On April 16, 2026, the Children's Rights Collective will be granted foundation status. This will provide the collective with a clear, legal structure: agreements on governance, finances, and decision-making are now formally established. Together with the four other core members – AUGEO foundation, Defence for Children Nederland, Save the Children Nederland, and Terre des Hommes – this will strengthen not only the governance but also the continuity of our joint efforts for children's rights in the Netherlands.
Stronger structure and continuity
The new foundation structure lays a solid foundation for the independent coordination of reports and advice on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The collective will continue to closely monitor the extent to which the Netherlands follows the recommendations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and advises the government on necessary improvements to better protect children's rights. Thanks to the formal organization, the work will be more stable, transparent, and better organized, enabling the Children's Rights Collective to continue to effectively advocate for the rights of children in the future.
31 years of coordinating reports to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
The first independent report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child took place in 1999. Since then, the Children's Rights Collective has coordinated these reports and collected signals from civil society. For the reports, the collective collaborates with over 100 civil society organizations. In addition to the five core members, the collective has a network of 25 partner organizations that structurally cooperate on children's rights.
Through Children's Rights in Motion, the Children's Rights Collective closely monitors how the Netherlands follows the recommendations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. Where necessary, it raises concerns with policymakers and politicians and advises on the application of children's rights in policy and practice.
Establishment of the Children's Rights Collective
The Netherlands signed the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on 8 March 1995. Article 45 of the Convention stipulates that not only governments, but also children's rights organizations and children themselves may report periodically to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child on the observance of children's rights. To fulfil this role in the Netherlands, several organisations founded the Children's Rights Collective in July 1995: Defence for Children the Netherlands, UNICEF the Netherlands, the Child and Youth Legal Aid Centres and the Netherlands Institute for Care and Welfare (which later merged into the Netherlands Youth Institute, Movisie and Vilans). The Netherlands Youth Institute (NJI) remains involved to this day as an independent knowledge partner.
Two independent board members will strengthen the board of the new foundation. Marc Dullaert remains chairman and Piet Rietman becomes treasurer.
Dullaert says: "For decades, the Children's Rights Collective has played a crucial role in independently monitoring children's rights in the Netherlands. With the establishment of the foundation, we are laying a solid foundation for this task. Through Children's Rights in Motion, we closely monitor whether UN recommendations are actually implemented, and where necessary, we hold policymakers and politicians accountable. At the same time, we work constructively to structurally embed children's rights in policy and practice."
Future-proof and impactful
With the establishment of the foundation, the Children's Rights Collective strengthens its structure and organisation, so that it can continue to advocate for the rights of children in the Netherlands in the future.