Brussels, European Parliament
The event “Children deprived of liberty in the world: Global challenges in the current geopolitical context”, organised by Soraya Rodríguez Ramos, was held in the European Parliament on 28 November.
According to United Nations data, there are currently 7.2 million children deprived of liberty. This has not only a direct impact on the realisation of children’s rights: it also hinders their development and well-being. Moreover, this deprivation occurs in different contexts, including migration and armed conflict. “No child should ever be tried by a military court or any court that lacks sufficient guarantees of respect for due process and the principle of the best interests of the child,” the Spanish MEP claimed in its initial intervention. Soraya Rodríguez also said that “children detained in the context of occupation or armed conflict should be considered, above all, victims” and recalled that, according to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the deprivation of liberty of children should always be “a measure of last resort and for the shortest possible period of time.”
The first panel of the debate was attended by Manfred Nowak, an expert human rights lawyer who led the preparation of the UN Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty; Benoit Van Keirsbilck, member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and Director of Defence for Children; and Manu Krishan, Global Campus of Human Rights. Addressed the legal frameworks and international conventions governing the deprivation of liberty of children; the development and promotion of best practices, including alternatives to detention; and identifying challenges and opportunities to address this issue in the current geopolitical context.
The second panel focused on the specific challenges facing children deprived of their liberty in different regions of the world. Anne Schintgen, who is at the head of the liaison Office of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict; Rasha Muhrez, Syria Response Director for Save the Children; and Marta Lorenzo, Director of the UNRWA Representative Office for Europe.
The organisation of this event took place just before the imminent vote on the plenary of the European Parliament of the report INI 2022/2197, next December. The European Parliament has consistently been at the forefront on defending children’s rights. In this line, the Renew Europe event aimed at providing a platform for experts to share knowledge, experiences and best practices related to children’s rights; addressing key challenges and opportunities in the current geopolitical context; and discuss policy recommendations and initiatives to protect and promote children’s rights.
The event, in addition, was an opportunity to raise awareness of the situation of children and to give visibility to the terrible consequences of the deprivation of liberty of children. “Childhood is a stage of life during which children develop their personality, their emotional relationships with others, their social and educational skills and competences. The deprivation of liberty of children also deprives them of their childhood and their future,” Rodriguez said.
