Governance fit for Children. To what extent have the general measures of implementation of the UNCRC been realised in five European countries (Executive summary of a Comparative Study)

This Executive Summary of a Comparative Study brings together evidence from national studies carried out in Italy, Lithuania, Romania, Sweden and the UK by Save the Children organisations for the ‘Governance Fit for Children’ project, aimed at assessing how far the general measures of implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) have been realised at European, national and community level. A separate report has been written on the EU institutional context. The five national studies which this report is based on were conducted between March and October 2010 using a common methodology. Although all the countries in this study are EU Members and have ratified both the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols, attitudes to children’s rights differ greatly both between and within states, affecting the ability of governments and other stakeholders to implement child rights policies and practices. The report provides valuable insights into the similarities and differences between the five European countries the project focuses on. This document concludes by offering specific recommendations to governments and key decision-makers.