1
GlobalInitiativeonAdvancingChildren’sRighttoaHealthy
Environment
OutcomeReportfortheRegionalExpertConsultationforEastAsiaandthePacific
Bogor,Indonesia:22-23October2019
TableofContentsBackground ....................................................................................................................... 2
1. Introduction to environmental rights and children’s key environmental concerns ....... 4
2. Challenges and opportunities for strengthening children’s environmental rights in East Asia and the Pacific ............................................................................................................ 7
Principal threats and concerns within the region in relation to children’s right to a healthy and sustainable environment ............................................................................................................. 7
Opportunities and actions required for the promotion of children’s rights related to the environment ............................................................................................................................. 11
2
3. Approaches and strategies for strengthening children’s environmental rights in East Asia and the Pacific .......................................................................................................... 13
Approaches by various stakeholders ......................................................................................... 14 Civil society at the local level ...................................................................................................................... 14 Governments ............................................................................................................................................... 14 The private sector ....................................................................................................................................... 15
Stakeholders – Key allies or champions, opponents, promising partnerships ............................. 15
Relevant messages and arguments ............................................................................................ 16
Relevant fora, venues and processes to promote children’s environmental rights ..................... 16
4. Recommendations/Action Planning ......................................................................... 17
1. Stakeholder groups and action plan .................................................................................. 17
2. Recommendations from children and youth ...................................................................... 19
3. Summary of Key messages for a Global Declaration/Resolution (Online Poll inputs) ......... 20
5. Follow Up, Materials and Photos .............................................................................. 21
BackgroundThe Global Initiative on Advancing Children’s Right to a Healthy Environment was
launchedinearly2019.TheInitiativeaimstobuildonpositiveprogressmadeinconnect-
ingthefieldsofchildrightsandenvironmentalissuestodate,recognisingthattheCon-
ventionontheRightsoftheChildisconsistentlyoverlookedinsettingandimplementing
environment-relatedpoliciesandstandards.Thisisachievedviaaseriesofregionalcon-
sultationsthatseektoempowerchildrenandyouthinrelationtotheirrights,andtopro-
videaunique forumforknowledgeexchangeand learningamongadiversesetofkey
stakeholdersonregion-specificchallenges,priorities,andpromising“bestpractice”initi-
atives.Crucially,consultationsseektoexploreavenuesforpromotingtangibleactionat
national,regionalandinternationallevelstopromoterecognitionandimplementationof
children’srighttoahealthyenvironment.
IntheEastAsiaPacificregion,rapideconomicgrowth,urbanization,changinglifestyles,
andclimatechangerepresentimportantfactorsdrivingenvironmentalchallengesthat
underminechildren’srights,includingairandwaterpollution,theuseofchemicalsand
pesticides,unsustainableuseofnaturalresourcesandmining,landdegradation,defor-
estationandlossofbiodiversity,urbanenvironmentalissuesandwastemanagement,
andsignificantclimate-relatedimpacts,includingrisingtemperatures,wildfires,in-
creasinglysevereextremeweathereventsandsea-levelrise.1
1 UN Environment (2019), Global Environmental Outlook for Youth in Asia and the Pacific; UNICEF inputs
3
CountriesintheEastAsiaPacificregionareallsignatoriesofkeyMultilateralEnviron-
mentalAgreements(MEA)withrespecttoclimatechange,protectionoftheozone,des-
ertificationandbiodiversity.2Thevastmajorityhavealsoratifiedenvironmentaltreaties
concerningcontrolofhazardouswastesandcertainpollutants.3Whileveryfewofthese
internationalagreementsincorporatespecificprovisionsonchildren,theirimplementa-
tionisessentialforupholdingchildren’srights.Attheregionallevel,theASEANagree-
menttocontroltransboundaryhazepollutionandtheAgreementonCooperationforthe
SustainableDevelopmentoftheMekongRiverBasinareofparticularrelevance.Neither
agreementmentionschildren.
