JUSTICE AND CONSUMERS - Newsletter 2 13/7/2017

Prevention of gender-based violence;
Protection and support for victims of gender-based violence and violence against children;
The coordination and/or adaptation of support services for sexual and gender-based violence to include refugees and migrants (children, women, LGBTQI persons, young men and boys);
Treatment of perpetrators;
National coordinating frameworks or action plans for violence against children (supporting Member States and other actors).

November 2016 - DG JUST awards grants to IOM, UNICEF and Save the Children for the protection of children in migration

DG JUST has awarded direct grants to Save the Children Sweden (EUR 888,381), the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) (EUR 749,999) and UNICEF (EUR 955,809) to fund activities related to the protection of children in migration in the current migration crisis, under the Rights, Equality and Citizenship programme.

All three organisations are receiving funding for coordinated actions addressing the following objectives which are part of a four-point plan to protect children in migration: 1.to carry out child protection and child safeguarding activities for children in migration to prevent violence against migrant and refugee children; 2. to support and strengthen national child protection systems to protect children in migration; 3. to increase child protection capacity of national asylum and migration professionals and practitioners and national and local NGO, as well as others working directly with children; 4. and support governments and national human rights institutions in monitoring the rights of child refugee and migrant children.

The project activities will be carried out in Sweden, Germany, Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Greece and Italy and will run between 15 and 18 months. DG JUST is still in discussions with UNHCR for a grant related to child protection. http://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/just/item-detail.cfm?item_id=50143

25.1.2017 - European Commission and Unicef - New project to help more than 6 000 refugee and migrant children in Greece

A joint action between UNICEF and the European Union will support more than 6 000 refugee and migrant children, including unaccompanied minors, across Greece. The € 8.5 million initiative will be financed through the EU Emergency Support Instrument, which enables the European Commission to fund emergency operations within the EU. http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEX-17-146_en.htm

NEWS FROM THE EUROPEAN INSTITUTIONS AND AGENCIES

12.4.2017 – Commission Communication on the protection of children in migration

The Communication sets out urgent actions at EU level to reinforce the protection of all children in migration (whether unaccompanied or with their family, and irrespective of their status) at all stages. It also includes a series of recommendations to EU Member States. Follow-up is underway, including with regard to the 11th European Forum on the rights of the child, which will focus on alternatives to deprivation of liberty.

The different language versions are available here: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/DE/ALL/?uri=COM:2017:211:FIN

26.4.2017 - The Commission presents the European Pillar Of Social Rights

Extracts of particular relevance for the rights of the child:

Chapter III – Social protection and inclusion

11. Childcare and support to children

Children have the right to affordable early childhood education and care of good quality.
Children have the right to protection from poverty. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds have the right to specific measures to enhance equal opportunities.

And Chapter II - Work-life balance

9. Work-life balance

Parents and people with caring responsibilities have the right to suitable leave, flexible working arrangements and access to care services. Women and men shall have equal access to special leaves of absence in order to fulfil their caring responsibilities and be encouraged to use them in a balanced way.

See Commission Recommendation on the European Pillar of social rights, effective as of 26.4.2017: http://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=17625&langId=en

http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=89&newsId=2786&furtherNews=yes –

Continuously open call – List of experts to help the Commission in the framework of the Rights, equality and citizenship programme (includes rights of the child and Daphne funding on violence against children)

http://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regexpert/index.cfm?do=calls.calls_for_app

February 2017 - EU publications: School segregation of immigrants and its effects on educational outcomes in Europe

This report reviews the economic literature investigating the effects of the share of immigrants in classes and schools on the school performance of immigrants and natives. https://publications.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/279b464e-f73a-11e6-8a35-01aa75ed71a1

29.06.2017 – DG Home publication: Irregular migration and child sexual abuse

The scale of recent migration to the EU is unprecedented and involves a large number of children, some of whom are vulnerable to sexual abuse and exploitation. According to Unicef, as of 2016, there were 5.4 million child migrants in europe, accounting for 7% of the region's migrants. Whether accompanied by adults or unaccompanied, there have been several cases where child migrants have suffered different forms of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation from the time that they reach the European Union, with or without the involvement of organised crime. https://publications.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/7fad4a13-5d41-11e7-954d-01aa75ed71a1/language-en/format-PDF/source-31572681

