UN E-Consultation with Children & Youth on the Sustainable Development Goals

Have you done a lot of work in your troop around the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the last few year? Maybe you have participated in World Thinking Day, did a GAT (Global Action Theme) badge, or completed one of the YUNGA badges (see the resources tab above for more information about these!)?

Are you familiar with the new goals coming out this year, called the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? The United Nations (UN) is going to declare the official, new SDGs in September, and they will determine the direction that international aid will go in. As a result, these goals are very important to everyone around the globe. For example, for the last MDGs, violence against women and girls was not made a priority--and so a lot of funding opportunities by the international community were lost. However, the new goals hope to be more inclusive and address more systemic issues in the global poverty and inequality chain. If you're interested in learning more about the SDGs, check out this great interactive Guardian site: http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/jan/19/sustainable-development-goals-united-nations

These goals may seem very large and 'out-there,' but they affect the lives of people around the globe, especially those of girls and boys. That is why UNICEF and the World We Want are asking that children and young adults to think about the current draft for these goals and think about how they could be more engaging and understandable to YOU! You can check out the draft of the SDGs (known as the "Zero Draft") here, then head to the World We Want website before June 17 and think about the following 5 questions they are asking children to answer to help them to make the SDGs declaration more child-engaging:

1. Do you think the Declaration of the SDGs is important for you or other children and young people around the world? Why or why not?
2. If you could prioritize the 5 most important goals which could help achieve a world you want to live in, what would they be?
3. Does the SDGs Declaration tell you about your rights and inspire you to help human rights be recognized and respected?
4. What would you add or take out of the Declaration to make it better, simple, understandable and child-friendly?
5. What do you think is the best way to raise awareness of these goals among children and young people? 

Troop leaders: This could be a great way to engage your troop in the global community. I suggest reading more about the MDGs & SDGs, finding some activities provided by the GAT, YUNGA, or World Thinking Day badges, and then reading the Zero Draft on your own before the meeting. Then use what you learned to engage your girls on what the SDGs are, why they are important, and what they mean for children around the world. Conclude your meeting by hosting some discussion around the five questions and then help your girls to answer the questions online (or have them write down their answers and they can post it online with their parents after the meeting).

Here is the full release:

IT IS OUT! - Zero Draft of the outcome document for the UN Summit to adopt the Post-2015 Development Agenda has been released publicly.

We invite children and young people

to comment on the Declaration to help make it inspiring to you and your peers!

What if you were the lead writer of it – what would it say?

Read the SDGs Declaration here and participate in the E-consultation during 3-17 June.

We need your views and ideas to make the SDGs Declaration better, understandable, child-friendly and inspiring!

At the United Nations, governments have consulted with people all over the world to come up with a set of 17 goals to achieve over the next 15 years on issues such as improving health, providing children with a good education and fighting the damaging effects of climate change.  If these “sustainable development goals” are a success, you and other children and young people across the world will live in a world that is fairer, safer, more prosperous for all people and where our natural environment is healthy and well-protected.

To introduce the goals, government negotiators have worked on a “Declaration.”  Think of it like an essay that introduces the goals to world and explains why they exist and why they are so important.

A number of  UN Ambassadors they have requested for children and young people to proofread the Declaration and provide inputs, recognizing how important it is for children and young people to understand this declaration and the goals.  Your inputs will be summarized and presented to the governments towards the end of June. The governments have called for your help – let’s together make sure that they know what the most important issues are for children.

Read the SDGs Declaration here and participate in this E-consultation from 3 to 17 June on https://www.worldwewant2015.org/children

Spread the word – to individuals, organizations, children and youth networks - every child and young person should have an opportunity to be part of this consultation!

We look forward to your ideas, views and suggestions!