C Explanatory memorandum
by Baroness Doreen E. Massey, rapporteur
1 Introduction
Children thrive when they feel
safe and protected, when family and community contacts are strong
and when their basic needs are met. UNICEFNote
1. On 6 July 2020, the Committee
on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development tabled a motion for
a resolution entitled “Impact of Covid-19 on children’s rights.”
The motion was subsequently referred to our committee for report,
and I was appointed rapporteur on 22 September 2020.
2. Although children are not among the high-risk groups that
are directly affected by Covid-19 and they tend to experience milder
forms of this disease, the pandemic has had a devastating impact
on millions of children across the world. The current generation
of children (sometimes referred to as “Generation Covid”
Note) will face the consequences of this
public health crisis for many years to come in relation to health,
in particular mental health, family problems, education, sport,
culture and the arts, lack of social mixing and socio-economic difficulties.
Their rights to life, survival and development; to the highest attainable
standard of health; to social security; and to protection from violence
have all too often been affected. Unless adequate measures are taken,
their future is at great risk. The impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic
will disproportionately affect vulnerable children. Downturns in
economies will continue to affect, in particular, poorer families,
and families in poorer countries, and therefore children.
3. The Parliamentary Assembly should draw attention to the impact
of the Covid-19 pandemic on the rights of the child and demand stronger
action from Council of Europe member States to ensure that children
are protected in accordance with existing international standards,
including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
(CRC)
Note and the relevant Council of Europe
instruments such as the European Convention on Human Rights (
ETS
No. 5), the European Social Charter (
ETS
No. 163), the Convention on preventing and combating violence
against women and domestic violence (
CETS
No. 210, “Istanbul Convention”), the Convention on the Protection
of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (
CETS
No. 201, “Lanzarote Convention”), the Convention for the Protection
of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data
(
ETS
No. 108), the Convention on Cybercrime (
ETS
No. 185, “Budapest Convention”) and the Convention on Action
against Trafficking in Human Beings (
CETS
No. 197). The Assembly should also draw attention to
the recent EU Strategy on Children’s rights and to the work of the
Council of Europe Children’s Rights Division and Youth Centre.
4. During the course of preparing the report, I have looked for
evidence of the impact of Covid-19 on children’s lives from children
themselves, from organisations working with children and from Commissioners for
children, and national and international policy makers. Virtual
meetings were held with: Mr David Nabarro,
Special
Envoy on Covid-19 for the World Health Organization; Ms Stella Kyriakides, EU Commissioner for Health and
Food Safety; Ms Dubravka Šuica, Vice-President and EU Commissioner
for Democracy and Demography; and Ms Ewa Kopacz, Vice-President
and European Parliament Coordinator on Children's Rights. I am also
grateful for contributions from Mr Emilio Puccio, Co-ordinator of
the Intergroup on Children’s Rights, European Parliament; Ms Mieke
Schuurman, Senior Policy Officer on Children’s Rights, Eurochild; Mr Bruce
Anderson, Chair of the European Network of Ombudspersons for Children
(ENOC); Ms Dorothy Rozga, Director of Children’s Rights, Centre
for Sport and Human Rights; Ms Liz Twyford, Sport and Children’s Rights,
UNICEF UK; Ms Anne Tivas, Chair, Safe Sport International; and Ms Samantha
Cairns from The Cultural Learning Alliance, United Kingdom. Mr Niall
Muldoon, Ireland's Ombudsman for Children, took part in a public
hearing on the impact of Covid-19 on the rights of the child in
November 2020. I am very grateful for all these contributions to
the present report.
5. Whilst this evidence has, of necessity, been constrained by
the restricted length of the report, I hope that nevertheless a
picture will emerge of what the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic
has been, and is, on children’s lives. These were rich and inspiring
deliberations with much to inform and consider. A full record has
been kept. I have attempted to consolidate the combined views, recognising
that this may not do justice to the wisdom, experience, and enthusiasm
of those taking part. It was heartening to hear, from all of those
interviewed, a huge commitment to the rights of the child and a
desire to collaborate across agencies to further that collaboration
in tackling the aftermath of Covid-19.
6. I am also grateful for the much valued ongoing contributions
of the Council of Europe Children’s Rights Division, the European
Youth Centre and the Lanzarote Committee, and also for the work
of other committees of the Assembly which consider and support the
rights of the child in their work.
