Children Push for Systemic Change, Launch National Agenda

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Terre des Hommes Netherlands (TdH NL), through its projects Creating a Safer Online Environment for Every Child (CONEC) and Safety for Children and their Rights Online (SCROL), hosted the 2024 Children and Youth Summit on November 22-23 at B Hotel in Quezon City.

The event, titled KONEK+SYON: Kabataan at OSAEC Ngayong Eleksyon, celebrated National Children’s Month and was supported by the European Union and the Dutch Postcode Lottery. It was organized in collaboration with child and youth-led groups, government agencies, civil society organizations, and private institutions.

As the 2025 Philippine midterm elections approach, the summit provided an opportunity for children and youth to amplify their voices, urging political candidates and lawmakers to prioritize their issues and concerns.

“We at TdH NL recognize children and young people as experts in their own experiences. We work to empower and connect them with those who can enact change, fostering a world where they flourish and are free from exploitation,” said Gráinne Le Fevre, Executive Director of Terre des Hommes Netherlands.

More than 100 children and youth delegates crafted a National Children’s Agenda, which outlines key recommendations for electoral candidates and government leaders. Their proposals address urgent issues such as violence against children (VAC), child trafficking, child labor, offline and online sexual abuse and exploitation (OSAEC), discrimination against LGBTI children, child marriage, disasters, and the climate crisis.

The summit also marked the formation of a unified network of child and youth-led organizations. This network will advocate for the National Children’s Agenda and collaborate with TdH NL to promote children’s rights and push for inclusive, gender-responsive legislation and policies.

The network aims to protect children from exploitation and provide appropriate support for victims and their families while ensuring the agenda reaches political leaders and decision-makers.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Office of the Assistant Secretary for International Affairs, Attached, and Supervised Agencies closed the event with a response, pledging its commitment to work with children and youth in building a safer, more equitable world.