John Tobin ‘Advancing the rights of children in the 21st Century - a competencies based approach’

Abstract: What skills are required to advance the protection of children's rights under the CRC? Is it enough to rely on the slogan that the CRC is the most widely ratified human rights treaty? Or is something more required and if so what? In this presentation I will outline and explore the content of four competencies which I will suggest are required of all advocates if the promises offered under the CRC are to be realised. Biography: John Tobin is a Professor at Melbourne Law School where he teaches and researches in the area of children's rights. He is also a Visiting Professor at Queens University Belfast as part of the Improving Children's Lives Initiative. He has worked as a consultant with various bodies on matters relating to children including UNICEF and the Victorian Law Reform Commission. He has also provided training on children's rights to judges, doctors, lawyers, social workers and teachers. He is currently preparing a commentary to the Convention on the Rights of the Child which will be published by Oxford University Press in 2015.