2 Aim and scope of the report
7. The aim of this report is to
assess how the pandemic affects children’s rights, and to propose
guidelines for action, based on international standards and examples
of good practices from Council of Europe member States. I wish to
explore the most effective ways of ensuring child protection, supporting
victims of violence, and providing financial and economic measures
to alleviate the negative effects of the pandemic on children’s well-being.
It is also important to focus on post-Covid-19 prospects and to
envisage measures that will ensure effective protection in future
crises and to empower children.
8. Children have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in many
ways. I would propose that the following six areas need particular
attention, drawing on international standards and recommendations:
1) physical and mental health and well-being; 2) protection from
all forms of violence; 3) access to education and other public services;
4) poverty and socio-economic inequality; 5) children in vulnerable
situations; 6) children’s participation in decision making.
9. At times of crisis, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, it is easy
to forget that children have certain rights, even when the right
to life is predominant. Particular articles of the UN CRC and other
international legal instruments apply to the effects of the Covid-19
pandemic on children, and I will refer to them in relevant chapters.
It is also worth recalling that Article 1 defines everyone under
the age of 18 years old as a child and that Article 3 states that
the best interests of the child should be a top priority in all
decisions and actions that affect children.
3 Areas
of particular concern
3.1 Physical
and mental health and well-being
10. The rights to life and health
are the most important ones for us all, and a foundation for the
enjoyment of all other rights. All countries that ratified the UN
CRC have undertaken to guarantee the right to life, survival and
development of all children (Article 6); the right to the highest
attainable standard of health including nutritious food, a clean
environment and education on health and well-being (Article 24);
a right to a full and decent life with dignity for a child with
disability (Article 23); the right to meet with other children and
join groups and organisations so long as this does not deprive others
of the enjoyment of their rights (Article 15). Articles 11 and 13
of the European Social Charter stress the rights to protection of
health and to social and medical assistance that must be provided
by the State in case of absence of adequate resources on the part
of the individual. More specifically, the right of children and
young persons to protection and health care is ensured by Article
7 paragraphs 9 and 10 and Article 17 paragraph 1 of the European
Social Charter.
Note
11. The pandemic has caused disruptions in health services and
continues to strain financial resources in the healthcare sector
across the globe. In the light of this situation, experts have already
raised the alert about the potentially devastating impact of the
pandemic on maternal and infant mortality.
Note In the United Kingdom, up to one
in five maternity posts are unfilled and more than a fifth of midwife-led
units have been closed, raising concerns about risks for mothers
and babies.
Note At the global level, it is estimated
that an additional 1.2 million under-five deaths could occur in
just six months.
Note
12. Interrupted supply chains of medicines, such as antibiotics
and oxygen for treating pneumonia and oral rehydration solutions
for treating diarrhoea, could further elevate child and infant death
rates.
Note Essential vaccination programmes
have been disrupted. Worldwide, up to 80 million children may miss
vaccinations, and there is a high risk of resurgence of infectious
and preventable diseases like measles, diphtheria, polio and cholera.
Note Children who are immuno-compromised
or living with long-term or chronic respiratory conditions are particularly
vulnerable to Covid-19. Children with physical and mental disabilities
are disproportionately affected by lack of access to health services.
The impact of lockdowns and shutdowns on health, such as malnutrition
and the lack of a variety of human contacts are also of serious
concern.
Note
13. Whether it is due to family bereavement, decline or loss of
family income, lack of contact with friends and family members,
lack of “normal” education, the pandemic creates a highly stressful
and destabilising environment for children. Children’s mental health
has significantly deteriorated during lockdowns. The results of
a UNICEF-UK poll conducted among children aged 6-16 showed that
more than two-thirds of children (62%) were worried about the impact
of Covid-19 on their lives, and 46% reported experiencing anxiety.
One in four (27%) parents said they worried about their children’s
mental health every day during lockdown and 29% were struggling
to reassure their children.
Note More than half (57%) of the children
also felt that home-schooling was stressful.
Note With suicide among children
being a significant preventable public health problem across the
world, and the second leading cause of death among younger people
aged 10-24, serious concerns have been raised with respect to the
increase in suicides among children and young people during the
pandemic.
Note
14. It is also worth pointing out that some children report positive
impacts of the pandemic on their lives, such as greater time to
reflect and to get closer to parents, although these reactions are
by no means common. Other noted positive effects have been the improvements
to our environment, of great concern to many children. Less travel
and fewer emissions have had their impact. Such impacts may be analysed
and promoted in schools, and generally, in order to enhance awareness
of climate change.
