24 June 2013: In a position paper, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says children should be at the center of the post-2015 development agenda, as they are vital to the success of sustainable development. Titled ‘A Post-2015 World Fit for Children: Sustainable Development Starts and Ends With Safe, Healthy and Well-Educated Children,’ the report calls for investing in children within the post-2015 development agenda.

The May 2013 paper highlights three messages for decision-makers about the centrality of young people in the new agenda: sustainable development starts with safe, healthy and well-educated children; safe and sustainable societies are, in turn, essential for children; and children’s voices, choices and participation are critical for the sustainable future we want. Providing evidence to support these claims, the report presents environmental risks to which children are particularly vulnerable, and outlines economic and social benefits that societies gain from increased investments in their well-being.

UNICEF recommends that children and young people engage as “critical partners” in sustainable development, particularly given their skills for innovation and problem-solving. Stating, “it must be recognized that children and young people can create the momentum for long and lasting social transformation through their choices and actions to live sustainably, or not,” the report ties the possibility of a sustainable future directly to the empowerment of children. [UNICEF Press Release] [Publication: A Post-2015 World Fit for Children: Sustainable Development Starts and Ends With Safe, Healthy and Well-Educated Children]