Welcome to the United Nations
Addressee: UNICEF
Full Text
The Permanent Forum welcomes the recognition by UNICEF of the valuable contributions indigenous children and youth can make in their local communities to ensure the sustainability of climate change adaptation and mitigation plans. The Forum urges the Fund to continue to raise awareness of the impact of climate change on indigenous children and youth, and requests that it ensure the effective participation of indigenous children and youth in the discussions on and solutions to environmental issues in accordance with article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Responses
UNICEF reports (2011): UNICEF is increasingly concerned about the impact of climate change on indigenous children. It is vital to address children in the context of the environment and climate, both in terms of the impact of the environment on indigenous children’s survival, growth and development and in terms of the important roles indigenous children can play as agents for change. At country-level, UNICEF highlights the importance of child and youth participation in climate change, vulnerability assessments for children with respect to climate change, the incorporation of environment and climate change into education curricula, the provision of safe water and sanitation to children, and the development of substantive Disaster Risk Reduction policies and procedures to protect children from potential increases in natural disasters. UNICEF’s climate change and environment work in Latin American countries has engaged indigenous children in global policy events, education and communication campaigns. In particular, the Adolescent Citizenship Programme in Brazil empowers indigenous youth and women to participate in policy-formulation in their territories, through which they promote environmental preservation and reforestation. In Paraguay, indigenous children and teachers participated in the development of Chaco Rapére, an educational tool endorsed by the Ministry of Education, which teaches children about risk prevention. Lastly, UNICEF supported the participation of indigenous children in policy, education and advocacy at both the UN Climate Change Conference in 2009, COP15, and 2010, COP16. E/C.19/2911/7
Final Report of UNPFII Session 7 (2008)
Area of Work