15. Our colleague Mr Simon Moutquin (Belgium, SOC) is currently
working on a report entitled “Taking into consideration the impact
of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic on the mental health
of minors and young adults”
Note and will provide further insights
on these issues. Our colleague, Ms Jennifer de Temmerman (France, ALDE)
is working on a report and on initiatives to draw awareness to climate
change and to involve children.
Note
3.2 Protection
from all forms of violence
16. Violence against children is
a major human rights issue, which I have raised in my previous reports
on “Ending violence against children: a Council of Europe contribution
to the Sustainable Development Goals”
Note and “Addressing sexual violence
against children: stepping up action and co-operation in Europe.”
Note The UN CRC requires that governments
protect children from violence, abuse and neglect (Article 19) and
from all forms of sexual abuse and exploitation (Article 34). The
Lanzarote Convention is specifically designed to fight sexual exploitation
and sexual abuse of children, both through prevention and helping
victims finding justice. Article 13, 14 and the whole Chapters V
and VI focus on practical assistance to victims, underlining the necessity
for the States to create effective measures to address children’s
needs. Moreover, Article 17 paragraph 1 of the European Social Charter
requires States Parties to prohibit all forms of violence against children
(including all forms of corporal punishment). States must act with
due diligence to ensure that violence is eliminated in practice.
Article 7 paragraph 10 of the European Social Charter guarantees
protection against sexual and other exploitation of children as
well as protection against the misuse of information technology
and social media (for the purposes of online bullying, child pornography,
grooming, harassment, etc.), which is particularly pertinent in
view of the acceleration of digitalisation and online activity brought
about by the pandemic.
Note
17. The levels of violence against children – both at home and
online – have increased dramatically during the pandemic. Tensions
within households, long-term confinement in limited space, lack
of access to support structures and to social services create an
environment prone to violence, abuse and neglect, and fewer opportunities
to detect it. The situation of children is further aggravated in
cases where pre-existing substance abuse or mental health conditions
within families are involved.
Note
18. As children’s screen time has risen during lockdowns and supervision
has decreased, the presence of child sexual abuse images has dramatically
increased on the Internet. The Internet Watch Foundation has noted
a 50% increase in reports of child sexual abuse material from members
of the public during lockdown.
Note Sexual images produced by children
themselves for personal use have ended up on pornographic websites, with
predators seeking to maximise the unprecedented access to such material.
In some cases, children have had to stay with their abusers, either
at home or in institutions, with no access to support services.
These children are particularly vulnerable and are in dire need
of protection and support.
19. The problem of addictive behaviours among children, such as
those related to online gaming, social networking, gambling, watching
pornography and compulsive shopping, have also been amplified during
the pandemic. Our colleague Mr Joseph O’Reilly (Ireland, EPP/CD)
will be looking into these issues in his report on “Preventing addictive
behaviours in children.”
Note
3.3 Access
to education and other services
20. Education does not begin in
schools. The foundations, such as language and sociability, are
built in the early years of a child’s life. The interaction of a
baby with parents (often the mother) is vital to this. If deficits develop,
the child is more likely to lack basic skills and to have poorer
speech and language. Evidence shows that poor speech development
can have long term effects on learning.
Note Yet some parents (especially mothers of
young children) have felt isolated during lockdowns and babies have
not had contacts with a variety of other adults, including grandparents,
thus cutting down on the opportunities for social and vocabulary
development.
21. Access to services is essential for the child’s well-being
and development. The UN CRC requires the governments to ensure the
right to education which must develop every child’s personality,
talents and abilities (Article 28) and the right to play, leisure
and culture (Article 31). The European Social Charter protects the
right to education from multiple perspectives, for example through
Article 17 paragraph 2 (primary and secondary education for children),
Article 7 paragraph 3 (protection of children in compulsory education),
Article 10 (vocational education and training, including for adults)
and Article 15 paragraph 1 (right to education and training for
persons with disabilities, see below in more detail). Article 14
of the European Social Charter enshrines the right to benefit from
social welfare services.
22. In the education sector, the situation has been unstable,
due to the opening and closing of facilities (often at short notice)
and the difficulty of putting in place effective sanitary procedures.
