Children’s rights in theory and practice
On this website you will find articles and publications by Dr. Philip E. Veerman about children’s rights and announcements of symposia and conferences in the field of (international) children’s rights.
Recent articles
100 years ago (23rd February 1923) the ’Declaration of Geneva’ puts children’s rights on the map
Anchored in the Luxembourg Constitution in December 2022, the rights of the child are now specific fundamental rights guaranteeing children and adolescents the status of legal subjects and citizens. It has been a long road/way to bring the child...
The Best Interests of the Child and the Right to Inclusive Education
The drafters of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (crpd) incorporated the concept of inclusive education into Article 24 of the crpd. Many consider this to be a new children’s right. The inclusive education idea has...
Still Passionate About Children’s Rights After Thirty Years
Philip Veerman about 30 years 'The International Journal of Children's Rights' - a brief history, the founding and new developments and challenges. "I am more worried now about the future of children than I was in the period 1989–1993, when we were preparing the beginning of the Journal. At that...
Defending children’s rights
Evaluating the decision by the Ministry of Defence to declare DCI-Palestine a ‘terrorist organisation’ In 1988 I founded the Israeli-Section of Defence for Children International (DCI) and struggled 17 years to get funding and run the organisation. We successfully lobbied for Israel’s signing and...
“Nitrous oxide is not for laughing”
The lack of enforcement of the Hague ban on nitrous oxide contributes to making young people think more easily about drug use, says health care psychologist Philip Veerman in his opinion piece in The Hague Central. The developments around nitrous oxide have been rapid in recent years. A few years...
Older article suddenly up to date
Sometimes old articles I wrote are suddenly again up to date. An example is my article from 1990 in the Jerusalem Post. In 1990 I was lobbying that Israel would ratify the Hague Child Abduction Convention. The article helped. In May 1991 I was invited by Uzi Landau, member of the Constitution, Law...
Support for young carers in The Hague
A forgotten group of young people is supported by the Project 'Young carers' in The Hague. Gz psychologist Philip Veerman talks to one of these young people in 'Den Haag Centraal' and describes why more attention for this group is important. Andjenie says that she is happy that there is finally...
Minister for children badly needed
Abuses (such as children waiting too long for help) must be resolved. The mammoth tanker 'Decentralization' needs to change course and a special minister should lead that process, says Philip Veerman in his opinion piece in Den Haag Centraal. Informator Herman Tjeenk Willink suggested to reach...
We spoke to the Irish minister for children
Philip Edmond Veerman
Philip Edmond Veerman (Amsterdam, 28 juni 1948) is an expert in children’s rights, health-psychology and (special) education. He initiated several new child welfare organisations in the Netherlands and developed international children’s rights initiatives. For his 40 years of efforts to promote children’s rights he was given a Royal distinction, when in 2015 he became Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau.