On 23 February 2022, the Committee of Ministers adopted the new Strategy for the Rights of the Child (2022-2027) “Children’s Rights in Action: from continuous implementation to joint innovation” which will guide the work of the Council of Europe over the next six years. As part of the Organisation’s long-standing commitment to putting the child at the centre of its work, the Strategy was developed through a large consultative process led by the Steering Committee for the Rights of the Child (CDENF) and involving national governments, international organisations, civil society organisations, as well as 220 children from 10 member states.

The Strategy identifies six strategic objectives building partly on previous priority areas remaining relevant (“continuous implementation”) and for the other part including new action aimed at responding to new areas of concern (“joint innovation”).

CDENF will continue to oversee the implementation of the Strategy. This process will be led in close partnership with numerous internal and external partners, respectively including Council of Europe bodies involved in cross-cutting matters and international organisations following a common children’s rights agenda with the Council of Europe.

• a comprehensive review and analysis of Finnish legislation concerning children’s rights relating to Barnahus. The review will focus on pre-trial and judiciary procedures for cases of violence against children and multi-agency information exchange mechanisms
• a gap analysis on training needs for professionals working with and for children in Finland. The analysis will provide a stakeholder mapping and make recommendations on the necessary steps to ensure that relevant staff receive tailored training.

On 8 February, the Children’s Rights Division celebrated for the 7th consecutive year Safer Internet Day and joined forces with numerous stakeholders to work together for a better and safer internet for all, and especially for children and young adults.

Recent texts and decisions

Participation of the Russian Federation in CDENF and its subordinate bodies and groups suspended  

Case-law of the European Court of Human Rights

• The denial of Azerbaijani citizenship to the applicants' children was neither lawful nor accompanied by the necessary procedural safeguards: Hashemi v. Azerbaijan (in French), press release
• Adoption procedure initiated by the authorities in breach of the mother’s and her child’s right to respect for family life: D.M and N. v. Italy (in French), press release)
• Two judgments concerning care orders issued for children in Norway: A.L. and Others v. Norway and E.M. and Others v. Norway
• Compensation for the costs of caring for a child whose disability was not detected during prenatal screening - retrospective application of the law is contrary to the Convention: N.M. and Others v. France (in French), press release 
• Court’s refusal to hear young children without parental care represented by social services, and not by special guardian, in foster care proceedings brought by applicant grandparent - no violation: Q and R v. Slovenia
• The conditions to which the applicants children were subjected during their seven-months-long stay in the Röszke amounted to a violation of article 3 ECHR: M.B.K and others v. Hungary
• Television interview of minor without parental consent: violation I.V.T v. Romania
• Automatic placement of a family of adult and child asylum-seekers in six-month-long detention without thorough and individualised assessment of particular situation and needs is contrary to the Convention: Nikoghosyan and others v. Poland
• Refusal to recognise a legal relationship between a child and the biological mother’s ex-partner - no violation of Article 8 of the Convention: C.E. and Others v. France (in French), press release 
• Refusal to establish the applicant’s biological paternity complied with the child’s best interests, but the domestic courts failed in their duty of exceptional diligence as regards the length of proceedings: A. L. v. France (in French),  press release
• Rejection of a request for contact rights vis-à-vis former spouse’s child - violation of the applicant’s right to respect for her private and family life: Callamand v. France (in French only), press release
• The authorities failed to protect a woman and her deceased son from domestic violence, but there was no finding of discriminatory treatment: Landi v. Italy (in French), press release