ENOC held its 27^th Annual Conference and General Assembly meeting in Brussels, Belgium, on 19-21 September 2023. The Conference "The strength of Independent Children’s Rights Institutions: upholding children’s rights in Europe" was hosted by the Office of the Flemish Children's Rights Commissioner, Caroline Vrijens, who, on the same occasion, took over the Chairmanship of ENOC for the coming year.

The ENOC Annual Conference was the concluding event on the annual theme "The Role of ICRIs in the Protection and Promotion of Children's Rights".

Ombudspersons and Commissioners for Children from across Europe and beyond attended, as did representatives of key European and International Governmental and Non-Governmental Organisations, governmental authorities, professionals, experts, and other stakeholders working in the children's rights field will be in attendance.

The research carried out by the experts provided throughout the year provided useful findings for ICRIs to self-examine and discover what powers they could strengthen to ensure their independence, effectiveness, their visibility and accessibility to children, as well as the meaningful participation of children and young people in their work.

Young people participating in the ENYA project played an active role throughout the event. They hosted sessions related to different aspects of the Conference theme and also presented in an interactive and inclusive way their recommendations on the Role of ICRIs in the Protection and Promotion of Children's Rights as part of ENYA 2023 activities.

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The ENOC 2023 Annual Conference took place over two days, serving as a forum for substantive discussions and presentations geared towards the annual theme.

Day 1:

Caroline Vrijens, ENOC Chair-elect, Liesbeth Homans, President of the Flemish Parliament, Salvör Nordal, ENOC Chair, and a representative of Ewa Kopacz, EP Vice-President, opened the session by emphasizing the pivotal role of ICRIs. Young advisors from the 2023 ENYA group explained their preparation before the 2023 ENYA Forum, which took place during two days in July 2023 in Malta, and highlighted their efforts at local, national, and international levels. Dr. Katrien Klep from Leiden University presented the culmination of the ENOC research, shedding light on the strategies and challenges faced by ICRIs in safeguarding and promoting children's rights.

A panel debate followed, exploring the pivotal role of ICRIs in safeguarding children's rights, contributing to a deeper understanding of the topic. Geert Cappelaere, former UNICEF Representative to the EU institutions, and former Director of UNICEF Partnership Office, underscored the global impact of ICRIs in upholding children's rights, bringing Day 1 to a close on a reflective note.

Day 2:

Day 2 began with Benjamin Dalle, the Flemish Minister for Brussels, Youth, Media, and Poverty Reduction, emphasizing the importance of ICRIs in his speech. ENYA Young Advisors then facilitated a dynamic session, sharing recommendations forged at the ENYA Forum in Malta. These recommendations highlighted the views of young people on issues such as accessibility, visibility, engagement, and the authority of ICRIs. Presentations and workshops focused on the challenges faced by ICRIs, with particular attention to areas such as child rights monitoring, accessibility, visibility, and the inclusion of children in decision-making processes. Additionally, Olga Altunina, Representative of the Commissioner for the Rights of Citizens Affected by Armed Aggression Against Ukraine, provided an update on the status of children's rights in conflict zones, underlining the urgent need for collective action to address these issues.

During the ENOC 2023 Annual Conference, the research carried out by the experts provided throughout the year provided useful findings for ICRIs to self-examine and discover what powers they could strengthen to ensure their independence, effectiveness, their visibility and accessibility to children, as well as the meaningful participation of children and young people in their work.

 

Read the ENOC 27th Annual conference here.

 

Group photo of participants to the ENOC Annual Conference, Brussels, 2023