11 child advisors are taking part in a 2019 DGD Children’s Advisory Team and will be empowered throughout this year to play a central role in several DGD follow-up activities and 30th anniversary events!

In 2018, Child Rights Connect set up a global Children’s Advisory Team of 21 children who played a pivotal role in the planning and implementation of the Day of General Discussion on protecting and empowering children as human rights defenders. This year Child Rights Connect continues to support this Team as we move into the follow-up of the DGD and take forward many initiatives in the frame of the 30th anniversary of the CRC. This is to ensure that children can remain central to these activities and can continue to benefit from opportunities to participate at the UN level.

4 of the 2018 child advisors have chosen to become ‘child ambassadors’ and with them, we will develop this role and create a global group of children who are exchanging and engaging on child rights initiatives across our network and beyond. Reflecting on their experiences in the 2018 DGD Children’s Advisory Team, they are keen to provide peer-to-peer support and encouragement to the existing child advisors and other children keen to act as human rights defenders.

Our long-term goal is to institutionalise a Children’s Advisory Team to empower children human rights defenders across all of our work and to continue to build on our efforts to support the safe and meaningful participation of children throughout the network and at all levels.

For more details, please do not hesitate to contact Emma at grindulis@childrightsconnect.org.