Children have rights. These rights are written in the International Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The CRC applies to all children and young people up to the age of 18. OKaJu helps promote, protect, and safeguard these rights in Luxembourg.
Ombudsman means mediator. It refers to both a person and an institution. OKaJu was established by the law of April 1, 2020. It is an independent institution.
At the heart of OKaJu’s missions and activities is the best interest of the child or young person. This applies to every decision made by institutions, authorities, businesses, or individuals.
When the rights of children and young people have not been upheld, OKaJu provides individual support. It listens and encourages the free expression of thoughts and feelings. You can contact OKaJu for advice or to share a complaint.
OKaJu can intervene on its own initiative in situations where the Convention on the Rights of the Child is not applied correctly.
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Who can contact the OKaJu?
- Any child or young person under the age of 18;
- The parents or legal representatives of a minor child whose rights have been violated;
- Every third person who has a personal relationship with the child or young person.
- All institutions or associations that look after children or young people can ask for advice on the implementation of children’s rights.
The OKaJu can be contacted via an online form on their website, by telephone, by e-mail or in writing by post. No prior conditions are required.
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How does the procedure work?
- An interview is scheduled on request. During this interview, the OKaJu listens and, if necessary, identifies practices or actions that violate the rights of the child or young person.
- After the interview, the OKaJu makes recommendations for better implementation of children’s rights. It assesses whether the paramount interest of the child has been taken into account in a particular situation.
- With the consent of the person who submitted the case, a file can be opened after the interview. The OKaJu intervenes and, for example, invites the individual or legal entity concerned to present their point of view.
- The aim of the intervention is usually to reach an amicable agreement between the parties involved.
- The parties involved consider together how they can change or adapt procedures that are not in the best interests of the child or young person.
- If no agreement is reached after a thorough and impartial review, the OKaJu may formulate recommendations to resolve the problem within a period of time set by it.
- A recommendation based on an individual complaint may be published anonymously if it has a more general significance.
IMPORTANT! The OKaJu is neither a judge nor a court. It does not make decisions, but makes recommendations based on the International Convention on the Rights of the Child (CIDE).
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Questions
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- What experience does the OKaJu have with autistic people and / or their family members?
- What are the OKaJu’s frequent recommendations in this regard?