National Network for Children – Bulgaria, Eurochild – Brussels and ChildPact express commitment to the election process of nine members of the Committee on the Rights of the Child to take place at the Sixteenth meeting of States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which will be held on June 30, 2016 at the United Nations Headquarters. While not a strict requirement, we are convinced that ensuring that regional representation is maintained in this treaty body is of highest importance for its effective work.
Bulgaria has nominated a candidate that fully complies with the requirements of the United Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) – an independent expert, of high moral character and with a recognized competence in the field of human rights.
The Bulgarian candidate Velina Todorova has a wide range of experience and expertise gathered during her work in the civil society, academia and Government. She has always been an active member and advocate for the rights of the child and the human rights of women and girls in several NGOs in Bulgaria and in the region, as well as globally. Currently she is a Board member of the Bulgarian Centre for non-for-profit Law. As Associate Professor at university she has been teaching Family Law and has introduced the subject of Children’s Rights for law and non-law students. She is an internationally recognised scholar and a member to the International Society of Family Law (since 1997) and member to the Commission on European Family Law (since 2001). As a National Programme Manager for ILO/IPEC in a large regional project (2004-09) she promoted the policy for prevention and combat worst forms of child labour including sexual exploitation and trafficking in children. At present, she successfully applies this valuable expertise to defend the rights of children in migration. As Director in the Child Protection Agency she has drafted the legal framework for the start of the Deinstitutionalisation of Child Care policy in Bulgaria. As Deputy Minister of Justice (2011-13) she took the lead in starting the reform in the Juvenile Justice System in Bulgaria. She has been involved in drafting and promoting the current Council of Europe Strategy for the Rights of the Child. She has also been a consultant for a number of UN Funds and Programmes, including, inter alia, UNICEF and UNDP.
We consider that with her profound knowledge and expertise on children’s rights Prof. Velina Todorova would be of great benefit to the Committee on the Rights of the Child. If elected, she will be able to share her valuable experience and that of her colleagues in the region in drafting policies and enabling their implementation in the best interest of children. This would be an important contribution in the context of the current global challenges and the new threats that children face all over the world.
We, on behalf of the National Network for Children – Bulgaria, Eurochild and ChildPact, express our endorsement of the candidacy of Velina Todorova for the aforementioned election. We trust that you will consider her nomination at the sixteenth meeting of States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Full text of the letter (PDF, 322 KB)
