Mandate

The Division on Migration and Refugees (DMR) was created at the Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law (DG1) on 1 February 2025 to follow-up on the action by the former Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees. Its mandate includes suggesting assistance and support to member states, particularly through the Network of Focal Points on Migration, seeking, collecting and analysing information on the human rights situation of migrants and refugees, as well as complementing and co-ordinating activities of other relevant Council of Europe bodies and our action with other international partners, notably the UNHCR, IOM, EU, and its specialised agencies, and other national, regional and international stakeholders, including civil society organisations. The DMR represents the Council of Europe in the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award Selection Committee, as well as in the Consultative Forums of Frontex and of EUAA.

Back Council of Europe’s Steering Committee on the Rights of the Child approves human rights principles for children in migration

Council of Europe’s Steering Committee on the Rights of the Child approves human rights principles for children in migration

On 1-3 February 2022, during an online plenary session dedicated to the protection of the rights of children in migration, the Steering Committee on the Rights of the Child (CDENF) approved a draft Recommendation on “Human Rights Principles and Guidelines on age assessment for children in the context of migration” and a draft Explanatory Memorandum of Recommendation CM/Rec(2019)11 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on Effective guardianship for unaccompanied and separated children in the context of migration. Both finalised documents will be submitted to the Committee of Ministers for final adoption in the near future, together with the draft explanatory memorandum of the draft Recommendation on age assessment, which is currently being finalised.

At the opening session, the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees, Ms Leyla Kayacik, expressed her strong support for all the migration-related activities carried out by the CDENF and emphasised the crucial importance of this work for upholding the rights of migrant and refugee children. She also highlighted the importance of CDENF’s work on age assessment and guardianship, which is also part of the Council of Europe Action Plan on Protecting Vulnerable Persons in the Context of Migration and Asylum in Europe (2021-2025), as children remain one of the most vulnerable groups in a migration and asylum context.

CHILDREN´S RIGHTS DIVISION
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Print Council of Europe’s Steering Committee on the Rights of the Child approves human rights principles for children in migration