보건복지부 영문홈페이지

Children's voices that will change the world

세상을 바꾸는 아동의 목소리

 

- The 19th National Children's Assembly of the Republic of Korea, August 9-11, 2022

2022년 제19회 대한민국 전국 아동총회 개최(8.9.~11.)

 

The Ministry of Health and Welfare, together with the National Center for the Rights of the Child, and the Korean Council of Children's Organizations, will be hosting the 19th National Children's Assembly of the Republic of Korea in 2022 at the Hi Seoul Youth Hostel. The event will take place for three days from August 9 to August 11 (Tue-Thurs) under the theme of "Promoting Children's Rights to Participate", with the opening ceremony taking place at 10 a.m. of Tuesday, August 9.

 

The "Children's Assembly of the Republic of Korea" is a venue for the exercise of children's right to participate in which representatives of children from all over the country (120 children, from 10 to 17 years old) gather to discuss social issues related to children. It has been held annually since 2004.

 

The Children's Assembly aims to ensure children's social participation and to contribute to the promotion of children's rights and interests along with the implementation of the national task of 'building a world fit for children', adopted at the 2002 UN General Assembly’s Special Session for Children.

 

The children representatives participating in this conference were selected through local children's assemblies held in various regions of the country prior to the National Children’s Assembly.

 

The local children's assemblies were held for two months from June to July, and a total of 690 children from 17 cities and provinces participated and received education on children's rights and drew up local resolutions.

 

Due to the COVID-19 spread, all programs (including online discussion and adoption of resolutions) except for the opening and closing ceremonies will be held in a non-face-to-face (Zoom) format, and the opening and closing ceremonies will be streamed live through YouTube.

* To view the opening and closing ceremonies, search 'Korea Children's Assembly' in the YouTube search bar or visit the URL: https://youtu.be/m9AFzLEuWKk

 

About 40 children, including Speakers of the Children's Assembly, will be attending the opening ceremony, and national children's representatives selected at the local children's assemblies will participate online.

 

The opening ceremony will be held jointly by Miss Kim Soo-ah (13 years old) and Mr. Kim Seong-su (13 years old), who served as speakers of the children's representatives the previous year.

 

The Children’s Assembly will open with the opening declaration of the 18th Speaker Miss Ryu Sae-bom (15 years old), followed by the greetings by Mr. Oh Joon, President of the Korea Council of Children’s Organization, followed by congratulatory videos and letters from National Assembly members Mr. Kang Giyun (People Power Party), Mr. Baek Jonghean (People Power Party), and Ms. Kang Sunwoo (Democratic Party), Mr. Cho Kyoo Hong, the 1st Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, and Ms. Yoon Hye-mee, President of the National Center for the Rights of the Child.

 

After the opening ceremony, children's representatives will have a non-face-to-face discussion on various topics related to the promotion of children's right to participate* for three days, before final adoption of resolutions of the Children's Assembly.

 

* Subjects include: Political participation, student autonomy, spreading culture of participation, diversification of participation methods, participation of children in need of special protection, etc.

 

The adopted resolutions are delivered to the government, and each ministry reviews the contents, discusses policy implementation possibilities and progress and reports the results to the Child Policy Coordinating Committee, to build a world fit for children.

 

Of the 14 policies related to the '18th Children's Assembly Resolution' adopted last year, 13 have been or are to be implemented, showing 92.9% policy implementation rate.

* 8 are under implementation, 5 are in progress or planned to be implemented, and 1 requires long-term review

 

In particular, the Ministry of Environment opened the Chungbuk Environmental Education Center in Cheongju in March 2022 to implement the task of “expanding specialized facilities for environmental education experience” presented in the resolution of the 18th Children’s Assembly. The Ministry also announced plans to build environmental education experience centers using closed schools in Seoul and Busan.

 

Cho Kyoo Hong, the 1st Vice Minister of Health and Welfare said in his remarks to children, “We hope to hear your voices about what preparations and efforts we should make now for a world you want.”

 

He added, “I will listen with an open mind and try to create a Republic of Korea where you can grow up in a safe and clean environment and live to your full potential for your hopes and dreams.”

// For inquiries, contact Media Relations, Ministry of Health and Welfare

044-202-2047 or fairytale@korea.kr