Children’s right to participation requires that the “adult world” and its institutions provide opportunities and practice every day and at every level. If children are to have an impact on public policy, space should be made available for opinion and consultation, through democratic representation. Advisory or Consultative Councils are bodies that several countries in the region have implemented for the purpose of promoting child and adolescent participation in issues that affect them. further information
Amongst the recommendations issuing from theFirst Pan American Forum (Peru, 2009) is the creation of consultative councils at local, regional and Inter-American levels. In the words of the adolescents themselves:
Organized Youth and Children’s Groups
Organized groups refer to other forms of national organization in which children and adolescents participate in some countries in the region. For our purposes, we refer to them as Consultative Councils.
