Finland reports to the Committee on the Rights of the Child
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child monitors and oversees how children’s rights are realised in different countries. Finland reports to the Committee periodically on the state of children’s rights and on measures the Government has taken to improve children’s wellbeing.
What is periodic reporting?
Each State Party must report to the Committee on the measures it has taken to implement children’s rights. The purpose of periodic reporting is to provide the Committee with as comprehensive an understanding as possible of compliance with the Convention and problems associated with its implementation among States Parties.
Reporting takes place at regular intervals and follows a standard procedure, including consideration of both written reports and oral hearings. In addition to representatives of the State Party, the Committee hears oral reports from other parties, such as children, civil society organisations and UNICEF. In Finland, the Ombudsman for Children, the Parliamentary Ombudsman and civil society organisations (In Finnish, lskl.fi) all submit their own reports.
Following the reporting process, the Committee issues concluding observations and recommendations to the State on how the position of children should be improved. The State must disseminate these concluding observations and recommendations widely to relevant stakeholders and implement the recommendations received. In its next periodic report, the State must explain how it has advanced the matters raised by the Committee. The Committee does not, however, have a binding mechanism to ensure States follow up on concluding observations and recommendations addressed to them.
The Committee issued recommendations to Finland in 2023
Finland submitted its most recent periodic report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child in 2019. The Committee issued its most recent concluding observations and recommendations concerning Finland in 2023.
Some of the recommendations issued by the Committee were highlighted as urgent, with the following areas requiring immediate attention: non-discrimination; violence against children, including sexual exploitation and abuse; children deprived of a family environment; children with disabilities; asylum-seeking, refugee and migrant children; and administration of child justice.
Finland’s previous reports to the Committee on the Rights of the Child were submitted in 1994, 1998, 2003 and 2008. Previous periodic reports submitted by Finland and the Committee’s responses, including concluding observations and recommendations, are available on the Ministry for Foreign Affairs website.
Do you want more information?
Using the links below, you can read the Committee’s recommendations for Finland in various languages and learn more about the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.
