"Newsletter on the rights of the child" Newsletter Issues

Recommendation on developing and strengthening integrated child protection systems in the best interests of the child (30/04/2024)

The adoption of this recommendation keeps the promise made in the 2021 Strategy on the Rights of Child and aims to support the development and the strengthening of integrated child protection systems to encourage all relevant authorities and services to better work together in a system that puts the child at the centre. The Recommendation is part of a package, including a Staff Working Document, an Annex and a Communication.

Special edition - Commission Recommendation on Integrated Child Protection Systems (30/04/2024)

A week ago, on 23 April, the Commission adopted the Recommendation on Integrated Child Protection Systems (ICPS)! In this edition of the newsletter, you can get all relevant documents relating to the recommendation in one place. Through the EU Children’s Participation Platform, over 1,000 children gave their views, and we collected views from other stakeholders through Have Your Say portal. If you are reading this, you might be one of them – and we warmly thank all stakeholders who contributed!

Report from the consultation with children on what they need to feel safe (16/04/2024)

The EU Children's Participation Platform asked children across Europe about what helps keep them safe. The ideas that children have shared helped the European Union draft the ‘Recommendation on integrated child protection systems’. Between May and October 2023, 1,095 children from 21 countries of the European Union took part in the consultations. 73% of children were aged between 14 and 17, 27% were between 7 and 13.

Report on the Public Consultation on Integrated child Protection Systems (16/04/2024)

The report from the public consultation on Integrated Child Protection Systems is available online. This consultation was launched to gather views from a wide range of stakeholders and the public, to inform the preparation of the Commission Recommendation on Integrated Child Protection Systems.

4th meeting of the EU Network for children's rights (30/04/2024)

More than 70 people from all over the EU participated in the 4th meeting of the EU Network for children's rights. They represented national authorities and civil society organisations. During the meeting, the Commission presented and discussed the Recommendation on integrated child protection systems and the implementation of the EU Strategy on the rights of the child.

Call for proposals to prevent violence against children – deadline extended (30/04/2024)

The EU is seeking innovative projects that address violence against children, including on improving functioning of integrated child protection systems. The deadline for submission of applications has been extended to 29 May 2024.

FRA – Mapping Child Protection Systems in the EU (Update 2023) (16/04/2024)

In January 2024, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights published the update of their mapping on child protection systems in the EU. This document gives an overview of the state of child protection systems at national level and developments since the first publication in 2015 and promotes the improvement of integrated child protection systems. It helped in drafting the Recommendation on integrated child protection systems.

Newsletter 1/2024 (15/04/2024)

Dear Readers, with the spring comes this rights of the child newsletter. The EU Children's Participation Platform has grown and has members in 24 EU Member States. The adoption of the Recommendation on integrated child protection systems – coming soon and it is still possible to send your application for funding under the Daphne call. Stay tuned and scroll down to see what has happened and what opportunities are still available.

Survey for children on democracy - open until 30 April (16/04/2024)

The EU Children’s Participation Platform launched an its second online survey for children across Europe to hear what they think about different ways of participating in democracy, voting and where they get information from. The survey is available in all EU languages and open until 30 April.

Report on the Public Consultation on Integrated child Protection Systems (16/04/2024)

The report from the public consultation on Integrated Child Protection Systems is available online. This consultation was launched to gather views from a wide range of stakeholders and the public, to inform the preparation of the Commission Recommendation on Integrated Child Protection Systems. The Recommendation is scheduled for adoption before the end of April.

Report from the consultation with children on what they need to feel safe (16/04/2024)

The EU Children's Participation Platform asked children across Europe about what helps keep them safe. The ideas that children have shared helped the European Union draft the ‘Recommendation on integrated child protection systems’. Between May and October 2023, 1,095 children from 21 countries of the European Union took part in the consultations. 73% of children were aged between 14 and 17, 27% were between 7 and 13.

Joint European Union and Council of Europe Child-friendly Justice Project (16/04/2024)

In January 2024, the European Union and the Council of Europe launched a joint project on child-friendly Justice. It will last until March 2026. It aims at improving the protection of children in contact with the law (as perpetrators, victims, witness or parties in non-judicial and judicial (civil and criminal) and administrative proceedings). Through three focus countries (Belgium, Poland and Slovenia), the objective is to test and finalise a child-friendly justice assessment tool which will help the Member States meet European standards in the matter of children’s rights before, during and after judicial proceedings.

2024 European elections and young people participation (16/04/2024)

The European Commission has published a leaflet to raise awareness among young people on the upcoming European elections. The flyer, in all 24 EU languages details who can vote and why voting in this particular election is important. It also contains information on the opportunities available to young people to boost their impact on the European Union

Policy and Practice Forum 2024 – Climate Resilience: Preparing for the Future (16/04/2024)

On 17 April afternoon, the Commission will host an online Forum entitled ‘Climate Resilience: Preparing for the Future’. Participants will engage in a direct dialogue with policymakers and practitioners in the field of climate resilience, in order to explore strategies to enhance resilience, adapt to changes and mitigate future risks. You can register online.

EducationForClimate: Youth Climate Lab on AI and climate change (16/04/2024)

Between February and October 2024, the Commission, through its Youth Climate Lab, proposes six online sessions on ‘How to approach AI and climate change in learning communities’. These peer-learning world café are opened to young people between 16 and 26 years old.

Call for proposals to prevent violence against children – deadline extended (30/04/2024)

The EU is seeking innovative projects that address violence against children, including on improving functioning of integrated child protection systems. The deadline for submission of applications has been extended to 29 May 2024.

#VoteForChildren (16/04/2024)

On 21 March 2024, the European Parliament’s Intergroup on children’s rights hosted an event that launched the #Voteforchildren campaign. More than 9200 children aged between 10 to 18 replied to the online survey "Europe Kids Want" designed by children and ChildFund Alliance, Eurochild, Save the Children, SOS Children’s Villages, UNICEF and the Child and Youth Friendly Governance Project. Based on the results, the EU should prioritise efforts on education, mental health, combating bullying and violence against children, creating more jobs or study opportunities and addressing war and conflicts

EP – Debate – Building inclusive societies through education, the role of primary schools (16/04/2024)

On 17 April 2024 morning, the European Parliament’s Coordinator on children’s rights, Vice-President Ewa Kopacz, will host a high-level debate on the thematic of the role of primary schools in the building of inclusive societies. The agenda includes presentations from Learning for wellbeing foundation, Czepczyński Family Foundation, European Schools and Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture.

Political agreement on rules enforcing human rights and environmental sustainability in global supply chains (16/04/2024)

On 14 December 2023, the European Parliament and the Council reached the political agreement on the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. The proposal aims to foster sustainable and responsible corporate behaviour throughout global value chains. Large companies will be required to identify and, where necessary, prevent, end or mitigate adverse impacts of their activities on human rights, such as child labour and exploitation of workers, and on the environment, for example pollution and biodiversity loss.

Political agreement on new rules to combat violence against women and domestic violence (16/04/2024)

On 6 February 2024, the European Parliament and the Council reached the political agreement on the on the Commission's proposal for a Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence from March 2022. The Directive is a milestone - the first comprehensive legal instrument at EU level to tackle violence against women, which is still too pervasive in the European Union.

FRA – Mapping Child Protection Systems in the EU (Update 2023) (16/04/2024)

In January 2024, the European Union Agency for fundamental rights published the update of their mapping on child protection systems in the EU. This document gives an overview of the state of child protection systems at national level and developments since the first publication in 2015 and promotes the improvement of integrated child protection systems. It helped in drafting the Recommendation on integrated child protection systems

FRA and CoE – Publication of a new guidance for border officials and other authorities (16/04/2024)

The Council of Europe and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights published a new guidance on human rights standards at Europe’s borders that apply to children. This note summarises the main safeguards of European law and completes the two previous publications in this matter.

UNODC – Targeted by Terrorists: Child recruitment, exploitation and reintegration in Indonesia, Iraq and Nigeria (16/04/2024)

Through the project 'STRIVE Juvenile: Preventing and Responding to Violence against Children by Terrorist and Violent Extremist Groups' funded by the European Union, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the partner countries, Indonesia, Iraq and Nigeria, intend to develop and implement comprehensive national responses to prevent and counter terrorism and violent extremism affecting children. The research study of the project ‘Targeted by Terrorists: Child recruitment, exploitation and reintegration in Indonesia, Iraq and Nigeria’, published in February 2024, has been carried out in these 3 countries to increase knowledge regarding children associated with groups designated as terrorist.

CFJ-EN – First Caravan meeting (16/04/2024)

On 4 December 2023, the Child-Friendly Justice European Network (CFJ-EN) Caravan made a stop at the European Commission before visiting the EU Parliament and meeting with UNICEF and the Ombudsperson for children of the Francophone Belgian Community. This Child Justice Caravan is an initiative proposed by the CFJ-EN to children and young people to visit European institutions, meet with key representatives, become advocates for change in European justice systems and have their rights and needs more respected.

Report: Building Children's Futures (16/04/2024)

The ‘Building Children’s Futures: Using Children’s Rights to Recover from the Global Pandemic’ project is funded by the EU Commission and is being led by the Children’s Rights Alliance in partnership with the Department of Children Equality Disability Integration and Youth, Tusla, Ireland’s Child and Family Agency and Children and Young People’s Services Committees (CYPSC), Eurochild, UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre University of Galway, and Foróige. Using Ireland as a case study, the project aims to document how child participation structures worked during the Covid-19 pandemic and identify best practices in Covid-19 responses in Europe. The project will explore how a child rights-based approach, utilising Child Rights Impact Assessments (CRIAs), can be embedded in decision-making in times of emergency.

ECJ – European arrest warrant (16/04/2024)

The surrender of a requested person cannot be refused on the sole ground that she is the mother of young children. By judgement of 21 December 2023, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that a court cannot refuse to execute a European arrest warrant (EAW) on the sole ground that the requested person is the mother of young children living with her. However, that court may exceptionally refuse that person’s surrender if two conditions are satisfied.

