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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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® 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

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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

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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.