News

Children’s recommendations highlighted at PROTECT III workshop in St Petersburg
PROMISE Project final conference launches the European Barnahus Movement
AudTrain II final conference advocates for ensuring the rights of children in alternative care
Non-violent Childhoods project visits Sweden on national consultation series tour
Announcing the PROTECT Network – ensuring safety for children in migration
Project outcomes turn into practical trainings, cooperation launched with the Nordic Council of Ministers
The PROMISE Project launches, promoting child-friendly multi-disciplinary and interagency services
The AudTrain II project launches, delivering trainings in system based audits of alternative care for children
CBSS Secretariat Director General’s Statement: Celebrating the Universal Children’s Day 2016
PROTECT II – Expert meeting and training on Promoting the Human Rights and Best Interests of Children in Transnational Child Protection Cases
The CBSS and Central European Initiative join forces to promote protecting unaccompanied children
Linköping inspires a European movement to establish Barnahus, CBSS and HM Queen Silvia encourage a growing network
Moving on from Corporal Punishment in the Baltic Sea Region
CBSS & NCM brings protection of children on the move training to Tallinn
Huge interest in the training of professionals in the “Best Interest Determination” for children at risk of exploitation and trafficking
The NCM and the CBSS mythbusted trafficking at the EUSBSR Annual Forum
Children at the center during Icelandic CBSS Presidency
CBSS hosts cross-regional roundtable organised by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on Violence against Children
“I got a foster family late – but not too late!” – Warsaw Roundtable 2016
UN Special Representative on Violence against Children to bring annual cross-regional round table to Stockholm
AudTrain runs Primary Trainings in Zagreb and Riga
New strategy from Council of Europe for the Rights of the Child
CBSS launches Transnational Child Protection Portal on Wikipedia
PROMISE begins promoting multi-disciplinary and interagency cooperation to protect child victims and witnesses to violence
CBSS & NCM launches training series on protection of children in migration
CBSS contributes to recommendations at cross-regional roundtable organised by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on Violence against Children
New report launched in August
Announcing AudTrain 2.0
Child-friendly justice: handling child evidence
Experts reflected on the Child exploitation: Cross-national child protection in practice ‘PROTECT Children on the Move’ Expert Meeting series, children’s participation and the way forward – Stockholm, March 2015 …
Judges, Central Authorities and Social Services highlighted Transnational Child Protection issues – Riga, November 2014 …
UN Special Rapporteur and the Lithuanian Ombudsperson for Child Rights contributed important inputs to the expert meeting case management – Vilnius, September 2014 …
PRESS RELEASE: UN Special Rapporteur on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography in Vilnius, Lithuania
Meeting schedule for Child exploitation: Cross-national child protection in practice
PROTECT Children on the Move
March 2014: Recommendations on Assistance to Victims of Trafficking in the Baltic Sea Region …
Children are exposed to trafficking and exploitation in begging and criminality. Read the report…

How we work

Expert Group

The Expert Group on Children at Risk (CAR) was founded in 1999, and became a working group within the CBSS in 2002. The Expert Group is a platform of exchange for professionals working to support children at risk. The Expert Group consists of senior officials from the CBSS Member States appointed by the ministries responsible for children’s issues in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia and Sweden. The European Commission has a seat in the Group. Together the group shares national developments and discusses ways to address gaps in services, expertise and capacity.
Safe and secure

Ensuring a safe and secure region is one of the priorities of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS), and the Baltic Sea Region is a model for regional cooperation in child protection. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) guarantees the world’s children human rights, dignity and integrity as well as safety and security. Based on the UNCRC, the CBSS Member States are implementing legislative, political and administrative measures in order to combat violence against children and ensure that children are safe, healthy, educated and motivated – thus enhancing societal sustainability and prosperity.
Priorities

As outlined in the CBSS Expert Group on Children at Risk Mandate July 2017-2020, the Expert Group will support the member states in bolstering their child protection and welfare systems, notably in the following priorities:

  • Prevention, early intervention, parenting and family support
  • Child-friendly justice
  • The wellbeing and best interests of children in alternative care
  • Protecting children from sexual abuse and sexual exploitation
  • Preventing trafficking and exploitation of children
  • The best interests of children in migration
Projects and partners

The Children at Risk Unit and the Expert Group address the situation of children by implementing projects that conduct research, develop trainings, and nurture professional networks. Expert consultations are widely used to highlight good practices and agree on recommendations. Cooperation among ministries, academia, the private sector, civil society and children is encouraged at national and regional levels in order to strengthen local implementation capacity. The United Nations, Council of Europe, European Union and other regional entities are important standard setters and continue to inspire action and reflection.