Samenvatting
This book aims to provide insight in the state of children in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the implementation of children’s rights as laid down in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and developments in this regard over the years. The book provides a source of information for further scientific research, development of policies and legislation and societal and political debate. The first part of the publication presents a general picture of the most important developments and trends in children’s rights implementation in the Netherlands, through an overview of statistics, law reform and policymaking, also in the context of significant international developments. The second part offers an in-depth study of a relevant, topical and/or emerging children’s rights theme. The book starts with an editorial commentary in which the different parts are connected and overall reflections are given. The book aims to contribute to the education and (post-academic) training of students and professionals from the Netherlands and abroad.
This first volume in the Monitoring Children’s Rights in the Netherlands series pays tribute to the 30th anniversary of the CRC and includes a report on the rights of children in the Netherlands, presenting key facts and figures relating to the rights of children. The report shows that there are significant concerns relating to discrimination, exclusion and disparities in the implementation of children’s rights in the Netherlands. It also demonstrates that there are reasons for concern with regard to the protection of children against violence, including child abuse and neglect. Children living in poverty are disproportionately affected by this. Moreover, children’s participation rights have increasingly received attention in the past years. At the same time, it is concluded that there are some persistent challenges, among others, in citizenship education, and that it is remarkable that the Dutch government has, as of yet, neither signed nor ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on a Communications Procedure.
The book also includes an editorial highlighting the significance of children’s rights monitoring, and an in-depth study on the new European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and its implications for children’s rights.
In my work I would find this an invaluable point of reference. It is clearly intended as a contribution to and clarification of a particular legal topic, and as such I find it excellent.
− Sonia Livingstone, London School of Economics and Political Science, on the in-depth study by Simone van der Hof, Eva Lievens and Ingrida Milkaite
Ton Liefaard is Vice-Dean of Leiden Law School and holds the UNICEF Chair in Children’s Rights at Leiden University, Leiden University Law School
Stephanie Rap is assistant professor in children’s rights at the Department of Child Law, Leiden University Law School
Peter Rodrigues is professor of Immigration Law and Head of the Department of Immigration Law at Leiden University Law School
Thuiswinkel Waarborg