| SUMMARY |
| In
Denmark, a National Council for Children’s
Rights was set up in 1995 for a three year
trial period as an independent body based on
the Ministry of Social Affairs; after
evaluation it has now become a permanent body.
Three members including the Chair are
appointed by the Minister; the remaining four
by the coalition of children’s NGOs. |
| CONTACT
INFORMATION |
| Name of Office
(In National Language) |
Børnerådet |
| Name of Office
(In English) |
National Council
for Children |
| Date of
Establishment |
July 1, 1994 |
| Postal Address |
Vesterbrogade 35 A
1620 Copenhagen
Denmark |
| Telephone |
+45 33 78 33 00 |
| Fax |
+45 33 78 33 01 |
| Email address |
brd@brd.dk |
| WWW |
www.boerneraadet.dk |
| Title of
Ombudsman |
Chairman for the
National Council for Children |
| Name of
Ombudsman |
Educator Klaus Wilmann |
| Name of contact
person for ENOC |
Bente Ingvarsen,
Director of Secretariat |
| OFFICE
SIZE AND STRUCTURE |
| Number of staff
members |
8 |
| List
of staff members and functions |
Bente Ingvarsen
Søren Gade Hansen
Susanne Glending
Anne Mejer
Bettina Frølund
|
Director of
Secretariat
Head of Section
Head of Section
Head of Section
Secretary
|
| Summary
of annual Budget |
2000:
Wages
Administration
Projects, activities, initiatives |
2.910.000 dk.kr.
1.017.050 dk.kr.
631.000 dk.kr.
|
| Principal
sources of funding |
2000:
National budget
Private funding and profits |
3.500.000 dk.kr.
200.000 dk.kr.
|
| HISTORY
OF THE OFFICE |
| Date the office
was established |
July 1, 1994 |
| Initiator of
the Ombudsman office |
A network of NGO’s
and individuals |
| Steps
Involved in establishing office |
- For a period of 10
years, different NGOs, professionals and
politicians have without luck tried to
convince the Danish parliament to
establish a children’s Ombudsman
office. In Denmark an
Ombudsman-institution is tight connected
with individual casework. The Danish
politicians do not wish to divide the
authority of the Ombudsman of the
Parliament on several bodies such as an
Ombudsman for children, an Ombudsman for
handicaps and so on.
- In 1989 a group of NGOs
generated the idea of a council
independent of the government for
safeguarding and promoting the interest
of children in Denmark.
- During the following
years the NGOs made lobby-work for the
project among members of government,
parliament and the central
administration.
- The government adopted
the idea and furthered a parliamentary
resolution for forming a National
Council for Children for a tryout period
of 3 years starting July 1, 1994.
- The work of the Council
have been evaluated during fall 1996. As
a part of a broader parliamentary act
passed June 1997, a Council for Children
was made a permanent institution in
Denmark by July 1998. The National
Council for Children is independent of
the government but under formal
administration of the Ministry of Social
Affairs.
|
| Major
changes in structure, focus and activities |
| The
permanent office the National Council for
Children has got more tasks, ex. the Council
shall assess the conditions under which
children in Denmark live, in the light of the
prevision and intentions set out in the UN
Convention on the Rights of the Child and the
Council will be heard in connection with the
legislative initiatives which are important to
children’s upbringing. |
| Legislation
establishing the office |
|
"§88.The
Minister for social affairs sets up national
Council for Children to secure children’s
rights and give information and advises
concerning children’s conditions in the
society. The work of the council is to be
funded by the state.
Stk.2. The Minister for social affairs lays
down rules for putting together the council
and it’s tasks." |
| Terms
of reference or Mission Statement |
|
National
Council for Children (DK)
Order concerning a
National Council for Children
Ministry of Social Affairs,
Order no. 2 of 5 January 1998
In pursuance of section 88
of Act no. 453 of 10 June 1997 on the rule of
law and administration in social areas, the
following provisions shall be laid down:
1. The Minister of Social
Affairs establishes a National Council for
Children which shall work on ensuring children’s
rights and on putting focus on and providing
information about children’s conditions in
the society. The Council shall advise
authorities on matters relating to children’s
conditions and include children’s points of
view in its work. Moreover, the Council shall
assess the conditions under which children in
Denmark live, in the light of the provisions
and intentions set out in the United Nations’
Convention on the Rights of the Child.
