The NGO Panel (co-chaired by Defence for Children International and Terre des hommes) in partnership with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against children organised an international global Forum of two days three years after the publication of the Study. It was an opportunity to take stock of the work achieved on justice for children and deprivation of liberty, mobilising key stakeholders to trigger action in front of unprecedented challenges, ensuring that no child is left behind.

 

The Global Forum:

  • Took stock of progress and challenges for each cluster: Administration of Justice, children deprived of liberty with their primary caregiver, children on the move, children in institutions and children detained in the context of armed conflict/national security grounds;
  • Exchanged promising practices from different countries and contexts, such as investment in non-custodial measures to ensure children’s safe reintegration into families and communities;
  • Advocated for the follow up of data collection on children deprived of liberty;
  • Promoted the launch of national action plans and policies highlighting alternatives to detention;
  • Elaborated on the adoption of multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral approaches to finding alternatives to deprivation of liberty of children;
  • Built synergies and alliances enhancing collective action of child rights organisations, civil society and other stakeholders to promote the recommendations of the UN Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty and use SDG 16 in particular as a roadmap for recovery and promotion of justice for children;
  • Promoted enhanced and coordinated cooperation at national, regional, and international levels;
  • Promoted prevention and reintegration policies and practices;
  • Highlighted good and innovative practices that enable children’s effective and meaningful participation in these objectives;
  • Increased political will to promote and implement child-friendly justice, creating a momentum for reforms on non-custodial alternatives to deprivation of liberty;
  • Ensured follow-up and dissemination of inputs to the Forum by bringing key advocacy messages to the High-Level Political Forum in July 2023 and other relevant Fora (e.g. the next World Congress on Justice with Children 2025);
  • Adopted a roadmap to action for the implementation of the Global Study’s recommendations.