Inparallel,allcountriesintheregionhaveratifiedtheConventionontheRightsofthe
Child.Inaddition,theASEANHumanRightsDeclaration4specificallyhighlightsthe
rightsofchildren,affirmstherightsconfirmedintheUniversalDeclarationonHuman
Rights,andgoesbeyondthesebyexplicitlyrecognising‘therighttosafedrinkingwater
andsanitation’(Art28.e),‘therighttoasafe,cleanandsustainableenvironment’(Art
28.f),andthe‘righttodevelopment...aimedatpovertyalleviation,thecreationofcondi-
tionsincludingtheprotectionandsustainabilityoftheenvironment…’(Art.36).5The
ASEANIntergovernmentalCommissiononHumanRightshasconvenedseveralwork-
shopsonhumanrights,environmentandclimatechange,andisexploringaregional
strategyforarights-basedapproachtoenvironmentalimpactassessments.In2015,the
ASEANCommissiononthePromotionandProtectionoftheRightsofWomenandChil-
drenadoptedasetofrecommendationsfortacklingthechallengesandsocialimpactof
climatechangeonwomenandchildren.6ThePacificregiondoesnothaveacommon
2UNFCCC/Paris Agreement; Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer; Convention to Combat Desertification in Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa – Annex II, Asia; Convention on Biological Diversity respectively. 3 Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal; Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants4 https://asean.org/asean-human-rights-declaration/. Covers the ten ASEAN countries: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Papua New Guinea is an observer. 5 It should be noted that the Declaration has been criticised by international human rights actors as not fully meeting international human rights standards.6https://acwc.asean.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Doc-5_Social-Impact-of-Climate-Change-Confer-ence-95222.pdf
4
frameworkonhumanrights,althoughthePacificPlancontainsacommitmenttopro-
moteandprotect,interalia,humanrights,genderandyouthintheregion,andalsoad-
dressessustainabledevelopmentasoneoffourkeypillars.7
Recentdevelopmentsofinterestincludethechild-ledcomplainttotheUNCommitteeon
theRightsoftheChildtoprotestlackofgovernmentactionontheclimatecrisis.8The16
childpetitionersaged8-17includechildrenfromtheMarshallIslandsandPalau.
1. Introductiontoenvironmentalrightsandchildren’skeyenvi-ronmentalconcerns
TheExpertConsultationsessionopenedwithaninterventionbyDavidBoyd,UNSpecial
RapporteuronHumanRightsand theEnvironment (UNSR).TheUNSR introduced the
GlobalInitiativeonAdvancingChildren’sRighttoaHealthyEnvironmentandrecalledthe
ExpertConsultationfortheLatinAmericaandCaribbeanregion,whichtookplaceinCo-
lombia inMay2019. Inparticular, theUNSRhighlightedhowhumanactionnegatively
affects theenvironment, forexample throughtheburningof fossil fuelsand industrial
agriculture,contributingtoclimatechange,andimpactssuchassealevelriseandhigher
temperatures.These in turnresult in flooding,droughtandthegrowingclimatecrisis,
impactingnegativelynotonlytheenvironment,butalsoonhumans.
Ontheotherhand,theUNSRemphasisedthatchangeispossible,pointingtopowerful
socialandhumanrights-basedmovementsinthepastthathavecontributedtoamore
justandequalsocietyforallpeople.IntheEastAsiaandPacificregion,countriessuchas
Indonesia, thePhilippines, andFiji have
made inspiring progress concerning the
right to healthy environment, including
by signing environmental conventions,
and recognizing the right through poli-
ciesandlegislation.Linkinghumanrights
and the environment not only helps to
clarifythelevelandshapeoftheresponse
measuresrequiredtoprotectchildren’srightsfromharmduetoenvironmentalharm,but
7shorturl.at/bcqD78https://www.hausfeld.com/news-press/16-young-people-file-un-human-rights-complaint-on-climate-change?lang_id=3
5
alsoempowerschildrentotakeactionandtobepartofthesolutioninsolvingthesechal-
lenges,andtoparticipatemeaningfully indecision-makingthat is fundamentaltotheir
healthandwellbeing.
Environmentalconcernsidentifiedbychildandyouthparticipants
ChildandyouthparticipantsfromThai-
land,SamoaandIndiaprovidedinsights
into their environmental priorities and
activism in the region. A youth repre-
sentative from Thailand identified key
threats within the region arising from
majorprojectssuchasdamsandmining,
air pollution and poor waste manage-
ment. In particular,mega projects have resulted in the displacement of communities,
throughwhichchildrenloseaccesstoeducationandschoolingandfamiliesexperience
povertyduetolossoflivelihoods.Decisionsnegativelyaffecttheenvironment,whilechil-
dren’sperspectivesarenotincluded.Similarobservationsweresharedbyayouthrepre-
sentativefromSamoa.ThePacificIslandsareattheforefrontofclimatechangerelated
threatswhichimpactnegativelyonthepresentandfuturelivingconditionsofthepopu-
lation.Samoans facedisaster, cyclonesanddroughts.Theparticipantcalled forurgent
governmentalactionandmoresustainablepractices.
AyouthrepresentativefromIndiadrewattentiontothedemographicaspectsofenviron-
mental issues. In most countries in Asia,
childrenmakeupalargeproportionofthe
populationandareparticularlyaffectedby
environmental challenges. He identified
the reductionof rubbishandwasteman-
agementsystemsasparticularchallenges,
aswellasprojectsthatchildrenandyouth
themselvesareinitiatingtoreduceplastic
usebyengagingwiththeteaproductionin-
dustrytosensitiseshopkeepers,customersanddonorsontheharmfulnatureofplastic.
6
AnotherexampleofyouthengagementintheregionwasgivenbyaparticipantfromCam-
bodia.There,childrenandyoutharefocusingoneducationalaspectsandawareness-rais-
ingonclimatechangeissuesinschools.Theyouthparticipantalsoreferredtoriskslinked
tolargeinfrastructureprojects,notingthatenvironmentalactivistsshouldseektoiden-
tifythemostimportant.economic
industries in their context to in-
creasetheirimpact.
ViewsreceivedfromchildrenintheregionthroughtheonlinepollThe online #MyPlanetMyRights
poll,launchedbytheGlobalInitia-
tiveearlierthisyearprovidesan-
other opportunity for children to
sharetheirmajorconcernsandviewsonenvironmentalrights(seewww.childrenviron-
ment.org for more information). Responses received so far from the region (in Eng-
lishandBahasaIndonesian)arebrieflysummarizedbelowandthroughoutthisreport.#MyPlanetMyRightspollQuestion:Whatdoyouthinkisthemostimportantactiontoem-powerchildrenandyoungpeopletoovercomeenvironmentalproblems?
18%
29%
17%
34%
2%
Whatmeasuresdoyoubelievearethemostimportantforempoweringchildrenandyoungpeopletoaddress
environmentalissues?
Opportunitiesandsupporttocreateandapply‘green’solutions/technology
Environmentaleducationforall
Ensuringthatdecision-makerstaketheviewsofchildrenandyoungpeopleonenvironmentalissuesintoaccount
Includingchildrenandyoungpeopleintakingactionontheground
Protests/activism
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2. Challengesandopportunitiesforstrengtheningchildren’senvi-ronmentalrightsinEastAsiaandthePacific
SowmyaKadandale,UNICEF,openedthesessionwithanoverviewofissuesconcerning
childrightsandenvironmentalissuesintheregionbasedonrecentresearchbyUNICEF.9
Inparticular,pollutionandotherenvironmentalthreatshaveseriousimpactsonchildren
intermsoftheirphysicalandmentaldevelopmentandmentalhealth.Forexample,in-
creasedfloodingandstormsleadtoincreasedbreedingofmosquitoswhichtransmitdis-
easessuchasmalaria.Themortalityofchildrenundertheageof5islinkedinmanycases
toairpollution.Environmentalthreatsalsointerferewithotherrightsofchildren:over
thepastfifteenyears,nearly50,000schoolsweredestroyedorotherwisenegativelyaf-
fectedduetonaturalhazardsinIndonesiaalone.Atthesame,UNICEFresearchin5coun-
triesintheregion(VietNam,Mongolia,Indonesia,CambodiaandFiji)hasfoundthatthe
numberoflawsrelatingtochildrightsandtheenvironmenthasrisento150.Whatisstill
missingistheeffectiveimplementationandenforcementofsuchlawsandmeasuresto
raise awareness among decision-makers. UNICEF provided a set of recommendations
(seepresentation),includingtheneedtointegratechildren’srightsinexistingenviron-
mental impact assessments, collaboration between neighbouring countries to prevent
transboundaryharm,and.requiringbusinessestocomplywithhumanrightsprinciples.
Principalthreatsandconcernswithintheregioninrelationtochildren’srighttoahealthyandsustainableenvironment#MyPlanetMyRightspollQuestion:Whichenvironmentalproblemsconcernyouthemost?
9Allconsultationpresentationscanbefoundonthewebsite:www.childrenvironment.org/reports
8
Thefollowingkeychallengeswereidentifiedduringtheconsultation:
Environmentalthreatslinkedtoprivatesectoractivities
® Manycasesofenvironmentalthreatsandchildrightsviolationsrelatetoextrac-
tiveindustriesandinfrastructuredevelopment–e.g.mining,megaprojects
(dams).
44%
22%
4%
27%
3%
Whichenvironmentalproblemsconcernyouthemost?