22 February 2017 - European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) report ‘Child-friendly justice: Perspectives and experiences of children involved in judicial proceedings’
Children’s perspectives and experiences of justice

Around 2.5 million children participate in judicial proceedings across the European Union (EU) every year, affected by parental divorce or as victims of, or witnesses to, crime. Although their effective participation in such proceedings is vital for improving the operation of justice, the treatment of children in justice systems remains a concern. Based on interviews with children across nine Member States, FRA investigated to what extent children’s rights to be heard, to be informed, to be protected, and to non-discrimination are fulfilled in practice.

http://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2017/child-friendly-justice-childrens-view

Checklist for professionals on child-friendly justice

FRA has also produced a useful checklist for professionals on child-friendly justice. http://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra_uploads/child-friendly_justice_-_checklist_for_professionals.pdf which may be ordered from the EU Bookshop:

https://publications.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/4a7593fc-24cb-11e7-b611-01aa75ed71a1

Professionals’ perspectives and experience

This report complements a May 2015 report based on interviews with judicial and other professionals in 10 EU Member States.

http://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2015/child-friendly-justice-perspectives-and-experiences-professionals-childrens

Links to earlier Commission studies on children’s involvement in criminal, civil and administrative judicial proceedings EU28

The FRA reports complement earlier Commission studies on children’s involvement in civil, criminal and administrative judicial proceedings in EU28.

Study on Children's involvement in judicial proceedings in the 28 Member States of the EU

This study collected all existing available data on children's involvement in civil, administrative and criminal proceedings. The primary aim was to collect data and, in order to be able to interpret the data, the study described the legislation and policy in place with regard to children's involvement in justice. A separate report was produced for each country for each of the three strands, using the Council of Europe Guidelines on child-friendly justice as a template. Other outputs include two EU Summaries: one for criminal justice and one for civil/administrative justice.

Given the volume of information collected, a short Policy brief was drawn up to make study results more accessible. The Policy brief summarises the results and includes recommendations for the European Commission and for EU Member States. The EU Summaries include very useful comparative tables. http://ec.europa.eu/justice/fundamental-rights/files/rights_child/eu_study_to_collect_data_on_child_friendly_justice.pdf

March 2017 – European Audiovisual Observatory report on Mapping of media literacy practices and actions in EU-28

As part of stepping up the Commission's efforts in the area of media literacy, a report[1] has been published in March 2017 for the European Commission, by the European Audio-visual Observatory, and will be followed up by the Media Literacy Expert Group. The report includes responses to questionnaires from all 28 MS, covering media literacy in general, and also for children.

http://www.obs.coe.int/documents/205602/8587543/Media+literacy+mapping+report+-+Annex+4+compiled+answers+-+National+responses+to+the+questionnaire.pdf

March 2017 - European commission – EU sports forum 2017

Final report, see in particular the session on gender-based violence in sports: https://ec.europa.eu/sport/sites/sport/files/eu-sport-forum-report_en.pdf

8.6.2017 – The Council of the European Union adopted conclusions on the protection of children in migration

Among others, the Conclusions invite Member States to take or implement actions, as appropriate, to protect children at all stages of migration, building on, inter alia, the recommendations presented in the Commission Communication on “the protection of children in migration” http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-10085-2017-INIT/en/pdf

3.4.2017 - Council of the European Union adopts conclusions on the promotion and protection of the rights of the child

These conclusions follow the 'Guidelines for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of the Child (2017) - Leave No Child Behind' adopted by the Council on 6 March 2017. With these guidelines, the EU reaffirmed its commitment to comprehensively protect and promote the rights of the child in its external human rights policy. http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2017/04/03-fac-conclusions-rights-child/

27.04.2017 - Eurostat report on Asylum decisions in the EU for 2016

The news release covers main trends on first and final instance decisions on asylum applications, as well as on resettled persons, for 2016 in the EU28+EFTA region.

in English, French and German at: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/web/products-press-releases/-/3-26042017-AP Asylum statistics are also available with latest data on final instance decisions on asylum applications for 2016.

