On 1 June 2021, the Council of Europe Committee for the Rights of the Child (CDENF) is organising an online Regional Discussion on Children’s Rights and Alternative Care to contribute to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Day of General Discussion (DGD) on this theme. The event is organised under the auspices of the Hungarian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers.

This Regional Discussion represents an excellent opportunity to examine the current situation regarding alternative care in its complexity, discuss particular areas of concern with regard to the unnecessary separation of children from their families, and identify appropriate ways to respond to family and child separation in cases where it is unavoidable.

The event will bring together national delegations, participants and observers of the CDENF, the Lanzarote Committee and members of the Committee of Experts on the Rights and the Best Interests of the Child in Parental Separation and in Care Proceedings (CJ/ENF-ISE), as well as other experts and stakeholder representatives to have an exchange on how best to address some of the main challenges states are facing, taking into account examples of good practices and relevant standards. The final report will represent the Council of Europe's contribution to the UNCRC Day of General Discussion and will also inform any Council of Europe work in this area.

Moderated by Maria-Andriani Kostopoulou, Chair of the CDENF, speakers include:

• Elda Moreno, Head of the Council of Europe Children’s Rights and Sport Values Department
• István Kovács, Deputy Secretary of State for International and EU Affairs, Ministry of Human Capacities of Hungary
• Bragi Guðbrandsson, Member of the UNCRC
• Ksenija Turković, Vice President of the European Court of Human Rights
• Seamus Carroll, Chair of the CJ/ENF-ISE
• Maeve O’Rourke, Lecturer in Human Rights, National University of Ireland, Galway
• Dainius Pūras, former UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health and former CRC Committee member
• George Nikolaidis, former Chair and member of the Lanzarote Committee
• Regína Jensdóttir, Head of the Children’s Rights Division and Council of Europe Coordinator for the Rights of the Child.

For more information about the event and registration, please visit the dedicated webpage.

 Concept note and draft programme