Encourage participation of children and teens in Navarra (ES0083)

What is the problem/need that is desired to resolve with the commitment? The entire citizenship cannot access to participate in the management of public affairs, either because they do not have the information necessary to do so, or because the participation channel established is not accessible. It is necessary to facilitate the participation of the citizenship in public affairs. It is necessary to have an active citizenship, especially in those sectors where it is most difficult. In the concept of citizenship, it is essential to take into account that childhood and adolescence are active subjects and have full rights. Currently, child participation is a key element in the environment of citizenship and education. It is sustained on solid legislative bases that recognise, defend and promote it. However, it must cease to be a discussion to become a reality that forms part of everyday life where childhood reaches the maximum autonomous exercise of the citizenship.

Objectives of the commitment To contribute to promote the participation of the citizenship in general and particularly children and teens, in building public policies, configuring mechanisms and channels that allow the participation of the citizenship and thus guaranteeing a more effective public management, at both the autonomous region level and locally To guarantee that all components of the citizenship have the adequate information and channels to guarantee their active participation in the management of public affairs and in all actions and decisions that affect them.

Brief description of the commitment To recognise the right of children and teens that are in Navarra to actively and adequately participate in its evolutionary development, adapted to functional diversity, in building a more just, supportive and democratic society, and to know the reality that they live, to discover the problems that affect them most and to provide solutions to them, progressively incorporating into the active citizenship.

How does the commitment contribute to solve the problem or cover the need? The effectiveness of recognising the right represents the incorporation of an important sector into the current citizenship and training in these values for the adults of the future

Why is the commitment relevant with respect to the values of Open Government? It promotes, strengthens and improves the quality of participation in the public management, allowing the citizenship to participate in making public decisions with the objective of achieving better results and better democratic quality. It raises awareness among society and civil servants about the values of Open Government, contributing to the fulfilment of the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda in order to advance towards a just, peaceful and inclusive society. 199

Additional information In 2018, the Navarra Autonomous Community started a pilot project to promote child and teen participation in the municipalities of the Autonomous Community. To do so, it collaborated with 6 city councils of Navarra in the design and implementation of one of the main actions of the process of recognising a municipality as a UNICEF Child Friendly City, and it is the creation of a permanent participation body and representation of the childhood and adolescence of the municipality. In association with this pilot project, in 2019, a youth participation session was organised in order to exchange experiences of Navarra and other autonomous regions as well as the participation of children. As a fruit of that pilot process, the Guide for designing child and teen participation bodies at the local level was recently published (March 2020). It can be consulted at this link Another notable achievement was the approval of Regional Law 12/2019 of 22 March on the democratic participation in Navarra, which includes in its TITLE VI: THE PARTICIPATION OF CHILDREN AND TEENS, which requires the institutions of Navarra to adopt the necessary provisions to enforce this law on the participation of children and teens, and they will be developed in the coming years.

Activities of the commitment Start date End date Organisation and celebration of the presentation and distribution session of the Guide for the design of child and teen participation bodies. Local entities of Navarra will be invited in order to continue promoting the participation in order to create child and teen participation bodies. 01/10/2020 15/11/2020 Diagnostic study of child and teen participation (CTP) in Navarra. The diagnosis includes the detection and mapping of experiences and good practises in the municipalities: ‐ In Navarra ‐ Outside Navarra 01/10/2020 31/12/2020 Constitution of an Engine Group with members from the administration of Navarra, local entities, FNMyC and with the collaboration of UNICEF to promote the CTP. 15/11/2020 31/12/2020 To promote and organise training actions regarding child and teen participation intended for local entities and staff of the Navarra Autonomous Community related both to the knowledge of the rights of participation of children and teens and to raising awareness about the obligations that the public powers have acquired in this regard 01/01/2021 30/04/2021 Support and monitoring of the municipalities of Navarra that promote the child and teen participation (CTP) through the creation of local councils and stable structures of participation integrated by children and teens with consultative and participation functions in all affairs that affect them, directly or indirectly, at the municipal level 01/10/2020 30/09/2024 Preparation of materials, resources and guides and adaptation of information and proposals to the circumstances of children and teens, according to their evolutionary development and maturity. ‐Publishing of material of the regional law and democratic participation in Navarra adapted to children ‐ The initiatives of citizen participation promoted by the Public Administrations that affect the rights of children and teens will involve the necessary adaptations, both in the information offered, and in the communication channels, so that children and teens can participate in them. 15/11/2020 30/09/2024 Creation and development of virtual participation spaces that are accessible to children and teens where in addition to expressing their opinions, they can make improvement proposals and suggestions about the actions of different Public Administrations. 01/03/2021 30/09/2024 200 Development of pilot experiences in the educational centres that promote participatory processes, encouraging the assumption of proposals that improve both the educational, municipal and regional environment and the development of attitudes and values that build the democratic and citizen competence for the child and teen participation by the educational community. To do so, it will collaborate closely with the local entities. 01/05/2021 31/12/2022 Regulatory development of the law on democratic participation in Navarra, which includes the CTP ‐ Prior public consultation, drafting of regional decree, report, participation process, public exhibition, etc. ‐ The composition and functions of the Council of Navarra of children and teens will be determined via regulation, taking into account the contributions for its conformation of the children and teens themselves. 01/10/2020 31/12/2021 Constitution of the Council of Navarra of child and teen participation. 01/01/2022 30/06/2022 Incorporation of the Council of Navarra of child and teen participation into the processes of participation promoted by the public administrations. 30/06/2022 30/09/2024 Carrying out an evaluation of the measures and actions proposed to push forward and promote the CTP ‐ Creation of child participation bodies in local entities ‐ Pilot experiences in educational centres ‐ Specialised training in child participation ‐ Creation of the child participation council ‐ Virtual participation spaces and adaptation of materials to the language accessible to children and teens ‐ Creation of mechanisms to have timely and adequate accountability towards the processes of child and teen participation that it promotes, especially linked with the Council of Navarra of child and teen participation 01/01/2024 30/09/2024