Children have the right to be heard and listened to in all matters affecting them, as described in Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The right to participation should be respected, and not only considered as a privilege for a very small number of children. Children and young people are often underrepresented in decision-making in global events on policy and practice issues that concern them. Even when they are involved, there is inconsistency in the quality of the process, including who has the chance to participate, and whether or how they are heard.

This is why we have come together to develop standards that describe how we should treat children and young people in global events and how we should listen to them. We have developed these standards to promote children’s rights and respect for their views, and to build more fair and inclusive processes so that children and young people like us can be involved and heard.

We are a group of 8 young people aged 12 – 18 years from Bolivia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Wales, Zambia, and Zimbabwe who came together online through regular calls between February 2025 and April 2026. We are students and representatives of children and young people’s initiatives and organisations who want to make a difference in our communities and our world. We are part of a global movement that believes children have rights to share their views and be involved in decisions that affect them at all levels.