A HUMAN SECURITY CHALLENGE - Unicef-irc
UNICEFInnocenti Research CentreCLIMATE CHANGE AND CHILDRENA HUMAN SECURITY CHALLENGE
CLIMATE CHANGE AND CHILDREN:A human security challengePolicy Review PaperUNICEF Innocenti Research Centrein cooperation withUNICEF Programme Division
The UNICEF Innocenti Research CentreThe UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre in Florence, Italy, was established in 1988 to strengthen the researchcapability of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and to support its advocacy for children worldwide.The Centre (formally known as the International Child Development Centre) helps to identify and research currentand future areas of UNICEF’s work. Its prime objectives are to improve international understanding of issuesrelating to children’s rights and to help facilitate the full implementation of the Convention on the Rights of theChild in both industrialized and developing countries.The Centre collaborates with its host institution in Florence, the Istituto degli Innocenti, in selected areas of work.Core funding for the Centre is provided by the Government of Italy, while financial support for specific projectsis also provided by other governments, international institutions and private sources, including UNICEFNational Committees.The statements in this publication are the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policies orthe views of UNICEF. The designations employed and the presentation of the material do not imply on the part ofUNICEF the expression of any opinion whatsoever concerning the legal status of any country or territory, or of itsauthorities or the delimitations of its frontiers.Extracts from this publication may be freely reproduced, provided that due acknowledgement is given tothe source and to UNICEF.To download this document and any corrigenda issued subsequent to printing, or to access the most up-to-datepublications, please go to the publications pages on our website, at www.unicef-irc.org/publications/ . The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)November 2008Correspondence should be addressed to:UNICEF Innocenti Research CentrePiazza SS. Annunziata, 1250122 Florence, ItalyTel: ( 39) 055 20 330Fax: ( 39) 055 2033 220www.unicef-irc.orgISBN: 978-88-89129-83-8Front cover photo: UNICEF/HQ02-0258/Ami VitaleIn Malawi, a woman, carrying a baby on her back and holding the hand of a small child, and two older girls carry sacks ofmaize home from a small farm in the village of Chipumi, where they had worked in exchange for food. Because ofdroughts and flooding in recent years, many Malawians were unable to buy seeds to grow their own food crops. Harshclimatic conditions, including droughts and flooding, are among the factors responsible for the food crisis that hasaffected countries in eastern and southern Africa. Experts project that climate change will further impact crop production,reducing food availability in many parts of the world, with associated consequences for child health and nutrition.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThis policy review was developed for the Foreign Ministry of the Government of Greece as chair of theHuman Security Network, as a contribution to an initiative on the human security implications of climate changecoordinated by the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP). A summary version waspresented at the International Conference on Human Security and Climate Change and the Ministerial Meetingof the Human Security Network, held in Athens, 29-30 May 2008.Within UNICEF, this project was carried out as a joint undertaking by the Innocenti Research Centre (IRC) andProgramme Division, in cooperation with other headquarters and field offices. The principal authors wereDonna L. Goodman, Programme Adviser, Climate Change and Environment, UNICEF Education Section(DonnaLGoodman@aol.com), and Selim Iltus, Co-Director, Children’s Environments Research Group (CERG),Graduate Center of the City University of New York (siltus@gc.cuny.edu). David Parker, Deputy Director ofUNICEF IRC, coordinated its preparation, under the overall guidance of Marta Santos Pais, Director, UNICEF IRC,and Vanessa Tobin, Deputy Director, Programme Division. Yoko Akachi, Lee Cando, Michele Ferenz andDavid Noble provided key inputs.Appreciation is extended to the following external peer reviewers and advisers: Catherine Cameron,Agulhas Applied Knowledge; Jenny Pronczuk-Garbino and Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, World