Child Participation and Independent Human Rights Institutions for Children in Europe

Child participation is closely linked and interdependent with civil and political rights and with the fundamental perceived concepts of childhood, evolving capacity and autonomy. The right of children to express their views freely and to have them taken into account is both a substantive right and a general principle relevant to all aspects of implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The degree of children‟s participation within a society and the ways of involving children and adolescents in all matters affecting them depend on various factors, including the perceptions of childhood and adults‟ views about children‟s capacity to participate. Independent human rights institutions for children promote, protect and monitor progress in the realization of children‟s rights. These institutions should be geographically and physically accessible to all children and adolescents and ensure close and continual interactions with them, in order to be able to speak out on their behalf and make their voices reach decision makers. In Europe, children and adolescents have been involved in different aspects of the functioning and work of independent institutions. The establishment of youth advisory bodies has been a practical way to institutionalize child participation. Independent institutions also have a critical role to play in promoting ethical and meaningful participation of children and adolescents in all matters affecting them and in all relevant decision-making processes. In conclusion, independent institutions can contribute to making children and adolescents more visible, changing mindsets with respect to their rights and shaping the perceptions of childhood.