On 16 September 2025, during the 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council, Defence for Children International (DCI), on behalf of the NGO Panel on Children Deprived of Liberty (NPCDL), delivered a statement in the Interactive Dialogue with the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
The intervention highlighted alarming findings from the UN Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty, which shows that nearly three quarters of children detained annually within the justice system (approx. 297,200 out of 410,000) are held in pre-trial detention.
NPCDL emphasized that:
- The absence of a clear limit on pre-trial detention in international law undermines children’s rights.
- Children in pre-trial detention are especially vulnerable to ill-treatment, lack of access to education, and failure to separate them from adults.
- Even short periods of detention severely harm children, increasing risks of self-harm, trauma, and social exclusion.
NPCDL urged Member States to:
- Ensure that children are always managed within specialised child justice systems.
- Implement non-custodial solutions in pre-trial proceedings.
- Advance commitment to recommendation under the Roadmap for Action on Children Deprived of Liberty 2025–2030 to end harmful practices and safeguard children’s rights.
Watch the statement:
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