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Over 65% Secondary School Students Value Urban Green and Recreational Spaces

Hong Kong, 20 November 2024 – Do you hear the voices of children? The Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF HK) is holding an interactive ‘7,000 Days of Life’ exhibition on World Children's Day, inviting the public to ‘Listen to the Future’! Mr Chris Sun, Secretary for Labour and Welfare; Ms Judy Chen, Chairman of UNICEF HK; and Ms Miriam Yeung, UNICEF Regional Ambassador for East Asia and Pacific attended the celebration ceremony as guests of honour to advocate for children’s well-being together.

At the ceremony, Mr Chris Sun, Secretary for Labour and Welfare, said that the Government attached great importance to child-related work and anticipated that after the implementation of the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance, the number of reports received would increase considerably. He described the passage of the Ordinance as a historic step to safeguard children’s growth, and called on all parties to care for the first 7,000 days of life of every child, setting a basis for every day afterwards.

From the moment a mother carries a baby, to the child’s coming of age, children encounter various challenges in their first 7,000 days of life. On World Children’s Day, UNICEF released the flagship report, The State of the World’s Children 2024: The Future of Childhood in a Changing World, which projects how population shifts, technology disparities and extreme climate crises will impact children’s lives by 2050 and beyond. To this end, UNICEF advocates for Child Friendly Cities Initiative to invest in a sustainable and resilient environment for children during their important 7,000 days of life, along with the “Giga” project to deliver connectivity and safe technology design for all children.

Climate crisis is already dire. According to the report, in the decade of 2050 to 2059, eight times as many children will be exposed to extreme heatwaves, three times as many exposed to extreme river floods, and nearly twice as many exposed to extreme wildfires, compared to the 2000s. UNICEF’s Today & Tomorrow Initiative (TTI), the world’s first integrated climate and disaster risk finance mechanism specifically targeted and designed to be effective for children and young people, aims to provide support for child-centred climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.

Amid the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) where green industries and future transformations are discussed, UNICEF HK announced the survey result on Hong Kong secondary school students' awareness of and participation in sustainable living environments at the ceremony. UNICEF Young Envoys interviewed over 250 students this June to August, and found that nearly 80% of the secondary school students attached importance to environmental protection; more than 65% considered urban green and recreational spaces as ‘important’ or ‘very important’; and about 60% considered that relevant facilities had taken into account the needs of children and teenagers. However, only 31.5% of the respondents considered green and open spaces in the community as sufficient, and nearly half of the students were not aware of any green campus policy or programme in their schools.

Ms Judy Chen, Chairman of UNICEF HK, highlighted the theme of World Children's Day 2024 - ‘Listen to the Future’, and put forward that the survey results reflected Hong Kong students’ willingness to take action in pursuing a green living environment and a sustainable future. She suggested the Government to step up publicity on green policies and actions among the younger generation. With studies proving that public and green spaces are conducive to children’s healthy development, Ms Chen believes that adults must listen to children’s voices and take their needs into considerations, making Hong Kong a friendly city for children to live and inherit.

Ms Miriam Yeung, UNICEF Regional Ambassador for East Asia and Pacific, shared her personal experience of raising her son and spending quality family time as much as she could. When getting along with her son, Miriam always tries to understand things from her son’s, instead of her own, perspectives. She encouraged the public to pay more attention to children’s thoughts and needs, such as by learning about child rights, understanding children’s visions for Hong Kong and joining UNICEF Charity Run this December to take action in creating a better future for children.

The future of childhood hangs in the balance if urgent action is not taken to safeguard children’s rights in a changing world.  Read more at: https://www.unicef.org/reports/state-of-worlds-children/2024. UNICEF’s latest report The State of the World’s Children 2024 provides the most comprehensive analysis of megatrends transforming children’s future, including on conflict and war, child labour, urbanization, early childhood development, disabilities and more.

Mr Chris Sun, Secretary for Labour and Welfare(centre); Ms Judy Chen, Chairman of UNICEF HK (first left); and Ms Miriam Yeung, UNICEF Regional Ambassador for East Asia and Pacific (first right) attended the World Children's Day celebration ceremony as guests of honour to advocate for children’s well-being together, urging the public to “listen to the future”. ©UNICEFHK/2024

UNICEF HK’s exhibition themed ‘7,000 Days of Life’ showcases various challenges children face before turning 18. Interactive games allow the public to experience the daily struggles of underprivileged children as they trek long distances to fetch water. Ms Judy Chen, Chairman of UNICEF HK (first right) guided Mr Chris Sun, Secretary for Labour and Welfare (centre), and Ms Miriam Yeung, UNICEF Regional Ambassador for East Asia and Pacific (first left) on a tour of the exhibition. ©UNICEFHK/2024

Mr Chris Sun, Secretary for Labour and Welfare(fifth right); Ms Judy Chen, Chairman of UNICEF HK (fifth left); and Ms Miriam Yeung, UNICEF Regional Ambassador for East Asia and Pacific (forth right) took a photo with other UNICEF HK guests, including Mr Richard Tsang, Council Member (forth left); Ms Lorraine Chan, Communications and Media Relations Committee Member (third left);  Ms Fiona Zhuang, Fundraising Committee Member (third right); Mr Francis Cheng (second left); Mr Fong Chung Lun, Advocacy Committee Member (second right); Mr. William Lo, Fundraising Committee Member (first right); and Ms May Chiu, Executive Director (first left). ©UNICEFHK/2024