The European harmonised technical standards on the safety of toys should be accessible to EU citizens (16/04/2024)

Judgement of the Court in Case C-588/21 P | Public.Resource.Org and Right to Know v Commission and Others. In 2018, the European Commission refused the request of two non-profit organisations to be granted access to harmonised technical standards concerning the safety of toys. In 2021, the General Court upheld that refusal. Relying in particular on the principle of the rule of law and the principle of free access to the law, the Court considers that the possibility for citizens to acquaint themselves with those standards may be necessary in order to enable them to verify whether a given product or service actually complies with the requirements of such legislation. Accordingly, the Court finds that there is an overriding public interest in disclosure of the harmonized standards in question.

UN – Committee on the Rights of the Child – General Comment on Children’s Rights to Access Justice and Effective Remedies (16/04/2024)

During its 95th session in January 2024, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child decided to draft its 27th General comment on children’s rights and to dedicate it to access to justice and effective remedies. The objective is to instigate States Parties to undertake appropriate actions to ensure children’s right to access justice and effective remedies. The Committee stated clearly its intention to involve Children in the drafting process.

Exhibition – Brussels – ‘From Despair to Hope: Children Beyond Armed Conflict’, P. DOWLING (16/04/2024)

From 21 March to 28 April 2024, a photography exhibition of Paddy Dowling, a humanitarian photojournalist and correspondent, takes place at the BOZAR Museum of Brussels. The exhibition was opened by Vice-President Dubravka Šuica, Virginia Gamba, the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and a representative of the Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of the Kingdom of Belgium. This collection of portraits shows children around the world who suffered, in different ways, from armed conflicts. The entrance is free.

UN online course – The Children and Armed Conflict (16/04/2024)

Until the end of the year, the United Nation system Staff College is proposing a free self-paced online course about children and armed conflicts. The course presents the UN Agenda on this topic and offers the possibility to contribute, through your work, to the implementation of this agenda.

Newsletter 4/2023 (18/12/2023)

Dear Rights of the child community. 2023 is coming to an end. We wanted to start this edition of the newsletter on a positive note, but it is difficult looking at the situation around the globe and the impacts on children. “Children do not start conflicts; they deserve and need peace,” was rightly put in the Joint Statement by the European Commission and the High Representative issued on the World’s Children Day. Nevertheless, we will try to bring some positives. In the same statement, we read about the upcoming Commission Recommendation on the integrated child protection systems, on the EU Children’s Participation Platform, Better Internet for Kids, European Child Guarantee and many other initiatives that took or will take place to make children’s live easier and happier. And this is our wish for 2024. For every child. Every right.

EU Children’s Participation Platform – one year on (18/12/2023)

The Platform celebrated its 1st birthday in October during the third Advisory Board meeting – the first one with children. Over the year, the Platform had its first General Assembly, first consultation with children on what they need to feel safe and adopted its first Work Plan. You can read about it all in the Platform’s newsletter or on the website. The Platform has currently 50 member organisations from 20 EU Member States.

Clear Writing Award 2023 (18/12/2023)

Documents prepared for the General Assembly of the EU Children’s Participation Platform won an award in the Winner in the External communications materials category! Big thanks to members of the Platform and all partners - we wouldn't have done this without you!

Victims’ rights campaign – keep your eyes open – focus on children (18/12/2023)

The book ‘The Girl Who Kept Her Eyes Open’ aims to raise awareness among children (7-10 years old) and adults (parents and teachers) of the problems suffered by people fleeing war and their rights. Through the story of a Ukrainian refugee child meeting a particularly observant little girl in her new school, it shows the importance of paying attention to others in order to recognize the victims of crime - in this case, the victims of war-related crimes - and offer them support. The book is available in 13 languages (English, French, Dutch, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Latvian, Polish, Romanian, Slovak and Ukrainian).

Safer Internet Forum 2023 (23/11/2023)

Safer Internet Forum (SIF) 2023 took place on 23.11.2023 with a theme of Empowering YOUth with skills for the Digital Decade. The event was organised in a youth-led manner, with 41 young people from 22 European countries playing an active role in planning, preparing and delivering the Forum through the Safer Internet Forum Youth Advisory Group (SIF YAG) and the BIK Youth Panel. More than 150 participants joined the event in person, with an additional 700 registering to participate participating online, and jointly representing 93 countries across the globe.

Early Childhood Education and Care – discover ECEC wiki (18/12/2023)

The ECEC space of the European Education Area website (aka the “ECEC wiki”) offers documents and resources on children’s rights and early childhood education and care. One of the latest documents is the 3rd report related to monitoring and evaluating quality of ECEC considers the importance and ways for “Involving children, parents, staff and stakeholders in monitoring and evaluating quality of early childhood education and care”.

Early Childhood Education and Care – policy brief (18/12/2023)

The Policy brief "Staff shortages in early childhood education and care" examines the extent, impact (incl. on the implementation of the Child Guarantee and the Barcelona targets), causes and solutions of ECEC staff shortages across Europe. It is currently available in English only, but translations in all EU languages will be available online in December.

Pathways to school success – report on assessment practices (18/12/2023)

A new thematic report was published by the Working Group Schools – Pathways. It looks at new assessment practices and argues that in addition to standardised tests, new assessment methods are needed that capture a broader range of learning aims. This means not only assessing knowledge, but also the ability to use knowledge in various contexts – as well as learners’ personal and social development and well-being.

European Education Area- factsheets on well-being and mental health (18/12/2023)

The European Commission together with NESET (Network of Experts on the Social Dimension of Education and Training) created a series of factsheets on on well-being and mental health in schools. The European Education Area promotes the development of a ‘whole-system, whole-school approach’ to address mental health and well-being in schools and build positive learning environments for all learners and their teachers.

World Mental Health Day Conference (18/12/2023)

To mark World Mental Health Day on 10 October 2023, the European Commission held a half-day, high-level conference in Brussels, hosted by Stella Kyriakides, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety. This event brought together hundreds of representatives from the EU institutions, national governments, international organisations and other interested partners to raise awareness of the new approach, hear from experts, including on those specilising in child mental health. Those with lived experience, including young people shared their stories and recommendations. One chapter of the new communication on mental health focuses on children.

EU Learning corner – newsletter November 2023 (18/12/2023)

This edition of the EU learning corner news looks into upcoming EU elections and proposes several resources on the EU, elections, voting and democracy.

European Youth week 2024 (18/12/2023)

European Youth Week 2024 (12-19 April) is an event organised by the European Commission every second year to celebrate and promote youth engagement, participation and active citizenship all over Europe and beyond. Next year it is titled "Voice your vision” and will focus on democracy & European elections. See more on the European Youth Portal

New call on the rights of the child (15/11/2023)

The 2024 call on the rights of the child is open for applications until 26 March 2024 with a substantial increase of the budget (from 2 to 12 million EUR). The call covers four priorities: Children’s mental health: prevention, protection and support; Embedding a rights of the child perspective in actions at national and local level: mainstreaming, national strategies, data, budgeting; Children’s engagement and participation: national and local level, to complement activities of the EU Children’s Participation Platform; Understanding democratic rights, which starts in childhood: education, creative learning, civic rights

New call on combating violence against children (19/12/2023)

New Daphne call is open for applications until 24 April 2024. One of the priorities looks at funding targeted actions on improving integrated child protection systems.

Framework partners get together (19/10/2023)

On 19 October, the European Commission held a meeting of CERV Framework Partners. The aim was to take stock of the successes and challenges faced by the partners so far, as well as look ahead at the coming years of collaboration. For the rights of the child session, we met online with ENOC, InHope, COPE, MCE and Child Helpline International. Read more about our partners in the document.

FRA – Children who fled Ukraine face rights challenges in the EU (29/09/2023)

FRA’s third bulletin on ‘The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine’ examines how best to protect the fundamental rights of children now in the EU who fled the war in Ukraine. It also identifies the steps some countries have taken and highlights various areas of concern like keeping track of children, access to education and mental healthcare, as well as the situation of children who were evacuated from Ukrainian institutions.

European Guardianship Network on World Children’s Day (20/11/2023)

On 20 November, EGN issued a document reporting on a conversation between European policymakers, guardianship organisations and young people on strengthening guardianship for unaccompanied children in Europe, hosted by the European Parliament.

Spanish presidency of the of the Council of the European Union - child participation (19/12/2023)

Children's voices across borders - 30 children (from 12 to 17 years old) from 10 countries (Malta, Ireland, Germany, Luxemburg, France, Portugal, Poland, Austria, Czech Republic and Spain) took part in a conference organised by the Spanish presidency of the European Council , with the support of UNICEF Spain and Plataforma de infancia. For the first time, a Presidency conference was fully dedicated to child participation.

EU Contest for young scientists 2023 (18/12/2023)

The European Union (EU) Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) is the most important student science fair in the EU, showcasing the best of student scientific achievement in the EU and beyond. Each year, the event brings together promising, talented students & bright young minds (14-20 years old) from all over Europe and beyond, to present their projects to a panel of international judges.

SOS Children’s Villages -e-learning training on child participation (18/12/2023)

A new e-learning course as part of the EU co-funded project “Together: Working in partnership with children and youth to enhance their rights in responses to crisis situations such as COVID-19 and other emergencies”. The free course, “Meaningful Child and Youth Participation in Public Decision-Making,” aims to remind and refresh adults with policy and decision-making responsibility of their duty to uphold children’s rights by seeking children and young people’s views and taking them into consideration when making decisions that impact their lives. It is targeted primarily at public decision- and policy-makers, but it is also relevant for a wider group of professionals who work for and with children and young people.

