CFJ-EN ANNUAL SEMINAR 2025
Bridging Child Protection and Child Justice
Enhancing collaborations for child-centred justice systems
22-24 OCTOBER 2025 | ATHENS, GREECE | IN-PERSON
The fourth Annual Seminar of the Child Friendly Justice European Network (CFJ-EN) will provide a timely and crucial platform for discussing the complex interplay between child protection and child justice systems. The General Objective of the Annual Seminar is to promote a shared understanding of the critical links between child protection and child justice systems. The seminar should raise awareness about the systemic nature of such violence, highlight vulnerabilities of children in the justice system, including in detention, and emphasise the urgent need for integrated, child rights-based approaches that strengthen both protection and justice responses. By fostering dialogue and sharing promising practices, the seminar can support the development of coordinated strategies that ensure that children receive the care and protection they need and are entitled to when they enter in contact with the justice system — whether as victims, suspects and/or accused, witnesses in criminal proceedings, as well as in the context of civil and administrative proceedings.
Objectives
1/ Explore ways to strengthen the capacities and the roles of child protection systems in Europe
This includes inter-agency cooperation with the justice system, examining support systems such as education, therapeutic care, family and social interventions, and strategies to build the capacities of child protection systems and advocating for adequate resources’ allocation.
2/ Promote child rights-based responses and gatekeeping mechanisms to protect children in contact with the justice system
This includes addressing the impact of protection vs punitive responses on children’s psychological, neurological, emotional and social development, as well as avoiding harmful placements of children in prisons, psychiatric institutions, care institutions, segregation of children with disabilities, detention facilities for migrant children, among others. Such responses typically encompass integrated multidisciplinary models, such as the Barnahus model, rehabilitation, and reintegration strategies that prioritise care and support, and involve shared responsibilities among a variety of protection/care stakeholders/actors.
3/ Ensuring Continuity of care in protection systems for children in contact with the law
Improving continuity of care and ensuring that protection/justice systems support children through transitions (children below MACR, children transitioning to adulthood) without shifting them into punitive or exclusionary frameworks.
4/ Spotlight complex cases, where children face specific risks and child rights violations:
digital space, domestic violence, transnational cases, family law cases, and cases of children with imprisoned parents.This includes exploring ways to strengthen child protection and justice systems to respond effectively to such cases.
Indicative Agenda
More info to follow!
Wednesday 22 October 2025
7:30 - 11:00 PM
-
Opening speeches
-
Networking Dinner
Thursday 23 October 2025
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
-
Opening plenary
-
Keynote speeches
-
Live podcast
-
Workshop sessions
-
Interactive sessions
7:00 - 10:00 PM
-
Cultural event (optional)
Friday 24 October 2025
9:30 AM - 1:00 PM
-
Interactive sessions
-
Live podcast
-
Closing plenary
2:30 - 5:30 PM
(optional - open to Annual Seminar participants)
CFJ-EN Academic Seminar on children below the minimum age of criminal responsibility
Early Bird Special
Take advantage of our Early Bird rate of €60 available from 12th May until 15th July 2025. This special rate allows you to enjoy all that the conference has to offer at a reduced cost.*
Standard Registration
After the Early Bird period, the registration fee will be €90. The deadline to register is the 25th September 2025. Ensure your spot at the conference by registering early!*
Networking Dinner
An optional networking dinner will be held on Wednesday 22 October, for an additional €30. Places are limited, so be sure to get in early!*
Support a Young Participant
Consider supporting a young person’s participation at our conference. Your contribution of €30 will help enable a young person with experience of the justice system to attend this event.*
*Please note: Eventbrite will add a 4% + €0.99 handling fee to the cost of your ticket.
We are excited to invite participants to submit proposals for workshops or interactive sessions to be held during the annual seminar. This year, we are offering 2 sessions of 4 parallel workshops on Thursday afternoon. There will be two rounds of four parallel workshops, each lasting 50 minutes. Workshop organisers should identify a moderator. Note-taking will be done by the operational team and/or CFJ-EN Member. During the 1.5 days during the seminar there will be two rounds of 1h15 of Human Libraries, each featuring each 10 unique “living books”. The functioning of the two circles of inspiration (two sessions), each session will last 1h15 and bring together around 50 participants.
Format
This edition of the CFJ-EN Annual Seminar will be highly interactive. To guarantee this, we invite participants to propose different formats of interactive sessions, including:
-
Workshop
-
Circle of inspiration
-
Human library
-
Poster presentation
Themes for Submission
Our workshops will focus on the following themes:
-
Strengthening the capacities of child protection and justice systems
-
Promoting child-rights-based approaches
-
Ensuring continuity of care
-
Spotlighting complex cases: Challenges and Opportunities
Participants interested in presenting a workshop or an interactive session are encouraged to prepare a proposal. Please check this page soon for more details on the submission process and to download the proposal document.
Submissions open! Deadline : 15 July 2025 5pm CET
Feel free to email info@cfjnetwork.eu with any questions.
Child & youth participation
The participation of children and youth, in an appropriate and inclusive way, is at the heart of our events. In the CFJ-EN 2025 annual seminar, different parts of the agenda will include the participation of children, notably as part of a keynote inspiration of a young justice transformer, young discussants in all the plenary sessions, but also the presence of young justice transformers in the human library and the circles of inspiration.
picture by Simon Blackley
picture by Simon Blackley
picture by Simon Blackley
What to expect?
-
1.5-day seminar on the links between child protection and child justice systems
-
2 live podcasts
-
4 workshops led by attendees
-
Interactive sessions: circles of inspiration, human library, storytelling, etc.
-
Approx. 120 participants including children’s rights experts, academics, practitioners, national and international institutions representatives, civil society organisations’ representatives, Young Justice Transformers, students, etc.
-
1 social dinner (optional)
-
1 cultural event (optional)
Benefits of attending the Annual Seminar
-
Attend a multidisciplinary event – Engage with professionals in children’s rights, child protection, social protection, justice, neuroscience, policymaking, etc.
-
Be part of the solution - Join the discussion and contribute to policy recommendations for a more protective and inclusive system.
-
A critical issue for children’s rights in Europe - Learn how gaps in child protection systems push children into the justice system, and hear inspiring practices to address these gaps.
-
A unique opportunity to Network – Meet all the CFJ-EN members and practitioners from all around Europe, to exchange best practices and innovative solutions.
Other important information
Registration and Participation
Registration for the annual seminar is mandatory. You will not be able to participate if you do not register.
Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
This is an in-person event, and hybrid participation will therefore not be possible.
Funding
The Annual Seminar is co-funded by the European Union.
The CFJ-EN and Defence for Children International Greece organise the conference. The CFJ-EN operational team provides logistical support.
Contact
For any questions regarding the CFJ-EN Annual Seminar 2024, please contact:
Mariama Diallo - Coordinator
Stefania Kulaj - Assistant Coordinator
Organisers
