“1st Thessaloniki Forum for Rights: Rights of  Children”

“Protecting Children and Adolescents with an Emphasis on Children at Risk”

With the initiative of the Center for the European Legal Culture (Auth)

Friday and Saturday, November 1-2,  2019 at the Municipal Council Hall of the City Hall of Thessaloniki. The “Center for the European Legal Culture” – Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in collaboration with the National Commission for Human Rights, Central Macedonia Region, the Municipality of Thessaloniki, AUTH Law School and Thessaloniki Bar Association, co-organized the inaugural event of the Human Rights Forum in Greece and Europe. Keynote speaker at the “1st Thessaloniki Forum for Rights: Children’s Rights” was Mr. Christos Yakoumopoulos, General Manager of the Directorate General for Human Rights and the Rule of Law Council of Europe, who spoke on: “Challenges and approaches to protection of the Rights of the child in the Council of Europe” followed by a number of distinguished speakers of Institutions and Organizations that guarantee the rights of children, the continuous follow-up on the status of such rights in Greece and abroad, the public information on underlying risks and, above all, the provision of counseling in the Greek State with the aim of formulating a sound central policy on human rights issues. The four sessions focused on children’s rights and the problems they face, and in particular children at risk (“Prosecutors”), falling into three categories: (a) those who are abused; (b) those who commit crimes; and (c) unaccompanied refugees. Specific conference topics: -Institutional protection of children -Protection structures and gaps -Children with additional vulnerability -Refugee and Migration Crises and children’s rights A discussion followed the presentations, while after the end of the second session, of Friday the 1st of November at 18:30, there was a roundtable on “Invitations and Prospects for the better protection of the rights of children and adolescents”. Center for the European Legal Culture AUTH The establishment of the Center by decision of the Senate is based on the conviction that the foundation of EU law is the common European legal culture, and the aim is to involve the AUTH in the reform of national legal landscapes integrating them into a new, collective European orbit. It therefore implements, inter alia, information and awareness-raising actions for the wider academic community, as well as the public opinion. “Thessaloniki Forum for Human Rights” is also part of this framework, and will be organized annually in collaboration with its Local Bodies and Regional Government aiming to combine theory and action for the protection of fundamental rights in Greece and Europe. The speakers are expected to be distinguished scientists, researchers from the Council of Europe’s Directorate for Human Rights, the Department  for the Equality and Citizenship Rights of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) of Vienna, the UN Commission for the Implementation of the Treaty of the United Nations Geneva Convention on the Rights of the Child, etc. Academics and natural persons as well as representatives of the Institutions or organizations involved in the protection of rights related to specific field will be invited. After all, acknowledging the best interest of children, as a matter of utmost importance and along with the obligation of each Member State to ensure the protection and care of childhood, reflects the letter and the spirit of the many provisions of the Constitution as well as European and international texts to protect its human rights. The cooperation of the Local Bodies Regional Administration with the “Center for the European Legal Culture”, is considered beneficial as it aims at implementing actions related to research, education and information, which will promote the European legal culture and, in practice, European integration itself.