Geneva, December 2024 — In a landmark effort to institutionalize meaningful child participation within the UN Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council, a joint initiative was launched by the Child Rights Connect Working Group on Children’s Rights and the Environment and the Working Group on Child Participation in collaboration with the Special Rapporteur on Climate Change (SRCC). The initiative aimed at piloting a sustainable, long-term process to embed children’s voices in the core of the SRCC’s mandate. 

Although there have been past efforts by various Special Procedures to consult with children — notably by the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders — these initiatives have been largely ad hoc. This new process builds on those earlier experiences, while breaking new ground: for the first time, a Special Rapporteur is engaging with children from the outset of their mandate to shape its priorities. 

To support this inclusive approach, in October, Child Rights Connect facilitated consultations between the SRCC and a diverse group of children from around the world, including members of our Children’s Advisory Team. The children shared their views on key climate-related priorities and proposed ways to ensure sustained dialogue with the mandate. Their recommendations, now publicly available here – in English, French and Spanish -, call for stronger recognition of children’s rights, protection from environmental harms, and platforms for participation. 

The SRCC has also shared her reflections on this process, affirming her commitment to keeping children’s voices central to her work. During her country visit to Vanuatu, she met directly with children and youth and highlighted the urgency of protecting their rights in the context of the climate crisis in her preliminary findings. 

This initiative marks a transformative moment in the evolution of the UN Special Procedures system—demonstrating how child participation can move beyond one-off consultations to become a consistent and institutionalized practice across mandates.