Forum on the Child's Right to Be Heard, Day 2: Children finalise key messages to present to the Committee on the Rights of the Child

Children and young people spent Day 2 of the preparatory forum for the Day of General Discussion finalising the recommendations they will present to the Committee on the Rights of the Child tomorrow. The recommendations centred around two themes:

• the child's right to be heard in administrative and judicial proceedings
• children as active participants in society

Children’s right to be heard in administrative and judicial proceedings

• To have a child member on the Committee.  Decisions need to be made about how this would work in practice, but discussions must be opened.
• Have a child-friendly justice system to make it more accessible to young people and so that police and others involved in the justice system cannot abuse the situation children are in.
• Children should be respected for being children and having opinions, they should not have to adapt for adults.

 Children as active participants in society

• Children and young people should be involved in the Committee process at local, regional and national levels. This should be in legislation. Studies should be conducted about this. Children should know about this. 
• Education is the key to participation: children need more information about children’s rights. This information should respect children’s social and cultural backgrounds. Access to children’s groups and forums which respect their cultural, social and historical situations should be improved.
• Governments should be held to account if they do not uphold the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CDN).
• The CRC should be looked at again by young people.
• Every country should have a Ministry for Children with a budget. Young people should also be involved in monitoring and reporting on the CRC as well as NGOs.
• All these recommendations must be underpinned by the necessity for participation to be meaningful, not tokenistic.