Manfred Nowak, Secretary General of the Global Campus of Human Rights and his team continue to work on global justice reform for and with children
Venice/Madrid, 21 May 2025 — The Global Campus of Human Rights is proud to co-organize the 5th World Congress on Justice with Children, taking place from 2 to 4 June 2025 in Madrid under the theme: “Promoting child-centred justice: preventing and responding to violence against children in child justice systems.”
Organised under the patronage of Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, and in partnership with UNICEF, UNESCO, OECD, and other leading actors, the Congress will bring together over 1,000 in-person participants and 4,000 global attendees in a hybrid format, which includes more than 60 satellite events across all continents. Some of these events will be coordinated by the Global Campus of Human Rights regional hubs online around the world.
World Congress Presentation – 2 June (14:30-15:00)
The opening plenary session will feature Professor Manfred Nowak, Secretary General of the Global Campus of Human Rights and former UN Special Rapporteur on Torture. As independent expert leading the UN Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty, Professor Nowak will speak about the continued impact of this landmark study and its relevance to ongoing child justice reforms worldwide.
International Plenary Session on Digital Justice and Artificial Intelligence & Children’s Rights – 4 June (12:00-13:00)
Manu Krishan, Global Study Programme Coordinator at the Global Campus of Human Rights, will co-moderate this intergenerational session addressing digital justice and AI. He is responsible for coordinating the dissemination and follow-up of the UN Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty, which laid the groundwork for major initiatives in child-friendly justice worldwide.
About the UN Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty
The UN Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty, led by Manfred Nowak, was a multi-year collaborative effort involving UN agencies, governments, civil society and academics. The study exposed the often unlawful and harmful overuse of detention and found that 7.2 million children are deprived of liberty per year worldwide in various settings such as within the administration of justice, institutions and migration detention. It provided comprehensive legal and policy recommendations aimed at reducing and ending the deprivation of liberty for children. It remains a cornerstone for advocacy, training, and reform efforts to create child-friendly justice systems.
The publication of the UN Global Study also inspired the Global Campus to develop children’s rights as a major stream across its educational and research activities, in cooperation with the Swedish foundation Right Livelihood. The Children’s Rights Department, led by Barbara Strasser, is coordinating and implementing children’s rights projects in collaboration with all GC regional hubs, GC faculty and alumni, and children themselves. A strong focus of these projects, besides child justice, is on artificial intelligence and climate justice.
More info: Children’s Rights – Global Campus of Human Rights
Media & Interview Opportunities
With the support of the Press Office of the Global Campus of Human Rights, journalists are invited to request interviews with key speakers and experts featured in the programme.
For interview requests and press inquiries, please contact:
pressoffice@gchumanrights.org
- Attn: Elisa Aquino (for Spanish and International Press)
- Attn: Isotta Esposito (for Italian and International Press)
To attend the congress in Madrid free of charge, please apply for press accreditation via the following link: Press accreditation
About the Congress
Hosted by the Spanish Government through the Ministry of Youth and Children, the Congress is co-led by the Global Initiative on Justice with Children, a partnership between Terre des hommes Lausanne, Penal Reform International, the International Association of Youth and Family Judges and Magistrates (IAYFJM), and the Global Campus of Human Rights.
The Congress will culminate in a joint declaration aiming to influence the 2025–2030 agenda for child-friendly justice, in line with SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. Throughout the World Congress, participants will engage in a diverse range of activities, including thought-provoking plenaries, interactive workshops, valuable networking opportunities, and captivating performances.
All plenary sessions will be livestreamed with translations available in English, Spanish, French, and Arabic. All times are listed in Central European Time (CET).
Website World Congress on Justice with Children (JWC): https://justicewithchildren.org/en/world-congress-justice-children-2025
Download Media kit World Congress on JWC
Download Media kit from the Global Campus of Human Rights