The topic of the event was "Children rights: twenty years of work" and it was organized on the occasion of 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The European Commission has issued a call for project proposals under the Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Programme.

 

The European Commission has launched call for project funding proposals under Daphne III Programme. Daphne Programme is aiming to prevent and combat violence against children, young people and women and to protect victims and groups at risk.

In Macedonia children victims of sexual abuse are often left on their own with psychological disorders rising form the trauma of abuse. Although Centres for Social Welfare are those responsible to provide assistance in these children, they often don't have the capacities and competences to do so.

Slovakian organisation Center Slniečko from Nitra is carrying out a country - wide social campaign "Without bruises". The campaign's goal is to raise awareness of the problem of violence against children. It is estimated that from 500 to 600 children fall victims of abuse each year in Slovakia. The initiative includes a number of activities, one of them being raising funds in support of violence prevention programmes, crisis intervention centers and shelters.

On 1st January 2009 amended Law on social and legal protection of children and social care came into force in Slovakia. The law introduces ban on physical punishment of children and supplements previous regulations concerning prevention of crisis situations in the family. Moreover it broadens the scope of work of crisis intervention and rehabilitation centers, as well as other programmes concerning child protection.

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The report is a result of Commissioner's assessment visit to Macedonia in February 2008.
Among other things, the report is addressing rights of children and the issue of violence against children.

The ILO's International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) was created in 1992 with the overall goal of the progressive elimination of child labour, which was to be achieved through strengthening the capacity of countries to deal with the problem and promoting a worldwide movement to combat child labour.

In his article published by eGov monitor Thomas Hammarberg, European Commissioner for Human Rights addresses the disturbing European trend to lock up more children for offences at an earlier age. He argues that young offenders are children first and foremost and should be protected by human rights standards for children.

On 15th and 16th December in Sofia a group of fifty child protection professionals from governmental and non-governmental institutions participated in consultative meeting organized by Social Activities and Practices Institute and UNICEF Bulgaria, with support of State Agency for Child Protection. The meeting provided opportunity to strengthen efforts at local and national level, aiming to find solutions for better protection of children and intervention in identified cases of violence against children.