Secure Kids

About

The Secure Kids project aims to contribute to sustainable and inclusive mechanisms for child participation in planning, implementation and follow up of national and local measures for building resilient societies that are equipped to resist, absorb, accommodate, adapt to, transform and recover from the effects of a hazard in a timely and efficient manner, including through the preservation and restoration of its essential basic structures and functions.

Background

In recent years the Baltic Sea Region has been affected by a multitude of disasters and crises of increased interconnectedness and complexity. When combined, they present a severe challenge for the region. Examination of disasters demonstrates that differences in impacts are not the result of a disaster or presence of vulnerable groups, but rather inequitable policies and institutions that fail to include, reach, and protect those already at risk. Children, youth, and young professionals could be leading the way in disaster risk reduction and climate action, but despite evidence of the clear benefits of involving children and youth in disaster risk reduction (DRR) activities to children, youth, as well as to the whole communities and societies, it is still difficult for many authorities and societies to fully accept that children can play an active role in DRR.

Objectives

Strengthening the sustainability and impact of child participation mechanisms in decision making processes at both national and local levels with a specific focus on decisions and action to build safe and secure societies, including their resilience and ability to prevent, prepare, respond, and adapt to different types of hazards and emergencies.

Specific objectives of the project:

• Developing and strengthening child participation mechanisms in disaster risk reduction activities.
• Developing strategic guidance for the implementation of inclusive crisis communication considering children’s needs, concerns, facilitating factors and barriers in crisis communication.
• Equipping relevant actors and children with the knowledge, attitudes, skills and confidence to ensure children’s participation in disaster risk reduction activities.
• Building awareness on children’s rights and their role in disaster risk reduction activities among children, policy makers and various professionals working with children.

Target groups

• Relevant ministries, state agencies (civil protection agencies), local authorities and services, non-governmental organisations with the aim of building capacity, know-how, and procedures for providing voice, space, audience, and influence in decisions that concern planning and action to ensure societies that are safe and secure for children and young people.
• Children both as beneficiaries of the action, and as key actors to be actively involved throughout all project phases.

Partners

Project coordinator: Council of the Baltic Sea States Secretariat (CBSS), Safe & Secure Region – Civil Protection Network and Children at Risk unit.

Project partners: Creative Association for Youth TREPES, Liepaja Municipal Police and Union of the Baltic Cities (UBC).

Duration

1 March 2023 ­– 28 February 2025

Funding

The Secure Kids project is co-funded by the European Commission’s DG Justice and the project partners.

Contact

For more information about the PA Secure Kids project, please contact Vineta Polatside, CBSS Project manager: [email protected].