Children in street situations 2017, para. 33

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Children in street situations face particular barriers in being heard, and the Committee encourages States to make proactive efforts to overcome those barriers. States and intergovernmental organizations should provide — and support civil society organizations in providing — children in street situations with a supportive and enabling environment to: be heard in judicial and administrative proceedings; carry out their own initiatives; and fully participate at the community and national levels in policy and programme conceptualization, design, implementation, coordination, monitoring, review and communication, including through the media. Interventions are of most benefit to children in street situations when the children themselves are involved actively in assessing needs, devising solutions, shaping strategies and carrying them out, rather than being seen as objects for whom decisions are made. States should also listen to relevant adults, such as family and community members, professionals and advocates, when developing prevention and response strategies. Interventions should support individual children in street situations to exercise their rights and develop skills, resilience, responsibility and citizenship, in line with their evolving capacities. States should support and encourage children in street situations to form their own child-led organizations and initiatives, which will create space for meaningful participation and representation. Where appropriate, and when properly safeguarded, children in street situations can raise awareness by sharing their own experiences, to reduce stigmatization and discrimination and to help prevent other children ending up in street situations.
Legal status
Non-negotiated soft law
Body
Committee on the Rights of the Child
Document type
General Comment / Recommendation
Means of adoption
N.A.
Topic(s)
  • Equality & Inclusion
  • Governance & Rule of Law
  • Social & Cultural Rights
Person(s) affected
  • Children
  • Families
Year
2017
Paragraph type
Other
Paragraph focus
Articles of overarching relevance in a child rights approach
Paragraph number
33