Norway has a long tradition of focusing priority on efforts to enhance the ability of children and young people to exert an impact on the development of society. Norway has ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and has incorporated into its national legislation the principle that children and young people have a right to state their views and be heard. This creates a framework within which children and young people can influence issues affecting their own daily lives, thereby promoting active participation in society.
Children and youth NGOs provide young people with first-hand understanding of democratic processes, participation and the need to take responsibility. These organizations have an important role to play in voicing the interests of children and young people as well as in the implementation of national child and youth policy. The Norwegian government works actively to support and strengthen NGOs in this sphere.
The Norwegian authorities seek to further enhance the ability of children and young people to participate in and influence their communities, especially in spheres such as schools, recreational activities, neighbourhoods and culture, in addition to public planning and decision-making processes.
Increasingly, Norwegian municipal authorities are promoting systematic participation of children and young people in local planning and decision-making activities. Child and youth councils or similar bodies have been established in about 75 per cent of all Norwegian municipalities. The central and local authorities also arrange future workshops, hearings, conferences, etc., where children and young people are invited to contribute their ideas and suggestions.