Children's Rights and the SDG's

Written by Paul Okondo

The 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by UN in September 2015 after years of discussion , global consultation and fraught negotiations .The sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) like the millennium Development Goals before them, will play a significant role in the coming years in determining the global approach to international development.They will also inevitably impact children's rights advocacy by determining the areas that will receive international donor funding and heavily influence the issues NGOs focus on.

Children are the basis for all dimensions of sustainable development. They have the rights to thrive, develop to there full potential, and live in a sustainable world. The next generation is surrounded by many influential role models in society, such as parents, siblings, teachers , friends and even television characters. Their learning occurs through being explicitly taught by others, through participation in activities and through sharing information. As such , if children are the centre of the sustainable goals, we must educate the next generation to ensure sustainable development becomes a priority for them.

Sustainability in early childhood education , at home and at school, is an important part a child's upbringing.The older generation has the responsibility to make sustainable education as part of every day practices, rather than a topic or theme to consider for a short time it needs to be embedded within day to day learning. Sustainable education empowers educators and children to promote a sense of responsibility, show respect for our natural environment, be active participants and bring about inquiry and social change.