The European Conference on the “Best Interests of the Child” was held in Bruseels on 9-10 December, 2014 within the Belgian chairmanship with the support of the Council of Europe.

Vusala Sadigova, representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Farid Adilov, employee of the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs represented the Republic of Azerbaijan at the conference.

Totally, 175 representatives from 36 countries participated at the conference.

At the official opening of the conference Mr Koen Geens, Minister of Justice, Belgium and Mr Sven Gatz, Minister for Culture, Media, Youth and Brussels Affairs made a speech. The Conference lasted 2 days with plenary sessions around different topics related to children issues. The speeches at plenary sessions mainly directed to the children’s rights which mentioned in the Convention on “the Rights of the Child”, as well as best interest of the child.

Ms. Aida Grgic, lawyer at the European Court of Human Rights, made a speech on “Best interest of the child in family affairs in the Jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights. What can we learn?” and emphasized the best practice of countries, child issues at courts, respect to the right of children who addressed to court, as well as respect to private life.

Discussions and workshops were conducted within the conference as well.

Workshops dedicated to various themes on child’s best interests and the right of the child to be heard, balancing the best interest of the child and interest of other stakeholders, assessing the best interest of the child, monitoring the implementation of a decision in the child’s best interests, the best interest of the child in parental separation, the best interest of the child as to the placement in an institution or a foster family, the best interests of the child when one of the parents is in prison and best interest of the child and right to know his origins.

Finally, key outcomes of workshops mentioned and delivered to the attention of conference participants.

The conference ended on 10 December, 2014.