More generally, the risks of infection associated with the gathering
of children in enclosed places are obvious and not easy to address. While
the presence of children in education facilities increases risks
of infection, alternative solutions such as distance learning have
their own pitfalls, including unequal access to online services
often referred to as the “digital divide”, either due to the lack
of required hardwire or lack of relevant digital infrastructure,
especially in rural areas and to the lack of parental skills in
dealing with technology. Poorer families may not have adequate computer
access at home, especially in families with more than one child.
There has been uneven quality of online content and excessive screen
time.
Note Those children who rely on school
services for health care, nutrition and other social support systems
are left unprotected when schooling is interrupted due to lockdowns.
Note
23. Schools provide far more than academic encouragement. Socialising
with friends, sport and other physical activities, the creative
arts and learning to live in democratic structures are all important.
The interface between schools and communities is vital. Outside
school, playgrounds, community facilities such as youth clubs, and
cultural venues such as museums, art galleries, and theatres have
been closed. The closing down of cultural facilities has been an
immense loss, and its implications may well have long-term effects
in relation to not only knowledge and enjoyment but also to a sense
of cultural identity for children.
24. The identity of children and their place in supportive communities
has been put at risk. Organisations working in the arts and cultural
sections in the United Kingdom are combining forces to protect the
rights of children to access in these fields. Many children pay
tribute to taking part in the arts as enhancing life skills. As one
report has said “essential life skills such as confidence, motivation,
resilience and communication are associated with better academic
performance” as well as being valuable in their own right.
Note
25. The severity of the situation in the areas of education and
culture has been duly acknowledged in the Assembly, and a report
on “The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on education and culture”
is currently under preparation in the Committee on Culture, Science,
Education and Media.
Note
26. Sports activities, which are essential for children’s well-being,
are a particularly important area.
Note When sport
is taken away, children’s physical and mental health is affected.
For children taking part in organised sport, including elite athletes,
part of their identity is lost and a “safe haven” is taken away.
Lack of routine, structure and discipline is hard to manage. Motivation
plummets and self-respect is undermined. With many children moving
to e-sport, concerns have been raised with respect to very few standards
in child protection in this context. At school, emphasis is often
put primarily on academic achievement, with not enough attention being
given to sports and the arts. Socio-economic problems related to
the pandemic imply that many parents can no longer afford to pay
for paid sports and art activities.
27. Social services struggled even before lockdown to ensure badly
needed child protection, with limited resources and inadequate regulations.
The Covid-19 pandemic has intensified this problem. Too often, social workers
have been put in situations where their job requirements, safety
issues and concern for the well-being of the children were in conflict.
Many have continued to visit families, despite the risks, driven
by their professionalism.
28. Mental health services for children, already inadequate before
lockdowns, are now at breaking point. Such services need more funding,
more training and increased capacity to help children, particularly
those at risk.
Note
3.4 Poverty
and socio-economic inequality
29. Poverty and socio-economic
inequality severely undermine children’s opportunities in life and
make them vulnerable to the violation of their rights. Article 26
of the UN CRC states that every child has the right to benefit from
social security. The European Social Charter guarantees the rights
of a child in two different manners: first, many of the rights guaranteed
by the Charter have a specific relevance to children; for example Article
16 (right of the family to social, legal and economic protection)
which protects the rights of children as family members. Second,
the Charter contains specific rights relating exclusively to children,
such as Article 17 (right of children and young persons to social,
legal and economic protection). More broadly, Article 30 of the Charter
obliges States Parties to implement an overall and co-ordinated
approach to combating poverty and social exclusion.
30. Children living in poverty are a group of special concern.
On average, one in seven children is poor across the OECD countries.
Note While their situation was difficult
prior to the pandemic, it has considerably worsened over the past
year. The widening gap between the rich and the poor is nothing
new. It has been on the rise since the financial crisis of 2008
in most parts of the world. Even in Europe, inequality has been
growing throughout the past two decades. This has been clearly signalled
by the Council of Europe Development Bank, in a thematic series
of reports on inequalities in Europe including income inequality,
housing inequality, as well as inequalities in access to public
services.
Note Despite governmental efforts for
financial recovery after 2008, the potential for economic growth
and economic pie as a whole have suddenly shrunk again and the bottom-income
quintiles have been hit the hardest.
31. In the context of the pandemic, many people have lost their
jobs and household income has been reduced, with families struggling
to ensure the necessities for their children. These children are
now facing greater risks of inequality and social injustice. Income
inequality increases the vulnerability of disadvantaged groups in
two ways: 1) the bottom-income quintiles face constraints in meeting
basic needs and financial expenditure during economic downfalls;
2) rising inequalities further hamper these groups’ access to equal opportunities
including employment, housing, education and healthcare. Children
from these families are therefore more susceptible to being affected
by the negative impacts of the pandemic and their basic rights being
neglected.
