Child Circle Feedback on the 9th Forum on the Rights of the Child
and the reflection paper on integrated child protection systems
Name: Olivia Lind/Rebecca O’Donnell
Organisation: Child Circle
Contact details (email): [email protected]; [email protected]
Place and Date: Brussels, 10 August 2015
General comments:
Child Circle welcomes the Reflection Paper on integrated child protection systems published by
the Commission.
It is important that there is a new EU child rights framework to succeed the EU Child Rights
Agenda and that this framework contains a political commitment by the EU to contribute to the
implementation of the principles contained in the Reflection Paper. This framework would
outline fully the role of the EU both in strengthening national child protection systems around
Europe and providing the necessary links between them in transnational situations. It could also
usefully highlight how Member States can fully contribute to and benefit from EU measures in
the area, for example, through participating in consultations to identify priority actions,
exchange of good practice, sharing knowledge and more.
One important outcome would be that EU institutions are consistently guided by these
principles to ensure that EU actions more effectively protect children. A second critical outcome
would be that Member States better benefit from regional resources in an area where resources
are vital, but often difficult to sustain.
Specific comments:
 Section 3 Paragraph 1. Child Circle suggests inserting a footnote after first sentence
referring to the definition of child as per UNCRC article 1.
 Child Circle specific comments on the 10 principles:
Principle 1: Child Circle suggests including reference to children’s rights to receive information.
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Principle 2: Child Circle suggests inclusion of “national, ethnic or social origin” (per the UN CRC)
as well as “immigration status” to ensure that it is very clear that migrant children should be
treated as children first and foremost.
Principle 6:

The word “care” might be interpreted narrowly, to refer to situations where children are
in the care of the State, rather than covering the range of responses that are needed
when children are vulnerable to, or have suffered from violence.

This section addresses multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary action and cooperation. In
order to give it full visibility as a key issue, might such cooperation feature more
prominently and separately either as a bullet point of its own.

Perhaps a better title for this principle could be “child protection systems provide multidisciplinary and inter-agency responses and services”.

The principles do not address the need to build up a knowledge base to ensure risks are
identified, responses tested, and information shared, including data on key issues. Is 6 a
principle where this aspect might be addressed?

Paragraph 2: Speakers at the Forum emphasised the need for peer support, exchange of
experience, “job shadowing” more broadly (also across borders) – perhaps this could be
inserted in principle 6, para 2?
Principle 10: It this the place to add a word on the need to ensure redress mechanisms are also
in place?
Feedback on how Child Circle is using/plan to use the 10 principles:
The work of Child Circle aims to ensure that actors across Europe contribute to, and benefit
from, the activities of the EU which strengthen child protection systems across the region. In
particular, we focus on improving inter-agency cooperation and child participation.
Having a framework of EU principles allows actors across the region to develop a common
understanding and point of reference for working together and reinforces a child centred
approach in situations of protection. So we will consistently take the principles into:
(i) Child Circle advocacy on priorities for EU action in fields concerning child protection, including
children who have been sexually abused, children in migration, stateless children, and children
at risk of violence in on-line environments.
(ii) Child Circle reflection papers on national good practices and how EU measures support them
and enable them to be adapted for use in other countries, including inter-agency cooperation in
situations of trafficking and children in justice settings;
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(iii) Child Circle practical projects with partners, as a way of defining goals and evaluating
output.
Child Circle has three concrete suggestions for next year’s Forum:
1) The Forum could provide an opportunity to create an actual (and virtual) marketplace of EU
projects next year, which would showcase the outcomes of projects and ensure stakeholders
can easily access the learning and results from them.
2) In advance of the Forum, it would be useful to have expert discussions/consultations on
challenges and best practices in research and training projects regionally, including the
perspectives of key stakeholders, such as academics, practitioners, civil servants, IGOs and
NGOs. The outcome could be a paper/workshop for the Forum with examples of practical
design, methodologies, dissemination practices, useful follow up actions and sustainability.
3) It would also be helpful to encourage a feedback loop on how actors use EU tools and
guidance, including the work of the agencies. For example, national authorities could indicate
whether and how they have used the FRA Handbook on guardianship for children deprived of a
parental environment or EASO’s age assessment manual. The Forum could contain a brief
overview of how this has been done and inspire other actors more effectively to use these
common resources.
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