HealthOrganization (WHO); Hossein Faddei, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); Thanos Dokos,and Stefanos Xenarios, ELIAMEP; Roger Hart, CERG; Sheridan Bartlett, International Institute for Environmentand Development (IIED) and CERG; David Satterthwaite, IIED; Maaike Jansen, UNEP; and Cecilia Ugaz,Human Development Report Office, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).Additional valuable comments were provided by UNICEF reviewers: Clarissa Brocklehurst, Sally Burnheim,Eva Jespersen, Changu Mannathoko, Richard Morgan, Daniel Seymour, Henk van Norden, Tessa Wardlaw andCream Wright.This document was copy-edited by Pamela Knight. The publication production process was coordinated bythe IRC Communication and Partnership Unit. Claire Akehurst and Sandra Fanfani provided administrativeassistance. All are thanked for their support.iii
ABBREVIATIONSADBAsian Development BankMDGsMillennium Development GoalsAfDBAfrican Development BankNAPANational Adaptation Programme of ActionCCCCore Commitments for Children inEmergencies (UNICEF)NGOnon-governmental organizationOECDCC:iNetClimate Change Information Network(UNFCCC)Organisation for Economic Co-operationand DevelopmentOHCHRCERGChildren’s Environment Research GroupOffice of the High Commissioner forHuman Rights (United Nations)CIPRBCentre for Injury Prevention andResearch, BangladeshSIDSSmall Island Developing StatesTASCThe Alliance for Safe ChildrenCOPConference of the Parties (UNFCCC)TERIThe Energy and Resources InstituteDFIDDepartment for InternationalDevelopment (United Kingdom)UNUnited NationsECOSOCUnited Nations Economic and SocialCouncilUNCCDUnited Nations Convention to CombatDesertificationELIAMEPHellenic Foundation for European andForeign PolicyUNCEDUnited Nations Conference onEnvironment and Development (‘TheEarth Summit’, 1992)ENDAEnvironmental Development Actionin the Third WorldUN DESDUnited Nations Decade of Education forSustainable Development (2005 2014)FAOFood and Agriculture Organization of theUnited NationsUNDPUnited Nations Development ProgrammeIFRCInternational Federation of Red Crossand Red Crescent SocietiesUNEPUnited Nations Environment ProgrammeUNFCCCInternational Institute for Environmentand DevelopmentUnited Nations Framework Conventionon Climate ChangeUNICEFUnited Nations Children’s FundILOInternational Labour OrganizationUNVUnited Nations VolunteersIPCCIntergovernmental Panel on ClimateChangeWFFC‘A World Fit for Children’WHOWorld Health OrganizationIRCInnocenti Research Centre (UNICEF)YWCAYoung Women’s Christian AssociationISDRInternational Strategy for DisasterReductionIIEDiv
PREFACEA humane world where people can live insecurity and dignity, free from poverty anddespair, is still a dream for many but shouldbe enjoyed by all. In such a world, everyindividual would be guaranteed freedomfrom fear and freedom from want, withan equal opportunity to develop fully theirhuman potential.Building human security is essentialto achieving this goal. In essence, humansecurity means freedom from pervasivethreats to people's rights, their safety or eventheir lives. Human security has become botha new measure of global security and a newagenda for global action.Safety is the hallmark of freedom from fear,while well-being is the target of freedomfrom want. Human security and humandevelopment are thus two sides of the samecoin, mutually reinforcing and leading toa conducive environment for each other.– A Perspective on Human Security: Chairman’sSummary, 1st Ministerial Meeting of the HumanSecurity Network, Lysøen, Norway, 20 May 1999This paper was developed in the context of a majorinitiative by the Government of Greece, as Chair of theHuman Security Network (2007 2008), and theHellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy(ELIAMEP), to analyse and address climate changethrough a human security lens. The Human SecurityNetwork, operative since 1999, is composed of agroup of like-minded countries from all regions of theworld that maintains dialogue on modern hazards thatreach beyond borders, and identifies concrete areasfor collective action. The Network places specialemphasis on the myriad risks facing vulnerablepopulation groups, including women, children andpeople migrating due to climate change, as they face adeteriorating natural resource base and increasedextreme weather events.As awareness of the urgency to address climatechange continues to grow, governments and otherstakeholders, including the United Nations