Summer School Frontiers of Children’s Rights ’25

About

As we mark the 11th edition of Leiden University's Summer School on International Children's Rights, we reflect on a decade dedicated to exploring how to protect children's rights amidst the complexities of our changing world. This milestone underscores our ongoing commitment to providing a meaningful platform for learning, collaboration, and reflection on the pressing issues impacting children globally. This year, we continue to address the critical challenges faced by children in the 21st century, focusing on the theme "Children's Crisis in the 21st Century: Climate Change, Conflict, and Migration."

This theme delves into the significant challenges encountered by children due to environmental, social, and geopolitical changes. Climate change poses threats through extreme weather events, displacement, and disruptions to essential resources, while conflict not only endangers children's safety but also denies them a peaceful childhood. Migration, whether forced or voluntary, adds further complexities, exposing children to vulnerability, trauma, and uncertainty. This crisis highlights the urgent need to address the interconnected issues of climate change, conflict, and migration to safeguard the rights and futures of children worldwide. In these complex situations, children often emerge as active agents, resilient and resourceful, contributing to their communities despite adversity. Recognizing their agency is crucial, empowering children to shape their destinies and contribute to positive change. Acknowledging and amplifying their voices become essential aspects of addressing the multifaceted nature of this crisis, ensuring that their perspectives contribute to inclusive and effective solutions. Moreover, it becomes paramount to emphasize the need for state and responsible actor accountability. Access to justice for children hinges on ensuring that states and other relevant entities take responsibility for their actions, policies, and roles in addressing these crises. Accountability measures serve as a crucial mechanism for holding governments, institutions, and individuals responsible for safeguarding children's rights and well-being in the face of environmental, social, and geopolitical challenges. Thus we add a critical connecting thread – the importance of access to justice for children. Throughout the week, we will weave this theme into our exploration of the complex issues children face globally.

Conference Speakers
The programme is being developed by Prof. Ton Liefaard, Head of the Department of Child Law, Leiden Law School (Leiden University) and UNICEF Chair in Children’s Rights and Prof. Ann Skelton, Programme Director of the Master of Laws Advanced Studies in International Children's Rights (Leiden University), and of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. The agenda of the programme will be uploaded soon.

Target audience
This summer school is aimed at professionals, academics and law students (who have completed at least three years of their degree) with a background in law. Applicants with a background in other relevant disciplines that are relevant to the theme of the summer school will be considered as well.

To ensure active participation and exchange with teaching staff and fellow participants, a maximum of 40 participants will be admitted to this course.

We welcome participants from all over the world to our international classroom.

Level
Advanced Law | Professionals

Remote attendance
Unfortunately, remote attendance is not available for this conference

Course leader

Prof. Ton Liefaard

Target group

This summer school is aimed at professionals, academics and law students (who have completed at least three years of their degree) with a background in law. Applicants with a background in other relevant disciplines that are relevant to the theme of the summer school will be considered as well

Course aim

To provide a meaningful platform for learning, collaboration, and reflection on the pressing issues impacting children's rights globally, with a focus on the theme "Children's Crisis in the 21st Century: Climate Change, Conflict, and Migration." The course aims to address the significant challenges faced by children due to environmental, social, and geopolitical changes, emphasizing the importance of recognizing children's agency, amplifying their voices, and ensuring accountability and access to justice for safeguarding their rights and futures

Fee info