A Dialogue Session with Children and A Seminar on Child Rights and Desertification
ACCD, AGFUND and LAS Call for the Realization of Children’s Right to a Safe and Healthy Environment
The Arab Council for Childhood and Development (ACCD), under the presidency of HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, actively participated in the 16th Session of the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP16) hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh in December. The ACCD's participation in COP16, held under the slogan "Our Land, Our Future", underscored its commitment to discussing the serious impacts of desertification and climate change on children's rights under the slogan “The Child’s Right to a Safe and Healthy Environment”.
Professor Hassan Al-Bilawi, Secretary General of ACCD, stated that ACCD focused its participation on advocating for children’s right to a safe and healthy environment. He emphasized that this is a fundamental right for children, and its absence jeopardizes a significant portion of their rights in various crucial areas such as health, education, and even their right to survival.
A Dialogue Session with Future Generations: Children's Voices Against Desertification
As part of the COP16 events, ACCD organized a special dialogue session titled "Dialogue Session with Children and Adolescents on Child Right and Desertification". The Session was held on December 6, 2024, in partnership between ACCD, the League of Arab States (LAS), the Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND), the Arab Scout Organization (ASO), and the Saudi Scouts Association. It took place at the Arab Coordination Group's pavilion in the Blue Zone of the COP16.
The Session included 11 children from the Saudi Boy Scouts, who actively engaged in a discussion about the concept of desertification and its impacts. They also highlighted the key national initiatives undertaken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to combat desertification. The Session was opened by Professor Hassan Al-Bilawi, Minister Plenipotentiary Lubna Azzam, Director of the Family and Childhood Department at LAS, and Mr. Mohamed Al-Salim, Projects Director at AGFUND. The Session was moderated by Mr. Essam Ali, an expert in children's rights.
During their Session, the children recommended the importance of preserving the environment, combating desertification, and adopting projects and initiatives in this field. They stressed the necessity of finding immediate solutions and starting their implementation now to preserve the environment for a more sustainable future for themselves and for future generations.
To reinforce their message, a powerful video titled "What if we planted a trillion trees?" was screened during the Session. Prepared and produced by the ACCD in partnership with AGFUND, this video, specifically directed at children, served as a call for their active participation in confronting desertification, emphasizing that children have a right to participate and play a vital role in protecting the planet for their future.
A Scientific Seminar: Experts Discuss the Grave Impacts of Desertification on the Arab Child Rights
In collaboration with LAS and AGFUND, ACCD held a specialized Seminar titled "The Arab Child Rights and Desertification" on December 7, 2024, at LAS’s pavilion in the Blue Zone of COP16. The Seminar addressed desertification as a direct threat to children's rights from multiple perspectives, including food and water scarcity resulting from land degradation, children's disruption from education, and the increasing phenomena of migration and forced displacement due to the loss of natural resources.
Professor Nahla Gahwaji, Dean of the College of Human Sciences and Designs at King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia, spoke at the Seminar. She pointed out that desertification represents a shared threat among many Arab countries and stressed that environmental education for children is the first line of defense in confronting this challenge. Prof. Gahwaji presented a set of challenges and solutions, asserting that children's rights to a healthy and sustainable environment must be a top priority. She concluded by emphasizing the need for long-term educational plans focusing on sustainability, alongside enhancing children's participation and understanding of environmental issues, and increasing regional and international cooperation in this vital field.
At the end of the Seminar, attendees recommended calling on Arab states to adopt new educational policies to combat desertification, based on an experience-driven knowledge approach. They also urged the establishment of environmental initiatives for children and youth among Arab countries, while stressing the necessity of building public awareness about the importance of climate action to protect the future of the planet and upcoming generations.
Date: December 7, 2024
