Zpět Conference ‘Hear Our Voices: The Rights and Determination of the Best Interests of the Child in Parental Separation and in Care Proceedings’

Conference ‘Hear Our Voices: The Rights and Determination of the Best Interests of the Child in Parental Separation and in Care Proceedings’

The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth will host a conference on ‘Hear Our Voices: The Rights and Determination of the Best Interests of the Child in Parental Separation and in Care Proceedings’ in Dublin on 3 October, in collaboration with the Council of Europe and the Department of Justice. The conference is being held within the framework of Ireland’s Council of Europe Presidency priority on promoting the voices of youth across Europe, and builds on the Council of Europe’s Strategy for the Rights of the Child (2022-2027).

Roderic O’Gorman TD, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and Christophe Poirel, Director of the Council of Europe’s Human Rights Directorate will open the conference. Conference proceedings will include a keynote address by Lemn Sissay OBE; a fireside chat with young people with experience of care/family law proceedings in Ireland; a panel on balancing rights featuring Michael O’Flaherty, Director of the EU FRA, Regina Jensdottir, Head of the Council’s Children’s Rights Division, Carol Coulter, Executive Director of the Child Law Project and Benoit van Keirsbilck, member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child; and plenary sessions focusing separately on care proceedings, chaired by Sinead Gibney, Chief Commissioner IHREC and parental separation chaired by Niall Muldoon, Ombudsman for Children. The Minister for Justice Helen McEntee will close the conference.

The Council of Europe, through its Committee of Experts on the Rights and the Best interests of the Child in Parental Separation and in Care Proceedings (CJ/ENF-ISE), is currently elaborating a draft recommendation to member States on the rights and best interests of the child in parental separation and in care proceedings.

A hearing of selected key stakeholders - umbrella organisations, professional associations and international networks – will be held on the morning of 4 October for input into the 6th meeting of the CJ/ENF-ISE which will be held on the afternoon of 4 October and on 5 October. The Committee of Experts will examine inputs from the conference and hearing before finalising the elaboration of the future legal instrument and submitting it for approval to the two steering committees, and subsequently, by the Committee of Ministers. 

Strasbourg 30 September 2022
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