The Inclusive Child Participation Networks (ICPN) project is deeply rooted in the European Union’s commitment to children’s rights and to ensuring meaningful, safe, and inclusive child participation at all levels of decision making. It directly supports the implementation of the EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child, which identifies participation as a core pillar for empowering children and ensuring their voices shape the policies that affect their lives.

More specifically, the ICPN contributes to Priority Area 1 on participation in political and democratic life by developing practical tools, strengthening capacities, and creating spaces for children to express their views and influence decisions within and beyond the EU. Through its multi country approach, the project helps turn EU level commitments into concrete and locally relevant action that reaches diverse groups of children.

The project is also closely connected to the EU Child Participation Platform, a flagship initiative by the European Commission that aims to embed child participation across EU institutions and processes. The methodologies, learning, and evidence generated through ICPN are intended to feed into the Platform, supporting greater consistency across Europe and helping ensure that children’s perspectives are included in policymaking in a structured and sustainable way.
 

By linking national practice with EU level commitments, the ICPN plays a key role in strengthening the ecosystem of child participation across Europe, advancing the realization of children’s rights and supporting more inclusive governance processes.

Photo credits to the European Commission.