NGO's and Participation

International Non-Governmental Organisations with a child focus

UNICEFPlanOxfamCatholic Relief ServicesCARE InternationalCare InternationalWorld Vision

Save the ChildrenInternational Red CrossTearfundActionAidChristian AidConcern Worldwide

"Institutions that are entirely or largely independent of government and that have primarily humanitarian or cooperative rather than commercial objectives." - World Bank (Nongovernmental Organizations and Civil Society 2001)

Non-Governmental Organisations

Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

1. States Parties shall assure to the 

child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child,

the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child.2. For this purpose, the child shall in particular be provided the opportunity to be heard in any judicial and administrative proceedings affecting the child, either directly, or through a representative or an appropriate body, in a manner consistent with the procedural rules of national law.

Plan Vision - Plan's vision is of a world in which all children realise their full potential in societies that respect people's rights and dignity.

UNICEFMission Statement - UNICEF is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and strives to establish children's rights as enduring ethical principles and international standards of behaviour towards children.

Save the ChildrenOur mission - Save the Children fights for children’s rights; we deliver immediate and lasting improvement to children’s lives worldwide.

UNICEF UKYouth Advisers, Youth Champions and Tag'd

Youth Champions (formerly known as Youth Advisers) are young people aged 12-18 who get involved in UNICEF UK to drive forward our work and the work we do with other young people through UNICEF Tagd.

What do UNICEF UK Youth Champions do?

•Help to design campaigning and fundraising materials, write newsletters, get involved in peer education (for example, at Tagd events) and highlight new challenges and ways to raise awareness.

•Represent UNICEF UK and spread the message about UNICEF's work.

•Educate other young people about UNICEF and UNICEF Tagd by making presentations, giving interviews and running workshops from time to time.

(http://www.tagd.org.uk/BeInformed/AboutUs/YouthChampions.aspx)

Save the Children and Plan’s Approach to Participation

• ‘Global Children's Panel', brings together 14 children from across our country programmes. The members for the 2008 panel meeting are from: Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Liberia, Mongolia, South Africa, UK and Wales.

• Meet with Save the Children UK's Board of Trustees, to ensure we create a culture of good governance that recognises children as key stakeholders to whom we are accountable. 

Plan and Youth Participation

Youth Participation is really important to Plan UK as our approach to development revolves around 'child-centeredness'. This means that rather than seeing children as something that development happens to, we see children as active participants and stakeholders in the process.

Plan UK's Children's Advisory Panel (CAP) is a group of young people aged 12-17 who offer Plan an invaluable child's perspective on Plan's work.

Children's issues do not set the agenda. Policy issues set the agenda, budgetry contstraints set the agenda; but children's own real life issues don't seem to set the agenda.