most pressing international challenges, today reminds us of something simple yet profound.
Play is not merely recreation.
It is a fundamental right of every child.
Through play, children learn, grow, build confidence, develop social skills, and strengthen their resilience.
Play nurtures creativity, curiosity, and hope.
Qualities that are essential for building peaceful and inclusive societies.
The right to play offers us a reminder of our shared humanity and the universality of childhood.
It teaches respect, cooperation, empathy, and teamwork.
For Panama, just to remind us that adults also play, this year's celebration carries a special significance.
We are proud that our national football team will participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
One of the games is going to be held in New Jersey against the United Kingdom.
I'm sure we will beat them.
And I will wear the shirt.
Right.
For many Panamanian children and young people, the dream of seeing their country represented on football's main stage and in other first rate sports scenarios is a source of inspiration.
It reminds them that with dedication, perseverance, teamwork, and belief in themselves, even the biggest dreams can become a reality.
We're especially pleased that today's activity is bringing together children, families, and colleagues in a spirit of friendship and joy coincides with the inauguration of the FIFA World Cup, a global event built on the convergence of cultures, generations, and people.
Camilla, why don't you join me.
Camilla is Panama's child delegate, so we encourage everyone to continue working to ensure that every child can enjoy their right to play.
Play, learn, grow, and Thrive.
Thank you.
Happy International Day of pleasure.
He Thank you very much, Ambassador, for your remarks and for bringing the fighting spirit to the room as well.
Last but absolutely not least, I would like to invite Her Excellency, Tanya Serafm von Romualdo, permanent representative of Cabo Verde to the United Nations.
Madam, you have the floor.
Thank you.
Excellencies, colleagues, dear children, what a joy to be here in this room.
I'm also not a child, but I have a very active inner child.
I have two sons.
I have a daughter, I have one granddaughter and about to have a grandson too.
Well, delegates, Cavert is honored to join the international community in celebrating the International Day of P and to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to every child's right to play as enshrined in the Convention of the Rights of the Child.
Play is not a luxury.
It is a fundamental to healthy childhood development, learning, creativity, emotional well being, social inclusion, and resilience.
Through play, children discover themselves, connect with others, and develop the skills needed to thrive in an increasingly complex world.
We are committed to expanding access to safe, inclusive, and environmentally sustainable play spaces, ensuring that every child, regardless of background or ability, has opportunities to play, learn, and flourish.
We also recognize the essential role of families.
Strengthening policies that support playful parenting and family well being is critical to nurturing, caring and supportive environments where children can grow and reach their full potential.
Furthermore, we support the integration of play based approaches in early childhood education systems, recognizing that play is one of the most effective pathways to learning, curiosity, and lifelong development.
But these goals can only be achieved through very strong partnerships.
We therefore underscore the importance of collaboration among governments, civil society, communities, international organizations, academia, and the private sector to advance and protect children's right to play.
Children must not only benefit from our policies, but also be involved in their shaping.
Their voices, perspectives, and leadership are indispenable in designing programs and solutions that truly respond to their needs and aspirations.
We had a nice example of children's leadership in this room today and maybe we should consider having more children on our chair tables because they were really very effective.
As we celebrate today, Cat commits to advancing the objectives of the International Day of play way beyond the 11th of June through sustained action, investment, and advocacy that place children at the center of our development efforts.
Colleagues, friends, children, as we kick off the FIFA World Cup 26, allow me to note that Cabo Vert, like Panama, also qualified for the very first time in our history.
For the very first time in our history and the entire Cavian nations on the islands and in our huge diaspora across the world stands united in very enthusiastic support for our blue sharks.
So while diplomacy calls for impartiality, football allows us a little touch of national enthusiasm, as long, of course, as all teams play with skill, passion, and fair play, forging new friendships regardless of the results on the pitch.
Football also reminds us the whole world of the importance of play.
Happy international day of play to all of us.
Thank you.
Thank you very much, Ambassador, and congratulations to Cabo Verde.
Who here can sing baby sharks? Yeah, right? So let's do it later.
But thank you so much.
Oh, there you have a baby shark, too.
Thank you.
Thanks to all member states for these very important commitments.
These commitments do show that across different national context, we do share a common understanding that every child should have the time, the space, and the opportunity to play safely, play freely, and joyfully.
As this is the very last time that I take the floor this morning, allow me just to thank you all once again for this best day ever, really.
Some colleagues have been texting me that I look so different today compared to the painful month that I chaired the NPT review Conference.
Yes, the approach I took then in the negotiations was to try to make everyone equally unhappy.
Now, that changes significantly today.
Today, everyone is happy, and we have to make everyone happy.
Thank you very much once again and with that, Thank you.
With that, I will now hand the floor back to our child moderators, A Amin and Hideke.
Thank you very much.
Today, children reminded us that play is not optional.
It is essential, and it is our shared responsibility to protect it.
Thank you for being part of this commitment, and we invite you to continue the conversation through the play experiences that follow on the north lawn of the United Nations headquarters.
One more announcement, please.
Lunch will be served outside from 12:00 P.M.