UN Committee on the Rights of the Child voices support for children campaigning on climate change

Date: 29th October 2019
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The Committee welcomed children campaigning on climate change, and stressed they have a legal right “to have their views listened to and taken into account.”

Luis Pedernera, Chair of the Committee, noted that children are already negatively impacted by pollution, droughts, other natural disasters, health risks, and degradation of ecosystems, and that the Committee welcomes the passionate engagement of children in relation to these issues.

The Committee further stressed that the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child gives children the right to freedom of expression. As a result, “any threat or abuse of children for their oral or written expression is unacceptable.  Children must be free to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, and they should be safe when doing so.”

• Read more about the Committee’s statement.
• Read more about children and young people’s landmark climate change complaint to Committee.