Finland to prepare National Child Strategy — parliamentary committee to start its work

The National Child Strategy Committee will meet today for the first time. The Committee includes representatives from all parliamentary groups, and its term will run until the end of 2020.

The task of the Committee is to prepare a National Child Strategy based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Strategy will span government terms and bring together different branches of administration. The National Child Strategy will promote the goal-oriented and long-term perspective and sustainability of child, youth and family policies. The vision underpinning the preparatory work is to fully realise the wellbeing and rights of children and young people in Finland. This means achieving a child- and family-friendly Finland that respects the rights of the child.

Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services Krista Kiuru, who also chairs the Committee, hopes the meeting will lead to a fruitful discussion about the main guidelines and policies of the Strategy.

“Children have the same fundamental and human rights as the rest of the population, but it is also important to address the status of children as its own issue. Children are also afforded special rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and other human rights treaties,” says Minister Kiuru.

“The preparatory work on the Child Strategy aims to prevent the trend towards increasing inequality and to promote non-discrimination consistently. It is important that we carry out this work together on a broad front,” Minister Kiuru continues.

The work of the Committee continues until the end of 2020. After this, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health will prepare a plan for putting the Strategy into effect.

Inquiries:

Timo Lehtinen, Special Adviser to Minister Kiuru, tel. +358 295 163 387
Johanna Laisaari, Secretary General for the National Child Strategy, tel. +358 295 161 177