Child protection

EU Health programme With funding from the European Union (EU) ‘RM Child-Health Initiative’, UNICEF and its partners have been supporting the health and wellbeing of refugee and migrant children in Greece, with a focus on those who are the most vulnerable. As the initiative draws to a close, we look back at some highlights since its launch in 2020…, 2020: Safeguarding health in a crisis, For refugees and migrants on the Greek island of Lesvos, 2020 was catastrophic. The COVID-19 pandemic had curtailed their already limited movements still further, and the destruction of the once notorious Moria camp triggered a humanitarian crisis. Support from the ‘RM Child-Health’ initiative helped UNICEF and its partners react at speed to these…, 2021: Two mothers, two children and two safe spaces, Mothers with their children, and children who are travelling alone, were among the hundreds of asylum seekers gathering each day at the Greek Asylum Service Offices in Athens and Thessaloniki. Responding to their needs, UNICEF’s partner METAdrasi had created Mother and Child Spaces next to the Offices. Every month in 2021, more than 400 mothers…, 2022: “We have friends here!”, Like Leyla a year earlier, Yezda, a young mother from Iraqi Kurdistan, her husband and their seven children were visiting the Mother and Child Space in Thessaloniki for their last time as they waited to collect their passports and ID cards. They fled Kurdistan to protect their family from conflict and Yezda showed us the wounds she has on her legs…, Taking stock of the ‘RM Child-Health’ Initiative in Greece, Over 3000 children and 2300 mothers benefited from access to services, including psychosocial support, GBV prevention and support and mother and childcare services – almost three times as many as originally targeted for the Initiative. 3600 refugee and migrant children and parents received UNICEF-supported information on GBV prevention and…

Yanis*, 15 years old, is sitting alone on a sofa in the living room of the old but rather well-preserved estate which is housing a children’s residential care institution, somewhere in the Athenian suburbs. He is starting to play a video game when suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, a flock of young children raid the living room, running and…

The European Commission proposal for the European Child Guarantee (ECG) was adopted by the European Union’s Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) in June 2021. The focus is on effective and free access to quality services in the fields of early childhood education and care (ECEC), education, health care, nutrition…

The Programmatic Update on Phase III of the Preparatory Action to the Child Guarantee provides a snapshot and progress from August 2020 to November 2021 of the ongoing work in each of the 7 pilot countries, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, and Spain to test the European Child Guarantee. November 2021

The Programmatic Update on Phase III of the Preparatory Action to the Child Guarantee provides a snapshot and progress to date of the ongoing work in each of the 7 pilotcountries, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Germany, Spain and Lithuania and Italy, to test a Child Guarantee in Europe. June 2021

In collaboration with the European Commission and Ministers from Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Spain and Germany, UNICEF’s Europe and Central Asia Regional Office organized an online event which took place on 12 November to launch Phase III of the Preparatory Action for a Child Guarantee. The overall goal of the launch event was to…

