Summer School Frontiers of Children’s Rights '25

Due to high interest, registration is now closed.

Further information regarding registration for the 2026 edition will be published towards the end of 2025.

Registration
In order to start the registration of the Summer School, we kindly ask you to submit your CV and Cover letter (to: events@law.leidenuniv.nl). Once we have checked and approved your CV and Cover letter via email you can proceed with your application and make the final payment.

About the Summer School
As we mark the 11th edition of Leiden University's Summer School on International Children's Rights, we reflect on a decade dedicated to exploring how to protect children's rights amidst the complexities of our changing world. This milestone underscores our ongoing commitment to providing a meaningful platform for learning, collaboration, and reflection on the pressing issues impacting children globally. This year, we continue to address the critical challenges faced by children in the 21st century, focusing on the theme "Children's Crisis in the 21st Century: Climate Change, Conflict, and Migration."

This theme delves into the significant challenges encountered by children due to environmental, social, and geopolitical changes. Climate change poses threats through extreme weather events, displacement, and disruptions to essential resources, while conflict not only endangers children's safety but also denies them a peaceful childhood. Migration, whether forced or voluntary, adds further complexities, exposing children to vulnerability, trauma, and uncertainty. This crisis highlights the urgent need to address the interconnected issues of climate change, conflict, and migration to safeguard the rights and futures of children worldwide. In these complex situations, children often emerge as active agents, resilient and resourceful, contributing to their communities despite adversity. Recognizing their agency is crucial, empowering children to shape their destinies and contribute to positive change. Acknowledging and amplifying their voices become essential aspects of addressing the multifaceted nature of this crisis, ensuring that their perspectives contribute to inclusive and effective solutions. Moreover, it becomes paramount to emphasize the need for state and responsible actor accountability. Access to justice for children hinges on ensuring that states and other relevant entities take responsibility for their actions, policies, and roles in addressing these crises. Accountability measures serve as a crucial mechanism for holding governments, institutions, and individuals responsible for safeguarding children's rights and well-being in the face of environmental, social, and geopolitical challenges. Thus we add a critical connecting thread – the importance of access to justice for children. Throughout the week, we will weave this theme into our exploration of the complex issues children face globally.

Conference Speakers
The programme is being developed by Prof. Ton Liefaard, Head of the Department of Child Law, Leiden Law School (Leiden University) and UNICEF Chair in Children’s Rights and Prof. Ann Skelton, Programme Director of the Master of Laws Advanced Studies in International Children's Rights (Leiden University), and of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. The agenda of the programme will be uploaded soon.

Target audience
This summer school is aimed at professionals, academics and law students (who have completed at least three years of their degree) with a background in law. Applicants with a background in other relevant disciplines that are relevant to the theme of the summer school will be considered as well.

To ensure active participation and exchange with teaching staff and fellow participants, a maximum of 40 participants will be admitted to this course.

We welcome participants from all over the world to our international classroom.

Level
Advanced Law | Professionals

Remote attendance      

Unfortunately, remote attendance is not available for this conference.

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Do you have any questions?
We will gladly answer them.

Registration
In order to start the registration of the Summer School, we kindly ask you to submit your CV and Cover letter (to: n.r.s.dole@law.leidenuniv.nl). Once we have checked and approved your CV and Cover letter via email you can proceed with your application and make the final payment.

E-mail: events@law.leidenuniv.nl / n.r.s.dole@law.leidenuniv.nl
Phone: +3171 527 8666

All contact details

Draft Program

Day 1: Welcome and getting to know each other

Monday 30 June 2025

Location: The Old Observatory, Sterrenwachtlaan 11, 2311 GW Leiden

Chairpersons: prof. dr. Ton Liefaard and prof. dr. Ann Skelton

€1.000 (excl. VAT) Early bird fee valid till 1 May 2025

€1.250 (excl. VAT) Regular fee till 1 June 2025

Lunches and course materials are included

Student of the International Children’s Rights (Advanced LL.M.)? Contact n.r.s.dole@law.leidenuniv.nl before registration