Call for Input for Children and Young People! Transforming food systems to protect human rights and prevent climate harm
The way the world produces, distributes, and consumes food is at the heart of the climate crisis and a key barrier to the protection and realisation of human rights. By centring children’s views and experiences, we can shape a future where food systems are sustainable, equitable, and respect every child’s human right to a healthy environment.
About the Call for Input
Closing Date: 16 March, 2026.
This year, the UN Special Rapporteur (SR) on Climate Change and Human Rights, Elisa Morgera, is dedicating her report to the Human Rights Council on ‘Transforming food systems to protect human rights and prevent climate harm.’
The Institute for Inspiring Children’s Futures is working in collaboration with the SR on Climate Change and Human Rights and the Scottish Government to make sure that children and young people’s views and experiences directly inform action and decision-making to protect human rights in the context of the climate crisis.
Stay tuned! The findings of the children and young people’s inputs will be published in an everyone-friendly report, expected May 2026.
Made possible by funding from the Scottish Government.
Why Children’s Voices Matter
Children are among those most impacted by climate change and food insecurity, and have the right to be heard in decisions that affect their lives. Still, children and young people are still frequently excluded from climate and food system decision-making processes. Children and young people’s views, experiences, and ideas are critical to ensure that the 2026 Report to the Human Rights Council reflects children’s lives and priorities, and helps to build more responsive solutions.
Hear more from Elisa Morgera, UN Special Rapporteur on Climate Change and Human Rights!
This project contributes to the fulfilment of children’s human rights as set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) as well as the General Comment 26 of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child on children’s right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment (UNCRC General Comment 26).
You can find full and summary/child-friendly versions of the UNCRC and General Comment 26 by clicking on the buttons below!
The inputs will support us to:
Identify how food systems impact children's human rights
Explore innovative, child and youth-led solutions for climate-resilient food systems.
Support children and young people as changemakers in global climate justice advocacy.
You can find an explanation of all the words used in the consultation, a glossary of terms, and some helpful resources and guidance below!
Ready to fill in the consultation?
We are inviting children (U18) and young people (up to 25) from around the world to share their perspectives.
At the links below, questionnaires are available in English, Spanish, and French.
Deadline: 16 March, 2026.
When you have finished filling in the questionnaire, please send us your responses via word document by email to: hrc-sr-climatechange@un.org with subject line: “Report on transforming food systems to protect human rights and prevent climate harm.”
If you would like to share any creative content (drawings, poems etc), please include it in your email with your questionnaire response (no larger than 20MB). In order to uphold your anonymity, make sure you don’t submit any content that shows your identity or the identity of any other people (children or adults).
Guiding Ethical Principles and Complaints
We are committed to the highest ethical standards in our work with children and young people. Please view our Guiding Ethical Principles for Inspiring Children’s Futures through Climate Justice and Human Rights here.
To report a concern or to submit a complaint, please email hrc-sr-climatechange@un.org.
Made possible by funding from the Scottish Government.