CP4 Europe - Strengthening National Child Participation Frameworks and Action in Europe (EU-CoE Joint Project)
What is the project ?
The European Union/Council of Europe Joint Project “CP4EUROPE - Strengthening National Child Participation Frameworks and Action in Europe” aimed to contribute to the promotion of children’s rights to participation at national and pan-European levels in accordance with Council of Europe standards and tools in this area.
It was implemented over 27 months (01 April 2021 - 30 June 2023) in 5 partner countries: the Czech Republic, Finland, Iceland, Portugal, and Slovenia, and at the European level. Deliverables at the national level included assessments of national mechanisms, the development of model national strategies, handbooks, checklists and training materials aimed at building capacities on collective and individual child participation. All partners of the project supported the establishment of a “Child participation leadership network”, to benefit from mutual peer support to address the challenges of child participation in various challenges.
Child participation means that children, any person under the age of 18 years old, individually or in groups, have the right, the means, the space, the opportunity and, where necessary, the support to freely express their views, to be heard and to contribute to decision making on matters affecting them. Their views should be given due weight in accordance with their age and maturity.
Child participation is an opportunity to listen to children, to take into account their views and opinions and to involve and engage them in the processes that lead to decisions that affect them.
Read more about the work of the Council of Europe on child participation and discover the tools you can use to better understand what it is all about!
What do we want to achieve?
Strengthening of legal and policy frameworks
Assess child participation at national and European levels
The project supported national assessments of child participation mechanisms and practice in partner countries using the CPAT. The findings of such processes are now available in assessment reports and should contribute to national action plans with guidance to policy makers and all relevant professionals who work for and with children and young people on measures to improve child participation.
This guidance has been developed to support States in finding out how effective their actions under the Child Participation Assessment Tool (CPAT) of the Council of Europe have been in building the ‘architecture’ necessary to facilitate, support and enable meaningful children’s participation. It provides indicative guidance on how to collect the data against which to measure the outcomes of those actions.
This guide is for adults responsible for planning for, and engaging with, children in decision making processes in local and national authorities. In most cases they are public servants who design and organise child participation activities in decision making processes taking place in national and local authorities. The aim of the Guide is to support all of them, with practical guidance and inspiring good practices, to make participation in decision making processes a regular, safe and accessible practice for every child.
The aim of these guidelines is to develop guidance notes addressed to national authorities of Council of Europe member States in order to provide them with the possible or necessary ‘ingredients’ for effective child participation strategies within a national children’s participation strategy or within a children’s rights strategy.
The aim of this package is to raise the awareness of national and local authorities on the importance of child participation. This package was designed in close collaboration with children.
Video on child participation
The aim of this video is to present and explain what is the Child Participation Assessment Tool (CPAT) of the Council of Europe to children. The drawings were developed in close collaboration with children.
A Moodle/online course was developed for professionals working with and for children and aiming to strengthen their capacities on child participation. The Moodle is based on the Handbook on children's participation for professionals working with and for children and contains practical examples and tips as well as videos and case studies.
Setting up European child participation leadership network
Access to new resources developed during the project, including lessons learned, good practices around child participation, checklists and training such as the Child-friendly CPAT, the Guidelines for developing a National Children's Participation Strategy, the child-friendly campaign package, etc.
Ways of sharing ongoing practice, publications and events that continue after the close of the project, and at least for the next 5 years.
Information about opportunities to influence public decision-making (within and beyond the Council of Europe) on issues that concern children.
Limited safe online interaction by child participation professionals and children themselves, and ensure secure data storage, in line with the EU GDPR.
The Council of Europe supported partner countries in putting in place strong child safeguarding policies to ensure the safety of all children participating in the project activities.
Who do we work with?
The National Commission for the Promotion of the Rights and Protection of Children and Young People of Portugal
The Social Protection Institute of the Republic of Slovenia and the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities
The Ministry of Justice of Finland
The Ministry of Social Affairs of Iceland
The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic
Who will benefit from the project?
The project targeted national and local authorities, civil organisations as well as professionals who are in direct contact with children and/or deal with decisions that can affect children.
Ultimately, the project benefitted all children, so that they are sufficiently equipped and protected to be heard and to participate effectively in decision-making mechanisms and processes at national and local levels.
What is the project ?
Project news
What is child participation?
What do we want to achieve?
Guidelines for developing a National Children's Participation Strategy 
Video on child participation 
Access the Collective Participation Moodle Online Learning Course
Who do we work with?
Who will benefit from the project?
Calls for Tenders
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