Date: 4th February 2013
Category: Family Environment and Alternative Care

The 2013 work plan of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions plans to conduct a study to assess childcare services in Europe.

Date: 4th February 2013
Category: General measures of implementation

Children's Rights will feature prominently on the agenda at the Human Rights Council's 22nd Session (25 February to 22 March 2013), most notably during the Annual Day on the Rights of the Child - this year focusing on the right to health - scheduled to take place on 7 March 2013.

Date: 4th February 2013
Category: Civil Rights and Freedoms

UK Justice Secretary, Chris Grayling, has defended parents' 'right' to smack. A spokesperson for the children's charity, NSPCC, said: "There are more positive ways to discipline children and a clear message that hitting anyone is not right would benefit all of society."

Date: 3rd February 2013
Category: UK 1st periodic review

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child adopted the General Comment on article 31 of the UNCRC on 1st of February 2013.

Date: 31st January 2013
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare

UNICEF UK joined with over 100 other organisations to launch the 'Enough Food for Everyone IF' Campaign at Somerset House on 23 January 2013.

Date: 30th January 2013
Category: Access to appropriate information

A programme of action to tackle child sexual exploitation in Scotland was announced last month by Minister for Children and Young People Aileen Campbell.

Date: 29th January 2013
Category: Respect for the views of the child

Frances Fitzgerald TD, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs has said that Ireland's Presidency of the EU Council of Youth Ministers will focus on the role of youth work in supporting youth employment and the importance of quality standards in youth work.

Date: 29th January 2013
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare

The Netherlands Youth Institute outlined the child welfare systems of Denmark, England, Finland, Germany, Norway and Sweden in its report 'Jeugdzorg in Europa versie 2.0' ('Child welfare in Europe version 2.0').

Date: 29th January 2013
Category: General measures of implementation

A manual has been created by the Netherlands Youth Institute as the main outcome of the Daphne Project 'Prevent and Combat Child Abuse: What works? An overview of regional approaches, exchange and research' that was funded by the European Commission.

Date: 29th January 2013
Category: General measures of implementation

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is carrying out a Scotland-wide mapping exercise to help the third sector deal with the impact of UK welfare reforms.

Date: 22nd January 2013
Category: UK 1st periodic review

An assessment of how well the Government is protecting children's rights in England, published by the Children's Rights Alliance for England (CRAE), reveals a catalogue of violations.

Date: 21st January 2013
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation's sixth study of poverty and social exclusion in Scotland highlights a huge rise in unemployment for under-25s, and stark and growing health inequalities.

Date: 17th January 2013
Category: General measures of implementation

Beth Smith, Director of WithScotland, is chairing a steering group to update and review the Scottish Government's 'National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland'.

Date: 9th January 2013
Category: General measures of implementation

Launched in partnership with UNICEF, Guardian Sustainable Business' focus on the rights of children and business' responsibilities towards them coincided with the launch of a set of ten guiding principles on child rights and business in March 2012.

Date: 7th January 2013
Category: Civil Rights and Freedoms

The Children Rights International Network (CRIN) has launched a new collaborative project which seeks to establish "the legal status of the child" in national law in every country in the world, and has taken this opportunity to update their Legal Assistance Toolkit.

Date: 3rd January 2013
Category: General measures of implementation

The European Forum on the Rights of the child took place in Brussels on 13th-14th November 2012. Its aim was to support the child protection systems through the implementation of the EU Agenda for the rights of the child.

Date: 1st January 2013
Category:

Big Fund have released further details of the Third Sector Early Intervention Fund on their website.

Date: 1st January 2013
Category:

The annual work programme 2013 for Fundamental Rights and Citizenship was adopted in December, and is now available online.

Date: 20th December 2012
Category: UK 1st periodic review

On 18th December 2012, States met in New York to elect nine members to serve on the Committee on the Rights of the Child. The successful candidates will replace those whose term will expire on 28 February 2013.

Date: 20th December 2012
Category: UK 1st periodic review

The end of February will mark the one year anniversary of the signing ceremony of the third Optional Protocol to the CRC establishing a complaints mechanism for children or their representatives - yet we are still seven ratifications away from its entry into force.