The Public Prosecution Service (OM), in cooperation with UNICEF and the Universiteitsinstituut voor Kinderrechten, held a two-day training course on children’s rights and access to justice for children. A total of 31 professionals and other stakeholders took part.
The ‘Access to Justice’ training took place on Thursday, August 27, and Friday, August 28. Its aim was to strengthen the knowledge and skills of people who are involved with children and children’s rights through their work.
According to the organisers, it remains important for children and adolescents to know their rights. They must also know which bodies they can turn to when these rights are violated.
The training was conducted by Vandana Ramlal-Chander, director of Teach Consciously. Participants included representatives of the Voorlichting van Politie Jeugdzaken department, the Universiteitsinstituut voor Kinderrechten, the Bureau voor de Rechten van het Kind and the Anton de Kom Universiteit van Suriname.
Representing the OM were the juvenile public prosecutor, prosecution secretaries and an employee of the Public Relations department.
Additional attention for children with autism
The meeting was held according to the train-the-trainer principle. This means that participants were prepared to further share the knowledge gained within their own organisations and communities.
During the training, special attention was given to children on the autism spectrum. Participants were given practical tools to tailor their communication methods to different needs. The central focus was that information about rights must be conveyed in an understandable and accessible manner.
Through the training, the organisations involved aim to contribute to helping children and young people better recognise their rights. In addition, they must be better informed about the steps they can take and the bodies they can approach when their rights are violated.
