International Council on Shared Parenting Press Release
The fourth International Conference on Shared Parenting was held in Strasbourg, France, on November 22d and 23th, 2018, at Palais de l’Europe.
The theme of this conference was: Shared Parenting, Social Justice and Children’s Rights.
The conference was organized under the auspices of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Mr. Thorbjørn Jagland. It was opened by Ms. Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe. The conference was also supported by the City of Strasbourg, the University of Strasbourg and the Jardin des Sciences.
In accordance with the articles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the ICSP calls upon the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, the Council of Europe, governments and professional associations:
- to identify shared parenting as a fundamental right of the child.
- to focus on the specific need of children of separated and divorced parents to know and be raised by both of their parents, and to endorse shared parenting as best ensuring that this need is protected.
- to respect the views of children of separated and divorced parents in regard to their stated preferences for post-separation living arrangement.
- to clearly define and operationalize the concept of the “best interests of the child” in the context of parental separation, toward an evidence-based, child-focused understanding of “best interests.”
- to identify shared parenting as in the best interests of the child, as it maintains children’s relationship with both parents and reduces conflict between parents.
- to ensure to the maximum extent possible the survival and development of children of separated and divorced parents, and to take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect these children from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including parental alienation as a form of emotional child abuse and family violence.
We call upon governments and employers:
- to institute family policies that support and protect both parents’ involvement in work and family life, including equal support for mothers and fathers in regard to parental leave and leave for family reasons.
We call upon the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, the Council of Europe, and International Institutions:
- to take measures to ensure that member states do not discriminate against children of separated and divorced parents on the basis of parental status, specifically in regard to removing a parent from the daily life of a child.
- to encourage states that are signatories to the Convention to adopt shared parenting as the foundation of family law.
Links:
The ICSP conferences is organized solely from the own funds of the International Council on Shared Parenting. The conferences is important to support the rights of the child and all children. You can support the success of the conferences with a donation by clicking here. The donation will be used to promote the conferences, support for the travel costs of a person coming from an emerging country (Africa, Middle East, etc.), simultaneous translation costs and ICSP administration.
- About the Organizers:
- The International Council on Shared Parenting (ICSP), founded 2014 and based in Bonn, Germany, is an international association with individual members from the sectors science, family professions and civil society. The purpose of the association is first, the dissemination and advancement of scientific knowledge on the needs and rights (“best interests”) of children whose parents are living apart, and second, to formulate evidence-based recommendations about the legal, judicial and practical implementation of shared parenting.
International Council on Shared Parenting, Stiftsgasse 6, Bonn 53111, Germany
Communiqué archivé au format PDF (210 Ko, 2 p.).
