Welcome to the United Nations 
OHCHR 
Report
Call for comments on the draft general comment on children’s rights and the environment with a special focus on climate change
Issued by
CRC
Published
22 August 2023
Report
Issued by Treaty bodies
Subjects
Civil and political rights, Children's rights, Climate change
Symbol Number
CRC/C/GC/26
Versions
Related documents
An animation of the child-friendly version is also available https://youtu.be/88ytWDLmyC8.
Background
The Committee on the Rights of the Child is currently drafting a general comment on children’s rights and the environment with a special focus on climate change.
In October 2021, the Committee invited all interested parties to comment on the concept note of the general comment. Check the states’ submissions on the concept note, the findings of consultations with 7,416 children from 103 countries, and an analysis of feedback from the general public and from thematic workshops.
The Committee now invites all interested stakeholders to comment on its draft general comment. After due consideration of inputs provided, the Committee will decide on the contents of the final version of the general comment.
Current version of the draft general comment: English | Français | Español
More information on consultations with the global community, including children and young people
Inputs Received
Inputs Received
Inputs received on the first draft (2023)
In November 2022, the Committee invited all interested parties to comment on its draft general comment, and received the following submissions from States, regional organizations, United Nations agencies, national human rights institutions and Children’s Commissioners, children’s and adolescent groups, civil society organizations, academia, the private sector, and other entities and individuals. Check the findings of the consultations with 8,915 children from 76 countries on the draft general comment and the list of organizations who supported children’s participation in the consultations .
States
- Austria
- Canada
- China
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Denmark
- Finland
- France (1 | 2)
- Germany
- Holy See
- Israel
- Lithuania
- Mexico (1 | 2)
- Oman
- Poland
- Qatar
- Switzerland
Regional organisations and United Nations agencies and mechanisms
- Council of Europe, Children’s Rights Division
- David R. Boyd, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Environment
- International Labour Organization
- International Organization for Migration
- International Telecommunications Union
- Marcos A. Orellana, UN Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights
- Michel Forst, Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders under the Aarhus Convention, and the Aarhus Convention secretariat
- Najat Maalla, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Violence Against Children
- UNICEF NYHQ
- UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office
- UNICEF Sweden
- Virginia Gamba, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict
National human rights institutions and Children’s Commissioners
- Children and Young People’s Commissioner for Scotland
- Equality and Human Rights Commission of Great Britain
- Hungarian Commissioner for Fundamental Rights
- Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People
- Norwegian National Human Rights Institution
- Ombudsman for Children in Finland
- Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria
Children’s and youth groups and reports of consultations with children and young people
- Article 12 Ambassadors for the Web Rangers
- Colombian Institute of Family Welfare
- Fundación Casa de la Infancia
- Good Neighbors Korea
- Inga Huld Ármann, the Icelandic UN Youth Delegate on Children and Youth, and Finnur Ricart Andrason, the Icelandic UN Youth Delegate on Climate Change
- KidsRights
- Life Skills Development Foundation: Report of consultation with children and young people in Chiang Mai, Thailand
- National Children’s Assembly in the Republic of Korea
- National Inclusive Children's Parliament in India
- Parents of Children with Disabilities in Malawi: Report of children’s consultation in Malawi
- Voices of Future Generations Children’s Rights Initiative
- Youth Activists of the North London Collegiate School Jeju in the Republic of Korea
- Youth in Albania
Other stakeholders
- Adrian Cerezo (University of Maine) and the Early Childhood Development Action Network
- Advocacy Working Group of the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action
- Agnes Lux (Centre for Social Sciences, Hungary) and Brian Gran (Case Western University, USA)
- Alana Institute, Child Rights Connect, Child Rights International Network, CRC Asia, DKA Austria, Global Action Plan, Franciscans International, Make Mothers Matter, One Ocean Hub, Plan International, Save the Children International, World Vision International
- Alana Institute, Live Trees Institute, International Center for Studies and Research on Childhood, Institute of Childhood, Plan International and United Way Brazil
- Alfio Cerami
- Allard International Justice and Human Rights Clinic
- ALL-YOUTH research project (Tampere University)
