In the context of the European Union

The CNPDPCJ is regularly consulted by the competent national bodies representing Portugal on the occasions in question, with a view to collecting its expert opinion and contributing to the preparation, discussion and adoption of legislative initiatives, legislative amendments, decisions, recommendations, measures, diagnoses, studies, reports, instruments, reference documents or any other documents and initiatives within the EU, both in the area of children and youth and in other areas likely to have an impact on them, in particular as regards the promotion of the rights and protection of children and young people.

In addition to the added value of information on child and youth protection processes implemented by the 310 CPCJ throughout the national territory, completed and ongoing, the National Commission also has the added value of the technical knowledge and experience of its specialized professionals, who are also invited to participate in working groups, training actions and other events, with a view to discussing matters that raise particularly relevant challenges to the protection of children's rights, such as:

13th Forum on the Rights of the Child (scheduled for September 2020)

12th Forum on the Rights of the Child – Where We Are and Where We Want to Go (Brussels, April 2019)

- Expert Group on the implementation of Directive 2011/93/EU on child sexual abuse on background checks and the use of the European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS) [Brussels, September 2018]

Conference on Child-Friendly Justice and Integrated Child Protection Systems - Lessons Learned from EU projects (Brussels, June 2018)

Workshop of experts on the implementation of Directive 2011/93/EU on child sexual abuse concerning children with disabilities (Brussels, January 2018)

Workshop of experts on the implementation of Directive 2011/93/EU on child sexual abuse concerning children in a migration context (Brussels, January 2018)

- 11th Forum on the Rights of the Child - Children Deprived of their Freedom and Alternatives to Detention (Brussels, November 2017)

In the context of applications from the CNPDPCJ for European funding, the national project launched on 1 April 2021 by the National Commission for the Promotion of the Rights and Protection of Children and Youth (CNPDPCJ), aimed at strengthening the implementation of the right of the child to participation and which includes the implementation of the Child Participation Assessment Tool (CPAT – Child Participation Assessment Tool), developed by the Council of Europe, as well as the preparation of the White Paper on Child Participation in Portugal, based on the data obtained as a result of the application of the CPAT.

This national project is part of the joint European Union-Council of Europe project ‘CP4EUROPE – Strengthening the National Framework and Action on Child Participation in Europe’, which runs until 31 March 2023 in a consortium coordinated by the Council of Europe’s Division of Children’s Rights, of which partners from Slovenia, Finland, Iceland, the Czech Republic and Portugal – represented by the CNPDPCJ – and funded by the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme (2014-2020) and the Council of Europe are part.

The main objective of CP4EUROPE is to strengthen the means, spaces and opportunities for child participation in the Member States of the European Union and the Council of Europe, as well as to support national activities through pan-European action and visibility, being particularly promoted as specific documents in this area. Child Participation Assessment Tool (CPAT – Child Participation Assessment Tool) and Children’s Participation Handbook “Listen Act-Change”. The main results of this joint project include the creation of the “Child Participation Leadership Network” among the participating countries and a new website that will facilitate the sharing of resources and experiences.

Concrete and specific actions at national level will be developed by the CP4EUROPE partners, which are organised in two Action Groups: one that will carry out an assessment of the child’s participation through the implementation of the CPAT and another that will seek to improve their national frameworks following an assessment carried out in 2019/2020.

For more information, please contact CNPDPCJ.presidência@cnpdpcj.pt

This project is funded by the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme (2014-2020) and the Council of Europe. This communication represents only the perspective of the CNPDPCJ and is the sole responsibility of the CNPDPCJ. The European Commission assumes no responsibility for any use that may be made of the information it contains.