CRC concluding observations 2023, paragraph 23
Plain English recommendation
Government should: (a) Ensure that all children, including younger children, disabled children and children in care, can have a say in all decisions that affect them, including in the justice system, in the care system, in connection with domestic violence, in health settings, in education, and in connection with migration and asylum; b) Do more to help children take part in family, community and school settings; ensure they can give their views on all policies that affect them, and that the outcomes of children’s and youth parliaments always influence public decision-making; (c) Train everyone working with and for children to ensure they understand children’s right to have a say on decisions that affect them; (d) Consider talking to children and civil society in England and Northern Ireland about lowering the voting age to 16.
Original UN recommendation
Noting with concern that children’s views are not systematically taken into account in decisions affecting them and in national and local decision-making, and underscoring the importance of the availability of age-appropriate information to facilitate child participation, the Committee recommends that the State party: (a) Ensure the right of all children, including younger children, children with disabilities and children in care, to express their views and to have them taken into account in all decisions affecting them, including in courts and relevant judicial proceedings and regarding domestic violence, custody, placement in alternative care, health, including mental health treatment, education, justice, migration and asylum; (b) Strengthen measures to promote the meaningful participation of children in family, community and school settings, and in policymaking at local and national levels, including on so-called “reserved matters”, and develop mechanisms to ensure that the outcomes of children’s and youth parliaments are systematically fed into public decision-making; (c) Ensure that all relevant professionals working with and for children systematically receive appropriate training on the right of the child to be heard and to have his or her opinions taken into account; (d) Consider holding consultations with children and civil society in England and Northern Ireland on lowering the voting age to 16 years.
Date of UN examination
18/05/2023
UN article number
2, 3, 6,12
Original UN document
Download the original CRC concluding observations 2023 on the UN website.