ClimateChange Airpollution ToxicWaste PlasticWaste Harmtoanimalsandplants
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® Extractiveindustriessuchastheminingindustryleadtodifferentformsofpollu-
tion
® Plantationscausedeforestationandlandgrabbing
® Tourismalsocontributestopollutioninmanyplaces–forexamplebyproducing
waste
Environmentaldisasters® Cyclones,flooding,sealevelrise,drought
® Forestfires
® Increasinglyaridenvironmentduetoreductionoftreesandwatercatchmentar-
eas
Pollution® Airandwaterpollutionasaresultofextractiveindustries,motorvehicles,factory
waste,forestfires,wasteburningandtoxicchemicals.
® Lackofwasteutilization;rubbishcanblockwaterflowofrivers–causingdiseases
® Insomeareas,theimpactofpollutionisworsethaninotherareas,especiallyin
termsofeffectsonhealth.
Onastructurallevel,participantsmentioned:
Challengesrelatedtolawsandpolicy® Lackof(comprehensive)environmentallawsandregulations,lackofimplemen-
tationofexistinglaws,lackoflawsfocusingonchildren
® Littleaccesstoanddistributionofexistingpoliciesand information, lackof
knowledgeandawareness
® Bureaucraticandadministrativeissues
® Non-compliancewithexistingnormsandregulations
® Theabsenceofproperfundingtoimplementlawsandpolicies
® Lackofplanning
® Lackofenvironmentallawsandregulationsthatactivelytakeintoaccounttopics
relatedtochildren’srights,children’sperspective’sorchildrenthemselves
® Lackofaccesstoinformationandparticipationindecisionmaking
® Lackofahumanrights-basedapproachinenvironmentalanddevelopmentalpol-
icies
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ChallengesinMonitoring® Lackofdataontheeffectsofenvironmentalimpactsonchildren.
® Lackofdataonchildreningeneralrequiredtoadjustpolicies
Socio-politicalandcontextualchallenges® Therelationshipbetweenurbanandruralareas:technicalandinfrastructureis-
sues(lackofinformationsystems)
® Decision-makersareoftenfarremovedfromcommunities’realities
® Poverty, inequality, demographic changes. Children living in poverty
aredisproportionallyexposedtoenvironmentalharmandchildrights
violations
® Birthregistrationandidentitypolitics:childrenfrommarginalizedgroupsarenot
consideredandoftenignored
® Education: lack of opportunities for children to engage in activities outside of
school,gapsincurricula
® Lackofawarenessonenvironmentaltopics,lackofawarenessontherelationship
betweenenvironmentalrightsandchildren’srights
® “Adult-centrist”perspective,suspicionofadultstowardsyouthparticipation
® Becausechildrendonotvote,theyareoftennotconsideredimportantindecisions
andpolitics;
® Lackofplatformsinwhichchildrencanmaketheirvoicesheard
® Lackofownershipamongpeople
Transnationalaspects/Globalization® Environmentalthreatsare“notsolelynatural”,theyareman-made.
® Environmentalissuesconcernquestionsofequality:importanttotakeonaninter-
sectionalperspective.
® Responsibilityoflargerindustrializednations–smallercountriesareexperienc-
ingthemostharmfuleffects
® Transboundarypollution,e.g. forestburning in Indonesiaandeffectsonborder
countries
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Opportunitiesandactionsrequiredforthepromotionofchildren’srightsre-latedtotheenvironment
Makinguseofexistingresources,policiesandgoodpractices
® Developingtheincreasinggeneralinterestofthepopulationinenvironmentalis-
sues
® Drawingonexistingcivilsocietynetworks
® Usingtheknowledgeofindigenouspeoples/traditionalknowledge
® Makinguseofandimprovinggoodpolicyandgovernance
® Takingadvantageofprogresstodemocratictransitioninmanycountries
® Usingexistingpoliciesrelatingtoenvironmentalissuesandchildren’srights
® Policiestoraiseawarenessandincreaseunderstandingofcommunities,including
translationinlocallanguages
® Makinguseofpoliciesandlawstoimpedecorruption,whichoftenleadstoactions
thatharmtheenvironment
® Workingwithlocalgovernmenttoaddresstheclimateemergency
® Promotingstrongerregulationsandrestrictionsrelatingtoenvironmentalthreats
Decision-makingprocessesandlegalcompliance
Intergener-ationalsup-portandin-clusivity
Policypro-cessesandlegalcom-pliance
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® Need for a partnership between society and decision-making bodies; business,
governmentsandcivilsocietyshouldworkhandinhandtomitigateproblemsre-
latedtoenvironmentalissuesandchildren’srights
® Needforfollowuptoexistingglobalregulations,e.g.inrelationtochildren’srights
® Strengtheningachild-centredandhumanrights-basedapproachtoenvironmental
issues
® Developmentalpoliciesmustbeimplementedwithconsiderationforenvironmen-
talsustainability
® Urgencytoinitiateorganicfarming
® Needforcompliancewithexistinglaws,andstrictimplementation
® Needforconstitutional,legalandadministrativeprotectionspecifictochildren’s
rightswithrespecttotheenvironment.