European Court of Human Rights - climate change and child rights (18/12/2023)

Six children and young people (11-24) filed filed a lawsuit against 32 governments, including all EU member states, the UK, Norway, Russia, Switzerland and Turkey. They accuse these countries of insufficient action over climate change and failing to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions enough to hit the Paris Agreement target of limiting global warming to 1.5C. The case is the first of its kind to be filed at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg.

New online survey for children - The Europe kids want (18/12/2023)

The survey is open until the 15th of January in several EU languages for children between 10- and 18-years old living in the European Union. The objective is to gather the views of children ahead of the EU elections on what future EU leaders should prioritize. The results will be consolidated in a report that will be launched in March. The consultation is put together by ChildFund Alliance, Eurochild, Save the Children, SOS Children’s Villages and UNICEF.

Child friendly justice network Caravan at DG JUST (04/12/2023)

On 4 December 2023, the CFJ-EN Child Justice Caravan made a stop at DG JUST, before visiting the EU Parliament and meeting with UNICEF and the Ombudsperson for children of the Francophone Belgian Community. The Child Justice Caravan is an initiative proposed by the CFJ-EN to children and young people to visit European institutions, meet with key representatives from these institutions, and become advocates for change in European justice systems and have their rights and needs better respected.

ENOC – annual thematic focus November 2023 (18/12/2023)

ENOC’s 2023 annual thematic focus addresses the role of Independent Children’s Rights Institutions (ICRIs) in advancing children’s rights in Europe.

Behind the screens: early findings from the VOICE research (29/11/2023)

The VOICE research aims to listen to the views of children and caregivers and share their insights and opinions about online child safety to inform policy at the national and EU level, as well as globally. Using a mixed-method approach across 15* countries, the VOICE partners consulted a total of 316* children through focus group discussions and surveyed 6618 caregivers. As we start to delve into what children are telling us, this report offers a preview of the valuable perspectives of parents and caregivers on online safety, along with some initial reflections from children.

Eurochild – new report on child poverty (18/12/2023)

Eurochild’s new report “Poverty takes away the right to childhood”: Children’s perceptions of poverty in 4 EU Member States features the results of consultations with over 200 children (aged 10-18) in Bulgaria, Croatia, Malta and Estonia on child poverty. It presents how children view poverty and how they perceive its effects on their peers at home, in school, and in their community.

Littsint- Anger management for parents (18/12/2023)

Steinar Sunde, specialist psychologist and cognitive therapist at the Family Counselling Centre in Molde, developed a website, e-book and anger management app with support from the Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs. Littsint is a service providing free materials for parents who want to work on anger management.

Newsletter 3/2023 (18/09/2023)

Dear Readers, in this post-summer edition we will share with you the report from the General Assembly of the EU Children’s Participation Platform. You will see reminders about ongoing calls for actions, consultations and registrations for conferences. We will also let you know about some interesting events and projects, including about TODAY’s launch of the UN General Comment 26 on children’s rights and the environment, with a special focus on climate change. We wish you a nice read.

State of the union 2023 – achievements and priorities (13/09/2023)

EU Children’s Participation Platform is one of key achievements of the current Commission: “The Commission fully recognises children and young people as active citizens and agents of change in our European democracy. For this reason, we are setting up a permanent on- and offline EU Child Participation Platform to enable children across the EU to participate in EU decision-making in a systematic and meaningful way. This platform is being built together with children, civil society organisations and the European Parliament.” The Commission Recommendation on integrated child protection systems is included on the list of priorities for 2024. Last week President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen talked about the state of the Union. You can re-watch it online with subtitles in all languages and in international sign language.

Deadline extended! We want to hear from children about child protection (18/09/2023)

The online survey on what children need to feel safe is still open for children until the end of September. Please help children with filling it in and share with others.

Reminder- we also want to hear from adults (18/09/2023)

In the EU Strategy on the rights of the child, we promised to propose how to better protect children and bring all relevant authorities and services to work together in a system that puts the child at the centre. The open public consultation and a call for evidence for adults on the initiative on the Integrated child protection systems are now available on line. Please respond before 20 October 2023.

Report from the General Assembly – EU Children’s participation platform (18/09/2023)

It was not easy to summarise all that happened and all conversations that took place during the general assembly! Have a look at the report and spend some moments diving into the atmosphere of the meeting recoded in videos and photos.

Still time to send best and promising practices on mental health (18/09/2023)

The Commission collects best and promising practices on mental health. Please contribute before 29 September.

Stakeholder webinar - A Comprehensive Approach to Mental Health (21/09/2023)

It will take only 90 minutes on 21 September to get to know what the new Commission’s Communication on mental health is about, including actions related to children.

World Mental Health Day conference (10/10/2023)

On 10 October, join Stella Kyriakides, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, representatives from the EU institutions, national governments, international organisations and other interested partners. At the conference you will hear from experts and those with lived experience, exchange on good practices and new approaches. The conference will cover the topics: Mental health across all policies; Promotion & Prevention; Equal access for all

Learn more about child participation–CP4EUROPE website (18/09/2023)

You can find many useful tools on the website, for example: the Child Participation Assessment Tool (CPAT) and its child friendly version, the Handbook on children’s participation for professionals working for and with children; a child-friendly campaign package a to raise the awareness of national and local authorities on the importance of child participation. Also a Moodle/online training course for professionals working for and with children.

Join online - Global Launch of the General Comment No.26 on children’s rights and the environment (18/09/2023)

An official launch event of the General Comment no 26 happens today. 16,333 children from 121 countries contributed to the text. The launch event will be live broadcasted and archived at: https://media.un.org/en/webtv A virtual celebration hosted by children and young people together with Terre des Hommes will take place from 15:00 – 16:30 CEST. Click on to see more about this online meeting. In this general comment, the Committee emphasises the urgent need to address the adverse effects of environmental degradation, with a special focus on climate change. The document clarifies the obligations of States to address environmental harm and climate change. The Committee also explains how children’s rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child apply to environmental protection, and confirms that children have a right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.

UNGA 2023 side event on child participation (19/09/2023)

During this meeting you will hear from child and youth delegates about their recommendations for child participation. EU Commissioner Suica will open the event and present the EU Children’s Participation Platform as key initiative to recognise children as agents of change. The meeting is organised by Joining Forces Call to Action and co-hosted by the European Union.

Council of Europe Raoul Wallenberg Prize 2024 (18/09/2023)

The Council of Europe Raoul Wallenberg Prize was set up in 2014. It rewards individuals, groups or organisations for their extraordinary humanitarian achievements. The sum awarded is €10 000 and the award ceremony will take place at the Council of Europe on 17 January 2024.

Newsletter 2/2023 (11/08/2023)

Dear Readers, In this summer edition, we will share some wonderful memories from the first ever general assembly of the EU Children’s participation platform. And just a day after the general assembly, the rights of the child team lived through more amazing moments –thanks to the European Ombudsperson who awarded our work with children on the EU Strategy on the rights of the child. There are also reminders about the ongoing consultations on the integrated child protection systems, and other opportunities for children and adults to share their voices and opinions. We wish you a nice end of the summer season.

General Assembly – EU Children’s participation platform (26/06/2023)

More than 60 children, members of the EU Children’s Participation Platform came to Brussels on 26-27 June. It was the first time children met each other, representatives of the European Commission, European Parliament, EU Member state administrations, civil society organisations and us, the rights of the child team. Over two days children talked about what child participation is and should be, and what would they like the platform to become and do. They also visited the European Parliament, took a tour around Brussels to see its hidden germs and tasted famous Belgian chocolates.

General Assembly continued (11/08/2023)

Our thanks to everyone who was there. It was a truly wonderful event and you can see that from the photos and upcoming videos on the platform’s website. The recording from the two plenary sessions is also available.

And the EU Ombudsperson special award for good administration goes to… (28/06/2023)

The rights of the child team! In reality, it’s an award for everyone who worked on the EU Child rights strategy before and after its implementation – and first and foremost, the children who contributed to it! This award is really special – we got it for working with children for children, and received it the day after the first general assembly of the EU Children’s participation platform. We got a lot of congratulations on the work and achievements, and many questions about how, what and with whom we had done all this. Starting from consultations with children, then child friendly versions of the strategy, and guidelines on how to work on child friendly documents, training sessions for EU staff, etc.

We want to hear from children about child protection! (11/08/2023)

In the previous edition of the newsletter, we shared the link to the online survey on what children need to feel safe – t is still open for children until the end of August.

We also want to hear from adults (11/08/2023)

In the EU Strategy on the rights of the child, we promised to propose how to better protect children and bring all relevant authorities and services to work together in a system that puts the child at the centre. The open public consultation and a call for evidence for adults on this initiative are now available on line. Please respond before 20 October 2023.

Call for best and promising practices on mental health (11/08/2023)

Last time we informed you about the new Commission document on mental health: a new Communication on a comprehensive approach to mental health. As part of the activities coming out from this document, the Commission started collecting best and promising practices on mental health. Please contribute before 29 September.

Final conference: Make the difference (11/08/2023)

The EU-funded project "Make the difference – together for child protection in families with addiction issues" is coming to an end. A final online conference will take place on 18 September 2023, 10:00-11:15 (CEST). 📌 Highlights: • Keynote presentation by Gisela Hansen & Lucia Goberna (Dianova) on Children's Rights in Addiction Care and relevant EU Policies • Overview of the "Make the Difference" Project's objectives, successes and lessons learned • Insights from Project Partners on impact and challenges

Children: tell the Spanish presidency what’s important for you (11/08/2023)

In July, Spain took over the presidency of the European Union. They immediately launched an EU-wide survey to collect children’s views on what is important for them. The online survey will be open until 28 August. The findings of these consultations will inform a call to action, developed by children themselves, which will be presented before the Spanish government and other decision-makers in Spain in September 2023.

The UN wants to know how children can be safer on-line (11/08/2023)

UN Special representative on Violence against children with over 30 organisations that form a POP network (protection through online participation) would like to know how children and young people use the Internet to access protection. They will use the results of the survey to make recommendations on how to improve online tools.

