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.

Independent national human rights bodies monitoring child protection at national level
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.