® Children’srightsneedtobeexplicitlyrecognized innationalconstitutions, laws
andregulationsinallcountries
® Lawenforcementforchemicalproducts
Changingmindsets® Strengtheningaccesstoinformationrelatedtoenvironmentalissues
® Needtomakepolicy-anddecision-makersawareofspecificandheightenedharm
causedtochildrenbyenvironmentaldamage
® Increasingawarenessandreachofmanyinitiativesthatpromotethedevelopment
ofsocialentrepreneurshipandeco-businesses
® Increasingawarenessofpeopleandsocietyrelatedtosustainablechoicesandal-
ternatives,andchangingpersonalbehaviours,fromtheindividualtothecollective
Promotingresearchandmonitoring® Thecollectionofdataandmonitoringtoillustratetheneedforindividualandgov-
ernmentalaction
® Amonitoringandsurveillancesystemforchildren’shealthrelatedtotheenviron-
menttoassistwithreportingoutcomes
® Evidence-basedmodelstoprovideinformationontheeconomicimpactsofchil-
dren’senvironmentalhealth
Intergenerationalsupportandinclusivesettings
13
® Needforplatformsandopportunitiestotakeintoaccountvoicesofchildrenand
youngergenerations,providingdifferentopportunitiesforchildren’sparticipation
toactivelytakeplace
® Needforrespectandintergenerationalsupportbetweenadultsandchildren
® Needforpeer-to-peerexchangeplatformsbetweenyouthtoworkandlearnabout
environment-relatedtopics
® Needtosensitizeadultsandyouth
® Alsoneedtosensitizeadultsaboutproperinstrumentstoensurechildren’spartic-
ipation
Thepromotionof(environmental)education® Strengtheningeducationinschoolstowardssustainability
® Raisingawarenessandintroducingeducationontoxicchemicals
® Increasingimplementationofenvironmentaleducationinschool
® Pushingforwardtheuseoflocalproductsandresources,strengtheninganindivid-
ualenvironmental-friendlybehaviour
® Enablinglearningsettings“outofschool”aswell
® Integrationofdisasterriskreductioncurriculainschoolstohelpchildrenprotect
themselvesincaseofdisaster
® Implementinga“ClimateChangeCurriculum”formedical/healthsector(profes-
sionals)
® Needfortechnicalcapacity-buildingforcommunitiesonhowtoadoptasustaina-
blelifestyle
Informationmanagement,publicrelationsandsensitization® Strengtheningtheuseofsocialmediaandamultimediaapproach
® Reinforcingmediacampaigns
® Usingtheinternettoconnectandsensitizepeopleonthetopic
® Sharinginformationandstoriestostrengthenchildprotectioninenvironmen-
talaffairs
® Specialcampaigndaysforchildren’srightsandenvironmentalissuestoraise
awareness
3. Approachesandstrategiesforstrengtheningchildren’senviron-mentalrightsinEastAsiaandthePacific
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ApproachesbyvariousstakeholdersCivilsocietyatthelocallevel
® Publicandsharednaturalspaceswherepeoplelearnandworktogetheraboutthe
environment
® Wastereductioninallareas,abolishingsingleuseplastic
® Promotionofrecycling
® Communityactivitiese.g.clearingspacestoovercomemosquitobreeding,cleaning
uptheforest/ocean/city
® Campaigns
® IncreasingInfluenceonpolicy-makers
® Gardeningprojects,especiallyinurbanareas
® Competitionsforschools
® Plantingtrees
® Providingpositiveexamplesonhowtotakecareoftheenvironment
® Awareness-raising:demonstrationsandotheractivities
® Opportunitiesforchildrentobecomeambassadorsfortheenvironment
® Providingbetterinformationaboutdisastersanddisasterpreparedness
® Usingrenewableenergyandstrengtheningpublictransport
® Eco-mapping
® Usingpavingblocksinconstructiontoincreasedisasterpreparedness
Governments® Increasing regulations for green and open space and regional standards for
wastemanagementsystems
® Takeupgreenauditstopromoteenvironmentalawareness
® Limitingpalmoiltreeplantationandmonoculturesingeneral
® Reinforcingregulationsandlaws,forexamplebysettingupfinesandstricterreg-
ulations:
“Myideaistochargeafeetothepersonwhothrowsrubbish(litters). Ifwecatch
them,theyhavetopaymoney.Oncewehaveenoughmoney,wecantrytodevelop
ourvillagebybuyingnewrubbishbins,renewingourpipes,fixingtheschoolbuilding,
etc.”(childparticipant,Responsefromquestionnaire)
® Roadmaponhowtofullypromoteandimplementchildren’srighttoahealthyen-
vironment
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® Makeuseofarights-basedapproachtopushthescientificevidenceoftheenviron-
mentalhealthimpactsonchildrentowardsaction
® Buildtheargumentontheeconomiceffectsofenvironmentalharmonchildren’s
