"Participation as a Means for Enhancing the Effectiveness of Children's & Youth Rights"
The National Human Rights Council (CNDH) will participate in the second edition of the International Children and Youth Book Fair (SILEJ), on December 14-22, 2024, in Casablanca, Morocco.
Held under the theme “Participation as Means for Enhancing the Effectiveness of Children's and Youth Rights,” the Council's Pavilion at the fair aims to underscore its commitment to promoting and institutionalizing the principle of child participation in all its forms. This commitment is implemented through the involvement of children and youth in CNDH's activities, as well as positioning their participation as a central topic of dialogue and discussion in panel discussions, seminars, meetings, educational/artistic activities, and workshops.
"CNDH's strategic objective is to institutionalize the principle of participation for children and youth—enshrining it legally, encouraging it, and developing it to nurture a generation of active children and youth engaged in public affairs.” — Ms. Amina Bouayach, CNDH Chairperson
The Council's participation in SILEJ is an opportunity to cast light on issues relating to children's and youth access to knowledge and information, through a human rights-based approach that considers technology-related emerging challenges.
Over nine days, visitors of CNDH's pavilion will take part in panel discussions at the fair's venue and outside, enabling children and youth to express their opinions and interact with stakeholders on issues concerning their rights. Activities include artistic and cultural workshops (drawing, theater, writing, etc) offering outlets for children and youth to represent their ideas and concerns.
The CNDH’s program also features discussion groups addressing topics such as public policies for youth, civic participation, opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence, and volunteer work. Meetings with authors and publishers at the CNDH’s pavilion will encourage discussions on writing and publishing as tools for fostering creativity and access to knowledge. Various spaces with names reflecting human rights and values—such as Citizenship, Equality, Solidarity, Inclusion, and Communication—will be dedicated to hosting these activities and encouraging inclusive participation.
At this edition, the CNDH has adopted a participatory approach in collaboration with partner institutions as well as academic and civil organizations, including the Regional Academy of Education and Training, the Faculty of Arts at Ben M’Sik in Casablanca, the Faculty of Law, Economics, and Social Sciences in Mohammedia and El Jadida, "Bayti" Association, Idmaj Foundation for Development, "Gorara" Association for Arts and Culture, and the Social Protection Centers of Abdelaziz Bennani, Ben Slimane, and Berrechid.
It is worth noting that child participation is one of the four core principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), interlinked with the principles of non-discrimination, the right to life and development, and the best interests of the child. Therefore, institutionalizing the principle of cgild participation is among CNDH's strategic objectives, which has been reinforced through its regional consultations with children across the Kingdom’s 12 regions throughout 2023.