Strengthening families: How family strengthening can help prevent the unnecessary separation of children from their families (11/08/2023)

This report from SOS Children’s Villages explains why it is important to invest in family strengthening in countries across Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. It features the components of child protection and family welfare systems that need to be in place for a range of integrated and quality family strengthening services, and showcases programmes in Bulgaria and Latvia.

European Court of Justice: Best Interests of the child in return procedures (22/06/2023)

A recent ECJ decision states that the EU Return Directive must be interpreted to say that children’s best interests must be protected at every stage of a return decision. The children’s best interests could not only be considered after the return decision, when the court could decide to suspend enforcement of the return decision on the basis of the children’s best interests.

Child Helpline International launches new (O)CSEA position paper and data report (22/06/2023)

In April, Child Helpline International published a position paper on the role of child helplines in prevention, detection, and victim support for children against (online) child sexual exploitation and abuse. This publication outlines the position of Child Helpline International, provides European child helpline data and information on (O)CSEA 2019-2021, and includes a discussion on OCSEA and underreporting, and what can be done about it.

FRA and the European Guardianship Network: Training for guardians of unaccompanied children (22/06/2023)

The EU Agency of Fundamental Rights (FRA), in close coordination with the European Guardianship Network, to developed training material for guardians and trainers. All unaccompanied children are entitled to a guardian under EU law. Guardians require specific knowledge and skills to promote the rights and best interests of the unaccompanied children they are responsible for. To guide guardians, FRA created an online training and a training platform as well as a trainer's manual for guardians. The training contains practical exercises, case studies and quizzes to assess participants’ knowledge and other resources to allow participants to further develop their skills. The manual It helps institutions, organisations and individuals train guardians or deliver ‘train-the-trainers’ courses in a range of training contexts

EPSUM: Teaming up with children in migration (22/06/2023)

SOS Children’s Villages, War Child Holland and Save the Children joined forces to prevent mental health problems in refugee children. The EU-funded project ‘EPSUM - Enhancing Psychosocial Wellbeing of Unaccompanied Minors’, organised training for professionals and volunteers in Italy, Greece and Sweden and supported to integrate within existing services for children in migration. TeamUp facilitators guide children through games, sports-related activities, dance, body awareness exercises and creative movement that contribute to their physical, cognitive, social and emotional development. They are also trained to timely identify children experiencing mental distress and in need of targeted specialised support and refer to relevant services.

Youth participation: models used to understand young people’s participation in school and community programmes (22/06/2023)

If you want to learn more about the many different forms youth participation can take, this study by Headstart might be of interest. Headstart is a UK-based programme aiming to explore new ways to improve the mental health and well-being of young people. Its new briefing reviews different models of youth participation and illustrates the numerous ways young people can be involved in programmes in schools and communities. For school and community programmes working with young people, models of participation can be a useful way of understanding the influence that young people can have on mental health interventions and supports. With this briefing, Headstart hopes to empower professionals to share leadership of activities with young people, where feasible.

FRA survey on Fleeing Ukraine - Displaced people experiences in the EU (22/06/2023)

This report points at concrete challenges faced by people fleeing Ukraine, with a specific focus on children (who responded to a specific questionnaire). In general, most respondents did not face difficulties when travelling into and within the European Union. Less than half of those who were in education shortly before fleeing Ukraine have continued their education in the host country. The language barrier is the main reason for this. Almost two thirds of children availed themselves of online education provided by schools or universities in Ukraine, or taught themselves using materials and other support from Ukraine. Worryingly, about half of the younger children (aged 12–15) who participated in the survey report having difficulty sleeping and/or concentrating, a loss of self-confidence or feeling vulnerable

Heartbeat of Humanity: Mental Health of Children in Migration (22/06/2023)

Give a listen to the recent episode on ‘Mental Health of Children in Migration’ of the podcast Heartbeat of Humanity. In this episode, IFRC Psychosocial Centre Communications Officer Jesper Guhle explores how humanitarian actors can support the mental well-being of children in migration. One of the guests is Orso Muneghina from SOS Children’s Villages International, who tells us more about the Epsum project mentioned in this newsletter.

Unicef-Policy briefs on ECEC for Ukrainian children (22/06/2023)

In March 2023 UNICEF released two policy briefs on the integration of young refugee children through early childhood education and care and expanding early childhood education and care for Ukrainian refugee children. • Building Bright Futures - How to integrate Ukraine's refugee children through early childhood education and care. • Building Bright Futures - What is needed to expand early childhood education and care for Ukraine's refugee children.

FRA Fundamental Rights report 2023 (22/06/2023)

Published on 8 June 2023, with a specific section on rights of the child: The number of children at risk of poverty and social exclusion continued to increase in 2022. High energy costs and rising inflation placed additional burdens on the households in which families with children are struggling to cover basic needs. Alongside the arrival of children fleeing Ukraine, the arrival of other non-EU asylum-seeking children continued to increase. As a result, several Member States struggled to provide basic reception conditions, and some continued to detain children in the migration context. The European Commission issued several legislative proposals on victims’ rights. Member States have thus taken numerous legislative steps in the protection of children involved in justice systems as victims, as witnesses or when in conflict with the law.

UN Special Representative on Violence Against Children: Let’s Tell the World (22/06/2023)

All across the globe, children and young people are taking actions to end violence and make the world a better place. These projects deserve the spotlight. The Let’s Tell The World campaign aims to map child- and youth-led initiatives everywhere. Fill in this survey to tell the world how you are making it a better, healthier, safer, more equal, more inclusive and more innovative place. You can fill in a survey and tell the world about your project.

Applying Safe Behaviours: Preventing and responding to peer Violence (22/06/2023)

Childhood is not a fight arena! This is one of the key messages developed by young people as part of the EU co-funded project “Applying Safe Behaviours: Preventing and Responding to Peer Violence Amongst Children and Young People”, implemented by SOS Children’s Villages. A free e-learning course and series of explainer videos were developed for all adults who care for and work with children and young people. For young people, two awareness-raising videos were created using stories and ideas from the project’s International Young Expert Group. Children aged 8-11 can have a look at a children’s booklet created by groups of children in each of the project countries.

“Strengthening Families: How Family Strengthening Can Help Prevent the Unnecessary Separation of Children from their Families (22/06/2023)

This report from SOS Children's Villages makes the case for the importance of investing in family strengthening. The report provides recommendations regarding the prevention of unnecessary placement in care. This includes situations when the fully assessed circumstances of a child reveal there are no protection concerns but support is needed to address other vulnerabilities within the family to ensure the child does remain at home. The report was developed with the aim of being helpful to policy-makers and practitioners from government and civil society, and others working in child protection, social protection, and social services.

The Unaccompanied Children in Alternative Residence (U-CARE) (22/06/2023)

The EU Co-funded project was implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Greek NGO ARSIS and Belgian foster care agency Pleegzorg Vlaanderen. The project reinforced family-based care in Belgium and Greece, developed prototypes to support UMC in their transition to adulthood in Germany and built the capacity of care professionals and (future) foster families in various EU member states. All of the U-CARE tools were developed in exchange with (inter)national experts, social workers, (aged-out) UMC and diaspora and migrant organizations and were disseminated widely in the final months of the project, in the EU and beyond. For more information or questions, please reach out to Anke Van de Velde, U-CARE project manager: avandevelde@iom.int

Newsletter 1/2023 (12/06/2023)

Dear Readers, In the first six months of 2023, we have focused on the two key initiatives of the 2021 EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child: the EU Children’s Participation Platform and the preparation of an initiative on integrated child protection systems. We are happy to let you know that the EU Children’s Participation Platform is up and running! We are pleased to share with you the link to become a member of the platform and the link where children can respond to the first survey on integrated child protection that will feed into our forthcoming initiative. Please use them, share them and contribute to promoting child participation in democratic life and policy making across Europe. We have also been supporting supporting civil society organisations through funding, we kept on mainstreaming children’s rights across EU policies - for example within the new Communication on a comprehensive approach to mental health. Read about this all in our newsletter. Thank you all for your daily work to make their children’s lives better, and for all your efforts to make their rights a reality on the ground.

Child participation on the move! (12/06/2023)

The EU Children’s Participation Platform is now open with first activities on their way. We have children from more than 40 civil society organisations, and more applications in progress. If your organisation or someone in your network is interested in joining the EU Children’s Participation Platform, just share or follow the link to find our more and apply.

EU Children’s Participation Platform - 1st General Assembly (12/06/2023)

The first General Assembly to be held on June 26-27 in Brussels. The Assembly will bring together children, their organisations and child rights stakeholders. It’s going to be a unique event with space for friendship, fun and lots of listening to what children have to say. The opening and closing session will be webstreamed. #EUChildparticipation

Boosting the mental health of children and young people (22/06/2023)

On 7 June, the Commission adopted a new Communication on a comprehensive approach to mental health. Childhood is a crucial stage in mental health. One chapter specifically looks at difficulties that children and young people face and proposes some practical solutions to better prevent mental health problems and to help altogether those in need of assistance.

We want to hear from children about child protection! (22/06/2023)

In the EU Strategy on the rights of the child, we promised to propose how to better protect children and bring all relevant authorities and services to work together in a system that puts the child in the centre. The first step is now to ask children what they need to feel safe. All children below 18 can reply to the child friendly survey, first one under the CPP. It is available in all EU languages - please share the link with children. We will publish an open public consultation and a call for evidence for adults on this initiative in the coming weeks. We will keep you posted. Thus please keep this link for children only! The results of the child and of the open public consultation will feed into the document that is planned for adoption early 2024.