healthforthecountryeconomy
® Enablingyouthparticipation:
- Expandbestpracticeexamplesofadvisorygroups to take intoaccountchil-
dren’sperspectives
- inintergenerationaleventslikethisconsultation
- Inchildren’sparliaments
- Throughactiveadvocacy:Needforadultalliestoraisetheirvoicesforchildren
- Workinginthefieldandsettingexamplesonhowaparticipativeapproachcan
workinpractice
® Education:
- Introduceteachingonthehazardouseffectsofchemicals,andhowtoprotect
theenvironment,andrecycling
- Ensureteachershavetrainingonenvironmentalissuesandsolutions
Theprivatesector® Somecompaniesarehelpingtoimprovethesituation–e.g.byconsultingemploy-
ees to adopt strategies for a healthier environment. Good
practicesshouldbecollected.
® Companies should replace single use packages with reusable
ones.
® Businessesneedtobeawareoftheirimpactonchildren’srights
Stakeholders–Keyalliesorchampions,opponents,promisingpartnerships
® Governmentpolicy-makersatinternational,regionalandnationallevels
® Humanrightsbodiesandinstitutionsatnational,regionalandinternationallevels,
e.g.NationalHumanRightsInstitutionsandChildren’sOmbudspersons
® Civilsocietygroupstoprovideinformation
® UNEnvironmentProgramme,UNICEF,UNDP,OHCHRandotherkeyUNagencies
workingonenvironmentalandchild/humanrightsissues
® Educationsectorprofessionalsandteachers
® Parentsandfamily
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® Culturalsector
® Researchers
® Youngadultsthatwillhaveaheightenedsenseofsolidarity
® Theprivatesector,recognisingthehugediversityofbusinessesthatexist
RelevantmessagesandargumentstostrengthentherelevanceoftheUNCon-
ventionontheRightsoftheChild(UNCRC)inenvironmentalpoliticsandenvi-
ronmentalissueswithinthehumanrightscommunity
® TheUNCRCandOptionalProtocolonaCommunicationsProcedureshouldbe
accessibleandeasiertounderstand
® UsingexistingreferenceswithintheUNCRCinArticle24andArticle29asan
argumentinstrengtheningtherighttoahealthyenvironment
® RaisingawarenessabouttheUNCRCinotherfieldstoa“generalpublic”
® Encouragechildrentoraisetheirvoices
Relevantfora,venuesandprocessestopromotechildren’senvironmentalrights
® Usingexistingcivilsocietyfora
® IncludingmoreAsianAssociationsofIndigenouspeoples
® Bringing togetherenvironmentalplayers in theprivate sector, e.g.UNEnviron-
ment’sProgrammeforbusiness
® ConsideringprocessesoftheUNortheUNCommitteeontheRightsoftheChildto
recogniseandpromotechildren’srightsandroleasenvironmentalhumanrights
defenders
® Expandingtheuseofsocialmediatoraiseawareness
® AnewregionalframeworkforthePacificIslandsonenvironmentalissues
® EnvironmentalSummitsintheregion
® Atthenationallevel:promotingchildren’sassociations,youthparliaments,scouts
andotherenvironment-relatedgroups,andlinkswithrelevantnationalministries
suchasMinistriesforEducation
® Establishingcomplaintmechanisms
® Establishingregionalchildren’sfora
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4. Recommendations/ActionPlanning
1. Stakeholdergroupsandactionplan
Stakeholdergroup
Actions
NGOs Linkchildren’srightstoenvironmentalissuesinstrategyandactiv-ities
Mainstream environmental issues into child protection activities,particularlyservicestoremedyharmtochildren
Engagewithchildrightsgroupsandenvironmentalgroupsonpol-icydevelopmentinitiatives
Promoteinclusiveprocessestoenhancefocusonchildren’srightsandtheenvironment
Build capacity among children’s rights groups, environmentalgroups,andotherNGOstoworkonchildrightsandenvironmentalissues
Promotecustomarylawinworkingonchildrightsandenvironmen-talissues
Advocacy with corporations & government to bridge the gapsamongNGOs,theprivatesectorandgovernmentauthorities
Hold corporations accountable for violations of children’s rightsanddamageto theenvironment,particularlydamageto theenvi-ronmentthatviolateschildren’srights
Surveys,monitoring,anddocumentationofissuesandactivitiesin-volvingchildrightsandtheenvironment
NetworkingwithotherorganizationsandwithgovernmentCommunityini-tiatives
NetworkingwithotherorganizationsandwithlocalgovernmentStrengthenandbroadenthenarrativeonchildrightsandtheenvi-ronment to engage other organizations and government authori-ties,includingpositivecommunity-ledsolutions
Create an email or other electronic list of all stakeholderpartici-pantsintheconsultationanduseittomaintainthenetwork
