Be Seen Be Heard - Empowering Child VOICEs in Legal Proceedings (VOICE)

ongoing

VOICE is a dedicated initiative focused on ensuring active and meaningful participation of children in legal proceedings, in line with Article 12 of the CRC and the EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child. The core objective of this project is to promote the effective realization of children’s right to be heard and participate in the justice system, with a particular emphasis on legal professionals across the EU. The project aims to enhance the knowledge of legal practitioners, especially in addressing the needs of children with specific vulnerabilities. By fostering capacity building, facilitating the exchange of best practices among legal professionals, and raising awareness among a broader audience, the project highlights the significance of a child's right to be heard and participate in legal proceedings throughout the EU. Primary beneficiaries are justice professionals including lawyers, social workers, probation officers, judges and prosecutors and national authorities. The ultimate beneficiaries are diverse groups of children, including children in alternative care, those facing poverty, social exclusion, children with disabilities and refugee and migrant children. Guided by a thorough needs analysis, the project addresses existing gaps in EU Member States, such as age limits in legal frameworks and challenges faced by vulnerable children. An innovative and central focus is placed on understanding the role of a child's representative, ensuring a balance between the child's best interests, and respecting their views. VOICE strongly aligns with the call for proposals by addressing specific vulnerabilities, promoting child participation at national and local levels, and emphasizing inclusivity and systemic change. The project directly responds to the call's objectives, ensuring its activities contribute to the protection and promotion of children's rights. Through tangible actions, it contributes to Priority 2, and to some extent Priority 3.