Conference flow
The conference will be structured around four research questions which will guide the debates. In order to stimulate dynamic exchanges and the production of concrete outputs, the conference will be organized in two stages:
- 8th February 2018 (morning) - closed session. Limited participation upon invitation. Four working groups – each discussing one of the research questions – will be held in two parallel sessions. Working groups will be facilitated by professional moderators. Per working group an expert rapporteur has been identified on the beforehand. He / she will be assisted by external note takers.
- 9th February 2018 – plenary session. Each of the four research questions will (i) be introduced by one or two good practices, (ii) followed by a presentation of the outcomes of the debates in closed session, and (iii) then the floor will be opened for discussion.
The morning and the afternoon sessions will be opened by a topical key note speech and closed by the views of a (former) expert to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.
The conference has been designed so as to reach and reflect the experience of various stakeholders in the realm of children’s rights implementation and the measuring of its effectiveness.
Objectives
- Foster an exchange of good practices, obstacles encountered and lessons learned in initiatives and tools measuring the effectiveness of children’s rights;
- Find a common ground on certain basic principles and requisites underpinning an effective system / tool measuring the effectiveness of children’s rights;
- Stimulate synergies in this realm at the national and international levels;
- Continue the dialogue with, and contribute to the reflexion of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child and the State parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child with regards to the implementation of concluding observations concerning data collection.
Research questions
- Setting the debate: What constitutes an effective tool for measuring the effectiveness of children’s rights?
- How can synergies and links between child-rights / child wellbeing indicators and other measuring instruments be developed ?
- How can meaningful participation of children be ensured?
- How can the most vulnerable children be reached and included by data collection systems and instruments?
Introducing the research questions
Per research question, a one-pager will be shared on the beforehand with conference participants. This note will shortly introduce the research question, identify eventual sub-questions and highlight some attention points .
Outputs
- A practical guide or handbook will be compiled gathering best practices, the debates of the closed session working groups and conclusions of the plenary session;
- Recommendations, guidelines and basic principles as to the measuring of the effectiveness of children’s rights will be compiled and transmitted in a user-friendly format to, among others, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child;
- Suggestions towards the further development of ready existing “measuring” tools;
- The graphic recordings of the conference will serve as visual supports for further advocacy.
A dynamic approach
- Instant graphic recording
- Experienced presenter and moderators
- Interactive dialogue among peers
- Audio-visual intermezzos