Research/Academia
FrametheissuesinvolvedinchildrightsandtheenvironmentDisaggregate data related to child rights and the environment sothatitcanbeusedbyothersEngagechildrenandyouthinresearch
Create links to disseminate research results to NGOs and othergroupsworkingonrelevantissuessothattheyhaveevidence-basedsciencefortheirwork
Carryoutresearchontheeconomiccostsofinactiononchildrightsandenvironment issues, includinghealth impacts, andhelp themmaketheeconomiccaseforpromotingchildren’srighttoahealthyenvironment
“Pracademia”–makeresearchresultsavailableinalanguageandinaformatthatnon-expertscanunderstandandthatcanbeusedinpractice
InitiateresearchonthefeasibilityofanewOptionalProtocoltoad-dressenvironmentalharm
18
LinkregionalorganizationsworkingtoimplementtheConventionontheRightsoftheChildwithregionalorganizationsworkingonclimate,environmentandenergyissues
Children’sCom-missioners
Advocatedirectlywith governments on child rights and environ-mentalissues
EncouragegovernmentstoratifytheOptionalProtocolonaCom-municationsProcedure(OPIC)andalsoexplainotheroptions thegovernmenthastoimplementobligationswithrespecttochildrenandtheenvironment
AsktheCommitteeontheRightsoftheChildtodevelopaGeneralCommentonchildren’srightsandtheenvironment
Disseminate information about the environment (risks and solu-tions)tochildrenandadults
Proposeanagendaitemonchildren’srightsandtheenvironmenttonetworksonbusinessandhumanrights
Disseminate information on how to frame complaints related tochildren’srightsandtheenvironment
Legalactors–lawyers,lawprofessors,law-makers,envi-ronmentallaworganizations,others
Identifyandcompilenationalandsub-nationallawsandregulationsonchildren’srightsandontheenvironmentandanalyseanddocu-menttheopportunitiesandgapsCompleteandpublishUNICEFstudyonnational legal frameworkforchildrightsandtheenvironment.in5countriesintheregionAdviseprivatesectorclientsonchildren’srightsandtheenviron-mentinthecontextoftheiroperationsPromotecustomarylawforchildren’srightsandtheenvironmentConnectpeoplewithacauseofactiontopeoplewhocandosome-thingaboutitDevelop and deliver training for judges on children’s right to ahealthyenvironmentAdvocacywiththejudicialsystemtoencourageclosemonitoringofcases involving childrenandenvironmental issues to ensure thatsuchcasesareresolvedasquicklyaspossible
Bilateraldevel-opmentcooper-ation
Advisedevelopmentministriesaboutchildrightsandtheenviron-mentandtheresultsoftheconsultationEncourageinter-ministerialdiscussionsonchildren’srightsandtheenvironmentMainstreamchildren’srightsinenvironmentalworkandactivitiesEnsure that human rights assessments of activities take environ-mentalimpactsonchildren’srightsintoaccountStrengthenthenarrativewithinthedevelopmentcooperationcom-munitytoincludechildrightsandtheenvironmentandensurethatthenarrativeispositiveMainstreamchildren’srighttoahealthyenvironmentintoplanningprocessesatsub-nationallevel
Internationalgovernmentalorganizations
Includechildren’srightsinenvironmentalandsocialsafeguardsStrengthenthenarrativewithinorganizationstoincludechildren’srightsandtheenvironment
InternationalNGOs
Formallianceswithotherorganizationsworkingonhumanrights,children’srights,andtheenvironment
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Strengthenprocessestobringpeopletogethertoreplicatethispro-cessofconsultationsonchildren’srighttoahealthyenvironmentinotherregionsandindividualcountries
Engagechildrenandyouthinadvocacycampaignsmorecreatively Strengthenchildren’sparticipationinactivities Communicatetothemediawhatyouthorganizationsaredoing Initiatetheconversationonchildren’srightsandtheenvironment
withintheorganization Initiatediscussionsonchildren’srightsandtheenvironmentin
schoolsProfessionalor-ganizations–barassocia-tions,medicalassociations,teachers’associ-ations,others
Initiatepeer-to-peerdiscussionsonchildren’srightsandtheenvi-ronmentInitiatetrainingwithintheorganizationonchildren’srightsandtheenvironment
2. RecommendationsfromchildrenandyouthTopic:aHealthyEnvironment
Recommendations:
1)ForGovernments:integrateenvironmentaleducationinthecurriculum,crosssectoral
collaborationinthegovernmenttowardsahealthyenvironment,capacitybuildingsup-
portfromthegovernment.