Dear Readers, (26/09/2022)

It is almost the end of 2022. Thank you for reading our newsletter and for promoting and protecting the rights of the child. We have been busy this year with the implementation of the 2021 Strategy on the rights of the child (see below about the latest bits), with supporting civil society organisation through funding (more about a new Daphne call in this edition), the 2022 Forum on the rights of the child (see links to its report below) and other important files to mainstream children’s rights across EU policies. Our thoughts go this year to all victims or the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. This year it may be a good idea to support one of the organisations helping Ukrainian refugees. And broadly to all children disproportionally affected by war, crisis, poverty, disasters and climate change around the globe. Thank you all for your daily endeavor to make their life better and all your joint efforts to make their rights a reality on the ground. Warm end of the year greetings!

EU Children's Participation Platform is becoming real! (20/12/2022)

One commitment of the EU Strategy on the rights of the child was to work on bringing children closer to the decision-making processes in the EU. The EU Children’s Participation Platform is being set up to fulfill this commitment. The Platform is being co-created, in partnership with the European Parliament, child rights organisations and children themselves. ICF and its partners (selected through an open tender procedure), incl. Save the children and SOS Children’s Villages, prof. Laura Lundy and prof. Cath Larkins, have started working on the Platform. Early next year, organisations that already work with children (e.g. national children’s parliaments; children city councils; children’s boards advising international non-governmental organisations) will have a possibility to join the platform by replying to call for expression of interest. We will share it as well and let you know more about the Platform.

14th European Forum on the rights of the child (16/12/2022)

The full conference report, including a child-friendly version are now available on the webpage. On 27, 28, 29 September 2022, the 14th European Forum on the rights of the child took place. This year’s theme was “Bringing Children to the Centre: Empowering, protecting and including children”. The event took place online, with over 430 participants, and some speakers present in Brussels. 40 children took part both remotely and in-person, 12 children spoke at the plenary, while others shared their views during the parallel workshops. A special focus was given to child participation, key actions under the EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child and children in conflicts. Vice-President Šuica launched the EU Children’s Participation Platform. We also had a round of consultation on integrated child protection systems.

Youth Action Plan (YAP) in EU external action 2022-2027 (16/12/2022)

On 4 October 2022, the European Union adopted the first Youth Action Plan (YAP) in EU external action to strengthen engagement with young people and children worldwide. The YAP is guided by three pillars of action that will help shape the EU's partnership to engage, empower and connect young people and children in partner countries worldwide. European Commission Vice-President for Democracy and Demography Dubravka Suica said: “We need to empower children and young people across the world, ensure that they have concrete opportunities and promote the effective engagement of young people and children as a right, ensuring no one is left behind. We share the collective responsibility to build more democratic, equal and peaceful societies, also for future generations.”

Equality package: Commission proposes new rules for the recognition of parenthood between Member States (20/12/2022)

The European Commission adopted a proposal for a Regulation aimed at harmonising at EU level the rules of private international law relating to parenthood. The proposal is focused on the best interests and the rights of the child. It will provide legal clarity for all types of families, who find themselves in a cross-border situation within the EU, be it because they move from one Member State to another to travel or reside, or because they have family members or property in another Member State. One of the key aspects of the proposal is that the parenthood established in a Member State of the EU should be recognised in all the other Member States, without any special procedure.

EU ministers adopt recommendations on early childhood education (20/12/2022)

In September 2022, as part of the European Care Strategy, the European Commission proposed that Member States revise the targets on early childhood education and care to enhance women's labour market participation, also called ‘the Barcelona Targets', set in 2002. On 8 December, the Council adopted a recommendation that encourages Member States to increase participation in on early childhood education and care to: (1) at least 45% of children below the age of three; and (2) at least 96% of children between the age of three and the starting age for compulsory primary education. The recommendation also covers qualitative aspects and the territorial distribution of care facilities. When it comes to affordability and accessibility, Member States are encouraged to limit out-of-pocket expenses for parents and to offer solutions for parents with atypical working hours allowing them to better reconcile work, family and private life.

Safer Internet Forum (20/12/2022)

This year's Safer Internet Forum (SIF) took place in a hybrid format on Thursday, 27 October 2022 with a theme of A Digital Decade for children and youth: BIK+ to protect, empower and respect! SIF is a key annual event where policy makers, researchers, law enforcement bodies, youth, parents and carers, teachers, NGOs, industry representatives, experts and other relevant actors come together to discuss the latest trends, risks and solutions related to child online safety and making the internet a better place.

Ethical guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and data in teaching and learning for Educators (16/12/2022)

The European Commission published a set of ethical guidelines for educators on the use of AI and data in education. The guidelines are intended for primary and secondary teachers and can be used by educators with little or no experience with digital education. They clarify popular and widespread misconceptions about artificial intelligence (AI) that might confuse people and cause anxiety over its use, especially in education.

EUcraft – a digital simulation game (16/12/2022)

Step into the shoes of a national minister and experience EU decision-making by negotiating on real topics that matter for you. Agreeing on a common charger for your devices, banning single-use plastics or supporting the transition to electric cars and greener buildings – it's all in your hands. Play EUcraft – a digital simulation game. Available on web and mobile (15+).

Citizens, Equality, Rights, and Values (CERV) and Justice 2023-2024 work programmes adopted (16/12/2022)

On 25 November 2022, the Commission adopted the new two-year work programme 2023-2024 for the Justice programme and, on 1 December, the two-year work programme 2023-204 for the CERV programme. First 2023 calls were published on 6 December 2022 (see below). The CERV programme is the biggest EU fund ever available for promoting and protecting EU rights and values (1.55 billion over 7 years). Together with the Justice programme (305 million euro over 7 years), it contributes to build a Union of Justice, Rights and Values.

New call on combatting violence against children - apply until 19 April 2023 (20/12/2022)

This year, for the first time, Daphne call is a re-granting scheme. The EU funding goes to intermediary organisations, who fund the capacity building and organise calls for proposals for smaller civil society organisation active at local, regional, national level. Activities should focus in particular on: a. Providing victim support tailored to the specific needs of victims b. Preventing violence c. Tackling gender stereotypes as root causes of gender-based violence d. Strengthening child protection systems

UNCRC consultation on the first draft of General Comment No. 26 (26/09/2022)

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child is inviting children and young people and the global community to share their views on the first draft of General Comment No. 26., on children’s rights and the environment with a special focus on climate change. The consultation is open until 15 February 2023.

Missing Children Europe celebrate 20 years of European action for missing children (16/12/2022)

On the occasion of its 20th anniversary, Missing Children Europe honoured Her Majesty Queen Paola of Belgium for her extraordinary commitment to the cause. For 20 years members across Europe have been striving to find missing children and fight against their sexual exploitation. What started off with enthusiastic attempts to work together and speak the same language has evolved into a stable and effective structure for ongoing cross-border cooperation and exchange. The organisation dedicated its 20th anniversary to the Ukrainian children being forcibly deported to Russia.

PROMISE Barnahus Network members at the first Barnahus Forum in Stockholm (20/12/2022)

Around 170 participants from 23 countries met at the Barnahus Forum 2022 in Stockholm to exchange practices, challenges, learnings, and the ongoing development of work. The Forum was co-funded by the PROMISE projects (co-funded under EU CERV programme), and also by the PROMISE Barnahus Network’s membership fees. The main organiser was the Council of the Baltic Sea States, which is the host of the PROMISE Barnahus Network.

Towards Barnahus in All European States; Ensuring the rights of every child (20/12/2022)

On 16 November, on the occasion of the European Day on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (18 November), a high-level event on Barnahus model was organised by the Council of Europe and the Council of the Baltic Sea States, under the Icelandic Presidency of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers. The event brought together high-level key international actors with the aim to explore the Barnahus concept, including what works, opportunities for improvement, and potential adjustments to national legal frameworks.

Rucksack Project – a book about and for children of Ukraine. (20/12/2022)

Created in collaboration with the Children and War UK Foundation, the Rucksack Project is a book created not only about the children of Ukraine, but for the children of Ukraine. Every picture book distributed to displaced Ukrainian children comes with a separate exercise book, a simple booklet of advice for parents, carers, teachers - wherever they might be - who are reading RUCKSACK to the children, with the aim of the book becoming a soothing personal possession to support the mental health of the young readers.

Transition of unaccompanied minors to adulthood (16/12/2022)

New EMN inform explores the situation of all unaccompanied minors reaching adulthood who are classified as unaccompanied minors in the Member States and Norway – including, to the extent possible, both those who do and do not apply for asylum.

“This is my Life, and I Don’t Want to Waste a Year of it”: The experiences and wellbeing of children fleeing Ukraine (16/12/2022)

Since the escalation of conflict in Ukraine on 24 February 2022, more than 1,000 children have been killed or injured in the country. This is tragic and likely an underestimation. By October 2022, nearly one-third of the population was displaced and more than 7.6 million refugees from Ukraine were recorded across Europe. Thousands of children and families are still being forced to flee, while violence and fighting make it hard to access essential healthcare and education. Save the Children research with more than 1,000 children and caregivers in eight European countries, shows that children who have left Ukraine face significant challenges adjusting to their new environment.

Cost-of-living Crisis: How it affects children in Europe and what governments need to do (16/12/2022)

The conflict in Ukraine and the subsequent increase in the cost of living has brought unbearable challenges in the life of millions of children. Families and children in vulnerable situations are among those most exposed to the daunting impact of rising inflation. Skyrocketing costs risk plunging financially stable families into poverty and sinking millions of vulnerable children into deeper poverty. Collecting data and testimonies from Save the Children’s teams working in 12 European countries, the policy paper delves into the devastating choices families must make, mental health issues, education, and leisure services.

(In)visible children – Eurochild 2022 report on children in need across Europe (16/12/2022)

This report highlights the recommendations and priorities that EU decision-makers and national governments can do to support the most vulnerable children and prevent widening inequalities. Based on input from Eurochild national members from 22 countries across Europe, the report provides feedback on the 2022 European Semester Country Reports and Country Specific Recommendations; the development of the Child Guarantee National Action Plans and further analysis of the situation regarding child poverty and social exclusion; and members’ knowledge and experiences of EU funding programmes.

