Campaigning for Child Rights in German Parliment

Together with ten other child rights organizations, World Vision Germany (WVG) founded the advocacy campaign #ChildRightsChampions (#Kinderrechte-Champions), raising awareness among politicians for child rights and fostering their commitment in the parliament.  

Before the German Federal Elections in September 2021, World Vision Germany began activating to enhance the prominence of child rights on the political agenda in Germany. This included convincing as many candidates for the parliament as possible to support the three asks of those becoming a #ChildRightsChampion:

(1) increasing investments in education

(2) fostering child participation

(3) ending child poverty and inequalities

The coalition asked parliamentarian hopefuls to make commitments on the Campaign-Website so that voters could see which candidates were committed to supporting children once elected to parliament.

After the elections and appointment of the new members of parliament, a virtual kick-off event for all elected #ChildRightsChampions took place in January 2022. The NGO coalition reminded the Parliamentarians of their mandate to advocate in the parliament for the realization of the three campaign asks and to use their political function to advance the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in Germany. Representatives of all five political parties discussed how the campaign asks could be jointly realized within the next four years.  

In addition, the NGO coalition contracted a Berlin artist to create a “child rights trophy.” Each of the five democratic political parties received the trophy. The trophy was handed over in front of the parliament between the parties to exemplify the need for the parties to work jointly together to advance child rights in Germany. The last political party will hold the trophy until World Children’s Day on 20 November 2022.   

To further celebrate World Children’s Day, World Vision, the NGO Coalition, youth ambassadors, and members of the German Parliament will be coming together on the evening of November 23 to discuss education, child participation, and child poverty. One year after the elections, this event will highlight the successes and places to grow for child rights in Germany.