Just as gender equality issues are mainstreamed into the work of the Children’s Rights Division, the Gender Equality Division also mainstreams a children’s rights perspective into its work.

Children and young people with disabilities are at higher risk of exclusion than other children. The Council of Europe Disability Unit therefore integrates a specific focus on children and young people with disabilities.

The Division on Migration and Refugees (DMR) protects children’s rights by focusing attention on bringing an end to the harmful practice of detaining child migrants. Another area of focus is the setting of common guidelines on age assessment procedures.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) children are vulnerable to human rights violations, and run the risk of being excluded from their families. The Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sexual Characteristics (SOGIESC) unit addresses the various risks and challenges these children encounter.

The Steering Committee for Human Rights in the fields of Bioemedicine and Health (CDBIO) addresses the ethical and legal challenges raised by developments in the biomedical field. The protection of children and minors are afforded specific attention in the various legal texts and standards created by this Committee.

The European Committee on Legal Co-operation (CDCJ) is responsible for the standard-setting activities of the Council of Europe in the field of public and private law and fosters legal co-operation. The CDCJ together with the Steering Committee for the Rights of the Child (CDENF) developed the Recommendation CM/Rec(2025)4 on the protection of the rights and best interests of the child in parental separation proceedings, as well as the Recommendation CM/Rec(2025)5 on the protection of the rights and best interests of the child in care proceedings and their Explanatory Memoranda. 

The Steering Committee on Media and Information Society (CDMSI), which addresses issues linked to the evolution of information and communication technologies, has integrated a special focus on education for children, including with regard to online data protection. One of its objectives is to secure the rights of children and young people on the Internet.

The Council of Europe’s education programme carries out various activities which focus on the protection of children’s rights. These include activities in the area of education for democratic citizenship and human rights, training of Education Professionals (Pestalozzi Programme), Language Policy, History Teaching, and Education for Roma Children in Europe.

The Steering Committee for New and Emerging Technologies (CDNET) addresses the safeguarding of human rights in the field of new and emerging technologies. The Committee is developing guidance on risk and impact assessment for AI systems tailored to the protection and promotion of human rights, democracy and the rule of law (HUDERIA). It will also develop a child rights impact assessment tool on artificial intelligence (CRIA), in co-operation with CDENF.

The Steering Committee on the Environment (CDENV) addresses disinformation, misinformation and access to information on environment-related matters.  This includes sharing good practices and recommendations for action that reflect the perspectives of young people and children. The Committee also studies the conditions enabling child and young environmental defenders to access information, safely and freely express themselves, issue recommendations, and access justice.

The Roma and Travellers Division aims to foster equal opportunities, diversity and social inclusion for Roma and Travellers and their children, by fighting discrimination and antigypsyism.

The European Committee of Social Rights rules on the conformity of the situation in member states with the European Social Charter, the 1988 Additional Protocol and the Revised Social Charter, which also  address children’s rights.