Children's Charter for Disaster Risk Reduction

Today is International Day for Disaster Reduction.  The objective of the observance is to raise awareness of how people are taking action to reduce their risk to disasters.

When a building collapses after an earthquake, we think of it as a disaster and something we can't control. We can't stop an earthquake from happening, but could we have prevented the building from collapsing? Could the building have been built so that it wouldn't have collapsed? Have there been earthquakes here before? If so, should we have built here in the first place?

This year's theme is “Making Children and Young People Partners for Disaster Risk Reduction”.

Children are not responsible for climate change. But they may ultimately be the ones suffering the most and in risk of not surviving.Ulla Tørnæs, Minister for Development Cooperation, Government of Denmark


The Children in a Changing Climate Coalition including Plan International, Save the Children International, UNICEF and World Vision are pleased to share with you a copy of the Children's Charter for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).

The Charter has been developed through consultations with more than 600 children in 21 countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America and identifies children's priorities for Disaster Risk Reduction. This is a Charter for children by children. It is an important reflection of what children themselves are talking about and how their priorities should shape the views of decision-makers at the highest level.

The five points identified by the children include:

1) Schools must be safe and education must not be interrupted
“I felt unhappy when I saw the school destroyed by the storm. I did not go to school because the school was destroyed. It happened at night and in the morning my friend and I went to school and found it had been destroyed,” laments a child from the Lao People’s Democratic Republic who was interviewed for the Charter.

2) Child protection must be a priority before, during and after a disaster
“We do not feel protected by anyone in our community.” child from Mozambique. 

3) Children have the right to participate and to access the information they need
 “I am part of the Emergency Committee that has been created in the community. Our goal is to reduce the disaster risk by implementing the principles of the Community Emergency Plan."  child from Dominican Republic


4) Community infrastructure must be safe, and relief and reconstruction must help reduce future risk
“Build bridges because every year children miss school in the rainy season when they have to cross gullies, rivers and water channels huge enough to drown them." child from Lesotho.
 
5) Disaster Risk Reduction must reach the most vulnerable people
"In my area, there were three children about 4-5 years old.  Once they went on the river dyke to avoid the flood water which could make them wet on the street, but they slipped and fell in the river and were drowned because they could not swim."  child from Philippines

To show your support in making this important Children's Charter a reality, you can sign up to the Charter on the Children in a Changing Climate website. 

Children's Charter for Disaster Risk Reduction

By signing up to the pledge, you can show your support to make this important Children’s Charter a reality to improve the situation for children around the world. Children in a Changing Climate