11.05.2017 - Eurostat news release on asylum applicants considered to be unaccompanied minors - 2016'

The report on ' Asylum applicants considered to be unaccompanied minors' for 2016 covers main trends and analysis of the data on asylum applicants considered to be unaccompanied minors, for 2016, in the EU28+EFTA region. You can read the News Release in English, French and German through the following link: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/web/products-press-releases/-/3-11052017-AP

12.05.2017 – Frontex - Consultative Forum Annual Report 2016

The Fourth Annual Report adopted by the Frontex Consultative Forum on Fundamental Rights outlines the activities of the Forum in 2016 as well as observations and recommendations shared with Frontex on fundamental rights matters connected to the agency’s activities. The report stresses the need for an accessible, impartial, transparent, independent and well-managed complaints mechanism to ensure that Frontex complies with its fundamental rights obligations and that an effective remedy is provided for refugees and migrants.

http://frontex.europa.eu/assets/Partners/Consultative_Forum_files/Frontex_Consultative_Forum_annual_report_2016.pdf

News from other organisations

19.5.2017 Council of Europe (CoE) Action Plan on protecting refugee and migrant children (2017-2019)

At the 127th Session of the Committee of Ministers, 47 European states adopted an Action Plan on protecting refugee and migrant children (2017-2019). The Action Plan proposes concrete support to member states at all stages of the migration process, with a special focus on unaccompanied children, and has three main pillars: ensuring access to rights and child-friendly procedures; providing effective protection; enhancing the integration of children who would remain in Europe. The measures to be taken in protecting the refugee and migrant children include: new guidelines regarding age assessment and guardianship, alternatives to detention and a handbook on promoting child-friendly information and training on child-friendly procedures. Different sectors of the Council of Europe will contribute to the implementation of the Action Plan, including those dealing with children’s rights, education, sports, youth participation and the media. The Action Plan takes into account complementarity and co-operation with the European Union and other key partners. https://www.coe.int/en/web/children/-/council-of-europe-action-plan-on-protecting-refugee-and-migrant-children-adopted?desktop=true

19.4.2017 - Council of Europe Committee of Ministers: draft Recommendation on children with imprisoned parents

http://childrenofprisoners.eu/2017/04/19/coe-committee-ministers-draft-recommendation/

25.1.2017 - UN High Commissioner For Refugees (UNHCR) position regarding the detention of refugee and migrant children in the migration context

UNHCR’s position is that children should not be detained for immigration related purposes, irrespective of their legal/migratory status or that of their parents, and detention is never in their best interests. Appropriate care arrangements and community-based programmes need to be in place to ensure adequate reception of children and their families. http://www.refworld.org/docid/5885c2434.html

January 2017 – Unicef Innocenti - A multi-country study on the drivers of violence affecting children. A cross-country snapshot of findings

Recent findings show how violence creates and maintains inequalities. The institutions upon which children and their families depend are changing social entities with many interdependent parts. The type of violence in any one or multiple settings may vary depending on a variety of risk or protective factors and/or by age and gender. One of the most important findings is that violence is a fluid and shifting phenomenon in children’s lives as they move between the places where they live, play, sleep and learn.

https://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/874/?utm_source=Update%201%2F2017&utm_campaign=Update%20%231%2F2017&utm_medium=email

January 2017 – UNICEF/UNHCR/IRC- Discussion Paper on a Possible Way Forward to Strengthened Policies and Practices for Unaccompanied and Separated Children

https://data2.unhcr.org/ar/documents/download/53109

January 2017 – UK National Crime Agency - Report: Record number of UK child trafficking cases reported in 2016

The National Referral Mechanism Statistics: End of Year Summary 2016 – the UK’s annual report on all victims of trafficking referred to the UK Government’s official identification system – recorded a total number of 3,805 potential victims of trafficking in 2016, a 17% increase on 2015. https://www.ecpat.org.uk/news/record-number-of-uk-child-trafficking-cases-reported-2016

July 2017 - booklets by Global Initiative to end corporal punishment in partnership with Save the Children Sweden

A new series of three booklets, answering the most frequently asked questions about prohibiting corporal punishment of children, gives parents and carers, government officials, education professionals and others the confidence to support and pursue legal reform and move a step closer to realising children’s right to protection from all forms of violence in all settings. The first booklet dispels common misperceptions about the reasons for a legal ban and its impact on families; the second booklet aims to answer these questions in a way that is accessible to children and young people; and the final booklet answers questions that relate specifically to prohibiting corporal punishment in schools, and clarifies the key issues involved for educators and learners. Available to download in English, French, Spanish and Russian. They will also shortly be available in Arabic, Albanian, Bengali, Chinese, Portuguese and Thai. http://www.endcorporalpunishment.org/news/07/2017/new-booklets-answer-frequently-asked-questions-about-prohibiting-corporal-punishment!.html