2. - (1) The Council shall
be independent and interdisciplinary. Together
the members shall represent insight into a
wide spectrum of issues concerning children’s
upbringing and development, children’s
schooling, cultural and leisure life, children’s
health, children’s legal status and children
with special needs.
(2) The Council shall be made up of one
chairman and six members. The Minister of
Social Affairs shall appoint the chairman and
two members as well as two alternates. Four
members and four alternates shall be appointed
on the recommendation of an electoral assembly
made up of organisations working in the
children’s field.
(3) The chairman and the other members of the
Council shall function for a term of four
years from 1 July. On their first appointment
as at 1 July 1998, the term of their office
shall be two years for members and alternates
appointed by the Minister of Social Affairs.
Members continue until new members have been
appointed. Members may only be eligible for
one re-appointment.
(4) The National Council for Children shall
elect a deputy chairman from among its
members. The deputy chairman shall deputise
for the Chairman.
(5) Alternates shall attend Council meetings
on behalf of members in the event of long-term
absence.
(6) Alternates shall replace for the unexpired
term of the original appointment of any member
who retires from the National Council for
Children.
3. A permanent secretariat
shall be attached to the National Council for
Children.
4. (1) The National Council
for Children shall hold an annual meeting with
the organisations and associations making up
the electoral assembly and with authorities
etc. with responsibilities in the field of
children.
(2) Every year the National Council for
Children shall make a report in writing of the
activities of the Council which is distributed
to the circle of people referred to above in
subsection (1).
5. The National Council for
Children shall lay down its own rules of
procedure. The Minister of Social Affairs
shall approve the rules of procedure.
6. The National Council for
Children shall:
1) assess and identify
conditions in the development of society in
general which may possibly have an adverse
impact on children’s opportunities to
develop;
2) follow and render visible development in
the conditions of children’s upbringing,
and moreover identify matters in
legislation and administrative practice
where children’s needs and rights are not
met sufficiently or are directly ignored or
which are inappropriate in the light of the
safeguarding of a good childhood and
adolescence;
3) pass on information about children,
bring topical issues up for debate and
plead the cause of children in the public
debate; and
4) work to give children better
opportunities of participating in the
debate and influencing the development in
society.
(2) Moreover, the National
Council for Children is allowed to take up
general issues and request public authorities
to account for political decisions and
administrative practice relating to those
issues.
(3) In connection with the legislative
initiatives and other initiatives which are
important to children’s upbringing, the
National Council for Children will be heard.
(4) The National Council for Children cannot
take up specific complaints for consideration.
7. The National Council for
Children may itself take initiatives and make
proposals for alterations in the areas
referred to in section 6 (1) and (2) above.
8. The Folketing (the
Danish parliament), ministers and national
authorities may consult the National Council
for Children in all matters of a general
nature which are important to the conditions
of children in society, for example to ensure
that children’s rights, needs and interests
are safeguarded in the society’s planning.
9. The Council may involve
special experts in the work.
10. (1) Organisations,
associations, etc., working in the field of
upbringing of children, shall appoint one
member to the electoral assembly referred to
above under section 2 (2).
(2) Each member of the electoral assembly
shall have vote and the right to offer himself
or herself as a candidate for the National
Council for Children.
(3) The electoral assembly shall be convened
at the annual meeting referred to under
section 4 (1) above.
(4) The Ministry of Social Affairs shall
decide finally which new organisations,
associations, etc., may be represented in the
electoral assembly.
11. Funds for the
activities of the Council will be voted in the
annual Finance Acts.
12. This Order shall come
into force on 1 July 1998.