What Makes Me? Core Capacities for Living and Learning (20/12/2022)

A high level event at the European Parliament launched a study, run by UNICEF- Innocenti Centre, Learning for Well Being Foundation and Fetzer Institute, called “What Make Me?” The report depicts 9 core capacities fundamental for developing competencies and skills that support lifelong learning and child wellbeing. These capacities - empathizing, relaxing, observing, listening, inquiring, reflecting, sensing, embodying and discerning patterns- need to be cultivated at the early stage of our life. Adults also need to be aware of them since they are essential for learning and living during the entire circle of our life. MEPs, the European Commission, UNICEF, researchers and stakeholders discussed with civil society participants the importance of putting children at the centre of decision-making.

Child-friendly justice network (20/12/2022)

At the occasion of the first Annual Seminar "A 360 view on child friendly Justice" on 12-14 October 2022, the Child-friendly justice European network (CFJ-EN) released its first handbook on child friendly justice. It includes a compilation of resources, key legal standards and case law, agendas and opportunities at European level for 2022-2023. The handbook, updated yearly, is available in English and will soon be available in French. The Child Friendly Justice European Network, co-funded by the EU under CERV Programme, aims to ensure that justice systems are adapted to children’s needs and specificities. It intends to exchange information and expertise, further disseminate useful tools produced and gather them to make them more accessible.

14th European Forum on the rights of the child - follow it live (26/09/2022)

From 27 to 29 September 2022 (13:30 – 17:30), participants - including children - will enjoy an online, interactive event experience, with some speakers present in Brussels, under the theme of this 14th edition: ‘Bringing children to the centre: Empowering, protecting and including children’.

European Week of Regions and Cities (EWRC) (26/09/2022)

Online Registration Now Open for the Workshop “Getting more children and young people to participate in the workings of democracy” within the framework of the annual European Week of Regions and Cities (EWRC) that will take place between 10-11 October 2022. The workshop will take place on 12 October 2022. During the session, some of the beneficiaries of ongoing projects under CERV will present inspiring actions on youth participation that provide pathways for children and young people to become engaged in the democratic lives of their communities.

Practice Guide for the application of the Brussels llb Regulation (26/09/2022)

The EU Commission has developed a Practice Guide for the application of the Brussels IIb Regulation. The Regulation is the cornerstone of the judicial cooperation in family matters with cross-border implications in the EU.

A European strategy for a better internet for kids (BIK+) (26/09/2022)

Digital participation, empowerment and protection finely balanced in the new European strategy for a better internet for kids (BIK+). The new strategy for a better internet for kids (BIK+), adopted on 11 May 2022, will ensure that children are protected, respected and empowered online in the new Digital Decade, in line with the European Digital Principles. A child-friendly version of the BIK+ Strategy is also available.

FRA online survey on persons displaced from Ukraine (26/09/2022)

FRA has opened an online survey on persons displaced from Ukraine. The survey will collect the views and experiences of people fleeing the war in Ukraine. It addresses a wide range of issues related to their stay in the EU, including access to employment, education, housing, healthcare, language learning and other issues affecting their social and economic integration. The survey will be carried out in ten EU Member States: Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Spain. The outcome of the survey will inform the EU and its Member States as well as the organisations working with displaced people so that projects and laws can be initiated that help support the people fleeing from the war in Ukraine. To contribute to the open online survey please visit the link below.

ICJ Training materials on Alternatives to detention for migrant children (26/09/2022)

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) has published a set of training materials on Alternatives to detention for migrant children. The materials cover the international and EU legal framework of alternatives to detention for children and related rights, such as the right to liberty and prohibition of immigration detention of children. The materials aim to support efforts to ensure that children are never detained for purposes of immigration control, in accordance with international standards. The materials provide specific good practice examples of alternatives, such as case management or placement of migrant children in mainstream child protection systems. Module III. details the right to be heard and procedural rights of children, and Module IV. covers communication with children in this context. The training modules are aimed for national judges, lawyers, state authorities, guardians, social workers, and other practitioners.

How to better protect children in criminal proceedings (26/09/2022)

Child-friendly templates for better communication, task forces to guide young repeat offenders and artistic expression courses in prison: these are just some of the good practices identified in a new report on safeguards for children in criminal proceedings from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). It identifies shortcomings in national justice systems and suggests potential remedies that countries could follow to uphold children’s rights in the judiciary.

Introductory words by the new Commission Coordinator for the Rights of the Child, Marie-Cécile Rouillon (11/04/2022)

“Children’s rights are human rights, under any circumstances”, stressed Vice-President Šuica. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine brutally denies their basic rights. Nearly 4.7 million refugees are fled Ukraine. Half of them are children, and many arrive without their parents. This Newsletter focuses on the support that the EU is providing to help Member States protect their rights.

EU Network for Children’s Rights (13/04/2022)

As announced in the EU Strategy on the rights of the child, the Commission launched the EU Network for Children’s Rights on 31 March 2022. 23 Member States, 2 associated countries, FRA, UNICEF, the European Parliament and the Council of Europe attended that meeting. They notably discussed the protection of the rights of children fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, key deliverables of the EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child one year after its adoption, synergies with the Council of Europe’s new Strategy on the Rights of the Child. They also exchanged views on the future of the Network. Next meetings in its fully-fledged configuration will include representatives for civil society organisations.

The "European Union’s Plan for Children’s Rights" - The child-friendly version of the EU Strategy on Children’s Rights (06/04/2022)

To celebrate the first anniversary of the EU Strategy on Children's Rights , "the European Union’s Plan for Children’s Rights", a child-friendly version of the EU Strategy, is now available in every EU language. The short and the easy-to-read versions are adequate for every audience. Children themselves participated in designing this booklet, made in partnership with the Centre for Children’s Rights at Queen’s University in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Centre brought together two groups of children and young people from two schools in Dublin, Ireland. They worked together to decide how to present key messages to children.

Guidelines on creating child friendly written documents (07/04/2022)

Guidelines on creating child friendly written documents and meetings remain available on line. A year ago, children participants called laws and policies to be child-friendly: "If it’s friendly for the adults, it should be friendly for the kids. And if it’s friendly for the kids, it will also be more friendly for the adults. Children are EU citizens too. Children will be more likely to accept and obey laws if they understand them. How else can children know what their government is supposed to be doing? All documents should be understandable to children because children deserve to know what their rights are, in a way that is suitable for them. Because understanding the world around you, and protecting yourself, is never a bad thing."

Operational guidelines to support Member States in applying the Temporary Protection Directive (06/04/2022)

Since the unprovoked and unjustified Russian aggression against Ukraine, nearly 4.7 millions of people – half of them being children – have arrived in the EU in the space of weeks. The EU welcomes them on its territory. For the first time, the Temporary Protection Directive was activated to offer them quick assistance and a clear legal status. On 18 March 2022, the Commission presented its Operational guidelines to support Member States in applying the Temporary Protection Directive. They aim at helping those arriving to access their rights and the Member States to assume their new responsibilities. A dedicated chapter on children pays specific attention to the situation of unaccompanied and separated children, who need to be registered and given specialised care, with safeguards against any risks of trafficking. The Commission coordinates relocation efforts to transfer unaccompanied children to other Member States (via the Solidarity Platform). The Commission’s recommendations to strengthen the protection of children apply to all migrant children, irrespective of their status, taking into consideration the best interest of the child at any stage of the process. Children should also be provided child-friendly information, and their opinion be heard, and obstacles tackled in accessing their rights.

Communication on “Welcoming those fleeing war in Ukraine: Readying Europe to meet the needs” (06/04/2022)

On 23 March 2022, the European Commission released the Communication on “Welcoming those fleeing war in Ukraine", complementing the Operational guidelines. This Communication outlines actions undertaken to support Member States. Beyond the immediate support provided in terms of assistance at the border, reception and civil protection, the EU is taking further steps. The objective is to help Member States ensure beneficiaries can effectively access their right to education, healthcare, accommodation and jobs. Children are a priority in EU support. Referring specifically the needs of children Vice-President Šuica, said: “Children make up around half of all arrivals since the beginning of the war. These children have suffered traumatising experiences and have seen their lives up-ended from one day to another. It is our duty and responsibility to ensure that they are appropriately received and cared for, including children with disabilities. The immediate priority now is to offer these children a place where they can feel secure, and receive swift and indiscriminate, access to psychosocial support, healthcare, nutrition and education. Unaccompanied minors, children separated from their parents and orphaned children need to be immediately registered and supported by child protection services to prevent them from falling prey to trafficking and abuse. With this Communication, we are taking concrete actions in the best interests of these children, every step of the way''.

10-Point Plan on stronger European coordination on welcoming people fleeing the war against Ukraine (06/04/2022)

At the extraordinary Justice and Home Affairs Council of 28 March, the European Commission presented, in coordination with the French Presidency of the Council, a 10-Point Plan for stronger European coordination on welcoming people fleeing the war against Ukraine. The Commission together with the European Union Agency for Asylum will develop standard operating procedures and uniform guidance for the reception and support of children, including swift identification and registration in Member States of arrivals and destination, accommodation, transfers and prevention of trafficking. The Commission will also develop specific procedures for the transfer of unaccompanied minors.

EU solidarity with Ukraine (13/04/2022)

The EU and its international partners are united in condemning Russia's aggression on Ukraine. We will provide support to those seeking shelter and we will help those looking for a safe way home. The EU will continue to offer strong political, financial and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and impose hard-hitting sanctions against Russia and those complicit in the war. In a dedicated webpage, the EU provides practical information to assist those fleeing from the war.

