This is the moral challenge of our generation. We cannot rob our children of their future.

~ Ban Ki-Moon (December 2007)

Children are central Existing vulnerabilities and climate change

CRC | WFFC Empowered children = protagonists for change Recommendations

Children are central…

 Many of the

main killers of children

such as malaria, diarrhoea and malnutrition are highly sensitive to climatic conditions, threatening survival and health.

 Climate change

destabilizes social and livelihood systems

that support children’s development, leading to worsening in

educational status and gender inequality

.

 Children are primary victims of natural disasters and armed conflict raising

child protection issues.

 Today’s children and future generations hold

rights

to survival, development and protection

Child survival worldwide and climate change

The 60 countries highlighted in red are priority countries for UNICEF

Children are central

Existing vulnerabilities and climate change

CRC | WFFC Empowered children = protagonists for change Recommendations

Existing and Emerging Vulnerabilities

•

Undernutrition

is the underlying cause of at least 3.5 million deaths annually, and more than one-third of deaths in children under five years of age. •

Malaria

percent of which are amongst children under five -- In sub-Saharan Africa alone, more than 2,000 children under five die each day from malaria. • Poor five causes an estimated one million deaths each year

water, sanitation and hygiene

– around 80 contribute to 5.4 billion cases of diarrhea worldwide and 1.6 million deaths, mostly among children under •

Energy poverty,

are living in

urban

associated with cooking and heating with traditional fuels on open fires or stoves, results in indoor air pollution responsible for 1.6 million deaths a year, half of which in children under five.

• In 2008 for the first time in history more than half of the world’ s children areas, with much of the population growth occurring in informal settlements lacking basic services and frequently experiencing destruction from flooding and landslides • The loss of life associated with

natural disasters

is disproportionately high among children and women

“[Climate change is] slowing progress towards the MDGs and deepening inequalities within and across countries. Left unattended, it will lead to… …

human development reversals throughout the 21st Century

.” ~ HDR 2007/2008

Emergency response and reconstruction

The UNICEF response to humanitarian crises is guided by its

Core Commitments for Children in Emergencies (CCC)

whose 1 st principle state that:

“Children in the midst of armed conflict and natural disasters such as drought, floods and earthquakes have the same needs and rights as children in stable countries.”

Key elements of the fulfillment of these rights include:  provision of essential, life-saving and sustaining services  temporary learning spaces and, later, support the reopening of schools and reintegration of students and teachers  Ensure that family-tracing systems are implemented with appropriate care and protection facilities.

 Prevent sexual abuse and exploitation of children and women

Children are central

Existing vulnerabilities and climate change

CRC | WFFC

Empowered children = protagonists for change Recommendations

The Normative Basis: Child Rights Instruments

Convention on the Rights of the Child – 1990

•

Article 24

States parties recognize the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health …in particular, [they] shall take appropriate measures: – To combat disease and undernutrition, through, inter alia, the application of readily available technology and the provision of adequate nutritious foods and clean drinking water, taking into consideration the dangers and risks of environmental pollution; … •

Article 29

States parties agree that the education of the child should be directed to the development of respect for the natural environment.

World Fit for Children - 2002

“We will give every assistance to protect children and minimize the impact of natural disasters and environmental degradation on them”

Principle # 10



Priority: Climate-Proofing Communities

      Determine action via rights-based analysis which includes attention to the control and distribution of natural resources; the socio cultural organization and institutional arrangements Target the poorest and marginalized Focus on low cost, high impact, demand-driven interventions in health, nutrition and water to build resilience Disseminate decentralized technologies with attention to operation and maintenance for poverty alleviation and GHG reduction Build capacities at local and national level for leadership and responsibility (decentralization without local elite capture) Strengthen social protection and conflict resolution mechanisms Promote participatory approaches to community development include forest, water and energy stewardship, environmental education, disaster risk reduction and preparedness

Children are central Existing vulnerabilities and climate change CRC | WFFC

Empowered children = protagonists for change

Recommendations

Empowered young people: protagonists for change

“

Young people are well placed to contribute to the fight even now. They are adept at spreading new habits and technologies. They are adaptable and can quickly make low-carbon lifestyles and career choices a part of their daily lives. Youth should therefore be given a chance to take an active part in the decision-making of local, national and global levels. And they can actively support initiatives that will lead to the passage of far-reaching legislation.

”

~ Ban Ki-Moon

World Youth Day 2008

Participation Rights in Principle and in Action

 The CRC affords children

non negotiable rights to freedom of expression, to form and join associations and to seek and receive appropriate information

all aimed at empowering children – and bringing about changes in their own lives.  This implies

key roles for children with respect to climate change, including, contributing to shaping the policy agenda, devising and implementing solutions, and involvement in monitoring and evaluation.

 children and youth conferences and coalitions are forming to engage in the debate at the international and national and local levels.

A Children’s Climate Forum

is planned for 2009 in Copenhagen in parallel with COP-15.

 At the local level, compelling case studies indicate that children can play a crucial role in supporting

disaster preparedness and recovery activities

, with benefits for their own physical and mental health and that of their surroundings.