Congress program

Monday 2 September (pre-congress): Field visits from approx 12.00

Option 1: Landsforeningen for barnevernsbarn (LfB)
https://barnevernsbarna.no/
Ensjø, Oslo
More information will be available soon.

Option 2: Barneverntjenesten i Frogn kommune
https://www.frogn.kommune.no/artikkel/Barnevern
Belsjøveien 2, 1443 Drøbak
1 hour from Oslo Central Station
More information will be available soon.

Option 3: Barnevernvakten i Oslo
https://www.barnevernvakten.no/kommuner/oslo-kommune
Politihuset i Oslo
Grønlandsleiret 44, 0190 Oslo
See information on the Field visits page.

Option 4: Brusetkollen barneverninstitusjon
https://brusetkollen.no/barnevernsinstitusjon/
Otto Valstads vei 70, 1395 Hvalstad
40 min from Oslo Central Station
See information on the Field visits page.

Tuesday 3 September - Venue: Oslo Kongressenter

09.00-09.30	Welcome! Registration opens at 09.00 and you can get a cup of coffee before the congress opens
09.30-10.30	Opening of the congress
10.30-11.10	Trond Helland (Norway); "The Convention on the Rights of the Child's imprint on judgments from the European Court of Human Rights: a negligible footprint?" The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) is the supreme interpreter of all matters regarding the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and has no obligations toward any other international law and/or jurisprudence. While the ECHR/ECtHR and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) are separate treaties, they are related in their protection of human rights. Even though there is no official connection between the ECHR/ECtHR and the CRC, the Court has acknowledged a reciprocal, harmonious relationship between the two conventions. Leaning on concepts of legal mobilisation, lawfare, and availability heuristics, there seems to be a clear development in how the CRC is used in and by the ECtHR, indicating that the CRC has an increasingly stronger footing within the Court, especially in the past decade. Moreover, within the last decade, children's rights have gained increased attention in the ECtHR following a mobilisation against the Norwegian child protection system (CPS). Between 2017 and January 2024, the Court resolved 51 cases against the Norwegian CPS - which is more than all other European countries combined. Norway, having ratified both the ECHR and CRC, is thus obliged to follow both conventions. The questions are: How has children's rights developed in the ECtHR, which role has the CRC played in this development, and what does it entail for children's rights in Norway and the rest of Europe?
11.10-11.30	Break Coffee/tea break with mingling and the opportunity to visit stands in the foyer
11.30-12.10	Finland's plenary speaker Elina Pekkarinen
12.10-12.50	Sweden's plenary speaker David Pålsson, universitetslektor och docent i socialt arbete vid Stockholms universitet
12.50-13.50	Lunch Lunch with mingling and the opportunity to visit stands in the foyer
13.50-15.50	Parallel sessions We present a number of exciting parallel sessions. You meet services that share their projects. And you will be served up-to-date research
15.50-16.10	Break Coffee/tea break with mingling and the opportunity to visit stands in the foyer
16.10-16.50	Pall Olafsson (Iceland); “Turning the tide - Integration of Service in the interest of Children´s Prosperity” In Iceland 8% of children are reported to Child Protection. We want to turn that tide by changing our way of working, our responsibility and how we respond when parents or children seek help. In January 2022 the act of The Integration of Service in the interest of Childrens Prosperity came into force. We want to help children solve problems before they become too complicated or too hard to fix. We want to listen and talk to children and in cooperation with them and their parents integrate service of those who can be part of the solution. Children in need of early assistance, along with their parents, are ensured access to Coordinator who works at the primary level of service within Health care, Schools or Social Service. If children and their parents, need more targeted assistance, they are assured access to Case Manager in Social Service. The Case Manager leads the Support Team and is responsible for the creation of a Support Plan telling us how we are going to help the child. We are now in the third year of implementation and I want to tell you why we started this journey, what we have learned so far, were we are heading and why we got this financed
16.50-17.30	Denmark's plenary speaker Anne Kirstine Mølholt
20.00	Congress dinner at Oslo Kongressenter Good food and entertainment from all the Nordic countries

Wednesday 4 September - Venue: Oslo Kongressenter

08.30-10.30	Parallel sessions We present a number of exciting parallel sessions. You meet services that share their projects. And you will be served up-to-date research
10.30-10.45	Break Coffee/tea break with mingling and the opportunity to visit stands in the foyer
10.45-11.30	Plenary - Sofa conversation with children's Ombudsmen from some of the Nordic countries.
11.30-13.30	Lunch in Oslo City Hall Departure from Oslo Kongressenter at 11.30. Lunch starts at 12.00 in Oslo City Hall