The Job of a Lifetime: Looking Back on My Years as a Children’s Rights Commissioner (1998–2009)*

Abstract

The Flemish Children’s Rights Commissioner of Belgium is among the first independent children’s rights institutions (ICRIs) to be established. The author shares her experiences as the first Flemish ICRI. A student of Professor Eugeen Verhellen, who called for children’s rights and establishment of a children’s ombudsperson for Flanders, the author not only was in the right place at the right time for her academic studies, but also transformed Verhellen’s teachings into the Flemish ICRI as well as into the foundation of the European Network of Ombudsperson for Children. Over the 11 years the author served as the ombudsperson, the Flemish ICRI raised awareness of and bolstered children’s rights, as well as observed retrenchment in children’s rights and the role of the ICRI. It is clear that the Flemish ICRI’s successes not only continue to benefit Belgian young people, but children across the world.

Citation

Vandekerckhove, A. (2022), "The Job of a Lifetime: Looking Back on My Years as a Children’s Rights Commissioner (1998–2009)*", Lux, A., Gran, B. and Bass, L.E. (Ed.) The Roles of Independent Children's Rights Institutions in Advancing Human Rights of Children (Sociological Studies of Children and Youth, Vol. 28), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 19-35. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1537-466120220000028003