Congressional Briefing: Children’s Voices on the World Bank
October 29, 3:30 – 5:00pm, 1539 Longworth
Refreshments will be provided
Please RSVP to jschwarz@bicusa.org by Monday, October 28th
The Bank Information Center, in cooperation with Representative Nita Lowey (D-NY), invites you to a Congressional briefing, “Children’s Voices on the World Bank”, featuring children from Peru, Yemen, Cambodia and Uganda, and experts from the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, as they discuss their views on the World Bank, ways in which its policies can better protect the rights and interests of children, and how development aid can better meet the needs of the next generation to finally end the cycle of poverty.
Ranging in age from 11 to 17, these children participated in consultations where they learned about the World Bank, shared concerns about issues facing their communities, and made recommendations for how the Bank can strengthen its policies to better protect children, communities, and the environment. Youth and adolescent voices have increasingly been recognized as important contributions to sustainable development. The realization of a child’s right to be heard contributes not only to the personal development of the child but also to better decision-making and outcomes for programs and polices that are informed by those most affected by them. To ensure that children’s voices are heard as part of an ongoing World Bank review of its social and environmental protection policies, known as “safeguards”, the independent nonprofit, Bank Information Center, has initiated a series of consultations on the World Bank with children and adolescents in countries where the World Bank is active. This briefing will provide the children an opportunity to present their views and recommendations to Members, Congressional staff, civil society representatives and others interested in hearing these important voices on the World Bank.
For more information on the consultations, visit our children’s consultation page. To see more pictures from the events, along with posters made by the children addressing their concerns and recommendations for the Bank.
This will be a widely attended event.