System,are mobilizing to support the establishment andimplementation of a new comprehensive post-2012climate regime under the aegis of the United NationsFramework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).States Parties and their partners are urged to ensurethat the unique vulnerabilities and capacities ofchildren are recognized and adequately reflected inimpact assessments and policy and programmaticresponses, from the local to the global level.The study reviews the implications of climate changefor children and future generations, drawing onrelevant experiences in different sectors and countriesof promoting child rights and well-being. It traces inconsiderable detail the pathways through which shiftsin temperature and precipitation patterns createserious additional barriers to the achievement of thechild survival, development and protection goalsembraced by the international community. The role ofchildren as vital participants and agents of changeemerges as a key theme.This paper is offered as a contribution to the ongoingreflection and discussion, within and betweencountries, on strategies and action to respond toclimate change.v
vi
CONTENTSAcknowledgements . iiiAbbreviations . ivPreface . vExecutive Summary . ix1. Climate Change, Human Security and the World’s Children. 11.1 Climate change and human security. 2Human security risks from climate change . 2Highlights from the Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC . 21.2 Climate change in developing countries. 3Climate change and the Millennium Development Goals. 41.3 Why children?. 4Children as researchers and as agents of change. 41.4 Complexity and integration . 5Poverty, access to energy and sustainable development. 5The rural/urban divide . 5Age and gender. 6International and intergenerational justice. 61.5 The road ahead . 72. Impacts of Climate Change on Children . 92.1 Existing vulnerabilities and environmental health risks. 92.2 Key climate changes and their impacts. 9Rising sea levels and shrinking glaciers . 9Heavy precipitation, flooding and water security. 11Rising temperatures, droughts and desertification . 11Extreme weather events . 11Deforestation . 11Biodiversity . 112.3 Implications for child health and well-being. 12Food security and undernutrition . 12Water security, diarrhoea and other waterborne diseases . 12Malaria and other vector-borne diseases. 12Death and illnesses from use of biomass fuels indoors. 12Impacts from the breakdown of economic and social structures. 123. The Bases for Action: Rights, institutions and guiding principles . 153.1 Human rights and the environment . 153.2 Convention on the Rights of the Child . 163.3 Climate change and the Millennium Development Goals. 163.4 Agenda 21 and the Rio Conventions . 183.5 Aarhus Convention . 18vii
Article 6 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. 183.6 Partnerships with faith-based organizations . 183.7 Partnerships with youth organizations. 184. Adaptation and Mitigation: Complementary strategies . 214.1 Mitigation and adaptation . 21Eight key adaptation interventions. 22Addressing the needs of children in local adaptation strategies. 234.2 Participatory community development. 23Strengthening basic public health infrastructure. 234.3 Environmental education . 234.4 Child and youth participation. 264.5 The Nairobi Work Programme . 274.6 Frameworks for action. 27National Adaptation Programmes of Action . 27Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 . 28Roll Back Malaria. 28Subnational and municipal frameworks . 28Local adaptation strategies and local action . 285. Implications and Conclusions for Policy and Practice. 31AnnexesA - Case Study: Southern Sudan. 35B - Case Study: Morocco. 39C - References to the environment in the Convention on the Rights of the Child . 43D - An example of local adaptation in Kenya . 44Bibliography. 45viiiCLIMATE CHANGE AND CHILDREN: A HUMAN SECURITY CHALLENGE
