Justice starts with children

Child and youth participation means giving children and young people the tools, information, and space to express their views and actively contribute to decisions that affect them.​​ Children and young people must be co-creators of a justice system that concerns them instead of undergoing a system that they don’t fit and understand.

Across Europe, being in contact with the justice system remains a challenge for many. No one understands these obstacles better, or has clearer ideas for change, than the children and young people who have lived experience of these systems. Their voices help build a justice system that is inclusive, accessible, and truly child-centred.

Our work is rooted in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and international standards on child-friendly justice. Key principles such as : dignity, non-discrimination, the rule of law, the best interests of the child, and child participation guide everything we do.

Child participation is about empower children and young people to actively shape justice systems, ensuring their voices drive inclusive, accessible, and child-centered solutions for lasting change. We do this by creating spaces for children and young people with lived experience of the justice system to meet with key stakeholders as well as by training those stakeholders to hear children's views and opinions.