Vietnamese children propose actions to tackle climate change

Participants came to an agreement o­n a set of recommendations and proposed actions to tackle the challenge of climate change. The recommendations target different stakeholders including government and businesses, the international community, local leaders, families and children. The young participants also developed their own plan of action to combat climate change.

Co-organized by Vietnam’s Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the workshop aimed to increase awareness of climate change among children, motivate them to take action and prepare them for participation in the Children’s Forum o­n Climate Change which will be organized in Copenhagen (Denmark) this December. Six children were selected by the participants to represent Vietnamese children at the event.

Climate change is already having and will continue to have an adverse impact o­n children’s lives. “Climate change will make children more vulnerable and there will be more risks to their survival, growth and development”, said Jean Dupraz, Deputy Representative of UNICEF in Vietnam.

During the workshop, the children learned about various aspects of climate change and implications for their lives and communities. The young participants also discussed and shared their thoughts while seeking solutions to this global problem. According to UNICEF, the involvement of children and young people in finding solutions to climate change is very important. Empowered by knowledge and information, they can be great change agents for protecting the earth.

“We believe that children have a vital role play and should be empowered to act”, said Mr. Dupraz. “I congratulate the Vietnamese Government o­n this excellent initiative and in particular MOLISA for their leading role in involving children in important debates about the country’s development and future”, he added.