English: Dirprwy Lywydd, in modern western society, there is a general consensus that there is a clear distinction between children and adults, which stems from children being defined as less physically and mentally mature. However, this has not always been the case, as, throughout different periods in history, in different countries and cultures, views on what children should do at certain ages, such as how they are taught and socialised, as well as what age they become a legal adult, have changed and differed. For example, in the UK, recognition of childhood as a state different from adulthood didn't even begin to emerge until the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, when society began to relate to the child not as a miniature adult, but as a person of a lower level of maturity in need of adult love and nurture. This continued into the eighteenth century and led to the Prevention of Cruelty to, and Protection of, Children Act 1889, the children's charter, and that today we have the 1989 child protection Act, which places responsibility for protecting and nurturing children with the parents, but upheld that, if they failed in this responsibility, the state would take over this function. I say all of this to make the point that childhood is a social construct, created by adults, predominantly determined by adults and influenced by what adult communities believe is best for the child in relation to what they perceive their own responsibilities and rights to be. So, not only does this paradigm tend to reinforce the authority that adults could have over children, but it also means that children's rights are often denied when they conflict with human right norms, and that is why I'm a big fan of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, as it maintains that children should be treated as human beings in their own right, with particular emphasis on always consulting with them about decisions that affect their lives. I am pleased and proud that the children's rights scheme is a requirement the Welsh Government has placed on itself to ensure that this is happening in Wales. There is no greater example of this in practice than the children (Wales) Bill, which will help protect children's rights by prohibiting the physical punishment of children. I was not a Member of the Senedd when this legislation was passed, but I am so proud that it was, because where children's rights conflicted with adult rights, our Welsh Government and Members of the Senedd put them on an equal footing, and we can never underestimate how significant, exceptional and vital that this was, and it was a clear demonstration of the Welsh Government's commitment to the UNCRC. I believe we also see this in our Welsh Youth Parliament, who represent young people in the communities and lift up their voices, ensuring that policies and progress are not done to them but very much with them. Our very own Ewan Bodilly, who is a member of the Bridgend Youth Council, will be representing Bridgend constituency, and I look forward to working with him on his key issues, which include youth mental health care, the climate emergency and university tuition fees. So, there is a lot of good being done in Wales, in line with the UNCRC. However, when it comes to children's digital rights, a passion of mine, as with many other countries, we should be doing more. I cannot summarise this any better than Harvard professor Shoshana Zuboff, who says: 'Each day we send our children into this cowardly new world of surveillance economics, like innocent canaries into Big Tech's coal mines. Citizens and lawmakers have stood silent, as hidden systems of tracking, monitoring, and manipulation ravage the private lives of unsuspecting kids and their families, challenging vital democratic principles for the sake of profits and power. This is not the promising digital century that we signed up for.' This is very much the case here in Wales at times too. How many of us are aware that biometric data is being collected from children in schools with their fingerprints being gained in exchange for free school meals, or the classroom apps that collect not only academic data, but also behavioural data on our