(ii)Participation requires that concrete opportunities are guaranteed for children, individually or as a group, to express themselves freely, to communicate, act and engage in creative activities, with a view to the full development of their personalities; (iii)Contribution to cultural life encompasses the right of children to contribute to the spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional expressions of culture and the arts, thereby furthering the development and transformation of the society to which he or she belongs. (b)Encourage the provision of appropria te opportunities: Although the requirement to encourage the provision of appropriate opportunities specifies cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure activity, the Committee interprets it as including play also, further to article 4 of the Convention. States parties must therefore ensure the necessary and appropriate preconditions for participation to facilitate and promote opportunities for the realization of the rights under article 31. Children can only realize their rights if the necessary legislative, policy, budgetary, environmental and service frameworks are in place. (c)Provision of e qual opportunities: Every child must be afforded equal opportunities to enjoy his or her rights under article 31. V.Article 31 in the broader context of the Convention A.Links with the general principles of the Convention Article 2 ( non-discrimination): The Committee emphasizes that States parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that all children have the opportunity to realize their rights under article 31 without discrimination of any kind, irrespective of the child’s or his or her parent’s or legal guardian’s race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status. Particular attention should be given to addressing the rights of certain groups of children, including, inter alia, girls, children with disabilities, children living in poor or hazardous environments, children living in poverty, children in penal, health-care or residential institutions, children in situations of conflict or humanitarian disaster, children in rural communities, asylum-seeking and refugee children, children in street situations, nomadic groups, migrant or internally displaced children, children of indigenous origin and from minority groups, working children, children without parents and children subjected to significant pressure for academic attainment. Article 3 ( best interests of the child): The Committee emphasizes that the realization of the rights under article 31is, by definition, in the child’s best interests. The obligation to consider the child’s best interests applies to children as individuals and as a group or constituency. All legislative, policy and budgetary measures, as well as measures relating to environmental or service provision, which are likely to impact on the rights provided for in article 31 must take into consideration the best interests of children. This would apply, for example, to regulations relating to health and safety, solid waste disposal and collection, residential and transportation planning, design and accessibility of the urban landscape, provision of parks and other green spaces, determination of school hours, child labour and education legislation, planning applications or legislation governing privacy on the Internet, among others. Article 6 ( life, survival and development): State parties must ensure, to the maximum extent possible, the life, survival and development of the child. In this regard, the Committee draws attention to the need to recognize the positive value of each dimension of article 31 in promoting the development and evolving capacities of children. This also requires that the measures introduced to implement article 31 are in accordance with the developmental needs of children at all ages. States parties should promote awareness and understanding of the centrality of play for children’s development among parents, caregivers, government officials and all professionals working with and for children. Article 12 ( right to be heard): Children, as individuals and as a group, have the right to express their views on all matters of concern to them, which should be given due weight, in accordance with their age and maturity, and they should receive adequate support to express their views, where necessary. Children are entitled to exercise choice and autonomy in their play and recreational activities, as well as in their participation in cultural and artistic activities. The Committee underlines the importance of providing opportunities for children to contribute to the development of legislation, policies, strategies and design of services to ensure the implementation of the rights under article 31. Such contribution could include their involvement, for example, in consultations on policies related to play and recreation, on legislation affecting educational rights and school organization and curriculum or protective legislation relating to child labour, on the development of parks and other local facilities, on urban planning and design for childfriendly communities and environments, and their feedback could be sought on opportunities for play or recreation and cultural activities within the school and the wider community. B.Links with other relevant rights Article 13: The right to freedom of expression is fundamental to the right to participate freely in cultural and artistic activity. Children have the right to express themselves in whatever way they choose, subject only to restrictions as defined by law and when necessary to ensure respect for the rights and reputations of others, and for the protection of national security, public order and public health or morals. Article 15: Children have the right to exercise choice in their friendships, as well as membership of social, cultural, sporting and other forms of organization. Freedom of association represents an integral dimension of their rights under article 31, as children together create forms of imaginative play that are rarely achieved in adult-child relations. Children need to engage with peers of both sexes, as well as with people of different abilities, classes, cultures and ages, in order to learn cooperation, tolerance, sharing and resourcefulness. Play and recreation create the opportunities for the formation of friendships and can play a key role in strengthening civil society, contributing towards the social, moral and emotional development of the child, shaping culture and building communities. State parties must facilitate opportunities to enable children to meet freely with their peers at the community level. They must also respect and support the right of children to establish, join and leave associations, and the right to peaceful assembly. However, children should never be compelled to participate or join organizations.