2)Fortheprivatesector:needtobemoreawareoftheirimpactontheenvironmentand
children’srights.
3)Forthepublicsector:moreawarenesstotakemeasurestoreducetheiremissions.
4)Supportfromgeneralpublic:platformtobuildyouthmovementtosupporteachother
5)Regionalcollaboration,regionalsocialmediacampaigns
6)Collaborationinlocalyouthnetworks
Topic:EcologicalChildRights
Recommendations:
1)Governmentsshouldprovidefundingforenvironmentalandchildrightsprogrammes
2)Asiangovernmentsshouldknowaboutinjusticeconnectedtotheenvironment,climate
change,andchildren’senvironmentalrights
3)Governmentsshouldorganizemoreexchangepossibilitiesforyouth
20
Topic:YouthInitiatives
Recommendations:
1)Increaseawarenessviasocialmedia
2)Supportpeopletochangetheirlifestylesandpersonalbehaviorsconnectedtoenviron-
mentalissues
3)Collaboration:opportunities forexchange,creatinganactionday foryouth towork
togetheronacampaign,forexampleSunday’sforChange(SFC)
Topic:ChildRights,theEnvironmentandtheBusinessSector
Recommendations:
1)Governmentsmustobserveandrestrictcompaniesinusingnaturalresources
2)Governmentmustregulatetheproductionofdisposableplasticproducts
3)Governmentmustregulatedangerousgoods(pesticide,mercuryproducts)
4)UNshouldurgentlyissueatreatyrelatedtochildrights,theenvironmentandcorpora-
tions
5)Collaborationwitheverycommunityaroundtheworldtomakeapetitionregarding
children’srighttoahealthyenvironmentforthebusinesssector
->useof#MyPlanetMyRights
6)Sixmonthlyreportfromcivilsocietyorganisationsandcommunitysupport
3. SummaryofKeymessagesforaGlobalDeclaration/Resolution#MyPlanetMyRightspollQuestion:Whatactionsdoyouwantworldleaderstotakethat
youwouldliketoincludeinaGlobalDeclarationontheRightsoftheChildandtheEnvi-
ronment?
• Therighttobeheardandtoparticipateinpublicpolicyprocesses:Respect
children’srighttobeheard,provideopportunitiesforchildrentoexpresstheir
voices;
• ADeclarationshouldbeinclusiveandcomprehensive:ADeclarationshould
involveandaddressallstakeholders(children/adolescents,parents,govern-
ments,businesses,andrelevantactors/supportsystemsetc)inovercomingthis
problem
• Strengthenchildprotectioninrelationtoenvironmentalthreats:Provide
strongerregulationtoprotectchildrenfromenvironmentalharm
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• Educationandaccesstoinformation:Provideandstrengtheneducation,and
makethisaccessibletoeveryone;supportfamiliesinofferingtheirchildrenan
education;createandsupportcurriculafocussingontheenvironment;Aware-
ness-raisingonwhytheenvironmentitselfissoimportanttochildren’srights;
increaseclimateawareness
• Generalprovisionofenvironmentalprotection:Prioritizenatureconserva-
tion;strengthenregulationstoprotectnatureandpromotesustainability
• Supportyouth-ledor-focussednetworksandorganizationsfortheenvi-
ronment:Providemoreopportunitiesforchildrentoworktogether,andinter-
generationally,towardsenvironmentalprotectionandhumanrights.
5. FollowUp,MaterialsandPhotosGotowww.childrenvironment.orgtofinddocumentationfromconsultations,materials,resources,videos,photosandmore.