Council of Europe and its work on child participation: Building partnerships By Maarit Kuikka Programme Officer Building a Europe for and with children programme Eurochild Members’ Exchange Seminar on Child and Youth Participation 2nd October 2008, Cardiff, Wales

Structure of presentation I What is Council of Europe and how it works? II Building a Europe for and with children 2006 – 2008 III Stockholm strategy 2009 – 2011 IV Child participation

Council of Europe; institutions Committee of Ministers Parliamentary Assembly Congress of Local and Regional Authorities Commissioner of Human Rights European Court of Human Rights Conference of INGOs

Council of Europe; secretariat Secretary General Mr Terry Davis Debuty Secretary General Mrs Maud Boer de Buquicchio DG Democracy and Political Affairs DG Human Rights and Legal Affairs DG III Social Cohesion DG IV Education, Culture and Heritage, Youth and Sport

Council of Europe; tools 1.Standard setting 2.Monitoring 3.Policy development 4.Awareness raising, education, training 5.Bilateral cooperation and technical assistance

Building a Europe for and with children; first three years Third Summit Mandate –To mainstream children’s rights in all CoE policies –To coordinate all children-related activities in CoE –To eradicate all forms of violence against children Building a Europe for and with children, 3-year-programme launched in Monaco 2006

Building a Europe for and with children; first three years Establishment of a Co-ordination unit Establishment of an Inter-secretariat task force Three-year-action programme Children and violence Nomination of a Thematic Coordinator on children on the Committee of Ministers level

Building a Europe for and with children; first three years 2006 – outcomes Nearly 80 activities related to children’s rights have been implemented by CoE bodies A pilot scheme in five countries to review their national policies for protecting children against violence -> guidelines Special focus on violence in schools, on the Internet, sexual abuse, corporal punishment of children

Building a Europe for and with children; first three years 2006 – outcomes Better use and combination of the 5 CoE tools Standards: –Revised convention on Adoption (2008), Convention for the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (2007) –CM Recommendations on gender mainstreaming in education (2007), on positive parenting (2006), on empowering children in the new information and communications environment (2006)

Building a Europe for and with children; first three years 2006 – outcomes Monitoring –Implementation of existing CoE standards in member states (Core conventions) –Commissioner for Human Rights; increased references to children Policy development –National Policy Reviews on violence against children –Human Rights education for children –Education of Roma children –Positive parenting –Rights of children in institutions –Integration of migrant children, children with disabilities, street children

Building a Europe for and with children; first three years 2006 – outcomes Awareness raising and training –A website –Training manual on human rights education for children (Compasito) –Training manual to combat and reduce violence in schools –On-line game Through the Wild Web Woods on safe Internet for children –Campaign against corporal punishment of children

Building a Europe for and with children; Stockholm strategy ”Provision, Protection and Participation for Children in Europe” Mainstreaming Coordination Cooperation Child participation Child-friendly justice Violence against children Most marginalized and vulnerable children

Council of Europe work on child participation Featured in CoE standards and policies since 1980 CM recommendation on citizenship and participation of young people in public life (2006), on the role of national youth councils in youth policy development (2006) Recommendation on the revised European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life by the Congress (2003) –Have Your Say – manual PA Recommendation on Promoting the participation by children in decisions affecting them (on its way)

Council of Europe work on child participation DG IV; CoE and Youth – co- management

Council of Europe work on child participation Main aim for 2009 – 2011: Making article 12 reality in all decision and policy- making processes on local, national and international levels Support for integrated policies (mainstreaming), for law reforms, for dialogue between decision-makers and children, for new structures and methods Empowering children by human rights education, by developing information in a child-friendly language

Council of Europe work on Child participation Pilot scheme on child participation in interested member states –Policy review –E-forum? –Media training? Recommendation on child participation Schools, health-care systems, justice systems, residental care Vulnerable children Cooperation with Youth sector!

Council of Europe work on Child participation ”If you think our ideas are wrong, it won’t stop us from thinking” Carolyne Willow: Respect Routine Results

Council of Europe work on Child participation Partnerships: -UN (OHCHR, UNICEF) -EU, FRA -ENOC -NGOs

Thank You!