EXECUTIVE SUMMARYThe evidence presented in this review confirms thecentrality of children and their unique vulnerabilitiesto global, national and subnational policies andframeworks on climate change and human security.It also identifies a gap in existing agreements,protocols and policies that have not sufficientlyrecognized or addressed children’s issues in the past.The Convention on the Rights of the Child, adoptedby the United Nations General Assembly in 1989 andratified to date by 193 countries, together with‘A World Fit for Children’ (WFFC), protect andpreserve the right of every child to a safe, healthyenvironment in which to develop and grow. TheWFFC Declaration, which was a consensus outcomefrom the UN General Assembly Special Session onChildren held in 2002, articulates clearly thecommitment of States “to give every assistance toprotect children and minimize the impact of naturaldisasters and environmental degradation on them.”Together with the Millennium Development Goals(MDGs), these international commitments are of thegreatest relevance for addressing the myriad threatsthat climate change raises for the world’s children.Protecting the environment and providing for thehealth, education and development of children aremutually inclusive goals. Almost any action taken toenhance environmental quality also helps meet thebasic needs of children. It is therefore important notto separate climate change from other priorities,but rather to integrate comprehensive actionsto include climate risk in development planning,programmes and projects.The strong institutional basis for inclusion ofchildren’s issues in the international climate regimehas yet to align with an emerging mechanism forchampioning children’s issues in the sector.For example, National Adaptation Programmes ofAction (NAPAs) and other adaptation plans rarely,if ever, reference the unique vulnerabilities ofchildren or address their needs. Similarly, they fail todraw on the practical knowledge, insights andcapacity for meaningful change that children can anddo offer, most notably at subnational andcommunity levels.This paper seeks to substantiate the need forframeworks and protocols that will recognize,protect and empower children and young people inlight of the effects of climate change. Thus, the majormessages of this paper are that:IA human rights-based approach necessitatesinclusion of children’s issues in all internationaland national efforts, most notably the climatechange regime following the UN Climate ChangeConference in Bali, NAPAs and poverty reductionstrategies.IThere is an increasingly convincing body ofevidence that many of the main killers of children(malaria, diarrhoea and undernutrition) are highlysensitive to climatic conditions.IThe complexity of the challenges posed by thechanging global environment calls for anintegrated approach. The challenges of providingaccess to clean household energy, water,sanitation and education, are compounded by theincreasing and chronic prevalence and severity ofnatural disasters, and are often simultaneous(also see Figure 4.1, page 24).IIntersectoral coordination and collaborationbetween line ministries (including Education,Health, Environment, Youth and Finance) areessential for paying special attention to the needsand vulnerabilities of children of different ages.IScaling up efforts to meet the MDGs will reducerisk caused by many of the social and economicfactors that are shown to exacerbate and increasethe impacts of climate change, thereby increasingthe resilience of the most vulnerable children.IGender-sensitive participatory approaches tocommunity development, including water andenergy stewardship, environmental education,food security and disaster risk-reduction activities,ix
will create economic opportunity, reducevulnerability and empower the most marginalizedcitizens to take part in creating a sustainablesociety.IIxEmpowered children are dynamic and ultimatelypowerful protagonists for protecting andimproving the environment. Today’s children andfuture generations bear the brunt of the climatechange impacts, but they are also great forces forchange. As such, they have a right to be involvednot only locally, but also in the currentinternational negotiation process.Partnerships are key. The wide-reachingcomplexity of climate change is too large for anyCLIMATE CHANGE AND CHILDREN: A HUMAN SECURITY CHALLENGEone organization to tackle alone. A coherent,cooperative partnership between governments,civil society, UN organizations, donors, theprivate sector and every individual (inclusive ofand taking into account generations and genders)is needed to reduce and mitigate risk at all levels.It is clear from all perspectives that children arecentral to the climate change and human securityagenda. They are among the populations that aremost vulnerable to climate change, and may be thegreatest victims of its impacts. At the same time,they are powerful protagonists for change and cancontribute significantly to the collective effort tomitigate climate change and its effects.
