Wilmot from Sierra Leone speaks out about the impact of war on children, at a United Nations Security Council Meeting on Children and Armed Conflict. The Security Council promised to increase its efforts to protect children affected by armed conflict.
UNICEF/HQ02-0105/Susan Markisz
Children and young people should be 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 over 3 billion young people 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 spelled 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 and AIDS, for example. They can help break cycles of violence and discrimination.
Does UNICEF care what children think?
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. The UK Youth Parliament was launched at the House of Commons in July 1999. Over 400 elected MYPs, aged between 11 and 18, meet every year to discuss the issues that affect them.
How UNICEF helps
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, Tagd helps young people to speak out about development issues. The UK Youth Team together with other UNICEF National Committees organizes the UNICEF Junior 8 Summit each year. This brings together young people from the UK, from other G8 countries and from non-G8 countries, to discuss how to change our world for the better. They then write a declaration to world leaders to ensure they take into account young people’s views when making their decisions. Young people also shared their experiences at the launch of the Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS campaign, and will be going to Copenhagen in December 2009 to attend the UN Climate Change Conference.
UNICEF UK also works with schools to help them get children and young people involved in making decisions about their education. The Education Team works closely with Rights Respecting Schools, to ensure that children have a voice in the school environment.
Further issues