A journey for children’s rights
On the 24th of March 2021, the European Commission published its Communication for a new EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child. With the Council Conclusions expected in the coming months, Plan International, together with 23 other organisations, welcomes this strategy but also wants to draw attention to where there is room for improvement .
The EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child is a document that aims to advance children’s rights across 6 thematic areas:
- Participation in Political and Democratic Life
- Socio-economic Inclusion, Health and Education
- Combating Violence against Children and Ensuring Child Protection
- Child-friendly Justice
- Digital and Information Society
- the Global Dimension
This coalition of 24 organisations welcomes many of the key points of this strategy. We support the Commission’s recognition that all children are equal and that they are all active citizens and agents of change. However, we call attention to some aspects of the strategy that should be improved. For example, stronger recommendations and actions are needed to ensure inclusive and rights-based children’s participation. We also noticed that the proposed actions mainly address legislative frameworks and do not propose anything to address power imbalances and structural challenges through a gender-transformative approach.
The Commission’s strategy is an important step forward in the journey for children’s rights but this journey is far from over.
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Joint reaction to the new EU strategy on the rights of the child
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Early childhood development, Protection from violence, Youth empowerment, Child protection in emergencies, Out-of-school children
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