1CLIMATE CHANGE, HUMAN SECURITY ANDTHE WORLD’S CHILDRENThis is the moral challenge of our generation.Not only are the eyes of the world upon us.More importantly, succeeding generationsdepend on us. We cannot rob our children oftheir future.– United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moonAddress to the High-Level Segment of the UNFCCCConference of the Parties (COP 13) negotiations in Bali,Indonesia, 12 December 2007Over the years since the adoption and subsequentratification of the Convention on the Rights of theChild by 193 countries, significant efforts and greatstrides have been made to ensure that children(defined as people under the age of 18), regardlessof gender, origin, religion or disability status,need special care and protection because they areoften the most vulnerable. Accordingly, today, morethan ever before, young people are recognized asrights-bearing citizens and are playing an active rolein asserting their rights.In 2002, the global community built on itscommitments to children, when the United NationsGeneral Assembly held a Special Session onChildren, in which 189 Member States reaffirmedtheir earlier pledge and further agreed on goals andtargets towards ‘a world fit for children.’ The WFFCDeclaration very clearly articulates the commitmentof States “to give every assistance to protect childrenand minimize the impact of natural disasters andenvironmental degradation on them,”1 as well as to“listen to children and ensure their participation.”2Together, the Convention on the Rights of the Childand WFFC Declaration oblige signatory nationsto protect the right of every child to a safe, healthyenvironment in which to develop and grow andto recognize them as resourceful citizens, capable ofhelping to build a better future for all, in accordancewith their age and maturity.Accordingly, it is recognized that achievement of theMillennium Development Goals (MDGs) wouldreduce risk to many of the world’s most vulnerablechildren and build resilience within their communities.The UNDP Human Development Report 2007/2008affirms, however, that climate change is alreadyslowing progress on the MDGs. If left unattended,according to the report, “it will lead to humandevelopment reversals throughout the 21st century.”Protecting the environment and providing for thehealth, education and development of children aremutually inclusive goals. Almost any action taken toenhance environmental quality also helps meet thebasic needs of children.3 It is therefore important notto separate climate change from other priorities,but rather to take an integrated approach to includeclimate risk in development planning, programmesand projects.4Intergenerational justice and developmentconsiderations also factor into the equation. In fact,in December 2007, at the opening of high-levelintergovernmental negotiations in Bali, Indonesia,UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told ministersand Heads of State: “Climate change affects us all,but it does not affect us all equally. Those who areleast able to cope are being hit hardest. Those whohave done the least to cause the problem bear thegravest consequences.”The political will to address the social and economiceffects of climate change has gained an undeniablerelevance in the international agenda in recentyears. Yet, children’s issues have not been wellrecognized or addressed within existinginternational and national climate regimes andenvironmental law. To this end, WFFC recognizes that“the implementation of the present Declaration andthe Plan of Action requires not only renewedpolitical will but also the mobilization and allocationof additional resources at both the national andinternational levels, taking into account the urgencyand gravity of the special needs of children.”5Today’s children and future generations bear thegreatest burden of climate change impacts.But while children are among the greatest victims ofclimate change, they are not only victims. In many1
well-documented cases it is seen that empoweredand well-educated children can influence the adultsin their lives, bringing about meaningful andsustainable change.6 To this end, it is criticallyimportant to consider a participatory and skills-basedapproach that will educate today’s children and youngpeople to be proactive and prepared citizens,empowered to adapt and respond to rapidlychanging environments. Their education shouldprompt young citizens to question and modifyexisting conditions and structures and movetowards enhanced development objectives anddisaster risk reduction and preparedness activities.The aim of this paper, therefore, is to presentthe evidence and analysis necessary to effectivelyinfluence advocacy, policy and programmedevelopment. The ultimate goal is to providethe opportunity for children and young people todevelop to their full potential, both by ensuring thattheir communities and homes are more capableof withstanding the impacts of climate change andby providing support and encouragement for theirparticipation and contributions to the collectiveglobal response.Consideration for the rights and capacities ofchildren within and across all levels of emergingclimate policy is, therefore, an imperative.Children’s issues should be incorporated into allinternational and national efforts – most notably,they should be addressed within the post-Baliclimate regime, within NAPAs and in internationaland national poverty reduction