Understanding how poverty and inequalities impact on children is the major goal of Young Lives, a unique longitudinal, mixed-methods study. Two cohorts totaling 12,000 children are being tracked since 2001, growing-up in Ethiopia, the state of Andhra Pradesh (AP) India, Peru and Vietnam. Earlier versions of this paper were prepared as Young Lives contribution to a UNICEF/UN Women consultation on the post-2015 Development agenda, (www.worldwewant2015.org/inequalities) and published as Woodhead, Dornan and Murray (2013).

In exploring the implications of information and communication technologies (ICTs), Fitzpatrick has suggested the need for a new category of rights-virtual rights. To explore this claim, we consider how developments in information management and processing differentially impact on citizens. Using examples from the public and private sectors we explore the dangers posed by the emergent surveillance society and agree these may require new rights. But we suggest that the state has by no means been an exemplar and, moreover, that many of the "surveilling" practices employed by commercial organizations might be used by the state to pursue socially just ends. We argue against a criticalist perspective that narrowly focuses on the dangers posed by new ICTs. Indeed, from a realist perspective we argue that a positive cybercriticalism that seeks to tackle exclusion by harnessing and constraining the surveillance qualities of ICTs is a pressing policy priority.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) came into force in January 2016, taking over from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Significant human development progress has occurred in recent decades. Nevertheless, the MDGs have been criticised not least for failing to prioritise inequality and gains for the poorest people. The SDGs create a much more comprehensive agenda and support many key child rights concerns. While SDGs reflect an important global consensus, their delivery depends upon national action.

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