Regional conferences Children's Rights and Interests

Israel – The Academic Center for Law and Science, Hod Hasharon Israel (near Tel-Aviv).

9/12/2019 – 10/12/2019

The adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in November 1989, the first international instrument which recognized children as rights bearers, was seen by many as signaling a new era in the approach of the nations of the world to children. Indeed, since the widespread signing and ratification of the Convention much progress has been made globally and domestically in prioritizing and emphasizing children’s rights. For instance, significant progress has been made in fighting ritual practices of female genital mutilation, in centering custody and abduction decisions on the best interests of children, and in fighting human trafficking of children. Yet, there is still much more work to be done and much that the Convention leaves unaddressed. The Convention focuses on best interests, a standard which is exceedingly hard to apply, and leaves vague how much of children’s rights should be governed by parental discretion as opposed to children’s own voices or state intervention. Putting children front and center in family law and beyond is a work in progress that must be continuously discussed to be furthered . 

 The conference will discuss all public and private law aspects of children’s rights and interests, including, but not limited to: 

  • Children’s right to participate in decisions concerning them 
  • Children’s right to know their biological parentage 
  • Children’s right to education 
  • Children’s right to health 
  • The impact of parental separation on children 
  • The impact of religion and culture on children 
  • The impact of migration, refugee status, and deportation on children 
  • Poverty and children’s rights 
  • Corporal punishment of children 
  • Children’s right to privacy 
  • The extent to which local and international child protection legislation protects children’s rights 
  • The work of the UN Children’s Rights committee and other organizations devoted to protecting children’s rights