28.2.2017 - Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children – quarterly newsletter

http://www.endcorporalpunishment.org/news/

14.2.2017 - Lithuanian parliament bans all violence against children, including corporal punishment

Congratulations to Lithuania, the 23^rd EU Member State and the 32^nd country in the European region, for having prohibited the corporal punishment of children.

http://www.endcorporalpunishment.org/assets/pdfs/legality-tables/Europe-and-Central-Asia-progress-table-commitment.pdf and https://www.baltictimes.com/lithuanian_parlt_bans_all_violence_against_children__including_corporal_punishments/

01.03.2017 - ITALY – Law on (unaccompanied) minors passed

A new law addressing the protection of unaccompanied children entered into force in Italy on March 29^th.. http://www.ismu.org/en/2017/03/new-law-addressing-unaccompanied-minors/

March 2017 - FEANTSA report on the state of homelessness and housing exclusion in the European Union

The report includes some in depth analysis and data (mostly from EU-SILC) that show how dysfunctional the housing market is in most EU member states. It illustrates how important the reinforced focus on extreme poverty is needed in EU’s social inclusion policies as was announced by Commissioner Thyssen at a recent meeting with EASI funded European social NGOs. To access the individual country profiles: http://www.feantsa.org/en/report/2017/03/21/the-second-overview-of-housing-exclusion-in-europe-2017

March 2017 - Forced Migration Review 54 on Resettlement

www.fmreview.org/resettlement

March 2017 - Separated Children in Europe Programme (SCEP) newsletter

http://www.scepnetwork.org/

6 April 2017 - Missing Children Europe: report Once missing – never forgotten?

The report calls for better protection for former missing children and their families from the possible negative impact of publicity appeals through a variety of channels including websites, social media, TV and radio interviews and national child alerts.
http://missingchildreneurope.eu/Portals/0/Docs/Publications/REPORT_MARCH2017OK_fase4.1%20online.pdf

March 2017 – Europol - Police2Peer - Targeting file sharing of child sexual abuse material

Within the Police2Peer initiative police is making files that appear to be child abuse material, and coming from another person with a similar sexual interest in children, available to those that seek it. European police, working in tandem with relevant police partners through EMPACT, are now focusing their joint efforts on the abuse material and those that distribute and possess it on file sharing networks. The aim is to establish that the perceived safety in numbers experience many have on peer-to-peer networks is false. Users that share abuse material are neither safe, invisible nor untraceable. https://www.europol.europa.eu/crime-areas-and-trends/eu-policy-cycle-empact

13.4.2017 - UNICEF Innocenti: Global recession and austerity hit children in high-income countries

A new book, Children of Austerity: Impact of the Great Recession on child poverty in rich countries, published by the UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti, in collaboration with sixteen international research institutions, provides a detailed account of the effects of the crisis, and government policy responses to it, on children in high income countries. https://www.unicef-irc.org/article/1591/

24.04.2017 - UNHCR UNICEF IOM 2016 factsheet on refugee and migrant children in Europe

The factsheet provides an overview of trends relating to refugee and migrant children including unaccompanied and separated children in Europe. https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/55971

April 2017 - emergency within an emergency – the growing epidemic of sexual exploitation and abuse of migrant children in Greece (Harvard Unversity - (FXB) Center For Health And Human Rights)

The study analyses the risk factors responsible for the exposure of migrant and refugee children to physical, psychological, and sexual violence and exploitation in Greece in the context of the ongoing migrant humanitarian crisis. It documents sexual and physical abuse of children inside migrant camps and reports new information about the commercial sexual exploitation of migrant children in the main cities of Greece. This research also explores the existing gaps and challenges in intervention efforts that contribute to victimization of migrant children.

https://cdn2.sph.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/04/Emergency-Within-an-Emergency-FXB.pdf

April 2017 - Global Kids Online - latest research update

Global Kids Online is an international research project of the London School of Economics and Political Science and UNICEF Office of Research– Innocenti. It aims to generate and sustain a rigorous cross-national evidence base around children’s use of the internet by creating a global network of researchers and experts.

http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/gko/

May 2017 – LSE - Parenting for a digital future

Delivers the latest research and commentary about children, families and digital media. Group of guest bloggers – representing cutting-edge research from around the world to reflect parenting in all its cultural diversity. http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/parenting4digitalfuture/

