This briefing document for practitioners provides findings from our work with children on participative rights. The briefing document places emphasis on the ‘Small and the Ordinary’ moments of participation and includes guidance for practitioners to implement in their settings.
Children’s rights in digital spaces. Summarises consultations in Germany on social media age bans versus digital education, highlighting the need for young people to shape digital environment policies.
Evaluates the system-wide progress of the UN Youth2030 strategy, detailing efforts to ensure meaningful youth engagement is embedded in global decision-making.
From birth, children undergo rapid and far-reaching development. Their physical, cognitive, social, emotional and moral capacities expand as they learn to communicate, form relationships, make choices and assume growing responsibility (see Box 1). Though this process continues across the life course, childhood is universally recognized as a critical stage in the development of those capacities. In law, adults are generally presumed to have full competence to act on their own behalf. Children, by contrast, are generally considered to be reliant on adults to safeguard their interests and to support their involvement in decision-making while their competence is developing.
These examples may give you some ideas on how you could engage with children and young people in decision-making.
There are many practice examples available based on projects, programmes and policies in Scotland, where children and young people have participated in a meaningful way to inform decision-making and improve outcomes for themselves and others.
These examples may give you some ideas on how you could engage with children and young people in decision-making.
This research explores participative approaches for amplifying the voices of justice- involved youth, a marginalised group in criminological research. Using the SPIDER framework, this rapid evidence review examines engagement methods, such as photovoice and lyric writing. The findings show these techniques empower youth and promote self- expression but are constrained by the dominance of risk- focused approaches that prioritise adult- led decision- making. This raises critical questions about the compatibility of participatory methods with justice systems focused on risk management. The study highlights the need for more inclusive approaches that navigate systemic constraints while embedding meaningful youth participation in justice reform.
The ERIC Guidance takes ethics beyond procedural compliance with institutional review boards (IRBs) (where these exist). It provokes critical thinking around ethics, and supports reflexivity in ethical decision-making throughout the research process.
The findings from this consultation process and evidence review have been fundamental in shaping the ethical guidance that follows. This guidance is therefore grounded not only in established core principles but also in the lived experiences and voices of children and young people themselves. It goes beyond simply outlining core ethical principles; instead, it proposes a reflective and ethically nuanced framework for consulting with children and young people, including those whose voices are seldom heard. This guidance aims to support researchers in approaching their work with greater ethical sensitivity, reflexivity, and commitment to genuine, inclusive engagement. This guidance should be read in conjunction with the accompanying evidence review, which provides the detailed research and policy context underpinning these recommendations. Together, these documents offer a robust foundation for advancing ethically sound, inclusive, and rights-based research practice involving children and young people.
Children’s participation in decision-making is seen as a key right and vital for inclusive development, as they make up nearly one-third of Indonesia’s population. While there are laws and initiatives to promote child participation, it mostly remains symbolic and not practiced effectively. A study analyzed 1112 articles from academic sources, with 79 articles selected for in-depth examination. The results show that true participation means viewing children as active citizens rather than just recipients of adult decisions. This approach not only respects children’s rights but also leads to better public policies. Despite the positive potential of child participation, several challenges exist. Many adults doubt children’s ability to contribute meaningfully, creating power imbalances and reducing participation to mere tokens. Participatory platforms often fail to include marginalized children or those with disabilities, and a lack of awareness about rights and opportunities hinders effective engagement. On the other hand, helpful factors include strong legal frameworks, training for children and adults, and inclusive approaches that incorporate children’s views into governance. When carried out properly, child participation empowers children and leads to more effective policies. However, many children are still unaware of their rights and have low participation rates. Addressing these issues is urgent and requires focused efforts to break down barriers, improve engagement skills, and ensure children’s perspectives are integrated throughout the policy-making process. Meaningful child participation is essential for building a fair and inclusive society. Urgent actions are needed to make this a reality.
Youth participation must be the rule, not the exception. Around the world, young people are organizing, innovating, and leading. They are not waiting for permission — they are shaping the future. Institutions must keep up.
The 2023 Policy Brief on Meaningful Youth Engagement called for a decisive shift: from symbolic inclusion to genuine partnership. Member States answered that call through the Pact for the Future.
The Core Principles for Meaningful Youth Participation take the next step — turning commitment into practice and toward shared decision making that reflects young people in all their diversity.
These Core Principles are grounded in human rights and demand action: removing barriers, protecting civic space, and investing in youth leadership.
Let us make meaningful youth participation standard in the inter-governmental processes of the United Nations and everywhere — restoring trust, renewing democracy, and building a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world for all.