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Children have the right to be children

The basic duty of the Ombudsman for Children is to promote the implementation of children's rights in Finland. At the outset we put an emphasis more on promoting children being heard and their participation. Read more >>

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The child's right to an upbringing - 5th anniversary seminarium of the ombudsman in Finland

Ombudsman for Children in Finland celebrates its 5th anniversary September the first 2010 in Jyväskylä. "Who is bringing up our children ?  - the child´s right to an upbringing" is the theme. Among the higlights is the lecture by the previous commissioner for children from Scotland, Kathleen Marshall. 
Read the program >>
Do we dare to bring up our children? >>

First five-year term of the Ombudsman for Children under the spotlight

Partners returned a positive opinion on the first five-year term of the Ombudsman for Children in the latest yearbook Children's Rights on Finland's Agenda, published in Finnish and Swedish. There are important points in the book for municipal decision-makers as well. The Ombudsman for Children urges service developers to involve children and young people in planning.
Read the press release >>
Read the yearbook>>

Increasing awareness of children's rights in Finland

It is the job of the Ombudsman for Children to increase awareness of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. A brochure on the Convention has already been released in seven languages: Finnish, Swedish, English, North Sámi, Inari Sámi, Skolt Sámi, Romany, sign language and Russian.
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Read all brochures  >>

The moral education function of schools must be strengthened 

Maria Kaisa Aula, the Ombudsman for Children, considers that schools should have a stronger role in the moral education of children in addition to teaching them skills and knowledge. In her statement concerning the reform of the goals of basic education, she warns against taking an unduly narrow approach focusing too much on simply training future workers.
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A child's right to privacy must be respected

Save the Children Finland and the Ombudsman for Children are calling on the media to exercise great discretion when publishing images of children, particularly on the websites of the mass media. A child's right to privacy must be given greater respect than it is now. The appeal has been sent out to all chief editors.
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Elsewhere online >> Safe on the Internet  

Does a child's right to be heard guarantee that his or her best interests are being promoted?

The right of a child to be heard is an important right, even if his or her opinion does not ultimately decide the outcome of the case. Balancing a child's right to have his or her best interests promoted against the right to be heard was one of the topics discussed at the Nordic Child Welfare Congress in Bergen, Norway. The Ombudsman for Children in Finland  spoke on the issue.
Read the speech >>


Ombudsman for Children in statutes

The post of Ombudsman for Children is an independent state authority, established by parliamentary legislation in 2005. Read more >>