Importance and interest made by the Voices of the Childhood, Adolescence and Youth.

Friday, June 6, 2014

"We have listened very carefully to the conclusions and commitments for the next event, but be sure, especially with regard to the issue of children, that we will take into account their requirements and we are working to have an inclusion of children, adolescents and young people in this area, because many times in emergencies and disasters, the tendency is to think of people in matters of numbers, especially children, forgetting they require other type of care. So it's a compromise, at least from Ecuador, to push this to be included in the national agenda ..." Dr. Maria del Pilar Cornejo, Minister of the National Secretariat for Risk Management of Ecuador.

Guayaquil-Ecuador – At the conclusion of the Fourth Session of the Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction of the Americas, there was a special mention for the participation of children, adolescents and young people of the Coalition for the Resilience of the children and youth in Latin America and the Caribbean - CORELAC, through which they gained attention to be considered in a future with greater participation and inclusion in such spaces.

The representative of the Group of Sciences and Academies of the region, Mr. Roberto Reina, was one of the first to include and mention the childhood, adolescence and youth, when he concluded that in order to achieve the objectives, they propose four main lines of action, being one Education and Training, which they commit to promote, with the support of representatives of governments, the incorporation of the focus of risk management in the formation of children, youth and professional human talent.

A very special relevance to the Voices of Childhood, Adolescence and Youth was given by the representative of the Civil Society group, Mr Pedro Ferradas, who mentioned that "The consultation process was something really fundamental, not only in relation to what was made at the level of the different actors and different mechanisms, but also of civil society actor. And of these consultations, I highlight two key products that have somehow influenced the declaration of Guayaquil. One aspect that seems central is related to the voices. Consultations have been made not only in terms of formal actors, such as government institutions ... but also with the people and communities. And at that level, I highlight, congratulate and also support the initiative of consulting Voices with Children..." Mr. Ferradas also mentioned - "I believe that this role of civil society has to be emphasized as it somehow helps to hear or be heard, the voices of people and communities, especially the most vulnerable."

Last but not least, as Margareta Walhström, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction, said, Ruth Custodio, representing the Children, Adolescents and Young, thanked the strategy and the minister of Ecuador for allowing, for the first time, the active participation of Children, Adolescents and Youth (CAY). There were 58 children participating in the thematic table 1, showing that young people are not only able to decide, but also to participate and be involved.

"I want to thank this opportunity to hear the voices of these 58 children, representing more than 18 thousand children in our region. Thanks for the inclusion, for the first time, in many articles and points of the declaration, at the 9, 14, 20, 28, 33 and 35 of the subjects that are a priority for our children and youth. I also want to emphasize that the point 14 is supporting the demands made by the group of children and young people (CAY) in the thematic session 1" Ruth said.

She also mentioned, "And we want to emphasize two of their main demands:

They are asserting their right to active participation and decision making, where they are are informed, heard and can get organized for a more resilient society.

We want to develop plans and projects that promote health, safety and security, aimed at CAY, including persons with disabilities, to reduce vulnerability to social risks such as sexually transmitted diseases, teen pregnancy, drugs, sexual abuse, trafficking, gangs, among others.

We demand that the guarantors of the rights of CAY, ensure the scope of this commitment.

We, as the organizations in the region, that work to ensure compliance, promotion and guarantee of the rights of children, adolescents and youth in the Latin American and the Caribbean countries, commit to:

Contribute to the development and strengthening of programs for disaster risk management, climate change adaptation and environmental sustainability focusing on CAY, as well as the creation of synergies between them.

To encourage the creation and / or strengthening of opportunities for active participation in the decision making processes of disaster risk management and sustainable development.

To highlight the impact of disasters on CAY and influence with governments to develop policies that contribute to the promotion of a culture of resilience and environmental care.

To promote processes of monitoring, evaluation and accountability to demonstrate that the CAY have participated and benefited from the policies and practices of risk management.

To disseminate and promote the Global Initiative comprehensive school safety framework, among the countries of the region.

To strengthen regional and national spaces for discussion, exchange of risk management experiences and best practices, focusing on CAY.

To promote and strengthen the implementation of plans and projects to advocate for health, safety and protection, targeting CAY, including those with disabilities, to reduce vulnerability to social risks.

And finally to promote among humanitarian actors the fact of considering in their preparedness and response actions, the needs of CAY in protection, health, education and nutrition among other sectors, "concluded Ruth Custodio.