September 2002

DENMARK

Re.:ENOC

The National Council for Children’s activities in 2001-2002

Structure of the National Council for Children

The National Council for Children is the Danish model for an ombudsman institution for children. The Council has a total of seven members coming from various professional backgrounds. All are experts in children and adolescents. The Minister for Social Affairs appoints the Chairman and two other members. The remaining members are elected on the basis of an election procedure where NGOs working with children may nominate candidates and participate in the election process.

The Chairman is educator Mr. Klaus Wilmann. 

Generally, the Council members meet six times annually.  

The Secretariat presently employs 5 staff. The employees cover the following disciplines: law, sociology, communication, child and youth education and social work. 

Types of tasks carried out by the National Council for Children

The office of the National Council for Children is a national agency given formal status and authority by Parliament. The Council is a politically independent body empowered to set up its own agenda, take action, give statements and formulate criticism when it deems necessary. The Council has no authority to deal with personal cases of complaint.  The Council is asked to comment on new bills. The Council keeps the relevant ministers, members of Parliament, NGOs, professionals and the media abreast of its initiatives and statements. The Council uses tools such as newsletters, annual reports, conferences, press releases, a website and direct dialogue.

                                 Difficulties, which the Council meets when exercising its mandate

The Council’s finances:

Denmark got a new government by the end of 2001, which decided to close down several national institutions, and reduced the funds dramatically for others. The National Council for Child survived but got its funds reduced with 23%. The consequences are reduction in the staff and very limited funds for activities.

Activities in 2000 - 2001

1.  Comments on bills:

In the past year, the National Council for Children has commented on 16 new bills that in some way affect children. Generally, the Council bases its comments on the Convention on the Right of the Child (CRC).

2. Annual meetings:

The annual meeting for NGO’s, professionals, local and central authorities an other with interest in children addressed in 2001 the topic. “Children’s time and adults’ time for children.” 

3. The National Council for Children’s communication with children:

The NCC primarily communicates with children through the Council’s Children’s Panel. This panel comprises a representative segment of children in 7^th form (ages 12 to 13) in schools all over the country. They participate in two to four annual questionnaire studies that document children’s views on subjects relevant to them.

In 2001 a study focused the abilities of the parents to taking days off (family welfare days) when the children are ill. Until this study children’s views and needs were almost invisible in the current debate on maternity leave and welfare days. Almost all children want the area to be regulated by legislation. Among many interesting facts the study shows us that 25 % of the children (age 10 to 12) are alone in the house when ill but also that children and adults define paternal care differently: Children also want the presence of a parent in situations in life when something special is going on or when they are sad and worried.  

In spring 2002 a questionnaire focused pupils´ participation in decision making in schools.

The study still unpublished shows that whereas formal democracy with an explicit legal background (e.g. pupil councils) has found a stable position in school, the practicing of classroom democracy (i.e. teaching methods, subjects and relationship between teacher and pupil) still has a long way to come. Half of the pupils never or seldom participate in planning their own work plan and 90 % never or seldom have a say when it comes to choosing books and training material. 20 % of the pupils declare that they are often or always afraid of expressing their opinion in the classroom.

Danish school experts emphasize as unique the existence of the home-class teacher system (same person   teaching the pupils very often from 1^st to 10^th grade). However 90 % of the pupils never or seldom talk about personal matters with their teacher – questioning the safety and confidence in this system.

The NCC has decided to focus on school matters in the years to come and will use facts from this study when confronting school authorities and decision-makers with the point of view that methods of pupils´ participation in school must be identified and refined.  

In accordance with the decision of the Council to strengthen the direct contact to Danish children the chairman this spring has visited 4 panel classes listening to and debating with the children about everyday life joys and problems but also about more abstract themes as death and war. The chairman found the meetings positive and inspiring and will be planning more visits in the future.   

 4. Supporting the implementation of the CRC in Denmark: 

The CRC has not been consistently incorporated into Danish legislation. When the Council comments on new bills, it does so on the basis of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.  

Generally, interest is shown in the Council’s views, which are expressed through the comments to bills, discussion papers, reports, etc. These written expressions are accessible on the National Council for Children’s website. The media often cite these documents, a fact that helps raise awareness of the CRC.  

Book: The CRC in Denmark

The NCC will on the 20th Nov this year publish a book about the CRC in Denmark. The content will be a mixture of facts about the Convention and contributions from a variety of people working with children’s rights e.g. the president of the Danish Parliament, the Danish Ombudsman, one of the youth delegates at UNGASS and the chairperson of the Committee on the Rights of the Child. 

Incorporation of CRC in Danish law

In Nov 2001 the National Incorporation Committee published its report: On the Incorporation of Human Rights Conventions in Danish Law. The committee recommends early incorporation of the following conventions: The international Convention on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR), the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) and The Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT). In May 2002 NCC made its statement about the report and recommended the CRC to be incorporated too.

The Optional Protocol to CRC on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict

On the 4th of April 2002 the Danish Parliament unanimously decided to ratify the Optional Protocol to CRC on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict.  

Implementation of the CRC in local authorities

The NCC hosted in 2002 two national conferences about the experiences of supporting local authorities in developing the local child-policy and practical work with children on the ground of the CRC.

5. Video recordings of police interrogation of sexually abused children:

In collaboration with two NGOs, the National Council for Children in 2000 set up a panel of experts to uncover problems related to video recordings of police interrogation involving children who have been sexually abused. The panel clarified both legal and psychological problems related to the interrogation of children and submitted a proposal towards an optimum method of interrogation in autumn 2001 which has contributed essentially to the ongoing national debate.

The government in 2001 set up an interdisciplinary committee to reconsider all legislation related to children involved in a court process. The committee has been confronted with the NCC proposal and is expected to publish a comprehensive report this autumn.

6. Parents have no right to hit their children

More leaflets in ethnic minority languages.

Informative campaign material in Danish on the 1997 law amendment banning physical punishment of children has been translated into English, Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian, Arabic, Turkish and Urdu (Pakistan). Translation into Somali is in process and a leaflet will be published this autumn.

National Language School Centers for immigrants and refugees, community health personnel, social workers, refugee camp workers and ethnic minority groups are primary purchasers of the material and have shown great demand.

A pamphlet to promote parents to choose positive education.

In the autumn of 2002 the NCC will publish a pamphlet supporting new parents in choosing positive education and not negative punishment. The pamphlet will be offered the local authorities and the visiting nurses will discuss the matter with new parents.  

7. UNGASS:

The National Council for Children participated in Denmark’s preparation of the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Children and attended the assembly too.  

8. Children in families who are going through the process of divorce.

In the October 2002 a documentary on children’s experiences of the divorce process in their family will be ready for the public. We expect it to be send on one of the national TV channels. 

9. Information and publications:

During this period, the National Council for Children has issued a total of seven publications:

Two children’ panel reports:  * Children’s views on family welfare days

                                                               * Children’s views on smoking

Two reports:                             * An optimal model – Report on video recordings of police interrogation of sexually abused children

                                                                 * Annual Report

 Four pamphlets:                        * The National Council for Children – presentation pamphlet Danish

                                                 * The National Council for Children – presentation pamphlet English

                                                 * Parents do not have a right to hit their children – Urdu and Somali        

A new homepage

In June 2002 The National Council for Children has launched a new homepage. The target group is adults, but the Council will create a special website for children in 2002/03.

Last edited by Barneombudet November 12, 2002
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