Independent monitoring by national human rights bodies
The role of national human rights institutions (NHRIs) and/or ombudspersons is vital in independently monitoring a state’s compliance with and progress towards the implementation of children’s rights and child protection laws and policies.
Independent human rights institutions complement effective government monitoring structures and accountability mechanisms.
| EU Member State |
Ombudspersons offices and NHRIs |
|---|---|
| AT | Austrian Ombudsman Board (Volksanwaltschaft) - Austrian NHRI Ombudsbody for children in alternative care (Kinder- und Jugendanwaltschaft Wien)(functions at regional level, Vienna) |
| BE | Federal Ombudsman Flemish Office of the Children's Rights Commissioner (Het Kinderrechtencommissariaat) General delegate for the rights of the child - French community (Délégué Général aux droits de l’enfant) Observatory for Childhood, Youth and Youth Care (Observatoire de l’Enfance, de la Jeunesse et de l’Aide à la Jeunesse) - French Community Ombudsperson - German Community |
| BG | Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria (Омбудсман на Република България) |
| CY | Commissioner for Children’s Rights (Επίτροπος προστασίας των δικαιωμάτων του παιδιού) |
| CZ | Ombudsperson |
| DE | German Institute for Human Rights (Deutsches Institut für Menschenrechte) - German NHRI |
| DK | Parliamentary Ombudsman (Folketingets Ombudsmand) - Children’ Division |
| EE | Chancellor of Justice (Õiguskantsler) - independent monitoring of child protection system in his duties as Children Ombudsman (Laste ombudsman) |
| EL | Greek Ombudsman (Συνήγορος του Πολίτη) |
| ES | Spanish Ombudsperson (Defensor del Pueblo) Ombudsperson (autonomous regions) - Defensor del Pueblo Andaluz (Catalan Ombudsman) O Valedor do Pobo (Galicia) Childhood Observatory (Observatorio de la Infancia) - subordinated to the Ministry of Health |
| FI | Ombudsman for Children (Lapsiasiavaltuutett) - acts with the assistance of the Child Advisory Board established by the government Parliamentary Ombudsman (Riksdags justitieombudsman) and the Chancellor of Justice (oikeuskansleri/justitiekansler) |
| FR | National Consultative Human Rights Commission (NCHRC) (Commission nationale consultative des droits de l’homme, CNCDH) Public defender of rights (Défenseur des droits) |
| HR | Ombudsperson for children (Pravobranitelj za djecu) |
| HU | Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights (Ombudsman) (Alapvető Jogok Biztosának Hivatala) |
| IE | Ombudsman for Children |
| IT | Ombudsman for Childhood and Adolescence (Istituzione dell'Autorita' garante per l'infanzia e l'adolescenza) |
| LT | Ombudsperson for Children’s Rights (Vaiko teisių apsaugos kontrolierius) |
| LU | Ombuds-Committee for the Rights of the Child (Comité luxembourgeois des droits de l'enfant, appelé "Ombuds-Comité fir d'Rechter vum Kand" ORK) |
| LV | Office of the Ombudsperson - Children’s Rights Section (Latvijas Republikas tiesībsargs) |
| MT | Commissioner for Children (Kummissarju għat-Tfal ) |
| NL | Ombudsman for children ( de Kinderombudsman) |
| PL | Ombudsman for Children’s Rights (o Rzeczniku Praw Dziecka) |
| PT | Ombudsman (Provedor de Justiça) / Nucleus for the Child, the Elderly and the Disabled (Núcleo da Criança, do Idoso e da Pessoa com Deficiência) |
| RO | Department within the National Ombudsman (Avocatul Poporului) specialised in rights of the child |
| SE | Ombudsperson for Children (Barnombudsmannen) |
| SI | Human Rights Ombudsman (Varuh človekovih pravic) |
| SK | Office of Public Defender of Rights (Varuh človekovih pravic) |
| UK | Office of the Children’s Commissioner (OCC) - one for each of the four countries of the UK |
Source: FRA, 2014
Key findings
- Child ombudspersons may not have sufficient human and financial resources to allow them to systematically and effectively monitor the performance of national child protection systems.
- Very often national human rights institutions and ombudspersons do not systematically monitor child protection systems and institutions, but instead react to filed motions and individual complaints.
- In many EU Member States, ombudspersons and/or NHRIs are the only independent body responsible for monitoring children’s rights and child protection systems.