Baltic-Nordic Network for Child Participation Advocacy: Fostering children’s rights across the region

The Baltic-Nordic Network for Child Participation Advocacy is an ongoing initiative aimed at strengthening child participation in decision-making processes across the Baltic and Nordic regions. Coordinated by the Estonian Union for Child Welfare and funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Prosperous Future Programme for Civil Society Cooperation, this project brings together child welfare organizations to develop a mutual understanding for advocating children’s rights.

The primary objective of the project is to create a platform for sharing best practices in child participation, promoting the active involvement of children in the policy-making processes that impact their lives. By facilitating collaboration between countries like Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden and Finland, the project encourages regional organizations to advocate for children's opinions to be integrated into both local and international frameworks.

The project has hosted a series of successful networking events, with recent meetings in both Helsinki and Stockholm. These gatherings have been building a mutual network with shared advocacy goals.

In August 2024, a multi-day collaboration meeting was held in both Tallinn and Helsinki, that was an important step in aligning the advocacy efforts of Baltic and Nordic child welfare organizations. Participants from several countries shared their experiences and ideas on how to improve child participation. Discussions focused on how different organizations approach child rights advocacy and how these methods could be harmonized across the region. The meeting also provided an opportunity to establish follow-up activities and cooperation agreements, ensuring the continued momentum of the network’s advocacy work.

Following this, the most recent networking seminar was held in Stockholm, where collaboration between leading child welfare organizations, including Save the Children Sweden and the Council of the Baltic Sea States, took center stage.

The discussions in both Helsinki and Stockholm demonstrated the strong commitment from organizations across the region to ensure that children's voices are heard and respected in all decision-making processes. As the network continues to grow, follow-up activities will focus on expanding child participation in national and regional frameworks, supporting governments in adopting policies that prioritize children's perspectives.

For more information about the project, visit the Estonian Union for Child Welfare’s website.

Project partners: Estonian Union for Child Welfare (Estonia), Latvian Network for Child Welfare (Latvia), Save the Children (Lithuania), The Central Union for Child Welfare (Finland)

Urban Climate Adaptation in the Nordics – EIT Urban Mobility Project “Baltic-Nordic network for Child Participation Advocacy” (PROF-25-41) is funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Prosperous Future Programme for Civil Society Cooperation in the Region.