strategies.International support for adaptation, preparednessand risk reduction initiatives at subnational levelsshould involve children and young people asstakeholders and be coordinated across all sectors.Lastly, both climate change mitigation andadaptation are necessary to protect human securityagainst climate change risks,7 as detailed in SectionFour of this paper. Mitigation means taking actionto reduce greenhouse gas emissions to avoid furtherclimate change than will already occur due tohistoric and current emissions. Adaptation refers tochanges in natural and human systems to reducerisks to the lives and livelihoods of people.Adaptation actions can reduce many unavoidableimpacts in the near term, although they cannotreduce them to zero. Failure to mitigate willeventually lead to failure of adaptation becausethe magnitude of the impacts is predicted to becometoo large to manage even with considerableinvestment. Adaptation and mitigation are notalternative strategies but complementary onesthat need to be pursued together.1.1 Climate change andhuman securityHuman security risks from climate changeHuman security is a people-centred notion ofsecurity that seeks to integrate the variousdeterminants of well-being. These include economic,2CLIMATE CHANGE AND CHILDREN: A HUMAN SECURITY CHALLENGEfood, health, environmental, personal, communityand political security. Risks to human security can beclassified in terms of acute risks from suddendisruptions such as natural disasters and chronicthreats, such as disease, hunger and conflict. Humansecurity is complementary to the more conventionalformulation of national security. Neither can beachieved without the other. In fact, human security isa unifying concept that bridges notions of securityat all levels, from the individual and/or local(i.e. human security) to the national (i.e. statesecurity) and global (i.e. international security).Human security offers a valuable lens through whichto examine the impacts of climate change onchildren, and to integrate the climate changeand development agendas. Both the sudden-onsetdisasters and gradual systemic changes that areanticipated in a warmer climate will impact onchildren in every one of these areas. UN SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon recently cited four key risksto human security from climate change: politicalinstability, economic weakness, food insecurity andlarge-scale migration. Risks in these areas will resultin a wide range of adverse
UN United Nations UNCCD United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification UNCED United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (‘The Earth Summit’, 1992) UN DESD United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005 2014) UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNEP United Nations Environment Programme
Kidane (UNICEF Regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa), Rinko Kinoshita (UNICEF Nicaragua), Guillaume Kobehi-Toutou (UNICEF Côte d’Ivoire), George Laryea-Adjei (UNICEF South Africa), Jean Lieby (UNICEF Senegal), Daniela Luciani (UNICEF Senegal), Birgithe Lund-Henriksen (UNICEF Tanzania),
UNICEF The Netherlands Tel: 31 (0)88 444 96 50 Email: mkaandorp@unicef.nl The Child Notice has been produced by UNICEF The Netherlands, UNICEF Belgium and UNICEF Sweden as part of the project Better information for durable solutions and protection which is financially supported by the Return Fund of the European Commission.
de l'enfant, l'Unicef considère que l'accès à l'eau potable et à l'assainissement est un droit fondamental. C'est pourquoi l'Unicef fournit de l'eau et des installations sanitaires de base aux populations dans plus de 90 pays. L'Unicef est intervenu pour la première fois dans le domaine de l'eau et de l'assainissement
UNICEF Supply Division 2021. 1 Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food - Current Outlook March 2021 1. Summary Most of the ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) is used in emergency response. UNICEF procures an estimated 75- . 10 UNICEF, Therapeutic Milk Market and Supply Update, UNICEF, Copenhagen, June 2020. 11 UNICEF, .
ENCRYPTION, PRIVACY AND CHILDREN’S RIGHT TO PROTECTION FROM HARM Daniel Kardefelt-Winthera, Emma Dayb, Gabrielle Bermana, Sabine K. Wittingc, and Anjan Bosed (a) UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti (b) UNICEF, East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (c) UNICEF Zimbabwe (d) UNICEF, Programme Division, Child Protection
Remember you can contact the Community Fundraising Team for advice and support – we’re here to help. For further information please contact: The Community Fundraising Team UNICEF Australia Level 4, 280 Pitt Street Sydney NSW 2000 www.unicef.org.au teamunicef@unicef.org.au 1300 884
6 UNICEF CLUBS Brand Book 2016-17 LOGO SIZE AND SCALING The preferred size for reproducing the horizontal U .S . Fund for UNICEF/Children First logo in printed materials is 4" wide. The U .S . Fund for UNICEF .eps logo files may be scaled to any size necessary for the application, as long as the minimum size requirements are met .jpg logos should never
5 UNICEF NEXT GENERATION Brand Book 2015 U.S. Fund for UNICEF & NextGen Logo The UNICEF logo is one of our most powerful symbols . It is our guarantee of quality, trust and integrity . The two elements of the logo — the UNICEF name and the emblem — must always be used together as a single unit . Combining the U .S .
