UNICEF are very passionate in their campaign for children and young people being able to have a say in decisions which affect the world they live in. Adults need to let children and young people express themselves – and they also need to listen as well. Too often, children and young people feel ignored.
More than half the world’s population is now aged under 25: that is 1.2 billion in all. These young people have the potential to help to create a better world. They also have the right to have a say in all the decisions that affect them, a right spellt out in article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Their voices need to be heard within their families, schools, communities and countries.
All over the world, young people make a massive contribution to society. Many take on important responsibilities as young parents, caregivers, mentors and community activists. Young people can educate other young people about life’s challenges and dangers, about protecting themselves from diseases such as HIV/AIDS, for example. They can help break cycles of violence and discrimination.
Back in 2002, UNICEF carried out one of the largest ever surveys of children. Nearly 40,000 children between the ages of 9 and 18 in 72 countries across East Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean were involved. The results showed that young people didn’t feel connected to their governments. For example, two-thirds of children in Latin America and the Caribbean had little or no trust in their government or related institutions.
Then, in May 2002, the United Nations General Assembly held a Special Session for children, and invited 370 children from all over the world. Secretary-General Kofi Annan invited children to express their views about the state of the world. The then Special Session made an important set of recommendations, called “A World Fit For Children”, adopted by 180 nations.
“So far, adults have called the shots, but now it’s time to build the world with children. Your voices will be heard, I promise,” the Secretary-General said.
Many countries are setting up youth parliaments as a way of giving children official representation and providing a forum for making their views known - such as Funky Dragon.
UNICEF is committed to making sure that young people’s voices are heard. For example, after the bloody, ten-year civil war in Sierra Leone, we helped ensure young people were involved at every stage of the enquiry by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The enquiry made recommendations to help make sure that there are no more wars. Children were among the main victims of the war, but they were also an important part of the road to peace.
In the UK, Youth Voice helps young people to speak out about development issues. This year, we hosted a C8 meeting, where eight children from the world’s poorest countries met Youth Voice Representatives to put together a list of demands for the leaders of the world’s richest countries, the G8. Young people also shared their experiences at the launch of the Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS campaign.
UNICEF UK also works with schools to help them get children and young people involved in making decisions about their education. At the moment, we’re testing out a new Rights Respecting Schools award, where schools can be rewarded for respecting the rights of their pupils.