The Rights of the Child at the European Parliament

The European Parliament celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child with a conference. The European Parliament has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment towards the protection and promotion of the Rights of the Child.

To renew its unshakeable pledge to the protection and promotion of children’s rights, the European Parliament organises a High-Level Conference, on 20 November 2019, to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the UNCRC. This conference in Brussels considers progress made over the past three decades. This progress significantly reflects on the challenges that children and youth face in the modern world.

Here is the Conference programme

Every child has the right to live and thrive.
Every child has the right to dream.

Conference High-level guests

It will be opened by Her Majesty the Queen of the Belgians and David Sassoli, President of the European Parliament. Spanish singer and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador David Bisbal will also perform an opening song. Delegates will discuss children’s right to live and thrive and their right to dream.

There is also an exhibition under the title “Human Rights, still some way to go?”, by the network Cartooning for peace, in the Mezzanine area of the European Parliament.

For every child, every right
The Convention on the Rights of the Child at a crossroads
UNICEF

First Panel

Every child has the right to live and thrive.

Moderator Maite Pagazaurtundúa, First Vice-Chair of the Committee on Civil Liberties Justice and Home Affairs
Věra Jourová, European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality
Akhrat (20 years old), Youth Ambassador, Defence for Children
Michael O’Flaherty, Director, European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights
Raina (16 years old), Petitioner of optional Protocol 3 to the CRC, Student Climate Activist
Sioda (14 years old), Member of Children’s Council
Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, President of Eurochild, Former President of Malta

Second panel

Every child has the right to dream

Moderator Maria Arena, Chair of the Subcommittee on Human rights
Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ghana, first country in the world to ratify the CRC
Maria (14 years old), World Vision Young Leader from Uganda
Charlotte Petri Gornitzka, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director
Bereket (16 years old), SOS Children Villages Young Leader, from Ethiopia
Velina Todorova, Vice-Chair, UN Committee on the Rights of the Child

Convention on the Rights of the Child

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child strives to ensure better implementation of children’s rights worldwide. It has inspired the EU and its member states to change laws, policies and practices aimed at protecting and promoting children’s rights, irrespective of their nationality or residence status. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child has become the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history.

A huge progress has been made, but much remains to be done because too many children still do not benefit from their rights that their peers do.
UNICEF

Humanity owes the child the best it can give

This year marks the 60th anniversary of UN General Assembly Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). As the most widely ratified international human rights treaty in history, the CRC has helped to ensure better protection for the rights of children across the globe. On a multilateral level, the EU places great emphasis on this topic.

The Convention has never been more relevant than it is today to make sure that no child is left behind. The European Parliament has a strong commitment towards the protection and promotion of the Rights of the Child. The progress made over three decades and reflect on the challenges ahead in a global and digital world.

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Celebrating 30 years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child 

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