4.5.2017 - ''Our Life. Our Voice. Young People and Poverty'' Final Conference

“Our Life. Our Voice” young participants coming from Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania and the United-Kingdom presented their work and results, highlighting the need to be more ambitious to tackle youth poverty across Europe. More than a hundred participants from the youth and social field, the civil society as a whole, as well as local, national and European public authorities discussed these results with the young participants with very encouraging outcomes. A full report on the Final Conference is available here:

http://ourlifeourvoice.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/Docs_Project/documents/OLOV.FinalConference.4May.Brussels-REPORT.pdf

June 2017 – Ireland - latest volume of child care law project reports

This independent project (not cofunded by the EU) mission was established, under the direction of Dr Carol Coulter, to provide information to the public on the operation of the child care system and to promote transparency and accountability.

It aims to:

Provide information to the public on child care proceedings in the courts;
Conduct research on these proceedings in order to promote debate and inform policy-makers;
Make recommendations to address any shortcomings in the child care system identified by the research;
Assist in the implementation of these recommendations;
Promote confidence in the child care system.

It is an independent project established under Section 3 of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2007, in accordance with the Regulations made under that Act, with the support of the One Foundation, Atlantic Philanthropies and the Department of Children of Youth Affairs. While receiving their support it is entirely operationally independent. Latest volume of reports: https://www.childlawproject.ie/publications/

21.6.2017 - AIDA Briefing: The expansion of detention of asylum seekers

An AIDA legal briefing published today tracks the expansion of detention policies and practices across Europe. Despite the entry into force of common standards relating to detention such as those prescribed in the recast Reception Conditions Directive, the deprivation of liberty of asylum seekers, including children, as a migration control instrument varies significantly from one country to another.

http://www.asylumineurope.org/news/21-06-2017/aida-briefing-expansion-detention-asylum-seekers

Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) 2016 report on online child sexual abuse imagery

https://annualreport.iwf.org.uk/

June 2017 - LUMOS Report on 'Funding Haitian Orphanages at the Cost of Children’s Rights'

This report presents an overview of: the pattern of foreign donor support to children in orphanages; the estimated flows in financial and other support from private, faith-based sources; and outcomes for children. Lumos documented the impact of orphanages on care leavers – children and young adults who were raised from infancy, or who were sent to live for a period, in orphanages. Using evidence from Lumos’ work in Haiti, the Haitian government, partners, and care leavers themselves, the research dispels the myth that children in Haitian orphanages are orphans. It underlines how, in some instances, the quality of care in orphanages includes practices of physical and sexual abuse, severe neglect, and avoidable death. Additionally, case evidence suggests a trend of Haitian orphanages recruiting children away from their families. The report also demonstrates that children raised in orphanages struggle to survive as independent adults, no matter how good the quality of care in an orphanage.

https://wearelumos.org/sites/default/files/EMBLumos%20-%20Funding%20Haitian%20Orphanages%20JUNE17.pdf

News and outputs from EU-funded projects

14 June 2017 – PROMISE Project multidisciplinary and interagency integrated services for child victims and child witnesses of violence (Barnahus) – final conference in Brussels

The final conference of the PROMISE Project took place 14 June 2017 at the Committee of the Regions in Brussels, Belgium. It focused on advocating for child-friendly multi-disciplinary and interagency services supporting child victims of violence. High level speakers gave their support to the European Barnahus Movement, including Ms Věra Jourová, European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, and Ms Marta Santos Pais, Special Representative to the UN Secretary-General on Violence against Children. Mr Bragi Guðbrandsson, Lead Expert in the PROMISE project, presented the Icelandic experience and how it has inspired the European Barnahus Movement. Panels of experts discussed multi-disciplinary and interagency response to violence against children in Europe and how the Barnahus model embodies children’s rights. Subscribe to the PROMISE newsletter for more about the final conference, the tools from the project, and follow-up actions (a PROMISE II Project will start by year end – contact the project for more information).

