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!SUMMARY REPORT Children and Youth in the Post-2015 Framework for DRR Process

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Children & Youth in the Post-2015 Framework for DRR

This is a summary of the report on Children and Youth participation during the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR) and its preparatory process. The full report is to be published in UN Major Group for Children and Youth (UN MGCY) website; www.childrenyouth.org. For any questions please contact the UN MGCY Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) External Working Group at drr@childrenyouth.org. !!What is DRR? DRR is the concept and practice of reducing disaster risks through systematic efforts to analyse and reduce the causal factors of disasters. Reducing exposure to hazards, lessening vulnerability of people and property, and improving preparedness and early warning for adverse events are all examples of disaster risk reduction. More information can be found on the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) website; www.unisdr.org.!!What is the 3rd WCDRR? The 3rd WCDRR was held from 14 to 18 March 2015 in Sendai City, Japan. It was the culmination of a two year process of consultations and negotiations between Member States and multilateral processes involving different stakeholders. The WCDRR and the preparatory process was a result of the UN General Assembly (GA) (Resolution A/RES/67/209). The objective was to update the pre-existing Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA), an international strategy for DRR adopted in the UN General Assembly (GA) (Resolution A/RES/60/195) in 2005. The outcome of the WCDRR is the Sendai Framework for Action (SFA), it was endorsed/adopted during the WCDRR and will guide the coming 15 years of action on DRR. The vision of the SFA is to create a resilient society. More information about WCDRR and the SFA can be found on the website of the WCDRR; www.wcdrr.org. !!Children and Youth in WCDRR Process? The modalities resolution of WCDRR gave the UN MGCY an official mandate, and hence recognised Children and Youth as designated stakeholders throughout the process. The participation was coordinated by UN MGCY DRR Working Group. The work was supported and carried out by hundreds of youth, amongst others an international Organising Committee and Japan Secretariat for the WCDRR Children and Youth Forum, as well as a youth-led DRR Policy Team. !!What is the UN MGCY? The UN MGCY is the official space within the UN for Children and Youth to be engaged in inter-governmental and other allied processes. We are mandated by Agenda 21 and UN General Assembly resolutions (such as A/Res/67/290), as well as ad hoc agreements with UN bodies and conferences. The UN MGCY is currently facilitating the participation of Children and Youth in the following processes: Sustainable Development Goals, Financing for Development, High-Level Political Forum, Sustainable Consumption and Production, Disaster Risk Reduction, Small Island Developing States, HABITAT III – Housing and Sustainable Urban Development and the World Humanitarian Summit. The UN MGCY is 100% open, democratic and transparent. Its actions and policy are based upon consensus. More information about the UN MGCY can be found on the website; www.childrenyouth.org.!

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The road to Sendai - Children and Youth are getting Ready

The Road Up to Sendai - Timeline The UN MGCY have with dedication and patience followed the Post-2015 Framework for DRR process during the last years. Despite endless challenges we never gave up. We are important actors in the policy design, implementation, review and monitoring.!!Regional Consultation !UN MGCY hosted capacity building events and facilitated youth participation in the Asian, Pacific and MENA regional DRR platforms in the year 2014. Prior to the the Sixth Pacific Platform on DRM (6PPDRM), a Youth Workshop was held with 50 youth; outcomes, statement, Intergenerational Joint Endorsement. A Youth Workshop with over 50 youth was held prior to the Sixth Asian Ministerial Conference on DRR (6AMCDRR). In conjunction with CCC, the UN MGCY held a Youth Thematic Session for Children & Youth, statement. UN MGCY and the CCC hosted a multi-stakeholder session within the 2nd Arab Conference for DRR, the statement delivered can be found here. !!Preparatory Committee Meeting (PrepCom) for WCDRR !UN MGCY participated in the two PrepComs. Prior to the 2nd PrepCom we hosted a Youth Workshop for 45 youth from five different regions, resulting in a successful Advocacy and Social Media Strategy. Full report from the participation in the 2nd PrepCom can be found here. !!Informal Negotiations and Consultations !UN MGCY participated in all the 10 informal consultations and negotiations open for Major Groups. Unfortunately we were not welcomed to the discussion on targets and indicators.

