Child Participation and Children’s Ombudsman Institutions within the European Union

In 2008, ENOC, the European Network of Ombudspersons for Children, carried out a survey on child participation and the work of children’s ombudspersons’ institutions in relation to aspects of the implementation of article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child – children’s right to express their views freely on all matters affecting them and to have those views given due weight. This is a preliminary report on the responses received from ENOC institutions in EU member-states.
The survey covered:
• The degree to which the legislation setting up children’s ombudsperson institutions included child participation provisions;
• Child participation in the structure and administration of children’s ombudsperson institutions;
• Child participation in particular research or campaigning activities of children’s ombudsperson institutions;
• Children’s ombudspersons’ work in promoting respect for children’s rights to participation in society and government – for example encouraging changes to law, policy or practice to ensure that children’s views are heard and taken seriously in line with article 12.