Dr. Maria Herczog
President of Eurochild
Dr.(habil) Maria Herczog, Ph.D, is visiting lecturer at ELTE Budapest University Doctoral School, and at the ELTE Law Faculty post graduate course on family law, Chair, program director and senior researcher of the Family Child Youth Association. Maria Herczog has been doing research on child welfare, child protection and on child rights, family matters more than 30 years, author of several books, book chapters and journal articles. She has been teaching child welfare and child protection at different university courses since 1989, earlier family sociology since 1979. She is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences and in the media.
Maria Herczog was elected as a member to the UN CRC Committee in 2007 and re-elected in 2010, and as rappoteur of the Committee in 2013, finishing her work on the Committee in 2015. She was a member of the EU Economic and Social Committee between 2004-2010 as a representative of the Hungarian civil society. She was elected to be a member of the Management Board of Eurochild in 2009 and president in 2010, re-elected in 2013.
The countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States have undergone substantial economic and social change during the last 25 years to different extent. Child rights, human rights, welfare and protection needs have been recognised on the one hand, while social deprivation, growing social and financial differences have been also characterising the changes on the other. All countries in the region have ratified the UNCRC and the Optional Protocols but the implementation levels differ widely.
The forms and extent of political, economic and social reforms have been different just the countries themselves. The public service provisions, social, health and education systems including child welfare and protection, juvenile justice, needed major policy and practice changes. The child welfare and protection systems after the WWII were almost totally run by the state, in a centralised, institution centered way, not allowing any non-profit, community based, or for profit format in most of the countries.
During the last 25 years there have been reforms in all countries, decentralisation and development of service provision, beeter education and training of professionals, more awareness and attention paid on long term strategies, policies and practices and letting non-state actors working as well. One of the most recognised issue has been the high number of children separated from their families and the institutionalisation of children for different reasons. Many efforts have been made to de-institutionalise them, focusing on prevention and early intervention however there is still a long way to go not independently from the other elements of the systems and need of clear political and professional commitment.
The main challenges have been poverty and impoverishment of many families, lack or low quality of services, family crisis, substance abuse, child abuse and neglect, social deprivation, exclusion and discrimination against the most vulnerable groups of children, like minorities, disabled children, refugees, migrant children. Exploitation of children, children in severe social crisis, including war, and hostilities, political unrest has also characterised the last decades in many transition countries
The role of the international community, NGOs, expert support, UN agencies and the EU has been extremely important just like the exchange of programs, experiences, experts, students, program adaptation and ongoing dialogue between the different actors.
Despite of the known characteristics and specific historical background of the region, the countries widely differ in many ways. At the same time also though the most important issues are the same not only regionally but also globally. From the perspective of the UNCCRC, better understanding and acceptance of child rights, respecting children and all human beings, family and community based support, active involvement of children and family members are the most important factors contributing to the wellbeing and welfare of children and this should be the driving force in the CEE-CIC countries.