children? And there is much talk in the tech world now about the pros and cons of microchipping our children. But there is some positive news, and that is that, on 2 March, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child adopted general comment No. 25 on the children's rights in relation to the digital environment. Its adoption makes explicit for the first time that children's rights apply in the digital world. Seven hundred and nine children and young people aged between nine and 22 years old were consulted in 26 countries on six continents. They want a more private, protective and transparent digital world, one that is age-appropriate and enabling of their interests, relationships and opportunities. And although general comments are non-binding and are not part of the UNCRC itself, I would ask that Welsh Government does all it can to incorporate children's digital rights into the children's rights scheme 2021. And also I would like to say as well - I would like to express my support for recommendation 15 in the 'Children's rights in Wales' report by the Children, Young People and Education Committee of the fifth Senedd, chaired by Lynne Neagle, which recommended that local authorities also have to do the children's risk assessments, especially when cuts are being made to services like free school bus travel. And finally, may I ask that the Welsh Government explores asking young people, possibly our Welsh Youth Parliament Members, for their views on digital rights and advancing data literacy, because what is consent if our children don't understand what they're signing up to, and if we as adults and politicians don't understand either? Children want and need to be online, but they need to be able to do so safely. All concerned must redouble their commitment to ensure their rights, including their rights to safety and privacy, are being upheld.
Welsh: Dirprwy Lywydd, yn y gymdeithas orllewinol fodern, mae consensws cyffredinol bod gwahaniaeth amlwg rhwng plant ac oedolion, sy'n deillio o'r ffaith bod plant yn cael eu diffinio'n llai aeddfed yn gorfforol ac yn feddyliol. Fodd bynnag, nid yw hyn bob amser wedi digwydd, oherwydd, drwy gydol gwahanol gyfnodau mewn hanes, mewn gwahanol wledydd a diwylliannau, mae barn ar yr hyn y dylai plant ei wneud pan fyddan nhw'n oedrannau penodol, megis sut y maen nhw'n cael eu haddysgu a'u cymdeithasu, yn ogystal â pha oedran y maen nhw'n dod yn oedolyn cyfreithiol, wedi newid ac wedi bod yn wahanol. Er enghraifft, yn y DU, ni ddechreuodd plentyndod fel cyflwr sy'n wahanol i fod yn oedolyn gael ei gydnabod tan yr unfed ganrif ar bymtheg a'r ail ganrif ar bymtheg, pan ddechreuodd cymdeithas ymdrin â'r plentyn nid fel oedolyn bach, ond fel person o lefel aeddfedrwydd is y mae angen cariad a meithriniad oedolion arno. Parhaodd hyn i'r ddeunawfed ganrif ac arweiniodd at Ddeddf Atal Creulondeb i Blant, a'i Diogelu, 1889, siarter plant, a heddiw mae gennym ni Ddeddf amddiffyn plant 1989, sy'n rhoi'r cyfrifoldeb dros amddiffyn a meithrin plant ar y rhieni, ond cadarnhaodd y byddai'r wladwriaeth, pe baen nhw'n methu yn y cyfrifoldeb hwn, yn ymgymryd â'r swyddogaeth hon. Rwy'n dweud hyn i gyd i wneud y pwynt bod plentyndod yn lluniad cymdeithasol, wedi'i greu gan oedolion, ac wedi'i bennu yn bennaf gan oedolion ac wedi'i ddylanwadu arno gan yr hyn y mae cymunedau oedolion yn credu sydd orau i'r plentyn o ran yr hyn y maen nhw'n yn ei ganfod yn gyfrifoldebau a'u hawliau eu hunain. Felly, y mae'r paradeim hwn nid yn unig yn dueddol o atgyfnerthu'r awdurdod y gallai oedolion ei gael dros blant, ond mae hefyd yn golygu bod hawliau plant yn aml yn cael eu gwrthod pan fyddan nhw'n gwrthdaro â normau hawliau dynol, a dyna pam yr wyf i'n gefnogwr brwd i Gonfensiwn y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar Hawliau'r Plentyn, gan ei fod yn dadlau y dylai plant cael eu trin fel bodau dynol yn eu rhinwedd eu hunain, gyda phwyslais arbennig ar ymgynghori â nhw bob amser ynghylch penderfyniadau sy'n effeithio ar eu bywydau. Rwy'n fodlon ac yn falch bod y cynllun hawliau plant yn ofyniad y mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi'i roi arni'i hun i sicrhau bod hyn yn digwydd yng Nghymru. Nid oes gwell