Logos _EU, UNICEF and Portuguese Presidency The European Commission has partnered with UNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (ECARO) to test how the EU Child Guarantee can work in practice in seven Member States. The high-level event “Making the European Child Guarantee a Reality in the EU: Insights from testing the European Child…, Let's listen to young people from Europe and Central Asia answering tough questions, What does it mean to be a child living in poverty or facing disadvantages? UNICEF ECARO What do you feel when you think about child poverty or about exclusion and discrimination? UNICEF ECARO What do you think that the leaders in your country and in Europe should guarantee to children living in poverty or those that face difficulties? UNICEF ECARO…, AGENDA, Time Agenda item Speaker     Moderator: Shada Islam Opening     15:00 – 15:30 Opening remarks Mr. David Sassoli, President of the European Parliament (Video Message) Ms. Ana Mendes Godinho, Minister for Employment, Solidarity, and Social Security, Portugal Mr. Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights Ms. Afshan Khan, UNICEF…, SPEAKERS, SHADA ISLAM Personal archive Moderator SHADA ISLAM Shada Islam is an influential Brussels-based specialist on European Union affairs who works independently as a commentator, advisor, analyst and strategist on Europe, Asia, Africa, Geopolitics, Trade, Migration, Inclusion, Diversity and Women’s Empowerment. Shada has spent most of her professional…, European Commission, DUBRAVKA ŠUICA European Commission Vice-President for Democracy and Demography Since December 2019, Ms. Dubravka Šuica is the Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Democracy and Demography. Ms. Šuica is a Croatian politician from the city of Dubrovnik, where she served as its first female mayor and was awarded the 2006 World Mayor…, UNICEF, AFSHAN KHAN UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, and the Special Coordinator for the Refuge and Migrant Response in Europe. Ms. Khan has been an international public servant for over 30 years. Previously she was the Director of Emergency Programmes for UNICEF, and she has also held other senior positions including Director of…, Belgium, KARINE LALIEUX Minister of Pensions, Social Integration, Fighting Poverty and Disabled Persons Born on 4 May 1964 in Anderlecht (Brussels), Karine Lalieux studied Criminology at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, where she was a lecturer for more than ten years. In 1999, Karine Lalieux ran for the first time in the Federal elections and was…, Bulgaria, IVAN KRASTEV Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policy Ivan Krastev is responsible for the management of European Union Funds and the Ministry's activities related to international cooperation. He was born in 1980 in Stara Zagora. He holds a Master's degree in International Relations from the St. Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, and a Master's…, Croatia, MARGARETA MADERIC State Secretary, Ministry of Labour, the Pension System, the Family and Social Policy European Union Margareta Mađerić was born on 2 July 1977 in Zagreb. After finishing high school, she enrolled in Zagreb School of Business where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Communication and worked as a marketing and…, Finland, SAILA RUUTH State Secretary to Minister of Social Affairs Before her appointment as State Secretary, Saila Ruuth worked in the Finnish Industrial Union as an expert in social affairs and working environment. Her other previous workplaces include the Ministry of Education and Culture, employment pension company Ilmarinen, and the unemployment fund…, Finland, AINO-KAISA PEKONEN Finland’s Minister of Social Affairs and Health. Aino-Kaisa Pekonen has served as Member of Parliament since 2011, focusing in particular on questions regarding social and health policy. Pekonen is a trained Practical Nurse for Social and Health Care and she used to work as a housing counsellor and practical nurse before being…, France, ADRIEN TAQUET Politician Adrien Taquet (1977) is a French politician representing La République En Marche. He is an alumnus of the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris. He was elected to the French National Assembly in June 2017, representing the department of the Hauts-de-Seine.  On 25 January 2019, he was nominated as Secretary of State for…, Germany, JULIANE SEIFERT State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth Since 2018 Juliane Seifert has been State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. From 2016 until 2017 she held the position of Federal Manager of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD…, Greece, DR DOMNA MICHAILIDOU Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Dr Domna Michailidou is responsible for social welfare and social solidarity. She is an academic economist working on economic development, financial crises and public finances. She was previously Reforms’ Adviser to the Leader of New Democracy Party in Greece, where she advised…, Italy, ANDREA ORLANDO Minister of Labour and Social Policies Andrea Orlando was born in La Spezia on February 8 th , 1969. From 13 February 2021 he is Minister of Labour and Social Policies in the Government chaired by Prime Minister Mario Draghi.He was elected to the Chamber of Deputies, from the 15 th in 2006 to the current 18 th legislature, and since…, Italy, ELENA BONETTI Minister for Equal Opportunities and Family Ms. Elena Bonetti is Associate Professor of Mathematical Analysis at the University of Milan. Graduated in Mathematics in 1997 at the University of Pavia, in 2002 Ms. Bonetti obtained a PhD in Mathematics at the University of Milan. She is committed to the Scout Movement and has experiences…, Lithuania, VILMA AUGIENÉ Vice Minister of Social Security and Labour Vilma Augiené received her Bachelors in pre-school pedagogy and psychology from the Vilnius Pedagogical University in 1993 and her Masters in Children’s Rights in 2013. She was first appointed Vice-Minister of Social Security and Labour in 2017, and then reappointed in 2020. Before this she…, Portugal, ANA MENDES GODINHO Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security Ana Mendes Godinho is the Portuguese Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security since 26 October 2019. She was the Portuguese Secretary of State for Tourism between 2015 and 2019. Before joining the Government of Portugal, she was Vice-President of the Portuguese…, Romania, FLORICA CHERECHEŞ President of the National Authority for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Children and Adoptions Mrs. Florica Cherecheș possesses vast experience in the field of human rights as a result of her two consecutive mandates as deputy in the Romanian Parliament. In her official capacity, she drafted more than 100 bills (30 of…, Slovenia, JANEZ CIGLER KRALJ Minister of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities of the Republic of Slovenia Janez Cigler Kralj holds a Master’s Degree in Political Sciences from the Faculty of Social Sciences at University of Ljubljana. Prior to his political career he worked for a media company and the national scholarship fund. Between…, Spain, IGNACIO ÁLVAREZ PERALTA Secretary of State for Social Rights of the Government of Spain. Ignacio Álvarez Peralta holds a PhD in Economics from the University Complutense of Madrid. He is an Associate Professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid, Department of Economic Structure, and a Research Associate at the Complutense Institute of…

This paper highlights five practices from within the European Union (EU), all of which illustrate promising responses to protecting children affected by migration. Taken together, these five practices aim to address the needs of both children within families and children who have become separated from their families, and include all children,…