Proposals detailed on ombudsman for children
The Committee on the Rights of the Child, set up by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, and chaired by Member of Parliament Eva Biaudet, has proposed the creation of an ombudsman for children and increased efforts to improve the coordination of child and family matters.
The committee has suggested that issues related to the rights of children should be better integrated at all levels of government and in inter-ministerial cooperation.
The committee, which oversees the implementation of commitments in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, has proposed that Finland should have an independent and statutory ombudsman for children. This is in line with the current government programme, which is committed to creating such a post.
According to the committee, the post would represent the interests and viewpoints of the child population and ensure that they are conspicuous in policy debates and decision-making. The committee proposes the creation of a broad based advisory board to support the work of the ombudsman that would include a strong representation of NGOs. It also suggests that a permanent staff could eventually support the office of the ombudsman.