Minister of Social Affairs,
5 January 1998
KAREN JESPERSEN
/ Anders Lynge Madsen |
| AIMS
AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES |
| Action
with Children |
 |
Direct
consultations with individual children: no
|
|
Telephone
hotline: no
|
|
Community
meetings with groups of children: yes, once in a while
|
|
Internet
or other computer technology: yes - homepage
|
|
Other:
1) Questionnaire to 75 school classes of children at the age
of 13-14 years. The group consists of 1 children. The National
Council for Children will be in contact with the group for 2
years
|
|
| Activities
Office undertakes |
|
Influencing
policy development at national level: yes
|
|
Influencing
policy development at state/provincial level: yes
|
|
Influencing
policy development at local/community level: yes
|
|
Data
collection on children: yes
|
|
Monitoring
the impact of laws/policies on children: yes
|
|
Monitoring
the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child:
yes
|
|
Education/awareness
raising on children’s rights: yes
|
|
Training
of professionals or other groups on children’s rights:
yes
|
|
Other
activities: Promoting children’s participation in the social
debate and promoting their possibility for influence on decisions
made on community and national level
|
|
|
In
what areas have your office had the most experience(select two):
|
| Government ministries |
| Social Services |
|
| Principle
themes of the current year |
| Non -Discrimination |
| Child participation |
| Freedom of expression |
| Access to appropriate
information |
| Protection from harmful
information |
| Protection from all
forms of violence |
| Sexual exploitation |
| Children in institutions |
|
Health:
The physical conditions in the day-care institutions and in
the schools
|
| Juvenile justice |
| Minority children |
|
Children
in situations of neglect and abuse
|
| Bullying in schools |
| Campaign about the
abolition of parent's right to physical
punishment of their children |
|
| EVALUATIONS/STUDIES |
| Evaluation
of the effectiveness/impact of the office |
| Title:
"Evaluering af Børnerådet". Peter
Ø . Andersen, Katrin Hjort, Betina Dybbroe,
Socialministeriet, maj 1997. Language: Danish. |
| Other
publications or studies available |
|
|
Books:
 | "Et Skridt på vej" – Børnerådet 2000.
Language: Danish |
| "Men de taler stadig sammen" – børnesyn på
skilsmisser Børnerådet 2000. Language: Danish |
| "Børn som informanter" – en antologi.
Børnerådet 2000. Language: Danish |
| "Mobbedreng - en håndbog om mobning".
Børnerådet 1999. Language: Danish |
| "Børn på banen" – Børnerådet 1998.
Language: Danish |
| "Fortrolighedsrummet - om børns ret til fortrolighed".
Børnerådet, 1997. Language: Danish |
| "Sæt ord på dit liv", Børnerådet, 1996.
Language: Danish. |
|
|
Annual rapports:
| "Børnerådets Årsberetning 2000" Børnerådet.
2001. Language: Danish. |
| "Børnerådets Årsberetning 1999" Børnerådet.
2000. Language: Danish. |
| "Børnerådets Årsberetning 1996-1997"
Børnerådet, 1997. Language: Danish. |
|
|
Magazine:
| "Nej til bank". Børnerådet, København 1998.
Language: Danish. |
|
|
Workingpaper:
| "Børneperspektiver og børn som informanter",
Børnerådet, 1998. Language: Danish. |
|
|
Pamphlets:
| "Rapport til FN’s Komité om Barnets Rettigheder –
supplerende rapport til Danmarks 2. periodiske rapport", Børnerådet
2000, Language: Danish |
| Rapport to the UN Commitee on the Rights of the Child"
Børnerådet 2000, Language: English |
| "Børnekonventioene – hvad kan vi bruge den til?", Børnerådet
1999, Language: Danish |
| "Seksuelt misbrug af børn – Børnerådets forslag til en
national strategi", Børnerådet 1999, Language: Danish |
| "Det handler om værdighed – Børnerådets bud på en
offentlig mobbepolitik", Børnerådet 1999, Language:
English |
| "Særligt truede unge fra etniske minoritetsgrupper",
Børnerådet og Voldssekretariatet 1999, Language: Danish |
| "Branderter i Børnehøjde", Børnerådet og Red
Barnet, København 1998. Language: Danish. |
| "Anbringelse til barnets bedste", Børnerådet
1998. Language: Danish. |
| "Barnets bedste idag", Børnerådet 1999. |
|
|
Language: Danish
| "Seksuelt misbrug af børn", Børnerådet
1999. |
|
The following pamphlets in Danish are responses on
Børnerådets questionnaire to 60 school classes of children at the
age of 11-12 years:
|
Language: Danish.
|
|