“UN MGCY was one of the strongest none-state actors stakeholders during the WCDRR process.”

1) MOBILISATION !!!

2) CAPACITY BUILDING !!!!!3) CONSULTATION !!!!!!

4) POLICY AND ADVOCACY

The UN MGCY has facilitated the mobilisation of thousands of youth leading up to the WCDRR. Through our social media team and regional activities we have made global youth aware about the importance and long-term benefits of investing in DRR and how it contributes to a resilient society.

The UN MGCY has hosted youth-led capacity building events worldwide and provided personal mentoring. Hundreds of youth are now equipped with skills and knowledge to take part in DRR policy development, implementation, monitoring and review. Young people are inspired, enabled and ready to take actions on DRR in their communities.

The UN MGCY have facilitated consultations prior to a majority of the UNISDR regional DRR platforms, resulting in regional DRR positions of youth. All statements and official inputs of the UN MGCY to the WCDRR have been drafted online, open for any young person to contribute with their thoughts and priorities. Children consultations have been facilitated by the Children in Changing Climate Coalition (CCCC). The objectives have always been to capture what young people find as a priority to be included in the SFA, and assist in phrasing their commitments for the SFA implementation.

The outcome of the consultations hosted in the process leading up to the WCDRR is summarised into a Children and Youth DRR Position Paper and a policy brief, as well as the Children’s Charter on DRR. These documents have made up the content of what youth and representatives of children have lobbied for during the WCDRR process.

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The road to Sendai - The voice of Children and Youth

Youth Policy Brief 1) Inclusion and Recognition of Children and Youth: We stress the need to include children and youth in the

development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of this framework. !

2) Implementation, Enabling Environments & Financing: The financing provisions need to be strengthened and should be linked to financing for sustainable development. In addition to generating new liquidity it is imperative to create a macroeconomic environment which discourages activities that enhance underlying risk factors, for example Environmental Risk in Sovereign Credit, Ecological Tax Reform and Carbon Tax. !

3) Governance & Accountability: For the successor of the HFA to be effective, it needs to have a robust governance and accountability mechanism. We call for official inclusion of all stakeholder groups, monitoring in the HLPF, practices in line with the AMR-UPR, shadow reporting in an official capacity, monitoring of voluntary commitments. !

4) An All-inclusive Hazard Approach: We believe that the Framework would be incomplete without addressing human induced disasters, urbanisation and their underlying causes. We thereby call for an enhanced scope that includes biological, technological, slow onset and all human-induced disasters, including conflicts, in the Framework. !

5) Accountability of all three Pillars of Sustainable Development: For the DRR Framework to be relevant and comprehensive in the context of the Post-2015 Development Agenda, it must take into account environmental, as well as, social and economic losses. !

6) Social Services and Security for DRR: Enhanced actions and assessments on Disaster Risk Reduction within the social service sector assure full implementation of the human right to health, education, water and sanitation.!

Children´s Charter for Disaster Risk Reduction 1) Child Rights: Risk reduction should be aimed at protection persons; include gender and age disaggregated

indicators for reporting on children affected by disasters; governments should strengthen the implementation of national legislation and frameworks on child protection in disaster-prone areas; governments should ensure that all national child protection legislation and policies recognise and address the sex and age disaggregated impact of disasters on children.!!

2) Peace: People, including children, adolescents and youth, must live in peaceful environment because conflicts and forced displacements dramatically change their lives and their future. !!

3) Participation: Children are supported to meaningfully participate in local level DRR and development planning and implementation processes.!!

4) Accountability: Donors, governments, private stakeholders and civil society organisations should collaborate on shared approaches to participatory measurement of progress against the action areas and targets through joint formal reporting process. Use of scorecards and to link these to funding mechanisms.!!

5) Multi-sectoral/cross scalar: achieve results in multiple sectors and amongst multiple actors, influencing key enabling conditions to address root causes and building the knowledge, skills, confidence and relationships amongst community members to support their own resilience.

Children and Youth represent half of the world’s population, we are the ones who will inherit the implications of this new Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction, and be its’ beneficiaries and implementers. During the processes leading up to Sendai, we advocated for a dynamic and robust framework,ready to tackle challenges well into the future, based upon ambitious goals and commitments set today. Following are an abstract of the priorities of Children and Youth in DRR. You can find the majority of the statements deliver throughout the process in the UN MGCY DRR website. !