32. Worldwide, the number of people living in extreme poverty
has risen by 37 million since the beginning of the pandemic, and
the current forecast is that it will rise by another 25 million
next year. Hunger and malnutrition are of growing concern.
Note Today there are 152 million children
in child labour and 72 million of them are in hazardous work. These
numbers are expected to soar.
Note
33. The socio-economic consequences of the crisis are yet to be
fully understood and grasped While governments attempt to prepare
for future problems and put in place protective measures, many people
“fall through the cracks”, and their families and children suffer
from the economic hardship and acute anxiety that this entails.
Two reports are being prepared for the Assembly on this subject.
Our colleague Mr Andrej Hunko (Germany, UEL) is working on a report
on “Overcoming the socio-economic crisis sparked by the Covid-19 pandemic”,
while our colleague Mr Pierre-Alain Fridez (Switzerland, SOC) is
addressing extreme child poverty in his report on “Eradicating extreme
child poverty in Europe: an international obligation and a moral
duty”.
3.5 Children
in vulnerable situations
34. Some children are especially
vulnerable to violations of their rights because of an aspect of
their identity or circumstances. The UN CRC requires States to guarantee
that all children in their jurisdiction enjoy the rights of the
Convention without discrimination (Article 2); that refugee children
are provided with assistance and help and the right to be reunited
with parents (Article 21); that a child with a disability has the
right to a full and decent life with dignity (Article 23) and that
every child in care has the right to regular review of their treatment
(Article 25).
35. Children in vulnerable situations, including children belonging
to minorities, migrant and refugee children, children of labour
migrants left behind in their countries of origin, children with
disabilities, children deprived of liberty, children in care institutions
and street children, need to be given special attention. While it is
not possible to analyse in-depth the impact of Covid-19 on each
of these groups in this report, we will need to consider their specific
circumstances when designing policy responses to the crisis, including
encouraging the expression of the views of children themselves.
3.6 Children’s
participation in decision making
36. Being able to influence the
decisions that concern us is an essential pre-condition for our
well-being, autonomy and self-respect. The UN CRC states that all
children have the right to express their views and wishes in all
matters which affect them (Article 12) and requires that a child
has the right to reliable information from a variety of sources
including from the media (Article 17).
37. The top priority for governments is understandably on saving
lives and responding effectively to the public health and socio-economic
challenges of the pandemic. However, the responses to the crisis
will not be effective unless they take into account the views of
the people that they target. Any measures on improving child protection
during the pandemic need to consider the needs and views of children.
Children gain in confidence by being consulted and decision makers
also testify to the benefits of listening to the views of children.
38. I will address the issue of child participation more in-depth
in my report on “Giving a voice to every child: promoting child
participation as a foundation for democratic societies”, which will
build on a pilot initiative on involving children in the work of
the Assembly.
Note
4 The
Covid-19 pandemic as a child rights crisis and an opportunity for
decisive action
39. The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed
the vulnerabilities of public services to potential disruptions,
even in the most advanced economies worldwide. In the past, we have
had life threatening pandemics in many parts of the world including
HIV/AIDs, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East
Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). We have seen that no part of the world
has ever been adequately prepared, and we have seen this clearly
with the advent of Covid-19, as well. With regard to children, we
have had to try to develop, and are still developing, strategies
to minimise disruption and threats to their well-being.
40. UNICEF-UK has suggested that the G7 presidency in 2021 is
a key opportunity for making new and ambitious commitments to child
health, for ending preventable child deaths by 2030 and for ensuring
that future generations develop their full potential.
Note The G7 and similar events and international
summits are important fora for raising awareness of the impact of
the pandemic on children and for strengthening commitment to child rights
protection in times of crisis.
41. Local action in communities has often, despite lack of adequate
funding and slow responses by governments, been dynamic and inclusive
in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. The work and dedication of NGOs
has been outstanding in supporting child rights during the Covid-19
crisis. Children’ Commissioners have been active in pointing out
impacts of the pandemic on children’s rights in all areas, including
the long term impact on children’s lives, especially the vulnerable,
and on abuse and criminal justice with some criminalisation of young
people for breaches of Covid-19 restrictions.
