Sectoral Conference on Children and Adolescents | Ministerio de Juventud e Infancia

What does it consist of?

The Sectorial Conference on Children and Adolescents, within the framework established in Articles 147 to 152 of Law 40/2015, of October 1, on the Legal Regime of the Public Sector, is the cooperation body between the General State Administration, the Autonomous Communities, the Autonomous Cities of Ceuta and Melilla, and the Local Administration, through the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces, in the implementation of policies for the protection and development of children and adolescents.

The Sectorial Conference will be based at the Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030 which will also provide whatever is necessary for the proper functioning of services, technical support to the members of the Sectorial Conference and management of its Secretariat.

Purposes

The purpose of the Sectorial Conference is to develop a cooperation, coordination and collaboration action between public administrations in the matter of protection and development of the rights of children and adolescents, and to achieve maximum coherence and integration regarding the implementation of the decisions made in the matter, without prejudice to the work carried out by other sectorial conferences.

Generally

Seek coherence and complementarity of the activities carried out by public administrations in the field of protection and development of the rights of children and adolescents.
Achieve a higher degree of effectiveness and efficiency in the identification, formulation, and execution of the policies, programs, and projects promoted by the different public administrations in the field of childhood and adolescence.

Participate in the preparation, development, and monitoring of state plans and programs articulated for the execution of policies that integrate the scope of action of policies for the protection and development of children and adolescents, as well as monitor and evaluate the execution of existing norms and plans.

Be informed about the draft bills and regulations of the Government of the Nation or the Government Councils of the Autonomous Communities when they directly affect the competences of the other Public Administrations or when so provided by the applicable sectoral regulations, either through its Plenary or through the Sectoral Commission or the working group mandated for this purpose.

Establish and promote specific cooperation strategies and plans between public administrations in the relevant sector, seeking to eliminate duplications, and achieving better efficiency of public services.

Exchange information on actions programmed by the various Public Administrations, in the exercise of their competencies, and which may affect other Administrations.

Serve as a channel for coordination with public entities for child protection concerning the policies of children's and adolescents' rights, to consult with them on these matters, and to reach agreements, if applicable.

Set objective criteria that serve as a basis for the territorial distribution of affected budget credits and follow up on programs developed by the Autonomous Communities charged to those credits, as well as their distribution at the beginning of the economic exercise, in accordance with the provisions of Law 47/2003, of November 26, General Budgetary.

Establish mechanisms for the exchange of best practices and information for studies, especially statistical content, surveys, research, and campaigns of national scope related to the protection and development of the rights of children and adolescents.

Provide information to the autonomous communities on international treaties and actions of international organizations concerning the protection and development of the rights of children and adolescents.

Analyze and make proposals on matters requiring the General State Administration to agree with Public Entities, under the provisions of the International Adoption Law.

Approve the distribution of the maximum number of international adoption cases and the basic model of an approved contract between accredited bodies and the persons offering for adoption.

Any other that contributes to ensuring the necessary cooperation, coherence, and effectiveness and, if applicable, the articulation of the activity of the different administrative levels.

Specific in terms of comprehensive protection of Children and Adolescents against violence

The involvement of Public Administrations in the formulation of the Strategy for Eradicating Violence against Children and Adolescents which will be driven by the ministerial department assigned the competencies in policies for children, in line with the Spanish Strategy of the Rights of Children and Adolescents.

The submission to the Government of the proposal for the approval of the Strategy for Eradicating Violence against Children and Adolescents, which will be accompanied by an economic report in which the competent centers will identify the budgetary applications to be funded.

Agree on the necessary means to guarantee the effective exercise of the rights provided for in Title I of Organic Law 8/2021, of June 4, on Comprehensive Protection of Children and Adolescents against violence.

Agree on the requirements and conditions to ensure the existence and support of electronic communication means, such as free helplines for children and adolescents, and their awareness by civil society.

Agree on appropriate mechanisms to ensure confidentiality, protection, and safety for people who have reported situations of violence against children and adolescents to the authorities.

Agree on information campaigns and specific actions that are assessable and evidence-based, aimed at raising social awareness about children's right to good treatment, as well as specific awareness campaigns to promote a safe and responsible use of the Internet, from an approach of taking advantage of opportunities and its positive use, incorporating the perspective and opinions of children and adolescents.

Establish prevention plans and programs to eliminate violence against children and adolescents, which will include specific measures in family, educational, health, social services, new technologies, sports, and leisure sectors, and law enforcement, within the framework of the strategy to eliminate violence against children and adolescents.