The tools (European barnahus quality standards - a report entitled Enabling child-sensitive justice: the success story of the Barnahus model and its expansion in Europe – the PROMISE Compendium of law and standards concerning child victims and child witnesses of violence – the PROMISE tracking tool, advocacy guidance and more), developed during the project are available here: http://www.childrenatrisk.eu/promise/publications/

March 2017 – European Network of Ombudspersons for Children (ENOC) - ENYA 2016 Equal opportunities for all children in education, child participation project – supported by EU cofunding

The 2016 edition of the ENYA child participation project addresses the theme of providing equal opportunities for all children and young people in education. Children and young people from six ENOC countries (Cyprus, France, Georgia, Greece, Malta and Scotland) participated in the project. Their now traditional child participation films are of very high quality. They include a child-led/young person led short video, a longer film and a behind the scenes evaluation/web documentary. All are of high quality and very moving, highlighting the main issues for the child’s right to education in Europe. They deserve wider dissemination . http://enoc.eu/?page_id=1588

26.4.2017 - International Juvenile Justice Observatory ''Can Anyone Hear me?'' - Training Package on Child-friendly Justice: Manual, Toolkit, Videos

These publications are the result of a two-year research on ‘Improving Juvenile Justice Systems in Europe: Training for Professionals’, and were drafted by the Department of Child Law of Leiden University and the International Juvenile Justice Observatory.

http://www.oijj.org/en/improvingjjs-manual

http://www.oijj.org/en/improvingjjs-toolkit

ERA (Academy of European Law) project on the rights of the child in practice: furthering child-friendly justice in European law

Since the European Commission adopted the EU Agenda for the Rights of the Child, which identifies making the justice system more child-friendly as a key action item, the promotion of the rights of the child through the medium of EU legislation has become a reality. Under the Specific Programme ‘Fundamental Rights and Citizenship’ of the European Commission, ERA, together with ten judicial training bodies and Justice Ministries from seven Member States, as well as with the support of the Honorable Society of King’s Inns, the Council of Europe, the Child Rights International Network and EJTN, is implementing a project consisting of a series of eight seminars on practical issues concerning child-friendly justice.

The main objectives are

To improve the knowledge and understanding of the concept of child-friendly justice among professionals who interact with children in the context of judicial proceedings in accordance with the EU Agenda for the Rights of the Child;
To ensure awareness of the relevant international and European legal framework and available resources;
To facilitate the exchange of information, best-practice experiences and the perspectives of different professionals concerned with children in justice, with the aim of building up bridges and encouraging a multidisciplinary approach to child-friendly justice;
To develop common training materials with a view to their being made available for subsequent use within all EU Member States.

All training materials developed are now available at: http://www.era-comm.eu/child_friendly_justice/training_materials.html At the end of each Session a PDF file with the complete materials has also been added.

January 2017 - International Juvenile Justice Observatory (IJJO) ‘Improving Juvenile Justice Systems in Europe: Training for Professionals’

The project intends to provide information, knowledge and training to juvenile justice national authorities and staff working with juvenile offenders at a European level, in order to promote a better implementation of international standards concerning children in conflict with the law. It involves the IJJO think tank and formal network: the European Council of Juvenile Justice. http://www.oijj.org/en/improvingjjs-introduction

January 2017 – EU-funded project - Ecpat UK - Better support, better protection: Steps lawyers and guardians can take to better identify and protect trafficked children

Many guardians and lawyers working with children do not have the experience and training to identify when these children may have been trafficked or are at risk of trafficking, according to Better support, better protection: Steps lawyers and guardians can take to better identify and protect trafficked children, provides, a ReACT Project (Reinforcing Assistance to Child Victims of Trafficking) report based on research in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. See final report: https://www.ecpat.org.uk/better-support-better-protection

January 2017 – Improving Decisions through Empowerment and Advocacy: Building Children's Rights Capacity in Child Protection Systems (IDEA Project), cofunded by the Rights, Equality and Citizenship programme

The IDEA project is a five country training project for child protection professionals on children’s rights funded by the European Commission Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers. The project has a special focus on professionals in child welfare removals proceedings in courts or court-like bodies.
The project is coordinated by University College Cork (Ireland) with partners from the University of Tampere (Finland), University of Szeged (Hungary), University of Gothenburg (Sweden) and University of Tartu (Estonia). The project runs from February 2017 - January 2019.

http://ideachildrights.ucc.ie/

January 2017 - Coram international training: Strengthening the capacity of professionals in the EU to fulfil the rights of vulnerable children

This project is co-funded by the Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Programme of the European Union and part funded by the Allan and Nesta Ferguson Charitable Trust and involves partners from ten European countries:

Coram Children’s Legal Centre and Coram Voice from the UK, FICE Bulgaria, Czech Helsinki Committee, the University College Cork, Children of Slovakia Foundation, Estonian Centre for Human Rights, European Roma Rights Centre (Hungary), Fondazione L’Albero della Vita (Italy), Empowering Children Foundation (Poland), Social Educational Action (Greece), and FCYA Hungary.

