The supporting organisations (now eight) are:
- Childwatch International
- European Child Friendly Cities Network
- International Council on Children’s Play
- International Paediatrics Association
- International Toy Library Association
- Right to Play International
- World Leisure Organization
- World Organisation for Early Childhood Education (OMEP).
The Children's Environments Research Group (CERG), key member of Childwatch, has played a formative role in the entire process from the beginning in 2007. The Childwatch Key Institute in Mexico, the Research Program on Infancy and Childhood, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, conducted one of the seven Global Consultation workshops for the initiative.
In order to maintain the momentum and to gather material worldwide IPA and its partners organised the Global Consultations on Children’s Right to Play.
Three specific objectives were set:
- To mobilise a worldwide network of article 31 advocates and to harness expertise to raise awareness of the importance of play in the lives of children.
- To gather specific material demonstrating the infringement of the child’s right to play.
- To formulate practical recommendations for governments with regard to compliance with article 31.
Working with regional and national partners, IPA identified eight Consultation sites worldwide: Bangkok, Beirut, Johannesburg,Mexico City,Mumbai, Nairobi, Sofia and Tokyo. Following a careful planning and preparation process, consultations were held in these cities between January and June 2010. Details can be found in the report below.
The child’s right to play, leisure and recreation is set out in article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). While the Consultations described in this document acknowledged the importance, and overlap, of each of these elements, an emphasis was placed on the right to play as it is one of the least known, least understood, least recognised rights of children and consequently one of the most consistently ignored, undervalued and violated of children’s rights in the world today.
Link to the website on The Global Consultations on Children's Right to Play
Download the final report from the consultations
Link to IPA, The International Play Association