'Why I'm part of the conversation on climate change' - UNICEF
By Cressie Mawdesley-Thomas
I have just arrived in Geneva to attend the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, where I am going to be working with the Children in a Changing Climate coalition: Plan International, Save the Children, UNICEF and World Vision International.
Today and tomorrow there will be preparatory workshops in advance of the Wednesday feature event called "The Resilient Future We Want: Children in DRR", which aims to demonstrate how children need to be listened to: so that nations can help their children help themselves, each other and their communities when disaster strikes.
The focus of the event will be listening to children and responding to their specific vulnerabilities; ensuring this translates into action and is a focus up to and beyond 2015, when the Hyogo Framework expires.
This is important for everyone because children and youths are the most vulnerable in natural disasters, thus it is only right that they are given a platform on which they can share their experiences and articulate their suggestions for making their communities more resilient to disasters.
Ayumi, 16 year old girl from Japan, explains why she is attending: "I came here to change the current situation in order to further enhance health protection for children in Fukushima".
Over the next few days I am going to be helping facilitate discussions and workshops with young people from over 3 continents who have experience of disasters in their country: my role is to ensure that these amazing young people, who can teach leaders so much, have the confidence and opportunity to explain what they, as children, need. It is essential that decision makers recognise, understand and accommodate for the specific and acute vulnerabilities children face when disaster strikes and that infrastructure and education is implemented to ensure that children are protected.
In 2011 the Children's Charter for DRR was launched, setting out five priorities identified by 600 children on disaster risk reduction, and there were roundtable discussions highlighted what needed to be done to reduce disaster risk for children.
This 2013 follow-up session will focus on how risks for children can be reduced in practice and the role children can play. It will offer concrete recommendations for the post-2015 DRR policy framework, as the Hyogo Framework expires in 2015.
I am part of this because it is only right that children and young people are recognised as key stakeholders within discussions on DRR: young people may be the most vulnerable but are innovative and have a great capacity to deal with change, if equipped with adequate information and resources. Thus children and young people must be empowered on an international, national and community level so that they can understand disasters, prepare for them and develop physical and psychological coping mechanisms. It is also important to not see DRR as an isolated issue but to recognise the intrinsic relationship between disaster reduction, sustainable development, poverty eradication, intergenerational justice and equality.
Over the course of the Global Platform, I want to see recognition of the fact the preparing for disasters and adapting communities and their infrastructures today will save lives and money tomorrow. Recognition of the risks faced by children and the role they can play. This recognition needs also to translate into action by political will, international co-operation and a pooling of expertise. At the Global Platform in 2013, it is time to build the resilient future we want.
Cressie Mawdesley-Thomas is a former young climate ambassador for UNICEF UK