November 20th 2020 marks the 31st anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

The CRC protects the rights of all children to live free from discrimination and violence and to be treated with dignity and respect. It is one of the most widely ratified international human rights Conventions. And yet, children’s fundamental rights, including the right to freedom from torture and ill-treatment, are still frequently violated around the world, including in Austria. This applies especially to children deprived of their personal liberty who find themselves in situations of particular vulnerability.

The Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Fundamental and Human Rights actively works to prevent such abuse by:

• Following up on the recommendations made by the UN Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty with a new project on personal liberty of children in Austria.
• Staying active in the Child Rights Network Austria, which connects children, child rights experts, advocates & Ombudspersons from across the country to protect children’s rights and give them a public voice – see e.g. the Network’s press conference from 19 November 2020, giving an exclusive voice to children to share their views on children’s rights in Austria: www.kinderhabenrechte.at
• Providing resources for research on children’s right to freedom from torture and ill-treatment via the Atlas of Torture database: atlas-of-torture.org
• Analysing and speaking out about troubling developments and shortcomings in the legal framework for child protection in Austria: www.nwv.at/recht/voelkerrecht/schutz_mit_system