ARNEC, UNICEF, Save the Children: Young children at the center of environmental and climate change actions

Regional, global networks: Build coalition, movement for ECD and climate resilience

The climate crisis is a child’s rights crisis at its core. Protecting the youngest children across the globe is integral to the climate crisis response. This is the first in the series of global webinars on ECD and climate change from the Early Childhood Regional Networks - AfECN, ANECD, ARNEC and ISSA and Global Early Childhood Network ECDAN. With speakers from across the globe including youth advocates, climate experts and ECD practitioners, the webinar will explore the global impact of climate change and environmental degradation on young children, share some experiences from Africa and Asia Pacific regions, and agree on key messaging for COP27 (Egypt 7-18 Nov 2022 – Conference of the Parties, global climate summit), for the ECD and climate change agenda to include the youngest children in decision making.

 The webinar objectives are as follows:

• Share knowledge on the intersection between ECD and Climate Change and show how ECD is fundamental in addressing environmental issues: 
• Explain how it is imperative that environmental knowledge and policy becomes part of our work in ECD
• Explain the impact of climate change and env. degradation on young children’s wellbeing and development aligned with NCF, and some promising practices.
• Build momentum for stakeholder engagements towards consideration of ECD agenda during the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 27) to the UNFCCC that will take place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, building consensus on messaging and aligning ECD with youth movement agenda on climate change.
• Peer learning across Africa and Asia Pacific region and regional ECD networks so far in terms of what has happened in Africa Region on the topic of ECD, CC.
• Share that this will be a series of webinars on this initiative and invite colleagues to join the movement.

Protect the young children in Pakistan from the impact of massive flooding

The Asia-Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood (ARNEC) expresses deep concern over the devastating impact of the flooding and unfolding humanitarian crisis in Pakistan, particularly on young children who are among the most adversely affected. We stand in solidarity with members and partners in Pakistan in ensuring that young children are protected amidst the massive flooding. 

The flooding in Pakistan is not an isolated case. It affirms histories of disasters and humanitarian crises brought about by climate change in the country as well as in other parts of the Asia-Pacific region. 

ARNEC in solidarity with our Pakistan partners, calls on the world leaders, governments, donors, multilaterals, the private sector, civil society, and other partners and stakeholders to put the protection, health, learning, well-being, and developmental needs of Pakistan’s young children at the heart of emergency response and ensure long term action is taken to include young children in global climate change action.