Ombudsman for Children to UN Child Rights Committee: little progress on important policy dossiers
Earlier this year, the Ombudsman for Children reported to the UN Child Rights Committee on the major areas of concern regarding children's rights in the European and Caribbean Netherlands. The UN Child Rights Committee asked us to send an update on our issues and recommendations. Unfortunately, we have to conclude that little progress has been made.
This is partly due to the fact that the Netherlands has a caretaker government. As a result, important policy dossiers are at a standstill until the elected parties succeed in forming a new coalition. In some cases, the Ombudsman for Children even sees the situation taking a turn for the worse.
For example, the situation regarding access to specialist forms of youth care is becoming even more urgent. For standard types of youth care, there is talk of a crisis due to the length of the waiting lists. There are also still concerns about the availability of assistance to children growing up in poverty.
The COVID-19 pandemic also plays a major role in our concerns. For example, the measures that are taken in tackling COVID-19 are having a particular impact on the educational position of vulnerable young people. This group is also experiencing psychological problems. Finally, the Ombudsman for Children is increasingly concerned about the situation of children with links to the Netherlands in Syrian refugee camps.