CEPIA Selection Process
The selection process was channeled through the Childhood Observatory of the Ministry of Youth and Childhood. Through a public call, a total of 136 applications were received from Autonomous Communities, local children's participation councils, social organizations, and other entities. From the total applications received, 34 members as counselors and 18 alternates aged between 10 and 18 years at the time of appointment were selected, belonging to both municipal and autonomous participatory structures and coming from organizations, associations, entities, or groups, and from more vulnerable child population groups as established in the Ministerial Order of creation of the State Council.
The launch and inauguration of CEPIA took place on December 9, 2021. This first Assembly was chaired by the then Minister of Social Rights and Agenda 2023 and was attended by the 34 members in both in-person and virtual modes.
In January 2024, the Council was partially renewed after two years since its creation, following some counselors having reached the age of majority. A new call was issued to fill the vacant positions. And in February 2025, about 10 positions were also renewed after some CEPIA members stepped down.
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Organization
CEPIA consists of 34 girls, boys, and adolescents aged between 10 and 18 at the time of their appointment.
The Assembly, in which all members participate, elects a Steering Group of five people (voted by all members of the Council) to coordinate actions, commissions, and working groups, as well as to develop the work plan approved by the Assembly, meeting periodically.
The Working Commissions are formed based on the interests expressed by the counselors on issues raised within the Assembly or proposed by the Steering Group. Counselors voluntarily join these working groups, choosing a leader for each Commission. They can be temporary or permanent and must report their deliberations and share their conclusions in the Assembly. The topics chosen to constitute working groups are related to education, environment, health, diversity and equality, protection, communication, among others.
The Technical Secretariat is responsible for providing technical support, assisting, advising, and facilitating the task of CEPIA. It is managed by two adult technical staff designated by the General Directorate of Childhood and Adolescence Rights. The Technical Secretariat respects the autonomy of the Council without influencing its decisions and agreements.
To facilitate the dynamism of CEPIA and channel its proposals, support is provided by a specialized association in dynamism with the necessary experience to adapt themes and consultation mechanisms to appropriate terminology, aiming to articulate the participation of girls, boys, and adolescents by structuring content, supporting the development of proposals, but always trying not to influence decision-making.
CEPIA's work is proposed autonomously in its procedures and decisions, accompanied and assisted in the processes by their reference technicians, educators, or legal guardians, to facilitate dialogue with the reference groups that have trusted them for representation.
The internal regulations of CEPIA were approved at the Assembly on November 25, 2024
Automatically translated with OpenAI from Spanish