Fleeing Ukraine: Protection for children (13/04/2022)

All children from Ukraine arriving in the EU should have swift access to their rights, without discrimination, including the necessary psychological support, healthcare and access to education. The Commission is: supporting and funding access to psychosocial care and basic services; supporting the appropriate reception and care for orphans and children with disabilities; encouraging the implementation of the European Strategy on the Rights of the Child; working with international organisations to reunite families through family tracing programmes; supporting Member States, though the renewed Schengen Information System, in their work tackling child trafficking and abduction; preparing standard operating procedures for transfers of unaccompanied minors and other children with special needs to ensure protection from risks of abuse and trafficking.

Commission proposes EU-wide rules to combat violence against women and domestic violence (07/04/2022)

On 8 March 2022, the European Commission released its proposal on EU-wide rules to combat violence against women and domestic violence. The proposed Directive, once adopted, will criminalise rape based on lack of consent, female genital mutilation and cyber violence, which includes: non-consensual sharing of intimate images; cyber stalking; cyber harassment; and cyber incitement to violence or hatred. The new rules will also strengthen victims' access to justice and encourage Member States to implement a one-stop shop mechanism, meaning that all support and protection services would be located in the same place. The proposal also calls for adequate and specialised protection and support, for instance, through free of charge helplines and rape crisis centres. It also provides for targeted support for groups with specific needs or at risk, including women fleeing armed conflict. Contributing to the EU Strategy on Children’s rights, this proposal notably aims at providing for specific safeguards for children victims of violence against women or of domestic violence. They will guarantee, for example, that children can easily report offences and are provided with safe places for with parent offenders, who have rights of access.

Proposal for a Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence (07/04/2022)

On 23 February 2022, the European Commission has adopted a proposal for a Directive on corporate sustainability due diligence. The proposal aims to foster sustainable and responsible corporate behaviour, including the prohibition of child labour, throughout global value chains. Companies play a key role in building a sustainable economy and society. They will be required to identify and, where necessary, prevent, end or mitigate adverse impacts of their activities on human rights, such as child labour, and on the environment. This proposal is especially relevant to uphold children's rights and consistent with the EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child, which commits the Union to a zero tolerance approach against child labour and to ensure that supply chains of EU companies are free of child labour.

SAVE THE DATE - High-level conference on the Brussels IIb Regulation (02/05/2022)

8 September 2022 (13h-16h CET) This high-level conference, hosted by Ewa Kopacz (Vice President and the European Parliament Coordinator on Children’s Rights) and Didier Reynders (Commissioner for Justice), aims to draw attention to the novelties and important changes introduced by the Brussels IIb Regulation, which enters into application on 1 August 2022, and to provide a forum for an exchange of views with legal practitioners on cross-border family disputes involving children in the European Union. The conference will provide participants with an opportunity to hear from experts in EU family law on the key changes to the Regulation and to engage in a moderated discussion on the topic through a Q & A session. The event will be hosted online with the limited possibility to participate in person in Brussels. Interpretation will be provided in 10 languages (DE, EN, FR, IT, EL, ES, PT, PL, BG, RO). Target Audience: Judges, Lawyers, Mediators, Central Authorities, academics, child protection officials, NGOs and organisations on Children’s rights working on cross-border family cases in EU Member States, Western Balkan and EFTA countries. Participation in this event is free

The European Parliament sends a strong political message to address the specific plight of Children and young people fleeing the war in Ukraine (07/04/2022)

The European Parliament adopted, on 7 April 2022, with an overwhelming majority a Resolution on the EU Protection of children and young people fleeing the war in Ukraine. The Resolution features important provisions to address the specific plight of children and young people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. It stresses to need for the creation of a robust registration system at the border, to track and monitor children, with a particular attention of unaccompanied children to ensure they do not go missing or worse, end up in the hands of traffickers. It also includes strong measures to for the integration of these children in the hosting countries granting them immediate access to education and health on equal footing with their EU national peers, so as to ensure all these children are given a real change to excel and reach their full potential.

New Council of Europe’s Strategy for the Rights of the Child 2022-2027 (06/04/2022)

The Council of Europe's Strategy for the Rights of the Child aims to guide the 46 member States of the Council of Europe in protecting and promoting the rights of the child in 2022-2027. It was officially launched at a high-level conference in Rome on 7-8 April. In close synergy with the EU Strategy, the Council of Europe’s new Strategy focuses on six priority areas: Freedom from violence for all children; equal opportunities and social inclusion for all children; access to and safe use of technologies for all children; child-friendly justice for all children; giving a voice to every child; children’s rights in crisis and emergency situations. It notably includes apriority on children’s rights in crisis and emergency situations. The devastating impact on children’s rights of Russia’ aggression against Ukraine was at the centre of discussions in Rome. The Commission welcomes this New Council of Europe’s Strategy, showing close synergies with the EU Strategy for the rights of the child. Both demonstrate a common endeavour to join forces to uphold children’s rights across the European continent in difficult times.

European Mental Health Week - 9 May until 13 May 2022 (25/04/2022)

European Mental Health Week is a pan-European initiative that aims to raise awareness about the importance of mental health in our everyday lives. Set up and run by Europe’s largest independent mental health NGO Mental Health Europe (MHE), the third edition of the European Mental Health Awareness Week will take place from 9 May until 13 May 2022. This year’s theme, ‘Speak Up for Mental Health’ will shine the spotlight on youth mental health. In most European countries, mental health problems among young people (15–24-year-olds) have doubled the last two years as a consequence of the pandemic. Young people constitute an especially vulnerable group. Immediate action at European and national level is crucial to address the mental health needs of young people in Europe. Now, armed conflict in the European region has increased uncertainty and fear. This week-long online action is a chance for everyone and especially young people to speak up about all aspects of mental health, share personal stories of how to cope with difficulties in times of crisis and in general, and highlight the need for action.

Children and Young People's Online Questionnaire to inform the UN General Comment No. 26 on Children’s Rights and the Environment, with a special focus on Climate Change (deadline: 30 June) (05/04/2022)

Until 30 June 2022, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child invites young people from around the world to complete a questionnaire that will help shape the General Comment No. 26 (on Children’s Rights and the Environment with a Special Focus on Climate Change). This is the official UN guidance on what governments must do to uphold children’s rights and protect our planet. This consultation will help fill gaps in their current understanding of certain key issues and clarify difficult concepts (e.g. rights of future generations). Most importantly, it will integrate the voices of children and young people, as the most impacted by the issue.

Resources and information concerning Ukraine shared through EGN (13/04/2022)

The European Guardianship Network (EGN) provides, both in English and Ukrainian, many helpful resources for those working with Ukrainian refugees and unaccompanied and separated children.

U-CARE project's Workshops on 28 and 29 March (06/04/2022)

The U-CARE (Unaccompanied Children in Alternative Residence) project is financed by the EU Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (2014-2020) and coordinated by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Belgium. The U-CARE team organised hybrid thematic workshops on: Alternative Care Prototypes to support unaccompanied migrant children (UMC) in their transition to adulthood; foster care for younger UMC; and building capacity of professionals and foster carers of UMC. They gathered 100 stakeholders from more than 10 EU countries. Recordings of the workshops are available.

Handbook on the rights of the child updated (2022) (13/04/2022)

The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights publish the second edition of their Handbook on European law relating to the rights of the child. The Handbook is a comprehensive and practical guide to European law in the area of child rights and it aims to illustrate how European law and case law accommodate the specific interests and needs of children. This new publication covers topics such as: equality; economic, social, cultural and civic rights and freedoms; personal identity; family life; alternative care and adoption; migration and asylum; protection against violence and exploitation; personal data and consumer protection; children’s rights within criminal justice and alternative proceedings.

Children’s reflections on privacy and the protection of their personal data: A child-centric approach to data protection information formats (21/03/2022)

The Children and Youth Services Review has published an article on children’s understanding of privacy and data protection. Researchers from the University of Ghent have spoken to 83 children aged 9–12 years old in two public primary schools in the city of Ghent, Belgium. They gained insights on children’s everyday (online) activities and practices, as well as their understanding of and views on interpersonal and institutional privacy, the privacy management techniques they use and the rights they have. The findings of the participatory research with the children provided insight into children’s ideas and views about these issues. The article reports on a number of children’s recommendations on how exactly information about privacy and data protection should be provided to them.

Wishes for a good, healthy new year to you all! (07/01/2022)

We are happy to announce that the European Commission has appointed Marie-Cécile Rouillon as its new Coordinator on the Rights of the Child, replacing Valeria Setti. Marie-Cécile will start her work on 16 March and will introduce herself in the next newsletter. Until then, you can count on the rights of the child team to assure continuing service and a smooth transition. In this newsletter we will present an overview of the wealth of activities promoting children’s rights in the EU and beyond in the past months. Many of our readers are also contributors to the activities developed to the benefit of child rights and this newsletter is dedicated to them. Please note that our next newsletter will be dedicated to child participation. So if you have any interesting activity or publication that you wish to share with our audience, please let us know and we’ll be happy to insert it next time. As always, we can be contacted via EC-CHILD-RIGHTS@ec.europa.eu

Call for Tenders for the Establishment, Management and Coordination of the EU Children’s Participation Platform (27/01/2022)

The call for tender for setting up the Platform on child participation is now open. Please check the details in the links below and don't miss the deadline: 15 March at 12:00. The purpose of the contract is the establishment, management and coordination of an EU Children’s Participation Platform, including the web content management of the related IT platform. The EU Children’s Participation Platform (CPP) is one of the key actions that the Commission included in the EU Strategy on the rights of the child (2021).

Reminder: Call for expression of interest to participate to selected activities of the EU network for children’s rights (07/02/2022)

In the 2021 EU Strategy on the rights of the child, the Commission said it would set up a new EU Network for children’s rights. The network will support the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child. The network will be composed of Member State representatives, and will include in some of its activities, other relevant stakeholders. The activities of the network will include, among others, meetings, study and peer visits, research activities and training activities. Interested organisations are invited to notify their interest by filling the application form. Make sure to register by 7 February 2022 at the latest!

