15th European Forum on the Rights of the Child

The 15th edition of the European Forum on the Rights of the Child will take place on 23 and 24 June 2025 at the Borschette Conference Centre, in Brussels.

Under the motto “Championing Children’s Rights: Building Fair and Resilient Societies for the EU’s Present and Future”, the Forum will present how the EU priorities on children’s rights are making a stronger and resilient EU society, across generations, now and for future generations. The Forum will report on the progress achieved, discuss gaps and give a new impetus to the EU Strategy on the rights of the child. It will show how the EU is responding to key challenges that children are facing across all relevant EU policies, in the EU and globally.

The Forum will bring together high-level speakers, 250 participants physically, including children and young people, from all EU Member States as well as EFTA countries, the Western Balkans and Ukraine, representing national and local authorities, civil society, international organisations, European Parliament and other EU institutions, children’s ombudspersons, academia and practitioners, to discuss the EU Strategy on the rights of the child. Plenary sessions will also be web streamed.

Building on the General Assembly of the EU Children’s Participation Platform (taking place on 20-22 June 2025), a group of children will pass on key messages and drive a high-level and plenary sessions on 23 June. They will be involved in preparing and leading those sessions – setting their ambitions for the Forum and EU policies.

Main objectives

1. Recall the relentless EU priority on children’s rights, strengthening our societies to respond to new challenges and priorities affecting them in the EU and globally, ensuring fairness across all generations, making a change in children’s lives now, and improving the resilience of our future EU societies. Highlight the joint commitments and actions to make children’s rights a reality.

2. Give a new impetus for the EU Strategy on the rights of the child, taking stock of achievements across its different pillars, in EU internal and external policies. Reflect on gaps and where its effective tools and actions can be used and adapted to evolving needs and realities, having heard from all stakeholders, particularly children.

3. Respond to children’s declaration/call for action: Build on the participation of children consulted on concrete measures, notably through the EU Children’s Participation Platform, flagging how they are being integrated, coordinated to feed the effective further implementation and developments of the strategy.