UN issues guidelines to protect children forced to migrate due to climate change

The first-ever global effort to address the concerns of children forced to flee their homes due to the climate crisis was taken on Monday.  A set of guidelines, backed by the UN were issued to protect, include and empower children who are forced to migrate because of climate change.

The guidelines contain a set of nine guiding principles that have been developed to safeguard the rights and well-being of children moving in the context of climate change.

The principles adopt a rights-based approach calling for upholding the best interests of the child, ensuring family unity, non-discrimination, and protection of nationality among others. The new



framework is not legally binding, however, they contain key principles of international law.

The principles are to be used by local and national governments, international organizations, and civil society groups working with children on the move in the context of climate change. The recommendations seek to safeguard the rights and well-being of children regardless of their location or migration status. 

Migrant children are particularly vulnerable when moving in the context of climate change. According to the UN, nearly 10 million children were displaced following weather-related shocks in 2020 alone.