In its commitment to promoting the improvement of juvenile justice systems and policies, and developing initiatives adapted to the local contexts as much as possible, the IJJO created Continental Councils for Juvenile Justice in Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, North America, and Africa.
These Councils, which operated from 2009 to 2020, established working and cooperation networks between professionals and specialised organisations in each region, under the coordination and strategic management of the International Juvenile Justice Observatory.
The Councils acted as think tanks, bringing together professionals and representatives of public authorities, academia, the judiciary, and civil society. Their principal objective was to generate knowledge to contribute to the operational implementation of international standards on the protection of the rights of children and young people in conflict with the law.
With the establishment of the Councils, the IJJO encouraged the creation of spaces for analysis, reflection, development of initiatives as well as codes and principles of good practices in different continents.
In 2020, the Observatory has made the decision to cease the Continental Councils’ activities, proposing new procedures for participation with a more flexible configuration and methodology, which support the online cooperation of multiple actors and are better suited to the IJJO’s current lines of work.
The IJJO is extremely grateful for the work carried out by all members of these Councils who contributed to the improvement of juvenile justice in their continents, and we encourage them to continue collaborating with the IJJO in this new phase with the same objective.