Note
5 Examples
of initiatives to tackle the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on
children’s rights
42. There is evidence now that
awareness of children’s rights and action for children during the
Covid-19 pandemic have increased globally over the last year, including
voluntary sector action, school initiatives, local authority initiatives
and parliamentary awareness. Support has come from the European
Parliament and the European Commission, NGOs, commissioners/ombudspersons,
teachers, national and local governments and individual members
of parliament. Such initiatives are welcome, and it is to be hoped
that such positive energy in attending to the welfare of children
and encouraging participation will provide a focus for future work.
43. Many organisations, apart from the statutory services such
as education, health and local government across Europe, work with
children and on behalf of children. These include NGOs and the voluntary
sector, volunteers and also, in some countries, parliamentary education
units. Such organisations provide invaluable research, support and
advocacy for children. I have relied on reports, briefing notes,
and conversations with many of such organisations to enhance both
the information and suggestions in this report, and to help with conclusions
and recommendations. What follows is a selection of highlights that
illustrate a broad range of initiatives undertaken at national,
European and international levels to tackle the impact of Covid-19
on children’s rights.
44. In May 2020, UNICEF launched
#Reimagine,
a global campaign to prevent the pandemic from becoming a lasting
crisis for children. The aim of the campaign is to encourage governments,
the public, donors and the private sector to “respond, recover and
re-imagine a world currently besieged by the coronavirus.”
Note UNICEF is mandated by the UN General
Assembly to uphold the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
There are 36 national committees raising money and advocating for
children’s rights across the world. In the UK, UNICEF works with
two million children through work with local authorities, hospitals
and nearly 5 000 children in the Rights Respecting Schools Award.
They make submissions to government and specialist committees. In
doing so, the views of children, through direct consultation are
included.
45. The World Health Organization (WHO) regularly provides information
on the situation of children in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic,
such as a podcast on “Children and Covid-19”
Note, a webpage with resources
on care for young children
Note and “Questions and Answers” pages
on “Children and masks” and on “
Covid-19, pregnancy,
childbirth and breastfeeding”. Regular briefings are organised on various aspects
of the pandemic and are accessible on the WHO website.
46. In July 2020, the European Commission launched a
Strategy to fight child sexual abuse both offline and online.
Note In March 2021, it launched the EU
Strategy on the Rights of the Child, and proposed a European Child Guarantee,
which have been informed by extensive consultations with citizens,
stakeholders and, most importantly, more than 10 000 children.
Note Many activities of the European Parliament
also address the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on children. For
example, the European Parliament’s resolution “on the future of European
education in the context of Covid-19”
Note and the resolution on “children’s
rights in view of the EU Strategy on the rights of the child”
Note tackle many issues and areas affected
by the Covid-19 pandemic. The impact of the pandemic on children’s
rights was also a key focus for the 60 young participants in the
EU Forum on the Rights of the Child.
Note Among concerns raised around education,
mental health and child participation, children considered addressing
the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on children’s rights to be a
top priority for the European Union. The European Commission was
called upon to ensure that all children, including those in the
most vulnerable situations, were better supported and heard.
47. The Council of Europe Steering Committee for the Rights of
the Child (CDENF), which provides a platform for exchange and co-operation
among the Council of Europe member States on the rights of the child, has
produced a review of the measures taken by different countries to
manage the Covid-19 pandemic and provided advice on how to mitigate
the negative impact they may have on children generally and the
children in vulnerable situations in particular.
Note The Committee has also organised
a series of webinars on aspects of Covid-19, including access to
education, addressing violence against children and the situation
of children with separated parents. The Council of Europe Conference
of Ministers Responsible for Sport is paying increased attention
to child athletes and is considering the impact of the Covid-19
pandemic on children. The Lanzarote Committee published a statement
on the protection of children against sexual exploitation and abuse
in times of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Note
48. As the CDENF survey has shown, the Council of Europe member
States have undertaken a broad range of measures to improve the
situation of children. In England, Hungary and Malta, children who
were receiving free meals in school, were still receiving food in
their homes during closure of schools. In Hungary, despite the pandemic,
the service for victims of domestic violence was operating with
full capacity every single day and space was immediately available
for victims. Divorced parents in Cyprus were granted exemptions
from restrictions on movement, to ensure the right of both parents
to have contact with their child during this period. In Belgium
and Croatia, government funding schemes have been set up to provide
laptops or other technological devices for children who were otherwise
unable to access online learning. In Cyprus and Italy, measures
were introduced to allow working parents to stay at home with their
children following school closures while receiving a significant
percentage of their salary. In Belgium, the TV network RTBF has
developed a series of programmes for children, including child-friendly
talk show episodes (
Les Niouzz)
and adapted questions and answers sessions (
Matière
grise) on the Covid-19 crisis.