enghraifft o hyn yn cael ei weithredu na Bil Plant (Cymru), a fydd yn helpu i ddiogelu hawliau plant drwy wahardd cosbi plant yn gorfforol. Nid oeddwn yn Aelod o'r Senedd pan gafodd y ddeddfwriaeth hon ei phasio, ond rwyf i mor falch o hynny, oherwydd lle'r oedd hawliau plant yn gwrthdaro â hawliau oedolion, rhoddodd ein Llywodraeth Cymru ac Aelodau'r Senedd yr un sylfaen iddyn nhw, ac ni allwn ni fyth danbrisio pa mor arwyddocaol, eithriadol a hanfodol oedd hyn, ac roedd yn arwydd clir o ymrwymiad Llywodraeth Cymru i Gonfensiwn y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar Hawliau'r Plentyn. Rwy'n credu ein bod ni hefyd yn gweld hyn yn ein Senedd Ieuenctid yng Nghymru, sy'n cynrychioli pobl ifanc yn y cymunedau ac yn codi eu lleisiau, gan sicrhau nad yw polisïau a chynnydd yn cael eu gwneud iddyn nhw ond gyda nhw. Bydd ein Ewan Bodilly ni, sy'n aelod o Gyngor Ieuenctid Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr, yn cynrychioli etholaeth Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr, ac rwy'n edrych ymlaen at weithio gydag ef ar ei faterion allweddol, sy'n cynnwys gofal iechyd meddwl ieuenctid, yr argyfwng hinsawdd a ffioedd dysgu prifysgolion. Felly, mae llawer o les yn cael ei wneud yng Nghymru, yn unol â CCUHP. Fodd bynnag, pan ddaw'n fater o hawliau digidol plant, y mae gennyf i awch amdanyn nhw, fel gyda llawer o wledydd eraill, dylem ni fod yn gwneud mwy. Ni allaf i grynhoi hyn yn well na'r athro Harvard Shoshana Zuboff, sy'n dweud: 'Bob dydd rydym ni'n anfon ein plant i'r byd llwfr newydd hwn o economeg gwyliadwriaeth, fel caneris diniwed i byllau glo y Cewri Technoleg. Mae dinasyddion a deddfwyr wedi sefyll yn dawel, wrth i systemau cudd o dracio, monitro a dylanwadu ddifetha bywydau preifat plant diniwed a'u teuluoedd, gan herio egwyddorion democrataidd hanfodol er elw a phŵer. Nid dyma'r ganrif ddigidol addawol y gwnaethom ni gytuno iddi.' Mae hyn yn hynod wir yma yng Nghymru ar adegau hefyd. Faint ohonom ni sy'n ymwybodol bod data biometrig yn cael ei gasglu o blant mewn ysgolion gyda'u holion bysedd yn cael eu cyfnewid am brydau ysgol am ddim, neu'r apiau ystafell ddosbarth sy'n casglu nid yn unig ddata academaidd, ond hefyd data ymddygiadol ynghylch ein plant ni? Ac mae llawer o sôn yn y byd technoleg nawr am fanteision ac anfanteision microsglodynnu ein plant. Ond mae rhywfaint o newyddion cadarnhaol, a hynny yw bod Pwyllgor y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar Hawliau'r Plentyn, ar 2 Mawrth, wedi mabwysiadu sylw cyffredinol Rhif 25 ar hawliau'r plant o ran yr amgylchedd digidol. Mae ei fabwysiadu'n egluro am y tro cyntaf bod hawliau plant yn berthnasol yn y byd digidol. Bu ymgynghori â saith cant a naw o blant a phobl ifanc rhwng naw a 22 oed mewn 26 gwlad a chwe chyfandir. Maen nhw eisiau cael byd digidol mwy preifat, a thryloyw, sy'n eu hamddiffyn, un sy'n briodol i'w hoedran ac sy'n galluogi eu diddordebau, eu perthnasoedd a'u cyfleoedd. Ac er nad yw sylwadau cyffredinol yn rhwymol ac nid ydyn nhw'n rhan o Gonfensiwn y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar Hawliau'r Plentyn ei hun, byddwn i'n gofyn i Lywodraeth Cymru wneud popeth o fewn ei gallu i ymgorffori hawliau digidol plant yng nghynllun hawliau plant 2021. A hefyd hoffwn ddweud - hoffwn i fynegi fy nghefnogaeth i argymhelliad 15 yn adroddiad 'Hawliau Plant yng Nghymru' gan Bwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg y pumed Senedd, dan gadeiryddiaeth Lynne Neagle, a argymhellodd fod yn rhaid i awdurdodau lleol hefyd wneud yr asesiadau risg plant, yn enwedig pan fydd toriadau'n cael eu gwneud i wasanaethau fel teithio am ddim ar fysiau ysgol. Ac yn olaf, a gaf i ofyn i Lywodraeth Cymru ystyried gofyn i bobl ifanc, o bosibl ein Haelodau o Senedd Ieuenctid Cymru, ynghylch eu barn ar hawliau digidol a hyrwyddo llythrennedd data, oherwydd beth yw cydsyniad os nad yw ein plant yn deall yr hyn y maen nhw'n ymrwymo iddo, ac os nad ydym ni fel oedolion a gwleidyddion yn deall chwaith? Mae'r plant eisiau ac angen bod ar-lein, ond mae angen iddyn nhw allu gwneud hynny'n ddiogel. Rhaid i bawb dan sylw ddyblu eu hymrwymiad i sicrhau bod eu hawliau, gan gynnwys eu hawliau i ddiogelwch a phreifatrwydd, yn cael eu cynnal.