Speak to the World

On 20 November 2010 children and young people from all over England met in London to share their experiences of being involved in European and international decision-making and to talk about why children and young people should be able to influence decisions that affect their lives. They discussed the best ways to influence bodies such as the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Council of Europe and talked about the different methods that these bodies can use to encourage children and young people’s participation in decision-making.

The consultation event was part of a Europe-wide project coordinated by CRAE. Similar events took place in Ireland, Romania, Estonia and Austria.

To support children and young people to participate in these consultation events, CRAE produced a children's guide to international and European decision making. 

The Council of Europe promotes democracy and defends the human rights of people living in 47 different countries in Europe. It was set up in 1949. 150 million children are affected by its work.

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is a group of 18 child rights experts that checks how well governments protect and respect children’s human rights.