International standards, and many national laws, recognise that children and young people have a right to express their views – and to have their wishes and feelings reflected in decisions affecting them.

The Unlocking Children’s Rights training resource aims to

Strengthen their skills and knowledge of children’s rights
Enable children and young people to express their views
Communicate effectively and sensitively with children and young people in a professional context
Ensure children participate meaningfully in decisions affecting them

The modules are all available for download on the website and are:

Module 1: Introduction to child rights
Module 2: Introduction to child development and communication
Module 3: Communication skills
Module 4: The child-friendly justice guidelines

http://coraminternational.org/unlocking-childrens-rights/

June 2017 - Children's rights in judicial proceedings - T.A.L.E. Newsletter n. 5 (quarterly)

http://legale.savethechildren.it/News/Details/20fe3ea738f34beb97e9136aeea77579?container=generica-news

March 2017 - Hands Up project - Promoting the effective elimination of corporal punishment against children

Co-funded by DG-Justice, began in October 2016 and has a duration of 2 years. The main goals of this project are (1) to increase multi-state agencies’ cooperation, planning and capability to effectively address corporal punishment against children; (2) to promote the adoption of positive discipline practices among parents and caregivers; (3) to raise the community’s awareness of the need to eliminate corporal punishment against children. http://www.handsupchildren.org/ - see first newsletter: http://www.handsupchildren.org/en/new?id=20

30.3.2017 – anti-bullying EU-funded project output: "Listen"

The book is published under the project ''Introducing Participatory and Child-Centred Approach for Early Identification and Prevention of Bullying in School Setting in 7 EU Countries'' funded under the Daphne Programme, JUST/2013/DAP/AG/5372. This project involved children in preventing bullying and in creating safe environment at school in a participatory and empowering way by taking account of the child’s point of view in all our procedures and practices concerning the prevention of bullying in the school environment. The booklet ”Listen!” is available in seven languages along with the Summary of a Study ”Bullying at School: What Do Children and Adults Have to Say about It?”, leaflets and Manual for teachers and school staff that have been produced alongside the booklet in .pdf. www.listen.animusassociation.org

19.04.2017 – Horizon 2020 Project - Netherlands Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) INHERIT BASELINE REPORT

The report looks at what can be done to encourage lifestyles, which protect the environment and promote health equity by focusing on the way we live, move, and consume. It is based on a review of scientific literature and framed by the INHERIT model which is presented in the report. http://inherit.eu/baseline-report/

Upcoming events

15th ISPCAN European Regional Conference on child abuse and neglect: 1-4 October, The Hague

Multi-disciplinary Inter-agency Approaches to the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect. Sub-Themes: The Voice of the Child, Domestic Violence, Sexual & Physical Abuse, Human Trafficking, Refugee Children, Child Protection Systems, Emerging Issues https://www.ispcan.org/ispcan-event/15th-ispcan-european-regional-conference-on-child-abuse-neglect/

25-26 September 2017 Seminar EU Disability Law and the UN Convention on Rights Of Persons with Disabilities, Trier, Germany

Seminar for legal practitioners, including lawyers, members of NGOs and equality bodies with a legal background and law academics from an EU Member State, Iceland and Liechtenstein. Languages: English, French (simultaneous interpretation). Key topics: The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD); Disability in EU law; The legal status of the UNCRPD and its role as an interpretative tool; Litigation of the rights of persons with disabilities - judicial and non-judicial remedies; Securing access to justice for persons with disabilities; Detention of persons with disabilities; Disability in employment and beyond. Please click here for further information on this seminar: www.era.int/?127074&en

Newsletter archive on the rights of the child

You will find previous issues of the Newsletter on the rights of the child from January 2017 onwards here:

http://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/just/newsletter-specific-archive.cfm?serviceId=529

If someone forwarded this message to you and you wish to subscribe to this newsletter, or you received the newsletter and want your name deleted from the list, write to EC-CHILD-RIGHTS@ec.europa.eu

[1] https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/reporting-media-literacy-europe

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