New role approved to defend children's rights

Luxembourg's Education Ministry has announced a children's rights advocate will be introduced to represent children's needs in the country.

The ombudsman role was approved by the governing council through a bill which seeks to give the person appointed to the position greater independence from government by attaching it directly to the Chamber of Deputies.

This will replace the current Ombuds Committee for Children's Rights (ORK).

All draft laws and draft regulations which impact children will have to be put to the ombudsman, who will hold an eight-year mandate and be given a special administration – the office of the defender of children's rights.

The education ministry said the bill passed by the council is "in line with the government's intention to give children's interests a proper place, to create an institution that has the powers and resources to give voice to the needs of children and to ensure that the best interests of the child remain the primary consideration in any legislative or administrative measure".