26 November 2019
United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children Najat Maalla M’jid sent a video message to the child delegates and participants of the 2019 Asian Children’s Summit held in Bangkok, Thailand.
“Dear children, no one knows better than you the problems children face today. You are the key piece to end violence against children. We cannot end violence against children without children. Without you. You already played a key role in achieving change and in making the world a better and safer place for all; in making your own future. You are human rights defenders, active citizens, and drivers of positive change and we want to listen to your proposals, to support your initiatives, and to empower you, and to protect you.
Dear children and other participants, we have witnessed and applaud the growth over the past decade of children mobilizing people. All around the globe, children are pushing governments to address urgent issues such as the climate crisis, food, water, and much more. And indeed, children should be part of the planning, implementation, and monitoring of policies, programs, activities, at all levels – globally, regionally, nationally, and locally. It is the responsibility of us to empower children to participate and to protect them when they do.
Listening to children’s voices and treating children as active participants with full rights and being accountable to children is the only way to achieve peaceful, just, and inclusive societies. But participation is not just to listen to children who are natural leaders. Participation is and must be for all. That is also what the Sustainable Development Agenda calls for – to leave no one behind. Everyone has the right to express his/herself including the most vulnerable. This means those who live in poverty, those with disability, those who have different beliefs, have different ethnicity or place of origin or because of their perceived sexual orientation.”
Download the full transcript here.