Note
49. Throughout the Covid-19 crisis the Eurochild network has worked
closely with civil society partners to gather the views of children
on the impact the pandemic has had on their rights. At the start
of 2020, Eurochild worked with members in 10 European countries
to consult with more than 200 children as part of a European Commission
study
Note on child participation in political
and democratic life. One of the topics explored in the focus groups,
was the impact of Covid-19 on their lives. Towards the end of 2020,
Eurochild, collected the views of more than 10,000 children and
young people, in collaboration with UNICEF, Save the Children, World Vision
and Child Fund Alliance. The findings of these consultations have
been collated in the “Our Europe; Our Rights; Our Future” report
Note and have influenced the content and
priorities of the EU Child Rights Strategy and Child Guarantee.
Concerns around the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic were evident
throughout the consultation with many children reporting feeling
anxious, lonely, or worried about their futures as a result of the
pandemic. Some children also reported increased financial instability
for their families. One point was raised by children repeatedly
in the consultations: they want to be involved in decisions that
affect them, both within the context of the pandemic and more broadly.
50. The Centre for Children and Young People’s Participation,
University of Central Lancashire, has a vast number of contacts
across Europe and globally with organisations that work on child
participation. In 2020, the centre published the rapid evidence
Report on “Building on Rainbows: Supporting Children’s Participation
in Shaping Responses to Covid-19”. The report points out that challenges
exist in all countries and that the participation of children is
a right as set out in Article 12 of the UN CRC. Yet, amongst the
Centre’s network, 70% of colleagues who responded to a survey could
not identify a single related children’s participation initiative
locally or nationally. The other 30% indicated that such activities
were underway but had not yet influenced government action. Recommendations
included the need for recognition and commitment to participation;
support for individual children to participate; support for collective
action for children to share ideas, inform decisions and highlight
concerns, and hold decision-makers to account; create digital participation;
promote inclusion, attending to the rights of marginalised children
such as those with disabilities, in care, migrants and refugees
and those from vulnerable families; co-ordinate digital and offline
solutions; share internet safety information and support peer-to-peer
learning.
51. Ecorys and the University of Huddersfield have developed a
project “To Lockdown and Back” funded by the Nuffield Foundation.
This is a collaboration between adult researchers and 70 young people
aged 14-18 from Italy, Lebanon, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern
Ireland and Singapore, set up to create a platform for young people
from diverse backgrounds to share their experiences of living during
the pandemic. It combines youth-led participatory action research,
group discussion, observation notes, interviews and collaborative analysis
with young people. A research summary was published in 2020 and
a webinar took place in February 2021 to present the key findings.
Some of these were: Covid-19 has had a polarising effect on young
people – some had used the time of isolation in lockdown to reflect
and re-connect with self-care, well-being and relationships; others
had found it traumatic and isolating; Covid-19 has been particularly
challenging for those with mental health problems and family conflict;
children reported problems with access to services and expressed
a sense of not being heard and having their experiences sufficiently
understood. Based on these views, recommendations have been made
for governments, local authorities and agencies dealing with children.
6 Conclusions
and recommendations
52. As the Council of Europe member
States are working hard to address the multiple challenges related
to the current pandemic, the Assembly should voice its concern about
the situation of children and remind governments of the importance
of the human rights-based approach and the principle of the best
interest of the child when developing relevant policies and putting
them into practice. The Assembly should provide guidance on how
this can be best achieved in the context of a public health crisis.
From the discussions and research done during the preparation of
this report, three key messages have emerged.
53. First, to improve the situation of children, and to counter
the negative impact of the pandemic on their well-being, we need
to improve the situation of parents and other carers. This implies
steering our social and economic reforms in a way that creates more
safety and stability for all, but especially for those who take
care of our future generations. Job insecurity, in-work poverty
and overtime work create excessive levels of pressure and stress
and deprive children of the care and support that they need during
vital stages of their life and development. Enabling parents to
be more present, serene, and involved in their children’s life is
the best strategy for child protection and for alleviating the impact
of the Covid-19 pandemic. Be it mental health issues, violence against
children or conflict with law, prevention of negative consequences
is always considerably less costly than addressing negative effects
after they occur.
