Children as Advocates: Strengthening Child and Youngs People's Participation in Advocacy Fora

This Handbook on Child and Young People’s Participation in Advocacy Fora has been prepared by the Adolescent Development and Participation unit, Gender, Rights and Civic Engagement Section, Policy and Practice in UNICEF Headquarters, New York with technical advice and support from Ravi Karkara, Child and Adolescent Participation Specialist, ADAP/DPP, Sarah Lea Ansel, former Assistant Project Officer, ADAP/DPP and Elisa Calpona, Consultant, ADAP/DPP. A number of key UNICEF staff and partners from country and regional offices have also provided extensive input to this Handbook. The Handbook was compiled in response to a growing need to consolidate the existing protocols, guidelines and resource documents in strengthening children and young people’s participation in advocacy at various national, regional and global meetings and events that UNICEF has supported over these last years. It aims at providing minimum standards and guidance on how to organize a children and young people’s meeting. Although a multitude of standards and guidelines are available on children and young people’s participation in meetings, it is not always easily accessible or well organized. This Handbook has been developed for organizers of such meetings, UN staff, and others interested in children and young people participation in global advocacy. The Handbook uses documents and guidance material from the UN Special Session on Children New York 2002, the 4th Children’s World Water Forum Mexico 2006, and the Junior 8 Summits between 2005 and 2009. The Handbook incorporates the Minimum Standards on Consulting with Children, the Protocol and Evaluation Report on Children’s Participation at the East-Asia Pacific Regional Consultation for the UN Study on Violence Against Children.