STOWARZYSZENIE UNIA ROZWOJU
UR
Stowarzyszenie Unia Rozwoju (The Union of Development Association) is an organization that brings together young leaders around the idea of self-government and civil society.
ID: 259630139597-57
Lobbying Activity
Response to European Child Guarantee
21 Sept 2020
Our organization (The Union of Development Association) gathers young leaders around the idea of self-government, civil society, social activism and youth participation in the democratic life. Our activities are primarily aimed at supporting and promoting youth development, with an emphasis on shaping the virtue of responsibility for private and public matters. The beneficiaries of our initiatives are primarily ambitious representatives of the young generation.Thus, we firmly believe that children rights are a priority and should be treated as such by the EU and its Member States as well as countries outside the EU.
The European Union as a supranational organization has a huge impact on the development of children's rights in all 27 Member States and potential Member States. That is why its role in effectively preventing child rights violations is so important. The European Union has dominated our continent in terms of spreading and controlling values such as human rights, democracy, the rule of law, justice and security.
In the light of the current crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, all the weaknesses and unsolved problems from the past became even more apparent. Moreover, the harmful effects of this pandemic have been unequally distributed, devastating mostly children in the poorest of countries, which are already disadvantaged. The European Union should focus on meeting the needs of children in some specific situations and vulnerability contexts, among which are children who often display the tendencies of being deprived of liberty, having little to no home life, or they are children who belong to an ethnic minority and are not ensured their protection against violence nor access to education and health care.
Member States should now, more than ever, in the face of not only COVID-19 crisis, but also a global refugee and migrant crisis, that affects millions of young people, commit to uphold the rights of children and ensure their protection, as well as to develop and implement effective mechanisms and approaches in preparing young people to enter their adolescence, adulthood, and - what’s inevitable - the labour market. It's crucial for the EU to work with Member States and other partners at all levels (local, national and international) and provide them with satisfactory understanding on how children are affected by disparity in access to free or affordable services such as education, healthcare, nutrition, culture and housing.
We hope that European Child Guarantee, which is now being prepared, will play a big role in developing and implementing certain guidelines constituting a practical tool which governments would be encouraged to use as a basis. It’s now especially important for the Member States and the EU to reach out to those who have troubles accessing certain educational platforms/learning-friendly environment, since the sudden visible drop in income led to many families struggling to afford the necessary elements required for virtual education. The European Union should also concentrate on allocating funds to equalize opportunities so that every child, regardless of their country of origin and socio-economical situation, is provided with equal access to education and is able to develop relevant skills, pursue their passions, and - ultimately - dream profession.
Actions that have been taken by the European Commission and other EU's institutions turned out to be effective in many fields, nevertheless there's still so much more that needs to be done in terms of providing young people from all the EU with equal opportunities and chances as well as fighting against big differences in Member States' capabilities, especially in those unprecedented times.
We're happy to be a part of this consultation and we hope that this initiative will contribute to strengthening the protection of children's rights as well as become not only a framework in this area but also a strong enough foundation for future actions.
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