ELM conference on children's rights

The international ELM consultation "Strengthening Children's Rights" came to a successful conclusion on 2 November 2024. Participants from seven countries spent six days in Hanover at the invitation of the ELM discussing children's rights in depth and developing joint actions and priorities. ELM Director Dr Emmanuel Kileo took part in the closing session and encouraged the group to use the learning experiences to strengthen South-South networking.

At the end of the conference, the group had set itself ambitious goals: Among other things, the delegates from various ELM partner and sponsoring churches agreed to focus more strongly on the topic of children's participation rights in future, not only in project work but also in church programmes, and to initiate a joint information campaign.

In a joint resolution, the participants state "that the implementation of children's rights to protection, promotion and participation in our countries, churches and organisations is inadequate in many respects." Among other things, they pledge to "work towards better implementation of children's rights and to bring good ideas and practices to our organisations and churches."

The participants also emphatically call for measures to safeguard and protect children from all forms of violence, speak out in favour of better participation of children in decision-making bodies and underline the need for programmes and services in which children can play a self-determined and active role.