2007 Annual Consultation

Declaration

For the survival, development, protection and participation of the youngest citizens of the world,
The Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and Development, whose members include international development organizations and partners, academics and children’s advocacy organizations from the regions of Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Central Asia and Eastern Europe, South Asia, the Middle East and North America:

Aiming to ensure the right to survival, development, protection and participation of young children in all countries and regions of the world;

Noting the scientific findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in the Working Reports published in 2007 and the award of the Nobel Peace Prize 2007 in recognition of the considerable contribution of this Panel’s work to world peace;

Desiring to assist children in their early years to adapt to a world changed irreversibly by global warming and to gain the skills and develop the attitudes needed to improve our relationship with the planet;

Having considered the impacts of climate change on children particularly in terms of the increased destructiveness, intensity and duration of natural disasters, water shortage, food insecurity, poor sanitation and health and the consequences of these changes for children and for the achievement of international goals for the acceleration of migration, conflict, social and economic instability in the next 10 – 40 years;

Commit themselves to:

• raising awareness of the importance of acting NOW to address the causes and consequences of climate change;
• advocating to effect the policy, technical, attitudinal and behavioural changes needed to ensure the survival and development of the next generation;
• facilitating children to become, as a generation, active agents for reversing the causes and effects of global warming; and will

Urge governments to implement IMMEDIATELY relevant adaptation, mitigation and reduction measures, in a manner that is consistent with each country’s contribution to the threat of global warming.