42nd SESSION

Report

CG(2022)42-10-AMDT

15 March 2022

AMENDMENTS

Children and sustainable cities: guidelines and booklet for local and regional authorities

Current Affairs Committee

Rapporteur:[1] Brigitte VAN DEN BERG, Netherlands (L, ILDG)

Draft resolution (for vote) AMDTS 1-2

Summary

This document contains (Appendix 1) the Congress booklet “How to make your town a better place”, aimed at teaching children about the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and encouraging them to take active part in implementing the SDGs in their town. It also contains (Appendix 2) guidelines for local and regional authorities on how to work with children and how to use the booklet in order to promote children’s participation in their sustainability policies.

In its resolution, the Congress calls on local and regional authorities to make use of this booklet and its accompanying guidelines to strengthen their actions for implementation of the SDGs. It calls on national associations of local and regional authorities to translate, diffuse and promote the booklet and the guidelines widely through their networks.

DRAFT RESOLUTION[2]

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe,

1.      referring to the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by all 193 UN member states, the implementation of which requires substantial input from local and regional authorities and the engagement and cooperation of citizens;

2.      considering the Strategic Framework of the Council of Europe to strengthen and enhance references and links between the activities of the Council of Europe and specific sustainable development goals (SDGs);

Amendment 1 Presented by Rapporteur Brigitte VAN DEN BERG, Netherlands (L, ILDG) Insert new paragraph 3. as follows: 3. referring to the Council of Europe Strategy for the Rights of the Child (2022-2027) and in particular to its strategic objective “Giving a voice to every child”, which calls for the promotion of children’s democratic engagement and their participation in decisions related to the environment at different levels of decision making; Renumber subsequent paragraphs accordingly.

3.      bearing in mind the Council of Europe Recommendation on the participation of children and young people under the age of 18 as well as the Council of Europe Handbook on children’s participation “Listen – Act – Change”, and  acknowledging that hearing children’s voices and taking their views into account is both a child’s human right and an expression of democracy;

4.      taking into account Congress priorities for 2021-2026 (Resolution 465(2021, para.6)), which regard localising SDGs as a pillar of Congress action, particularly in the fields of participation, environmental issues and reducing inequalities in cities and regions;

5.      having produced a child-friendly booklet “How to make your town a better place”, with input from children, explaining how children can contribute to making their cities more sustainable and how they can work with their local elected representatives for this purpose;

6.      having prepared “Guidelines for Local and Regional Authorities on Sustainable Development and Child Participation” which explain how to use the booklet in localising SDGs and are designed to help local and regional authorities in involving children in the achievement of the SDGs;

Amendment 2 Presented by Rapporteur Brigitte VAN DEN BERG, Netherlands (L, ILDG) Rephrase paragraphs 7, 7a, 7b and 7c as follows: 7. invites local and regional authorities to use the attached booklet and guidelines to: a.     raise awareness and educate children on the SDGs and help them understand how they can contribute to the implementation of the SDGs in their towns and cities; b.      create spaces for all children to participate in implementing the SDGs and develop working methods that take into account their needs and capacities; c.      gather children’s ideas on the realisation of the SDGs in their towns and regions and integrate their input and perspectives when designing and implementing sustainability policies and actions;

7.      invites local and regional authorities to:

a.      use the attached booklet to raise awareness and educate children on SDGs and to help them understand how they can contribute to the implementation of SDGs in their towns and cities;

b.      draw inspiration from the attached guidelines to strengthen local government action for implementing SDGs in their towns and regions, integrating children’s ideas and input and the way to work with children;

c.      create spaces for all children to participate in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals;

8.      encourages the associations of local and regional authorities in member States to translate, diffuse and promote the booklet and the guidelines widely through their networks.