The Council of Europe actively contributed to the 5th World Congress on Justice with Children, a global forum held in Madrid on 2-4 June 2025. Organised under the auspices of the Council of Europe Secretary General, Alain Berset, the Congress gathered global leaders, professionals, policy makers, academics, civil society representatives, and - most importantly - children and young people themselves, to advance justice systems that are truly child-friendly, rights-based and inclusive.
Director General of Democracy and Human Dignity, Marja Ruotanen, addressed the audience during the International Plenary session “Towards Child-Centred Justice”. She underscored the Council of Europe’s steadfast commitment to placing children’s rights, voices and dignity at the heart of justice systems that not only protect, but also empower children as rights-holders and active participants in legal processes.
“At the Council of Europe, child-friendly justice is not a ‘nice to have’ - it is a foundational principle guiding our work. From the ongoing review of our Guidelines on Child-Friendly Justice, to the development of new standards to uphold the best interests of the child in parental separation and in care proceedings, and our long-lasting support for the Barnahus model across Europe, we aim to empower children meaningfully and sustainably,” added the Director General.
She also spotlighted the organisation’s upcoming initiatives, including a Child Rights Impact Assessment Tool for Artificial Intelligence, designed to ensure that new technologies uphold children’s rights from the outset.
The Council of Europe also organised a workshop exploring the implementation of international standards like the Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (Lanzarote Convention) and the Council of Europe Guidelines on Child-Friendly Justice, in the light of ECtHR case-law, to protect children against secondary victimisation before, during and after judicial proceedings. The event showcased the Barnahus model as a leading European child-friendly, multidisciplinary and interagency response to comprehensively protect child victims and witnesses of violence.
The Council of Europe Co-ordinator for the Rights of the Child, Agnes von Maravić, presented the Council of Europe’s work on protecting procedural rights of children in the digital age, and on strengthening access to justice for children in vulnerable situations, such as children on the move due to crises like the war in Ukraine.
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