Our Impact

Every human being is entitled to human rights. Children represent around a third of the global population. Yet their rights are being neglected or violated across the globe. For four decades, we have been advancing the rights, empowerment and protection of children from the local to the global level, with children, our Network members and observers, and partners.

Here are examples of some of the recent impact we have made in advancing child rights around the world.

Impact Stories

Civil society urging the Treaty Bodies & OHCHR to schedule State reviews no later than 2021

5 October, 2020
Together with the other TB-Net members, Amnesty International and ISHR, Child Rights Connect has drafted a civil society letter in EN, FR, SP and RU to show support to the [...]

Members States putting human rights at risk by delaying UN membership payments

29 September, 2020
In the midst of a global human rights crisis, affecting millions of children worldwide, Child Rights Connect calls on government to pay their regular budget assessments in full and to [...]

Joint Statement to the Human Rights Council: Realising Children’s Rights to a Healthy Environment

22 September, 2020
On Monday 21st September, during the Interactive Dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteur on Hazardous Substances for the ongoing 45th session of the Human Rights Council, the Child Rights Connect [...]

States and civil society join forces to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the OPAC and OPSC

22 September, 2020
2020 marked the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the two Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In commemoration of this anniversary, the Permanent Mission [...]

Landmark resolution advances children’s right to a healthy environment

20 October, 2020
The consideration of children’s rights has been historically absent from environmental or climate-related policies, laws, and action, due to weak political will and a general lack of awareness of the [...]

Co-Facilitators report on the UN Treaty Body review process 2020 includes concrete recommendations!

17 September, 2020
After taking informal consultations with States in both New York and Geneva, as well as with the OHCHR, the treaty bodies, and the civil society, the Permanent Missions of Switzerland [...]

2024 by the numbers

2023 by the numbers

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Children’s rights defenders, including children, empowered to report to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child
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New / updated multilingual resources published to help children / adults engage with the United Nations
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Child advisors, aged between 13 and 17-years-old, from all regions of the world, including 8 girls
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Online workshops organised with How To Child Rights on how to engage children to FU to HR mechanisms in Africa
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Attendees at our joint side-event of the Human Rights Council to celebrate the first-ever UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders report on child and youth human rights defenders
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Individual or joint statements, letters or submissions delivered at the UN level

What others say about our impact ...

“Being a Child Advisor has been a source of empowerment for me in various ways. It’s the first time I’ve felt actively involved in making a positive impact on the world.”

Anghelina, 2023-2024 child advisor, Moldova

Without Child Rights Connect’s presence, the global civil society’s advocacy and influence on children’s rights and child rights mainstreaming would be hampered.”

External evaluation 2022

“[Child Rights Connect] have made it possible for me to carry the voice of the children and young people of my country and always respect my position from the point of view of disability.”

Jorge, 2021 child advisor, Bolivia

How we make our change happen

We know from experience that change takes time, can be incremental, and requires collaboration. The below graph shows how we make change happen.

A results-based approach

We work with a results-based approach. This means results are at the centre of what we do, and how we do it. We operate with a Monitoring and Evaluation Plan which outlines what information we track to assess our results, how this information is collected, how frequently and by whom. Every year, we undertake a comprehensive review of our results against our set objectives and identify lessons learned. We document this information in our public annual reports and reports to our donors. Periodically, we engage consultants to conduct an external evaluation of our impact. We use key findings to adapt what we do and how we do it to better and more sustainably advance child rights.

The change we seek to achieve is about shifting perceptions, attitudes, and practices, particularly towards empowering children and civil society, influencing decisions of States, and promoting legal and policy reform. Our methods for assessing impact therefore heavily rely on qualitative data. But we also collect quantitative data to track our reach. We strive to disaggregate the data we collect by age, gender, geography, and other criteria to assess how different categories of children and children’s rights defenders are impacted upon by our work and improve the inclusiveness of our actions.

Interested in helping us advance child rights?

Help us to create a world in which children enjoy their human rights.