Girls in Ghana

    Children’s and youth rights in German development policy

    Children and young people are the biggest population group in almost all developing countries. They are a source of hope and play a crucial role in their countries. Ultimately, they are the ones who will be critical in achieving the social, economic and political change their countries need.

    Yet the rights of millions of children are being violated and abused in a multitude of ways. Extreme poverty, serious illness, a lack of educational opportunities, poor governance, armed conflicts and climate change are robbing them of the chance to lead a happy and fulfilling life.

    Germany is shouldering its share of responsibility

    Human rights – which of course include the rights of children and young people – are the foundation on which any country’s democratic, economic, social and cultural development is built. Young people often make up the majority of the population in the BMZ’s partner countries – almost one third of the world’s population is under the age of 24.

    Children are not a passive, vulnerable group; they are also active contributors to shaping society. They have their own needs and they also have rights, which empower them to play an active part in tackling global and local challenges. The rights of children and young people to protection, support and participation are enshrined in international law under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). However, these rights are frequently violated worldwide as a result of poverty⁠, hunger, violence, conflict and the effects of climate change.

    Official development cooperation is therefore specifically geared towards children and youth as a key target group and as active rights-holders. Their rights are an integral part of the human rights-based approach underpinning German development policy. This approach is reflected, among other things, in funding measures and in policy dialogue with our partner countries.

    The BMZ launched the Youth Advisory Council to create sustainable structures for getting young people’s input on German development policy. In addition, the ministry is introducing its own institutional child protection policy in 2026 to effectively protect children and young people from violence and exploitation across all BMZ activities.