The Council of Europe and children’s rights Progress and challenges Regina Jensdottir Children's Rights Coordinator

The Council of Europe‘s Tools The Council of Europe protects children‘s human rights through: 1.Legal standards: European Convention on Human Rights and many other Conventions & Recommendations 2.Monitoring: European Court of Human Rights, Monitoring of Conventions 3.Cooperation: Practical assistance in partnership with governments, EU, NGOs 4.Awareness raising: Policy makers, civil society, professionals, parents, children

The Council of Europe‘s Institutions Committee of Ministers Parliamentary Assembly Congress of Local and Regional Authorities European Court of Human Rights Commissioner for Human Rights Conference of INGOs

Some key legal standards Council of Europe Convention on the protection of children from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse (Lanzarote Convention) Recommendations by the Committee of Ministers on – Integrated Strategies on the protection of children from violence – Child-friendly justice – Children’s rights and social services – Child-friendly health care – Child participation

Monitoring children’s rights – Human Rights Commissioner – Lanzarote Committee – Committee for the Prevention of Torture – Group of Experts on Trafficking in Human Beings – Minority languages (ECRML) and national minorities (FCNM) – European Commission on Racism and Intolerance (ECRI)

Co-operation projects – Ukraine – Moldova – Albania – Neighbourhood region (Central Asia, Southern Mediterranean) – Etc.

Information and awareness raising All materials are free to use and adapt into national languages! Please check out:

European Day to Protect Children from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse

Draft Council of Europe Strategy for the Rights of the Child – Priority Areas: 1.Equal opportunities for all children 2.Participation of all children 3. A life free from violence for all children 4.Child-friendly justice for all children 5.The rights of the child in the digital environment Launching conference: 5-6 April 2016, Sofia, Bulgaria

The Council of Europe and Child Helplines Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse: “Chapter IV – Protective measures and assistance to victims (…) Article 13 – Helplines Each Party shall take the necessary legislative or other measures to encourage and support the setting up of information services, such as telephone or Internet helplines, to provide advice to callers, even confidentially or with due regard for their anonymity.

The Council of Europe and Child Helplines Recommendation CM/Rec(2009)10 on integrated national strategies for the protection of children from violence: “ Paragraph 6.4. Reporting of Violence (…) 6. An independent, confidential, well-advertised, easy to memorise, toll-free telephone help line should be made available for children to seek confidential and professional counselling and to report violence.”.

The Council of Europe and Child Helplines Council of Europe Guidelines on child-friendly justice (2010): “A. General elements of child-friendly justice 1. Information and advice (…) 4. Child-friendly materials containing relevant legal information should be made available and widely distributed, and special information services for children such as specialised websites and helplines established.”

The Council of Europe and Child Helplines Importance of child helplines: -Child helplines as reporting mechanism -Child helplines as referral mechanisms -Helplines as a resource for gathering data on children’s rights

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