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ENOC calls for adequate policies to fulfil children's right to a healthy environment

The Deputy for the Defence of Children's and Adolescents' Rights, Maria Jesús Larios; an advisor of her area, Eva Querol, and a representative of the Youth Advisory Council of the Catalan Ombudsman, Iriza Noor, travelled this week to Reykjavik (Iceland) to participate in the 26th Annual Meeting of the European Network of Ombudspersons for Children (ENOC), which on this occasion dealt with the issue of climate justice.

During the year, all participants have been working intensively on the topic of climate justice in order to contribute valuable knowledge. The recommendations they presented have been reflected in the ENOC 2022 Declaration, adopted by the General Assembly, which calls on institutions at European, national and regional levels to strive to realize the rights of children and young people to a healthy environment and to take the necessary measures to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis in the future.

In particular, ENOC urges national, regional and European authorities to adopt the following recommendations:

• The design of environmental policies must take into account the impact on future generations.
• It is necessary to guarantee a comprehensive and compulsory education in human rights, including the environment, at all educational stages.
• It is necessary to ensure that all children can seek, receive and disseminate reliable information on the environment and climate change.
• It is necessary to require that all consultations on environmental policies include the perspective of children.
• It is necessary to ensure that all children and young people who participate in the defence of the environment can enjoy their right to freedom of association and assembly.

In previous years, annual meetings have addressed the impact of the pandemic on children, and the rights of children in digital environments.

ENOC was founded in 1997 and currently has 43 members from 34 States.

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