ABSTRACT
In 1993, Childwatch International emerged from a process of informal consultation between child researchers from different parts of the world. Childwatch International works with UNICEF and various non-governmental institutions. The Committee on the Rights of the Child has also approached Childwatch to request more research related to monitoring children's rights. Most environmental legislation is based on findings on how environmental contaminants react in adults. When international or national organisations establish limit values for environmental emissions of a product, the child's special susceptibility is seldom taken into account. The initiatives in North America serve as an inspiration for developing that kind of awareness of children's susceptibility in Europe. Children need the respect and autonomy that are granted by the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Research into policies on and promotion of the relationship between children's health and environmental health are needed to promote environmentally healthy and child-friendly neighbourhoods. Research on children's special susceptibility to environmental exposure is needed.
