A conference focusing on the right of children to be heard and have their opinions taken seriously has opened in Cork, Ireland. “Child and youth participation for Europe” is the first event to be held under the Irish Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe which started on 20 May.
The conference, from 23-25 May, is being held in hybrid format and hosted by Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman who addressed the participants in the opening session. It is organised under the Joint European Union/Council of Europe Project “CP4Europe – Strengthening National Child Participation Frameworks and Action in Europe” launched in April last year.
The first mid-term results of the work to promote child participation in the project partner countries (the Czech Republic, Finland, Iceland, Portugal and Slovenia) will be presented. Ten young delegates from these countries are taking part in the event. Irish youth groups and key actors, who have contributed to numerous initiatives in the field of child participation, will share good practices. Special attention is being given to current challenges facing children and young people, in particular the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.