54. Second, the Covid-19 pandemic has revealed the inadequacies
of our social protection systems. If we are serious about our commitment
to respect children’s rights, we must invest in robust public services,
which are not overstretched to the breaking point. They must be
accessible to all, of high quality and sustainable regardless of
volatile political agendas. They must have a margin that allows
them to make an extra effort in times of crisis, without putting
in danger the health and well-being of the professionals working
in this sector. This is not wishful thinking, but a matter of changing
our priorities. If we fail to achieve this, we will also fail our children,
and our societies will not be fit to face future crises. It can
and must be done.
55. Third, this public health crisis has demonstrated that societies
built on competition and striving for individual profit are ill-equipped
for dealing with a pandemic. Deep inequalities in society existed
before the pandemic. Covid-19 has intensified these divides, and
many people are suffering disproportionately. Regions, even individual
towns in some countries are badly affected, others not. Those badly
affected tend to have worse general health outcomes and little has
changed over many years. Data to show inequalities in health affecting
Black and Minority Ethnicity (BME) communities, the poor, disabled
people and some women are striking and have come to the fore during
Covid-19. Whilst the pandemic has had dramatic consequences on children’s
lives in all countries across the world, the scale and gravity of
this impact is not shared equally. In the aftermath of the pandemic,
as social and economic consequences come to the fore, tensions and frustrations
between and within countries will continue to build up. There are
lessons to be learned and acted upon and the notion of solidarity
must guide our decisions to a much greater extent than before.
56. While policy making and implementation on child protection
is in the hands of national governments, European and international
institutions can play a useful role in providing impetus, setting
priorities, and promoting synergies in this area. Excellent co-operation
is being developed between the European Commission, the European
Parliament, and the Council of Europe. The adoption of the first
ever EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child in 2021 and the proposal
for the European Child Guarantee are major milestones in strengthening
protection of the rights of the child. We need to make sure that
practical implementation of the European Union and Council of Europe
strategies in their respective member States is supported by the European
institutions, based on a co-ordinated approach and making use of
their respective strengths and competencies, for the benefit of
all children. Stronger co-operation needs to be developed between
the European Parliament and the Assembly, to make the best possible
use of our common experiences and outreach capacities involving
parliamentarians. All my contacts with high level EU officials have
been extremely positive and fruitful. There is clearly a momentum
for joining forces in these difficult times, and we must build on
this. The positive role of the voluntary sector, Children’s Commissioners
and other organisations related to children’s rights and social
change is well recognised.
57. Fortunately, when it comes to the protection of children’s
rights, we do not have to start from scratch. Today, we have a wealth
of useful tools in the form of internationally agreed standards
on what governments must do to protect every child. The United Nations
Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
Note and the relevant Council of Europe
instruments such as the European Convention on Human Rights, the
European Social Charter, the Convention on preventing and combating
violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention),
the Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation
and Sexual Abuse (Lanzarote Convention), the Convention for the
Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of
Personal Data, the Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention),
and the Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings,
need to be fully applied and better used in our countries. The UN Agenda
for Sustainable Development has set ambitious goals on children’s
rights. Let us make sure that we reach 2030 with tangible results.
58. Research and data are essential in order for analyses to be
made of problems and directions for change to be made. Academic
institutions, governments, local authorities, and the voluntary
sector are amongst those providing this backdrop. Longitudinal studies
on the impact of Covid-19 on children (such as that being launched
in the UK
Note) would be useful in such analyses
and could not only reflect on what has gone wrong, but build on
good practice and develop new strategies for the future well-being
of children.
59. I would like to conclude with an appeal to my colleagues –
parliamentarians in the Council of Europe Member States – to actively
engage children in making decisions on the responses to this public
health crisis and subsequent recovery plans, and to share good practice.
Note As pointed out by Eurochild, children
are experts on their own lives, but all too often are left out of
discussions that deeply impact them and their communities. Children
around the world are making a clear call for this to change and
for their right to participate to be promoted and respected. The
current pandemic has the potential of promoting fast change in the
areas that have been deemed difficult or impossible to tackle until
now such as massive use of teleworking and reduced fuel consumption.
I am convinced that integrating child participation in making decisions
on the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath can help us develop a
faster, fairer, and more sustainable recovery and a more humane
society.