Participate in the preparation, development, and monitoring of initial and continuous training programs aimed at professionals whose activity requires regular contact with children and adolescents to detect violence early and so that this violence can be communicated as provided in Articles 15 and 16 of Organic Law 8/2021, of June 4, on Comprehensive Protection of Children and Adolescents against violence.

Agree on recommendations that ensure children and adolescents who are victims of violent crimes, and in any case, crimes of a sexual nature, trafficking, or gender violence, receive comprehensive care for their recovery through specialized services.

Any other matters that contribute to ensuring the development of Organic Law 8/2021, of June 4, on Comprehensive Protection of Children and Adolescents against violence, and to agree on the necessary measures to ensure its effective execution and implementation.

Composition

The Sectorial Conference on Children and Adolescents will be structured in the following bodies:

The Plenary.
The Sectorial Commission on Children and Adolescents, as a general support and advisory body.
The Working Groups that are constituted.

The Plenary

Presidency: Helmed by the person holding the Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030, who also holds the Presidency of the Sectorial Conference.
First Vice-presidency: One of the holders of the Ministries of the Autonomous Communities and the Cities of Ceuta and Melilla.
Second Vice-presidency: The person holding the High Commissioner against Child Poverty.
Members:
1. Holders of the Ministries of Autonomous Communities that have been assigned competencies in policies for the protection and development of children and adolescents;
Likewise, a representative from each of the Basque Foral Deputations designated by them, one from each of the Councils of the Balearic Islands, and one from each island Council, will participate in the Council with a voice but no vote.
1. A representative, at least at the director general level, of the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Equality, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of the Interior, and Ministry of Education.
Also, by the holders of the General Directorates of the Youth Institute, Family Diversity and Social Services, Rights of Persons with Disabilities, with a voice but no vote.
1. A representative of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces, who must be an elected position.
2. The person holding the High Commissioner against Child Poverty.
3. The person holding the General Directorate of Children's and Adolescents' Rights, with a voice but no vote.
4. Secretariat: The person holding the General Technical Secretariat of the Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030.

The Sectorial Commission on Children and Adolescents

Integrating the Sectorial Commission:
1. On behalf of the General State Administration: the person holding the Secretary of State for Social Rights and the person holding the Chief of Staff of the Secretary of State for Social Rights.
2. On behalf of the Autonomous Communities and the Autonomous Cities of Ceuta and Melilla: a representative from each of them with at least the rank of head of the General Subdirectorate responsible for children and adolescents.
3. Likewise, a representative designated by the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces will attend the Sectorial Commission sessions.
The Presidency may convene, extraordinarily, on its own initiative or at the proposal of any of the Commission members, high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030, other ministerial departments, and other Public Administrations, with a voice but no vote, when the nature of the matters to be addressed justifies or advises their presence.
The Presidency of the Sectoral Commission corresponds to the person holding the Secretary of State for Social Rights, who may be substituted, in cases of absence, vacancy, or illness, by the person holding the Chief of Staff of the Secretary of State for Social Rights.
The Secretariat of the Sectorial Commission will be assumed, with a voice but no vote, by the person holding the General Directorate of Children's and Adolescents' Rights who may be substituted, in cases of absence, vacancy, or illness, by a public employee of the Secretary of State for Social Rights designated by the person holding the Secretary of State for Social Rights. Furthermore, the person holding the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Rights and Agenda 2030, or their dependent bodies, may attend meetings when the matter to be addressed is within their competence.
The Sectorial Commission will be validly constituted when the persons holding the Presidency and the Secretariat and, at least, the majority of the representatives of the Autonomous Communities and Autonomous Cities of Ceuta and Melilla are present.
Both representatives of the General State Administration and those of the Autonomous Communities may be assisted at each meeting, with a voice but no vote, by technical or expert staff in the matters to be dealt with designated by them.

Article 13. Functions

The Sectorial Commission will carry out the following functions:
1. The preparation of the meetings of the Sectorial Conference for which it will address the matters included in the agenda of the call.
2. The monitoring of the agreements adopted by the Sectorial Conference.
3. The monitoring and evaluation of the Working Groups constituted.
4. Any other functions entrusted to it by the Sectorial Conference.
The Sectorial Commission will meet in any case before the meetings of the Sectorial Conference on Children and Adolescents, without prejudice to being able to be convened more frequently to reinforce cooperation between the General State Administration and the Autonomous Communities in the field of policies for the protection and development of children and adolescents.
The Sectorial Commission on Children and Adolescents will be governed, as far as applicable, by the procedure rules provided for the Sectorial Conference.