Post of an ombudsman for children to be established in Finland
The post of an ombudsman for children will be established in Finland on 1 September 2005.
The ombudsman for children will be in charge of promoting the status and rights of children in Finnish society. The ombudsman’s work is based on the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child. The duty of the ombudsman is to promote the rights and interests of children at the general level of administration, societal policy and legislation, as well as to boost the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Bringing children’s own opinions up for public discussion and informing about their rights are among the most important tasks of the ombudsman.
The ombudsman for children may take initiatives to improve the status of children in society and to address defects regarding it. Other methods of influencing are e.g. recommendations, guidelines and advice. The ombudsman will operate independently and have access to broad expertise in different administrative sectors. The ombudsman will have an office, and both the office and the post of the ombudsman for children are to be placed at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
In support of the ombudsman’s work an advisory committee representing a wide range of expertise will be set up, in which NGOs will have a strong representation.