Publisher's Synopsis
In this century there has been a growing recognition that children's special needs and life circumstances require a special - an extra - response from society, in law and in practice. The new United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child represents a turning point in the international movements on behalf of children's rights.;Many nations will now find it useful to develop a mechanism to serve as a watchdog for children's rights and to monitor the evolving situation of their children against the international standards laid down in the Convention. The Norwegian "Ombudsman for Children" experience offers one approach. Malfrid Grude Flekkoy was the first - and until 1988 the only - Ombudsman for Children in the world. This analytical evaluation of the Norwegian experience covers administrative and practical issues and shares the knowledge gained from eight years' work. The author covers the range of cases that came up and discusses the ethical and practical questions these raised. One chapter describes alternative ways of working, leading to tentative conclusions on what makes such models work. The final chapter takes a closer look at the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its importance both in countries that ratify it, and those that do not.
