A new publication by UN-HABITAT

          

A new policy paper was recently released and published by UN-HABITAT which focuses on youth and children and their participation in decision-making, especially at the local level.  Children and youth constitute more than 50% of the world’s population, and over 60% in many developing countries. Often living in increasingly over-crowded and dangerous environments, without access to basic human rights, they are largely excluded from the decision-making that affects their present lives and their futures.

 

This paper is designed to stimulate dialogue and action on the inclusion of children and young people in governance, and outlines not only the urgency of the need to give them a voice, but some of the ways in which this is being accomplished around the world, from junior councils and youth parliaments, to the active participation of young people in researching, designing and implementing projects in partnership with municipalities and their communities.

 

The nine policy issues outlined in the paper include:

 

Juma Assiago of HABITAT’s Safer Cities Programme, among many others, masterminded the support for the project, and Margaret Shaw of ICPC was the main consultant.

 

Youth, Children and Urban Governance. Policy Dialogue Series No. 2 (November 2004) forms part of UN HABITAT’s Global Campaign on Urban Governance.  It can be accessed on their web-site www.unhabitat.org or ICPC’s web-site.