- American Psychological Association
- Amnesty International
- Angeliki Papantoniou
- Anima Mundi Law Initiative
- Aoife Nolan (University of Nottingham) 1 | 2
- Asia-Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood
- Asociación Interamericana para la Defensa del Ambiente
- Asociación para la Niñez y su Ambiente (ANIA)
- Association of Reintegration of Crimea
- Australian Conservation Foundation
- Bank Information Centre | FR | SP
- Center for International Environmental Law
- Center for Reproductive Rights
- Central Union for Child Welfare Finland
- Centre for Child Law at the University of Pretoria
- Child and Youth Welfare Association (AGJ) and the National Coalition Germany, Network for the Implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
- Child Justice Network
- Child Rights Coalition Asia
- Child Rights International Network
- Christine Bakker
- CleanEarth4Kids.org
- Climate Finance for Just Transitions Project
- Comisión de Derechos Humanos de la Ciudad de México
- Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, Defence for Children International Sierra leone, It’s a Penalty and Youth Child Support Initiative Nigeria
- La Coordination des ONG pour les droits de l’enfant (Belgique)
- #CovidUnder19
- Declaracion de Buenos Aires | EN | FR
- Defence for Children International
- DKA Austria, Clínica de Direitos Humanos PPGD/PUCPR, Clínica de Direitos Humanos UFMG, ECPAT International and FMSI
- Dutch NGO Coalition for Children’s Rights
- Early Years Climate Action Task Force
- Education Reform Initiative, Mother Child Education Foundation and Mehmet Toran (Istanbul Kültür University)
- Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
- Enact Earth Foundation
- Equal Education Law Centre
- European Link Coalition
- Extinction Rebellion The Netherlands and Fridays for Future The Netherlands
- Federation of Persons with Disabilities in Nigeria
- Freedom to Breathe Campaign
- Fundación Educo
- Gamze Erdem Türkelli (University of Antwerpen, Belgium) and Jonathan Kolieb (RMIT University, Australia)
- GE2P2 Global Foundation
- Generations Together
- Geneva Global Hub for Education in Emergencies
- Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
- Global Network for Human Rights and the Environment
- Global Pact Coalition
- Global Refugee Youth Network
- Habitat International Coalition
- Hashoo Foundation Pakistan
- Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice at Sheffield Hallam University
- Henry Thomas Simarmata (Apintlaw Associated Program for International Law), Zahra Wilson (University of Sydney) and Fathuddin Muchtar (Sekretariat Anak Merdeka Indonesia Foundation)
- Human Rights Watch (1 | 2)
- Indonesian Organisation of Persons with Disabilities
- International Disability Alliance
- International Indian Treaty Council
- Ivana Savić, Jaap Doek (Leiden University) and Ton Liefaard (Leiden University)
- John H. Knox (Wake Forest University School of Law)
- Kirsten Sandberg, Christina Voigt and Gentian Zyberi (University of Oslo, Norway)
- Maat for Peace, Development and Human Rights Association
- Mannerheim League for Child Welfare (Finland)
- Media Monitoring Africa
- Michelle Foster (University of Melbourne), Hélène Lambert (University of Technology Sydney), Jane McAdam (UNSW Sydney) and Anna Talbot (UNSW Sydney)
- Natia Kantaria and Yadira Guzman
- National Coalition Austria
- National Federation of the Deaf Nepal
- Network of Institutions for Future Generations
- One Ocean Hub
- Our Children’s Trust
- Pacific organisations of persons with disabilities, Disability Rights Advocacy Fund and Disability Rights Fund
- Parents for Future Global
- Peace Movement Aotearoa
- Plan International
- Plan International Indonesia
- Plataforma de Infancia
- The Psychological Society of Ireland
- Rhian Thomas-Turner
- Ruth Delbaere (Avaaz), Caroline Hickman (University of Bath), Elizabeth Marks (University of Bath), Susan Clayton (College of Wooster), Natasha Mavronicola (Birmingham Law School), Britt Wray (Stanford University), Panu Pihkala (University of Helsinki)
- Sara De Vido (Università Ca’ Foscari) and Elisa Fornalé (World Trade Institute)
- Save the Children Finland
- Save the Children Geneva Advocacy Office (1 | 2)
- University of Antwerp Law and Development Research Group
- The Vegan Society
- White Ribbon Alliance, European Foundation for the Care of Preterm Infants, International Stillbirth Alliance, and Children’s HeartLink
- World Council of Churches
- World Future Council
- World Vision International
Submissions and consultations on the concept note (2021)
In October 2021, the Committee invited State parties to comment on the concept note of the general comment. The received submissions are available below.
In parallel, consultations with children in diverse contexts across multiple countries, as well as with State parties and experts from relevant fields, were undertaken to ensure that their perspectives are fully reflected in the general comment. Check the findings of consultations with 7,416 children from 103 countries and an analysis of feedback from the general public and from thematic workshops.