International Children’s Rights is a programme whose time has come. Recently, the main treaty in this area – the UN Conventionon the Rights of the Child (CRC) – reached its 25th anniversary. Also, there is an ever deepening consciousness at the international and domestic levels regarding the role that implementing children’s rights can have in both the private and the public spheres of life.
Multi-layered and interdisciplinary
International children’s rights (law) is a unique area of law because it is multi-layered (covering international, regional and national legal spectrums) and interdisciplinary (crossing different areas of law, both domestically and internationally). Children’s rights intersect with the areas of civil, criminal and administrative law, as well as public international law, international humanitarian law, international criminal law and international labour law. A special feature concerns the interplay between children’s rights and private international law, in particular with the instruments developed by the Hague Conference on Private International Law.
The multi-layered and legal interdisciplinary nature of international children’s rights requires specialist knowledge in order to be able to assess its meaning and implications for the position of children at the international and domestic level.
Our programme is characterised by small-scale teaching, which encourages intensive interaction between students and lecturers. Students in our Advanced Masters programmes come from various countries, which contributes to a truly international study environment.
Activities
Our programme is characterised by small-scale teaching, which encourages intensive interaction between students and lecturers. Students in our Advanced Masters programmes come from countries all over the world and this contributes to a truly international study environment.
In addition to our staff, which is comprised by renowned international legal experts in the field of children’s rights, students will be offered possibilities of meeting and discussing hot topics with NGOs, international organizations, academics and other experts in the field. Each year we organize for the students a trip to Geneva to attend one session of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, visit and meet other international organizations.
For whom?
- law graduates in possession of a full law degree (offering access to legal practice) or legal professionals.
- graduates who hold an equivalent degree and/or have sufficient professional experience in the field.
New Applications 2017-2018
Applications for the upcoming academic year 2017-2018, commencing in September 2017, are welcome. The programme is one full academic year starting each September, and includes courses, seminars and excursions to key institutions and children’s rights organisations in the Netherlands, Geneva and elsewhere.
The deadline for non-European applicants is 1 April 2017 and for European applicants 15 June 2017. Please visit: http://en.mastersinleiden.nl/programmes/international-childrens-rights/e.... For information on scholarship possibilities visit this link.
Upcoming Events and News
• 23-27 January 2017: Regional School ‘Frontiers of Children’s Rights in the ASEAN Region’ in Jakarta, Indonesia.
• 29-31 March 2017: The Children’s Rights Moot Court 2017 at Leiden Law School.
• 3-7 July 2017: Summer School ‘Frontiers of Children’s Rights’ at Leiden University.
Programme Director - Prof. Dr. Ton Liefaard, UNICEF Chair in Children’s Rights
Programme Officer - Ms. Esther Uiterweerd