Researching children’s rights: focus on Central and Eastern Europe and spotlighting Lithuania

ENSince the 1990s, Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries have made considerable progress in strengthening the legal and institutional frameworks for children’s rights. The last 30 years brought about fundamental changes, including the adoption of international conventions such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and alignment with European Union (EU) standards. Significant reforms have been implemented in areas such as child protection, education, healthcare and juvenile justice. Governments across the region have established independent child rights institutions, improved children’s position in various legal areas, from digital rights to child justice procedures, and worked to eradicate harmful practices such as institutionalised care for children.