23 November 2017
UN Encourages Children to “Take Over”
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
story highlights

Among initiatives that have taken place on the occasion of World Children’s Day, UNICEF launched the campaign #KidsTakeOverSchools, where children are encouraged to ‘take over’ classes and assemblies.

UNICEF released an analysis showing that one in 12 children worldwide live in countries where their prospects are worse than those of their parents.

UNGA President Miroslav Lajcak met with children to discuss their hopes and concerns and how these relate to the work of the UN.

20 November 2017: On the occasion of World Children’s Day, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) launched the campaign #KidsTakeOverSchools, where children are encouraged to “take over” classes and assemblies to raise their voices, help save children’s lives and fight for their rights. UNICEF also released an analysis showing that one in 12 children worldwide live in countries where their prospects are worse than those of their parents. World Children’s Day marks the anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Launched on 20 November 2017, the #KidsTakeOverSchools campaign invites children to, inter alia: put together a story, picture or film clip filled with ideas of how to make the world better for children; design a World Children’s Day emoji; or lead a fundraiser at school, such as a breakfast, bake sale, sponsored no-uniform day, or talent show. The global take-over and other high-level events have taken place in 130 countries and at the UN, according to UNICEF.

Nearly half of the children surveyed said they do not trust their adults and world leaders to make good decisions for children.

UNICEF’s analysis carried out for World Children’s Day finds that 180 million children live in 37 countries where they are more likely to live in extreme poverty, be out of school, or be killed by violent death than children living in those countries were 20 years ago. A separate UNICEF survey of children aged 9-18 years old in 14 countries shows that children are deeply concerned about global issues, including violence, terrorism, conflict, climate change, unfair treatment of refugees and migrants, and poverty. According to the survey’s findings, children in all 14 countries identified terrorism, poor education and poverty as the biggest issues they want world leaders to address. Of the respondents, 67% said violence against children is their biggest concern, 65% said they “worried a lot” about terrorism and poor education; 4 in 10 children said they “worried a lot” about the unfair treatment of refugee and migrant children across the world; and nearly half of the children surveyed (45%) said they do not trust their adults and world leaders to make good decisions for children.

Also on World Children’s Day, UN General Assembly (UNGA) President Miroslav Lajcak met with children to discuss their hopes and concerns and how these relate to the work of the UN. Save the Children, in collaboration with CIVICUS, the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), and the Permanent Missions of Denmark and Ireland organized an event on ‘Protecting Civil Society Space for and with Children: Opportunities and Challenges’ to discuss how the UN can support children’s civic rights and be active agents for change in their countries and communities. The event took place at the UN Headquarters in New York, US. [UNICEF #KidsTakeOverSchools Campaign] [UNICEF Media Advisory] [UN Press Release on UNICEF Initiatives] [UNICEF Press Release on Analysis and Survey] [UNICEF Analysis] [SDG Knowledge Hub Column ‘Generation 2030’]

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