Children’s rights at the heart of the Global Compacts

The two Global Compacts on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) and on Refugees (GCR) are historic commitments of the international community. They provide frameworks for multilateral cooperation and reaffirm human rights principles for all migrants and refugees. Terre des hommes wants to make sure that children are at the core of the implementation process of the Global Compacts.

Terre des hommes is a member of the Initiative for Child Rights in the Global Compacts on Migration and Refugees. The Initiative advocates for the participation of children within the implementation of the Global Compacts and the respect of their rights in the following key areas:

Tdh actively steers and contributes to the Initiative for Child Rights in the Global Compacts on Migration and Refugees to:

• ensure that the rights of children affected by migration and refugee children are respected and fulfilled;
• advocate for and support child-sensitive and child-focused implementation of the compacts as important frameworks to help make a positive difference in children’s lives;
• speak with one voice on migrant and refugee children at all levels (global, regional and national);
• contribute to increased capacity of different stakeholders, shared knowledge and good practices, and support the participation and views of children and youth affected by migration in international forums and processes.

Access to services and to integration for migrant children

23 objectives are outlined by the Global Compact on Migration for better managing migration globally. We want to ensure that children and youth affected by migration have access to safe, good-quality and adapted basic services all along the migration routes with a focus on the region of West Africa (Objective 15 of the GCM). We also ensure that integration and inclusion issues are adequately addressed in global, regional and national policy frameworks with a focus on Europe (Objective 21 of the GCM).

In December 2019, 27 children - 18 girls and 9 boys - participated in our workshops in West Africa to prepare messages for world leaders. We continue to provide spaces where children can express themselves and be active members of the implementation of the Global Compacts.

The Initiative for Child Rights in the Global Compacts is a multi-stakeholder partnership bringing together over 30 civil society, trade union, UN and philanthropic organisations around a shared agenda - to create a continuum of care, protection and support for refugee and migrant children and to ensure that children’s rights are at the heart of the Global Compact on Refugees and the Global Compact for Safe, Regular and Orderly Migration.

Photo credit : ©Tdh/Paul Robin and Ollivier Girard