“Children understand their World“

Our Rights, Our Voices was written by Save the Children and UNICEF’s youth ambassadors, and reflects the voices of 1198 children and young people who share their thinking about issues that matter to them.

The outcome is an insightful report into what New Zealand’s children and young people see as important to them – relationships, experiences, access to and security of basic needs, education and health – and what issues are of concern – child poverty, educational support, access to health care, ending bullying, and al violence, the need for tolerance and acceptance across all diversity. All of the issues raised in the report are rights-based issues.

UNICEF NZ and Save the Children NZ commissioned the project to enable the participation of children/young people in the 5th periodic review of New Zealand’s progress to implement the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the child. The report was submitted to the UN Committee in Geneva, allowing them to consider children’s views as part of their examination of New Zealand.

The report makes a series of recommendations to government including one that calls for more to be done to ensure children and young people know about their rights under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Read more about the report here.