“Because justice should include everyone — even kids.” Recently, 16 students from ten schools (Gordons Secondary Tokarara Secondary, Caritas Technical Secondary, Marianville Secondary, Kila Kila Secondary, Gordons International, Taurama Primary, Bavaroko Primary, Ward Strip Primary and Don Bosco Technical Secondary School) congregated for the Children’s Consultation on General Comment 27 (GC27), focusing on children’s rights to access justice and effective remedies. At the Children’s Consultation on General Comment 27 (GC27), students shared their thoughts, fears, and hopes about how justice should really work for kids in Papua New Guinea. Here are 6 real things they said loud and clear: 1. “Justice means fairness, safety, and being treated the same.” For these students, justice isn’t just about laws, it’s about being heard and respected. 2. Not all kids even know they have rights. “Not all children know their rights as a child.” – Barbra, Grade 11 Too many kids are unaware of their rights. Not many schools actively teach children about their rights and not many parents are aware of their children’s rights. 3. The justice system isn’t welcoming for kids. “Children do not feel safe to go to the police station.” – Jean, Grade 11 A lot of kids are scared to speak up, especially if they’ve been hurt or mistreated. Police stations feel scary. Not to mention, a classic tactic used by parents towards a misbehaving child is to threaten to call the police. 4. Shame and fear stop kids from getting help. Barriers like discrimination, embarrassment, or even being ignored by adults can stop children from reporting abuse or injustice. Many feel like no one will listen or worse, blame them. 5. The system needs to work for ALL children. The students said loud and clear: girls, children with disabilities, and kids in rural areas must be included. Justice must be accessible to everyone, not just a few. 6. Here’s what they want to see change: Train police and justice workers to speak to children with empathy Set up child-friendly spaces and reporting systems Run awareness campaigns about children’s rights Give young people more platforms to speak up