UNICEF and the Council of Europe have reaffirmed their shared commitment to protect and promote the rights of children across Europe through a renewed partnership, announced in Geneva, Switzerland on 26 November.
The partnership focuses on preventing all forms of violence against children, including online violence. Together, UNICEF and the Council of Europe will support governments across the region in ensuring child-friendly justice and protecting and empowering children in the use of digital technologies.
"When we work together and invest in prevention, response and support services for children, we can break the cycle of violence and build safe homes, schools and communities for every child," said Regina De Dominicis, UNICEF's Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia and Special Coordinator for the Refugee and Migrant Response in Europe.
Specifically, UNICEF and the Council of Europe will:
- promote and support the signature, ratification and implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (Lanzarote Convention);
- ensure regular exchange of information about respective activities in the areas of child-friendly justice and alternative care;
- support states in protecting and empowering children in the use of technologies, including artificial intelligence systems;
- identify opportunities to facilitate UNICEF's contribution to the work of structures of the Council of Europe, such as the Steering Committee for the Rights of the Child and the Committee of the Parties to the Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (Lanzarote Committee);
- streamline co-operation by UNICEF country offices and Council of Europe offices to promote strategic and occasional joint efforts in child-rights related projects.
This partnership builds on the Joint Declaration signed in 2007 and the exchange of letters from 2012. It aligns with the call made in the Reykjavik Declaration at the 4th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe held in May 2023 for a strengthened partnership with the United Nations.
"We look forward to deepening our strategic and operational co-operation with UNICEF," said Bjørn Berge, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe. "By working together, we can effectively address pressing issues related to children's rights and ensure a safer, more just environment for children across Europe."
This partnership will make a significant contribution to advancing and safeguarding the rights of the child across Europe, building on international and regional standards such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and relevant Council of Europe standards.
