Deputy Prime Minister of Croatia, Milanka Opačić and Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland have launched an examination of results to date in implementing the Council of Europe Strategy for the Rights of the Children 2012-2015.

Speaking at the conference ‘Growing with Children’s Rights’, in Dubrovnik Croatia, Jagland said, “It is the underlying belief of the Council of Europe that all children must fully enjoy the protection offered by all international human rights treaties.”

Some of the key monitoring bodies of the Council of Europe, such as the Committee for the Prevention of Torture and the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings will share their child-focused agenda and the key problems that states should focus on in order to protect and promote children’s rights.

250 stakeholders from Council of Europe member states, international organisations and civil society will take stock of the progress in protecting and promoting children’s rights in the member States of the Council of Europe, seek solutions and share good practices on meeting the challenges facing children in today’s modern societies.

Such challenges include sexual violence, corporal punishment, children’s rights and justice, children’s rights and Constitutions, children in detention, children’s rights and trafficking, child participation, and children’s rights in alternative care.

30 countries have ratified the Council of Europe Convention on Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, also known as “the Lanzarote Convention”. 46 countries have signed it. The first monitoring round of the Lanzarote Committee will look at sexual abuse of children in the circle of trust.

Speech by Secretary General Jagland
Programme
Council of Europe Council of Europe Strategy for the Rights of the Child (2012-2015)
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