The ad hoc Committee for the Rights of the Child (CAHENF) held its 3^rd meeting in Strasbourg from 22 to 24 November 2017, with Ms Ina Verzivolli (Albania) chairing. Representatives from 34 member states and representatives of international and European intergovernmental organisations and non-governmental organisations participated.

During the meeting, the Committee examined and approved a draft Recommendation on Guidelines for member states to respect, protect and fulfil children’s rights in the digital environment, a text prepared by its drafting group of experts, the CAHENF -IT. The approved draft Recommendation will be sent to the Committee of Ministers for adoption.

The guidelines aim to:

1. guide States in formulating legislation, policies and other measures to promote the realisation of the full array of the rights of the child in the digital environment and address the full range of ways in which the digital environment impacts on children’s well-being and enjoyment of human rights;
2. promote the development, implementation and monitoring by states of a comprehensive strategic and coordinated approach;
3. ensure that states require business enterprises and other relevant actors to meet their responsibility to respect the rights of the child in the digital environment and encourage them to support and promote the rights of the child, and
4. ensure concerted action and co-operation at national and international level to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of the child in the digital environment.

The CAHENF also approved:

• its work plan and priorities for the period 2018-2019, focusing on children’s rights in the context of migration, including through the work of the CAHENF-Safeguards - guardianship, age assessment, life projects for unaccompanied children, as well as on other policy aspects such as responses to violence against children, child budgeting, impact assessment, the rights of children with mental health conditions, and
• the process for the mid-term evaluation of the implementation of the Strategy for the Rights of the Child (2016-2019).

This work will be carried out under the guidance of the newly elected Bureau consisting of:

• Ms Maria-Andriani Kostopoulou (Greece) as Chair
• Ms Satu Sistonen (Finland) as Vice-Chair
• Mr Eduard Israelyan (Armenia), Ms Christel de Craim (Belgium), and Ms Leda Koursoumba (Cyprus) as members.

For further information, see the full list of decisions of the Committee.