> Watch a video report from the event

Six young people from different regions interacted with an overflowing room of diplomats, practitioners and academics and presented their views and experiences of child participation as part of a panel moderated by Ishmael Beah, a former child soldier who is now an author and UNICEF Advocate for Children Affected by War. Getting adults to listen is their biggest challenge, the panellists said, but these well-spoken activists both inspired and educated their audience – and left everyone thinking about new ways to involve children in matters that affect them.

> To read quotes from the panel, click on the links to the right

Swedish Ambassador Mr. Anders Lidén noted that the event was particularly timely given that child participation is the theme of this year’s General Assembly resolution on the Rights of the Child (the so-called omnibus resolution), which is being introduced by the European Union and the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States with Sweden and Uruguay as co-facilitators.

"As one of the nine initiators of the omnibus resolution fourteen years ago, Sweden is particularly pleased to be introducing the resolution this year together with Uruguay, which was also part of this group", Mr Lidén said.

> Read the full statement

The ambassador of Uruguay, Mr. José Luis Cancela also noted the vital importance of the young panellists’ contribution to ongoing negotiations on the omnibus resolution. "It is only by listening to you the young people’s experiences of participation that we the member states can truly appreciate what this important right really means in practice", Mr Cancela said.

As well as showing that child participation is equally relevant in all regions of the world, the panel demonstrated that it is also relevant in all contexts, including difficult ones such as situations of armed conflict and of violence against children. “In order to combat crime and abuses against children, it is vital that children themselves are able to speak out and contribute to solutions”, Mr Lidén said.

This point was reinforced by the event’s guests of honour, Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for Children and Armed Conflict and Marta Santos Pais, SRSG on Violence against Children. Ms. Coomaraswamy highlighted the contribution children could make to peace agreements and rebuilding their societies, but also highlighted the need to be wary of situations where children are forced to participate in political action by interested political groups pursuing their own agenda. 

Ms. Santos Pais stressed the importance of continuing the broad participatory approach that led to the development of the UN Study on Violence against Children, on which her mandate is grounded. The study was a groundbreaking process in that it involved a continuous and substantive participation by young people. It was also the first official UN document to have been accompanied by a child-friendly version that has been used both by member states for educational purposes and as an advocacy tool by young people themselves. 

> See pictures from the event by clicking on the related files on the right hand side of the page