Don't forget: funding opportunities in the area of child rights (15/12/2021)

The calls for proposals under Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programmes (Daphne and Rights of the Child) are still open! A dedicated webinar on the CERV-2022-DAPHNE call aimed to prevent and combat gender-based violence and violence against children will take place on 4 February at 10:00 online. Find the link for registration below.

Call for Proposals: 16M EUR funding for preventing and combatting CSA (16/12/2021)

The call for project proposals reflects the priorities of the EU strategy for a more effective fight against child sexual abuse and supports its implementation by providing funding in two areas, improving prevention of child sexual abuse and assistance to victims and developing the capacity to effectively fight child sexual abuse. The call is open for public bodies, non-profit entities and international organisations established in an EU country. Not-for profit, public bodies and international organisations established in a non-EU country can apply as co-applicants (with an EU-located entity in the lead). Private profit-making entities can also apply as co-applicants. The deadline for applications is 24 February 2022. All the information about eligibility criteria, general conditions and application process is available on the webpage:

EU funding opportunity on development of AI tools for classifying CSAM (24/01/2022)

The call for proposals for developing AI tools and technologies (including classifiers) to identify digital child sexual abuse material (CSAM) has now been launched. The aim is to support the analytical work of law enforcement agencies (LEAs) and INHOPE hotlines through building on existing infrastructures and processes. This project is part of the Commission’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. The call will close on Wednesday, 5 April 2022. More information about the call can be found on the Funding & Tender Opportunities Portal.

Annual Report on Migration and Asylum 2020 (03/10/2021)

This report maps the most important developments in areas of migration and asylum and covers a wide range of migration and asylum topics including the protection of minors and other vulnerable groups. The report was prepared based on annual national reports on migration and asylum from 25 European Migration Network (EMN) National Contact Points (NCP’s). The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected migration trends and management. The number of legal migrants and asylum applicants arriving in the EU in 2020 fell dramatically compared to 2019. Asylum and migration management were affected with many countries using digital systems to process applications. Apart from COVID-19, the protection of asylum seekers and refugees, including minors and vulnerable groups remained an area of development at EU and national level.

Joint Research Centre reports on poverty and mindsets (12/01/2022)

In July 2021, the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission published the report "Poverty and Mindsets: How poverty and exclusion affect aspirations, hope and decisions and how to address it". The report looks at how being immersed in poverty and social exclusion for a prolonged period may affect how people consider themselves and their future, and how they act in relation to it. This report focuses on a less-studied obstacle – that is, how poverty and exclusion affect behaviour, aspirations, hope and agency, which can all be essential drivers to social mobility. Evidence suggests that the experience of poverty itself seems to contribute to the transmission of poverty to the next generation. The report gathers and summarises findings from behavioural studies, neuroscience, sociological and economic studies. Bringing together these diverse sources and scientific evidence can help to better understand this complex issue, and to identify countermeasures that may effectively address the problem.

International Day of Democracy (14/09/2021)

The statement takes stock of the progress we have made and where we need to go in order to ensure democracy is protected and respected. In particular, the statement recognizes the role young persons and teenagers are playing in calling for climate action and defending human rights. It highlights the EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child as important in defining concrete actions that must be taken in order to empower children in the EU and across the globe.

CJEU Judgement in Case C-490/20 V.M.A v Stolichna obshtina, rayon ‘Pancharevo’ (25/01/2022)

On 14 December 2021 the Court of Justice issued an important ruling. The case concerned a child, who was a minor and a Union citizen, whose Spanish birth certificate designated as parents two persons of the same sex. In this case the Member State of which the child is a national - Bulgaria - is obliged to issue an identity card or a passport to that child without requiring a birth certificate to be drawn up beforehand by its national authorities. Th Member State of nationality is also obliged to recognise the document from the host Member State that permits that child to exercise, the child’s right to move and reside freely within the territory of the European Union with each of its parents.

European Court of Human Rights, R.B. v. Estonia, Application no. 2597/16 (22/06/2021)

In this decision the European Court of Human Rights highlights the importance of safeguarding children’s rights during both pre-trial investigations and trial. Safeguards must be in place, which take into account the particular vulnerabilities and needs of a child giving evidence. The ECtHR found Estonia in violation of Article 3 ( Prohibition of Torture) and 8 ( Right to respect of private and family life) of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) as the Estonian justice system failed to take into account the applicants particular vulnerability as a child victim of sexual abuse. The ECtHR referring to international standards found the Estonian procedure violated the ECHR as it did not take into account the particular vulnerability of the child and the corresponding need to afford effective protection of an alleged victim of sexual abuse. The Estonian justice system failed to be child-friendly in its strict application of procedural rules, as it did not provide any exceptions or adaptations for child witnesses. In reaching this conclusion, the court referenced international standards such as the Council of Europe Guidelines on Child Friendly Justice.

FRA Fundamental Rights Report 2021 (10/06/2021)

This report reviews major developments in fundamental rights in 2021, identifying both achievements and areas of concern. It presents the Fundamental Rights Agency’s (FRA) opinion on the developments, including a synopsis of evidence supporting its opinions. The report examines the rights of the child in Chapter 8. The report’s focus chapter explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, an unprecedented challenge to fundamental rights. The pandemic affected a wide range of rights and had a disproportionate impact on vulnerable groups. Chapter 8 of the report takes into account the COVID-19 pandemic impact specifically on the rights of the child and the rights of the child in general. In particular, the chapter focuses on COVID-19 exacerbating poverty, children’s rights in asylum and migration, and safeguarding children in judicial proceedings. The pandemic put in danger a number of fundamental rights of children contained in the EU Charter of Fundamental rights, including the right to education ( Article 14) and to the protection and care necessary for children’s well-being ( Article 24). FRA state in their opinions recommend steps to be take both by the European Commission and by member States in order to ensure, the fundamental rights of all children are protected and respected.

Free online course on runaways – the largest category of missing children in Europe (25/01/2022)

The course aims to improve understanding of runaways, equip professionals with the ability to detect and respond to behaviour before a child goes missing, and encourage trust between professionals and children upon their return. More details are included below.

My Rights, My Voice: Giving children the opportunity to express their own view on their rights (24/01/2022)

The EU Delegation to the Council of Europe and the Permanent Representations of Andorra and San Marino, had the pleasure to announce the winners of their joint video contest “My rights, my voice”. On 10th November 2021, in the context of the European Day on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (18 November) and the World Day on the Rights of the Child (20 November), the five winning videos on the rights of the child were screened at the Palais de l’Europe in Strasbourg.

Alternative Care Training Project concluded (31/12/2021)

The Alternative Care Training or ACT project (January 2020 – December 2021) is a cooperation of Comissió Catalana d’Ajuda al Refugiat (Spain), International Rescue Committee (Italy) and Lumos Foundation (Bulgaria), coordinated by Nidos (the Netherlands) and is funded by the AMIF programme of the European Commission. ACT aimed to improve (access to) reception in alternative care arrangements for unaccompanied children aged 15-18 with a special focus on Bulgaria, Italy and Spain. The results of the project such as training programmes, situation reports on alternative care in the partner countries and a recommendation report can be found on the ACT webpage.

Training Materials on Access to Justice for Migrants by the International Commission of Jurists (12/01/2022)

In September last year, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) published a set of training materials on access to justice for migrants. These materials are intended to provide background information and support to judges and lawyers when taking decisions on or defending the rights of migrants and refugees. The training materials provide easily accessible and updated set of international legal standards on access to justice for migrants. They include a specific focus on access to justice for migrant children and the protection of migrants’ right to family life.

5Rights Foundation launches new campaign- Twisted Toys- Toying with Children's lives (01/07/2021)

5Rights Foundation believes that children and young people’s rights must be embedded and upheld in the digital environment, by design and default. Twisted Toys, the new campaign launched by 5Rights Foundation aims to highlight the issues of the digital world for children’s rights using traditional and easily understandable examples. The examples situate the risks children can experience online in the offline world and are given in short, satirical videos. The aim of the campaign is to highlight the dangers and the lack of protection for children in the online world.

Terre des Hommes publishes "Children in Contact with the Law in Europe: Trends and Opportunities" (17/08/2021)

This report has found that in 33% of countries in Europe children above the minimum age of criminal responsibility can be prosecuted for offences committed while below the minimum age. The report and its attached country fact sheets present key trends and gaps that children in contact with the law currently face in Europe. The report focuses particularly on some topics including child-specific legislation, procedural safeguards and status offences. It contains a set of recommendations that aim to build skills and knowledge for professionals working with children in criminal proceedings, create child-centered policies and legislative frameworks and invest in robust monitoring of the situation of children in criminal proceedings.

Cycles of Exploitation: The Links Between Children’s Institutions and Human Trafficking (24/01/2022)

This Global Thematic Review examines the growing evidence of the links between the institutionalisation of children and human trafficking. It highlights how the relationship between the two compounds the harmful nature of both phenomena and offers insight into the global response needed. The report states that it is critical to understand these links so that interventions, advocacy and policies can be put in place to disrupt the systems and processes that negatively impact children’s lives.

Adoption from Care: International Perspectives on Children’s Rights, Family Preservation and State Intervention (12/01/2022)

Edited by Tarja Pösö, Marit Skivenes and June Thoburn, May 5 2021 This book explores how children’s rights are practised and weighed against birth and adoptive parents’ rights and examines how governments and professionals balance rights when it is decided that children cannot return to parental care. From different socio-political and legal contexts in Europe and the United States, it provides an in-depth analysis of concepts of family, contact, the child’s best-interest principle and human rights when children are adopted from care. Taking an international comparative approach to these issues, this book provides detailed information on adoption processes and shares learning from best practice and research across country boundaries to help improve outcomes for all children in care for whom adoption may be the placement of choice.