This session will draw inspiration from the experiences of girls, boys, and CSO representatives from Albania and from countries involved in the Sida funded Save the Children’s Civil Society Programme, encouraging discussions and exchanges of good practices, challenges, tips and tricks about engaging with UN human rights mechanisms on environmental issues. It will also be the occasion to launch a case study from Albania on how children have prepared and submitted an alternative report on environment to the UNCRC.

The environmental and climate crisis is a children’s rights crisis and children have a human right to be heard in decision-making processes that affect their lives, families, and communities. However, despite their crucial role as stakeholders, children and young people are often underrepresented in discussions about environmental degradation, disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. Furthermore, while civil society and children have increasingly been integrating child rights and the environment considerations in their complementary reports and stakeholders’ submissions to UN human rights monitoring processes, this is not done consistently. UNCRC General Comment 26 on Child Rights and the Environment with special focus on Climate Change is an important authoritative guidance launched in 2023, that can support us responding to children’s call to action and accountability in light of the environmental and climate crisis.

This webinar aims to encourage civil society organisations, including children, to incorporate environmental issues including climate change, into their reports to the UNCRC and submissions to the UPR process.

Find two complementary case studies here:

How to Support Child-Led Reporting to the United Nations on Climate Change and the Environment

L’intégration des aspects environnement et changement climatique dans le suivi de la mise en œuvre de la charte africaine des droits et du bien-être de l’enfant

Leadership des enfants dans l’élaboration du rapport complémentaire sur la mise en œuvre de la CADBE, cas de la Côte d’Ivoire