TOWARDS AN EU STRATEGY ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD

17/04/2007: A hearing entitled "Towards an EU strategy on the rights of the child" will be jointly organised by seven parliamentary committees on Tuesday 17 April in the European Parliament.

Different panels of experts will debate judicial, economic and social aspects of children's rights with MEPs.

EPP-ED Rapporteurs Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou MEP (Greece) and Antonio López-Istúriz MEP (Spain) will participate. Anna Záborská MEP (Slovakia), Chair of the Committee on Women's Rights, will also make one of the introductory statements.

Programme:

9:00 - 10:30 OPENING

Introductory statements by:

Mr Jean-Marie Cavada, Chair of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

Ms Anna Záborská, Chair of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality

Ms Roberta Angelilli, Rapporteur of the lead Committee (LIBE), European Parliament

Representative of the German Presidency (tbc)

Vice-President Franco Frattini, European Commission

Ms Verena Taylor, Representative of the Council of Europe, Presentation of the work of the Council of Europe in the field of Children's Rights

Ms Marta Santos Pais, Director of the UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre: The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): a Universal Child Rights Framework

Question time

10:30 - 12:30 Part I: CHILDREN'S RIGHTS: SOME KEY ISSUES

Chair: Ms Angelilli, Ms Kinnock, Ms Gröner, Mr López-Istúriz

10:30-10:40 Mainstreaming Children's Rights in the EU, Ms Mieke Schuurman, EURONET

10:40-10:50 An EU Strategy on children in External Relations, Ms Lieve Fransen, Head of Unit, DG Development, European Commission

10:50-11:10 Debate

With the participation of children:

11:10-11:30 Implementing Children's participation in the EU: Results of the consultation based on the child friendly version of the Communication on the Strategy on the Rights of the Child in EU Member States, Ms Olivia Lind Haldorsson, Save the Children

11:30-11:50 Implementing Children's participation outside the EU: Results of the external consultation based on the child friendly version of the Communication on the Strategy on the Rights of the Child, Ms Deepali Sood, Plan Europe

11:50-12:00 The European legal regime regarding parental abduction of children: the loopholes of the current system, Ms Anne-Marie Hutchinson, Head of the Children Department, Dawson & Cornwell, United Kingdom

12:00-12:30 Debate

15:00 - 16:30 Part II: CHILDREN AND VIOLENCE

Chair: Ms Angelilli, Ms Panayotopoulos

15:00-15:20 Presentation of the UN Study on Violence against children, Professor Paulo Pinheiro, UN independent expert

15:20-15:35 Presentation of the Thematic Report on the Rights of the child, Professor Maja Eriksson, Member of the former Network of Experts on Fundamental Rights

15:35-15:50 Special needs and vulnerabilities of a female child, Ms Christa Stolle, Secretary General for the NGO "Terre des Femmes"

15:50-16:00 Prevention of infanticide and assistance to mothers at risk, Ms Erminia Cozza, Legal advisor of "Civil rights in 2000 - Saving babies and mothers"

16:00-16:30 Debate

16:30 - 17:30 Part III: CHILDREN AT RISK

Chair: Ms Angelilli, Ms Belohorská, Ms Panayatopoulos, M. López-Istúriz

16:30-16:40 Children refugees and asylum seeking children, Ms Judith Kumin, UNHCR

16:40-16:50 The problem of birth registration, Ms Marta Santos Pais, Director of the UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre

16:50-17:00 Abandoned children, Mr Jozef Miklosko, President of the Society of Friends of Children from Children's Homes

17:00-17:10 The example of the hotline for children at risk in Spain, Mr Luis Estebaranz Prieto, Anar Foundation (Ayuda a Niños y Adolescentes en Riesgo)

17:10-17:30 Debate

17:30 - 18:30 Part IV: CHILDREN AND POVERTY

Chair: Ms Angelilli, Mr Papadimoulis, Ms Gröner

17:30-17:45 Child poverty and social inclusion: Presentation of a review of 23 national reports on social inclusion, Jana Hainsworth, Eurochild

17:45-18:00 Children's Economic Rights, Ms Jeroo Billimoria, Executive Director of Aflatoun, Child Savings International

18:00-18:30 Debate and concluding remarks