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
Exchange meeting focuses on conflict-related crimes against children in Ukraine
The Hague – On Monday and Tuesday 7 and 8 June, an international exchange meeting took place with Ms Yuliia Usenko, the Head of the Department for the Protection of Children’s Rights from the Ukrainian Office of the Prosecutor-General, in The...
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...
‘How do you narrow the gap between young people and politicians?’
The debate in the House of Representatives in the night of Thursday April 1 is a great opportunity to get young people more interested in politics, says child law expert Philip Veerman in his opinion piece Den Haag Centraal. New results of an annual survey of the views of young people in secondary...
Include lowering of the voting age in the coalition agreement
By Philip Veerman in FD March 28, 2021 - "Cautious proposals to slightly lower the voting age are invariably rejected," Mathijs Bouman writes in his column 'Prohibited to vote'. Giving young people a chance to vote is not an unworldly thought. Austria already lowered the voting age to 16 years in...
the problem of homeless adolescents and young adults
In an interview that I gave to the weekly 'Den Haag Centraal' about the problem of homeless adolescents and young adults, I expressed the hope that the new mayor of the Hague, Jan van Zanen, would do something about it. Then the mayor called and asked if he could visit me at my home. There he...
‘We are more concerned about animals than about children’
Young homeless people: no treatment place, no housing Marijke Landeweer speaks with Dr. Philip Veerman about this subject in Den Haag Centraal. The transition from the state and the province to the municipality caused major problems for youth care: long waiting lists, an enormous workload and a...
“Should education become more inclusive?”
On November 16 the Dutch Parliament debates on the question if education should become more inclusive. According to Philip Veerman bringing regular and special education closer to each other is a good idea, but if inclusive education means doing away with special education this is not something he...
“Clinic for Confused People (OVP) is the safety valve of mental health care “
For five years Parnassia Mental Health Care in the Hague has 'the clinic for people with Confused Behavior' (In dutch: OVP). Last year 1,552 people were brought there. Gz psychologist Philip Veerman reflects on this provision. The OVP has found shelter in The Hague police headquarters. Van der...
Is religion a friend or foe of children’s rights?
May 2020 - New publication by Philip E. Veerman in 'Droits de l'enfant et croyances religieuses: Autonomie, éducation, tradition' published and edited by Centre Interfacultaire en droits de l'enfant of the Genève University. Read the article (pdf)
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.
Well done Fresno, important that more City Councils and Parliaments follow!! See: Fresno becomes second U.S. city to ban caste discrimination nbcnews.com/news/asian-ameri…
An American disease: Hundreds of children, teens have been victims of gun violence this year - ABC News abcnews.go.com/US/hundreds-c…
At the 22 september we had a succussful meeting at Nieuwspoort pleading for a Minister of Children in our next government. And to do child impactassessments (what does this decision mean for children ) and a generation check (what will this decision mean for the next generation).
A worrying development and against the spirit of the CRC: Ukraine war: Pro-war ideology is drilled into Russia's children as playgrounds become parade grounds | CNN cnn.com/2023/09/24/europe/ru…
A ggod reason NOT to vote for Vivek Ramaswamy is he says he'll deport children of undocumented immigrants born in the U.S. nbcnews.com/politics/2024-el…
Children and War conference in Geneva. Happy to havedelivered a paper today at the Polish Mission to the UN in Geneva organised by the International Janusz Korczak Association and the Korczak Center in Israel. The chair of the CRC Committee Ann Skelton honoured us to be there.
Germany charges 98-year-old former Nazi camp guard in juvenile court. In juvenile court because between 1943-1945 when he worked in the concentrationcamp Sachsenhausen he was still a minor. Justice matters even after all those years! cnn.com/2023/09/01/europe/ge…
The epidemic of gun injuries continues in the US. See: Gun injuries claimed a record number of children's lives in 2021, study finds nbcnews.com/health/kids-heal…
The start of taking child influencers more seriously and get a good debate what is child labor? See: Illinois passes a law that requires parents to compensate child influencers | CNN Business cnn.com/2023/08/16/tech/kid-…
What? “slaves benefitted from slavery” what a nonsence will they teach in Florida schools? See: Protesters march through Miami to object to Florida’s Black history teaching standards nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/prot…
This is also a way of keeping statistics! But it does not help youth. See: China stops releasing youth unemployment data after it hit consecutive record highs | CNN Business cnn.com/2023/08/14/economy/c…
Congratulations young people in Montana you did it!! See: Youth activists win 'game-changer' case for U.S. climate change protections nbcnews.com/science/environm…
I support Gordon Brown.
Today former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown came with the suggestion that the ICC (International Criminal Court) will bring charges against some Afgan (religious) leaders for crimes against humanity for blocking girls to go to school.
Israel: very sad the Knesset has adopted the first part of the judicial overhaul. What a stupid decision, to go downhill with the democratic State - sad.
Time NOT to eat Cornetto and Magnum icecream and boycot (the Dutch company) Unilever because they still are in Russia even let employees be conscripted (as the BBC reported)
Important to remember Emmett Till!! See: Biden expected to establish a national monument honoring Emmett Till and his mother nbcnews.com/politics/white-h…
Mr Charles Margue (chair justice committee of the Parlement of Luxembourg) came to listen to my presentation at the summer seminar (organised by the Ombudsman for children and adolescents)
22 september van 9-22: save the date!!Een Minister van Kinderen in het nieuwe kabinet | Nieuwspoort nieuwspoort.nl/programma/een…
We need a professional lobby for children. Today (June 10, 2023) the newspaper Het Parool carries an op/-ed by me and Inge Marit Wielinga that we need a profesdional lobby for children.
Regering Rutte gevallen: tijd voor een regering met een Minister van Kinderen.