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The 3rd UN World Conference for DRR

The UN MGCY facilitated the participation of 250 Children and Youth during the WCDRR. Our objective was to ensure that their priorities were reflected in the outcome of the WCDRR, along with providing them a platform for capacity building for the implementation of the outcome. We hosted the youth-led Children & Youth Forum; co-hosted a Multi-stakeholder Working Session showcasing the benefits of including Children and Youth in DRR and the importance to address their special needs; and advocated for the priorities of Children and Youth in the official sessions of the WCDRR. !!Children and Youth Influence the Sendai Framework for DRR Children and Youth travelled to Sendai, Japan to communicate our priorities to the decision makers of the SFA. We built trust and gained respect from governments, while sharing our views on innovative solutions for building a resilient society. UN MGCY facilitated a group of 40 youth working on advocacy through official briefings, bilaterals, panels, policy submission, informal corridor meetings, tracking negotiations, attending working sessions and hosting one, official inter-governmental round table and a space in the plenary. !!“Don´t Decide My Future Without Me” !The UN MCGY, CCC and UNISDR hosted the Multi-stakeholder Working Session Children and Youth - “Don´t Decide my future without me”. Approximately 100 representatives from civil society, governments, agencies, academia and private sector participated. The Working Session provided an opportunity for Children and Youth to showcase their achievements and contribution to disaster risk reduction and to establish a dialogue with today’s leaders and decision-makers regarding their aspirations to advance an ambitious disaster risk reduction agenda for a safer tomorrow. The session ended with the following commitments for national and local governments:!• Increase opportunities for Children and Youth to participate in decision-

making, planning and monitoring processes for disaster risk reduction; !• Enhance capacity-building and mentoring in disaster risk reduction for

Children and Youth; !• Use Children and Youth as partners in particular in translating scientific

knowledge and technology into the needs of communities and in using the social media for disaster risk reduction promotion and mobilisation process; !

• Provide a legal basis, resources and safe learning environment for the protection of Children and Youth, including in conflict-stricken areas. !!

Moderator: Mr. Ahmad Alhendawi, UN SG´s Envoy on Youth!Keynote Speaker: Mr. Tony Lake, UNICEF Director-General!Panelists: Maria Pilar Cornejo, Minister for DRM, Ecuador; Mohammad Abdul Qayyum, Bangladesh; Children and Youth representatives.!

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The 3rd UN World Conference for DRR

Pre - Children and Youth Forum !All the 250 Children and Youth attending the WCDRR met in Sendai three days prior to the WCDRR opening, between 11th - 13th March 2015. UN MGCY has a tradition to host preparatory youth meetings before larger events, with the objectives to ensure that all the attending youth posses the necessary knowledge to have a meaningful impact during the conference. The pre-forum workshops included the following activities:!• Sendai Memorial: Activities commemorating the disaster of the Great East Japan Earthquake with an

anniversary ceremony and field trip to disaster affected areas.!• Social Media & Visibility Workshop: A social media workshop was facilitated by the UN MGCY DRR Social

Media Team. The outcome consisted of a social media strategy, which made sure that youth were visible in media and social media channels during the WCDRR. !

• Advocacy Workshop: The UN MGCY DRR Advocacy Team facilitated an advocacy workshop resulting in a coordinated advocacy strategy including panels, a side event and working session schedule, a plenary statement, bilateral meetings and updated policy brief.!

• Petcha-Khuka: Prior to the WCDRR UN MCY facilitated mapping of youth actions on DRR. Six highly qualified youth-led DRR projects were selected to present in the Petcha-Khuka session of the pre-Children & Youth Forum Workshops.!!

The Children and Youth Forum The Opening Ceremony !The Children & Youth Forum of the WCDRR was officially opened on the 13th of March 2015 with distinguished guest speakers including Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of Netherlands, the SG’s Envoy on Youth, Mr. Ahmad Alhendawi, Director of Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management New Zealand, Sarah Stuart-Black, and Mayor of Sendai City, Ms. Emiko Okuyama. The Envoy of Youth stressed the importance of engaging Youth: “Engaging youth and children in the disaster risk reduction work is not only a necessary measure; it is an act of prudence providing them with rights and meaningful access to save and shape their future” !The Toolbox For Resilience & Action Plans !The Children & Youth Forum provided its participants with workshops and inter- professional panels. The developed a comprehensive overview and skill-set on DRR. The panel discussions provided a platform for young people to interact with other stakeholders and DRR experts and professionals. The workshops and panels were complemented by sessions to detail youth ideas, proposed actions and commitments with their fellow participants. The outcome consisted of Action Plans that might be applied at a global or local level.!!Recognition of Children and Youth!The world leaders recognised the importance of including Children and Youth in DRR. The SFA address us as “agents of change”. The Children & Youth Forum was visited by the UN SG Mr. Ban Ki-moon and his wife Madam Yoo (Ban) Soon-taek, as well as his Youth Envoy Mr. Ahmad Alhendawi. Mr. Ban Ki-moon raised the role of youth in globalisation: “I am asking you to raise your voices and try to cultivate your vision. As global citizens you are coming from many different countries. Geography and boundaries should not mean anything at these times. I am asking you to raise your vision beyond your national boundaries and by doing this you are having the basic attitude of a global citizen. To be a global citizen, this is your task.”!!The Children’s Day !Fifteen children attended the WCDRR and together with the CCC including UNICEF, the UN MGCY hosted on one day, the Children’s Day within the Children & Youth Forum. UNICEF Director-General Tony Lake attended the Forum during the Children’s Day and had the opportunity to listen to Children and Youth priorities on DRR.

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Post Sendai - Children and Youth Are Partners for Change

Voluntarily Commitments by Youth Youth-led organisations submitted their contribution to stakeholders’ voluntarily commitments aiming to implement the SFA. Below is an abstract of the commitments from one of the organisations, the International Federation for Medical Students´ Associations (IFMSA). !!1. Increase knowledge and build capacity among future medical professionals on how to manage risks and

challenges for public health in disaster prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.!2. Equip medical students with skills and knowledge in order to communicate their priorities in development of

international and national policy, and to advocate for inclusion and strengthening of Disaster Risk Reduction in the medical student curriculum. !

3. Take common actions and strengthen collaborations with governments and other stakeholders and actors on interdisciplinary platforms and events to improve disaster risk reduction and reduce risks to people’s health. No one is left behind and the responsibility belongs to us all !!

No one is left behind and the responsibility belongs to us all The WCDRR has passed and UN MGCY is dedicated to contribute to the implementation of the following paragraphs of the Sendai Framework for DRR.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!How can YOU support and include children and youth in DRR?

1) Inclusion: Include us in local, national and international DRR Committees.!2) Capacity Building: Include children and youth in existing training opportunities, implement DRR in

educational curriculum and support extracurricular DRR children and youth trainings. !3) Support Actions: Support youth-lead DRR activities in your country and community. !4) Research: Support young professional and students to pursue research i the field of DRR.!5) Monitoring & Review: Include age dissemination in the monitoring of SFA. Include youth in the monitoring

and shadow repairing of the SFA.!!“We Call on You to Call on Us.”!!

V.36.a.iii: Children and youth are agents of change and should be given the space and modalities to contribute to disaster risk reduction, in accordance with legislation, national practice and educational curricula;

Sendai Framework for Actions

I.7: While recognising their leading, regulatory and coordination role, Governments should engage with relevant stakeholders, including women, children and youth, persons with disabi l i t ies, poor people, migrants, indigenous peoples, vo lunteers, the communi ty of practitioners and older persons in the design and implementat ion of policies, plans and standards.

III.19.d: A gender, age, disability and cultural perspective in all policies and practices; and the promotion of women and youth leadership; in this context, special attention should be paid to the improvement of organized voluntary work of citizens;

!Children and Youth in the Post-2015 Framework for DRR Process

Developed by the UN Major Group for Children and Youth

www.childrenyouth.org - FB: UN Major Group for Children and Youth - Twitter: @UN MGCY

!“We Call on You to Call on Us.”!!

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