Unite for children’s
environmental rights

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has published its General Comment on Children’s Rights and the Environment with a Special Focus on Climate Change (General Comment No. 26) 

General Comment No.26 is the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child’s authoritative guidance on how children’s rights are impacted by environmental harm and climate change and what governments must do to uphold these rights to ensure that children live in a clean, healthy and sustainable world.

Mikiko Otani

Mikiko Otani

member of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child

“I echo the urgent call of children for climate justice. Your voices matter and must be seriously taken into account by States.It is my hope that the General Comment No. 26 will serve as an impetus for global and national level change by providing authoritative guidance to States on ensuring a child rights-based approach to addressing the environmental and climate crisis.” 

General Comment No. 26

General Comment No.26 is the outcome of remarkable global engagement. From December 2021 – February 2023, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child hosted consultations with the global community, including specific consultations with children. Learn more about how General Comment No.26 was created.