A/HRC/31/33 budgets in newspapers, which allowed parents and community groups to hold politicians and civil servants accountable for proper spending of the allocated resources. 29 38. Governments need to provide budget information in a clear and simple format to facilitate the public’s understanding of the budget. A number of States have developed innovative ways to provide information and to engage with children and young people concerning budgeting processes. OHCHR was informed that, in Japan, the Ministry of Finance has created a website for children, which includes games and videos for learning more about and understanding the tax and fiscal system, while in Honduras, the Government authors a popular column in a national newspaper in which it outlines and explains the contents of the budget. 39. To ensure that children can participate in fiscal processes, States should develop age-appropriate, child-friendly information about the fiscal process and the budget in the different languages spoken (including in those used by indigenous and minority communities)for distribution to schools and communities. The information should be available not only in hard copy but also on the Internet and social media. A good example can be seen in Wales, in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, where the local government has developed projects with young people to improve financial knowledge both within the community and in schools. In 2012, it issued a tool kit and a leaflet to help children and young people to understand the draft budget. OHCHR was informed that, similarly, in Georgia, the authorities integrated the elective subject “Economy and the State” into the national school curriculum in 2011. The subject, which introduces pupils to budgeting, fiscal and monetary policy-related issues, is taught in years 11 and 12. VII. Participation 40. The Convention on the Rights of the Child guarantees children the right to participate in public affairs, including in budgetary and other fiscal processes. In addition to being a legal obligation, children’s participation can assist Governments in designing interventions that are more relevant to children and that allocate resources more effectively. The participation of children in public affairs also ensures that their civil rights and freedoms put into practice, strengthens their civic engagement and enables them to understand and shape democratic processes. 41. In 2014, 2,700 children from 71 countries took part in a consultation process on what they thought Governments should invest in for their rights, and how to associate them with the public budgeting process. The findings in the resulting report emphasized that children wish to participate in decision-making about government expenditure and budgetary processes, with the conviction that their insights will help States to make better decisions.30 As mentioned by a child participant, “It’s impossible for them to invest in us if they do not ask us what to invest in! We know; they should ask.” 31 Children nonetheless count on the support of respectful adults who will help them to understand public spending processes and to express their views, in order to participate fully. Furthermore, it is vital that States ensure that children’s views are not only heard but are taken into account in decision-making processes. 29 30 31 See Ritva Reinnikka and Jacob Svensson, “Fighting corruption to improve schooling: Evidence from a newspaper campaign in Uganda”, 2005. Laura Lundy et al, Towards Better Investment in the Rights of the Child: The Views of Children, Centre for Children’s Rights, 2015. Ibid. 11