National Observatories

The National Observatory for childhood and adolescence

The National Observatory for childhood and adolescence, established under Law No. 451 of 23 December 1997 and regulated by Decree of the President of the Republic No. 103 of 14 May 2007, is composed of representatives of the administrations of all levels of governance, and the associations and civil society organizations working with children.

The body is chaired by the Minister in charge of family policies and is made up of approximately 50 members representing the different competent central administrations responsible for child policies, the regions and local autonomies, the National Statistics Institute (ISTAT), the social partners and other bodies of specific relevance in the sector, as listed by article 2 of the above-mentioned Decree No. 103/2007.

The Observatory’s task is to prepare, every two years, the National Action Plan for the protection of the rights and the development of children and adolescents, with the goal of giving priority to the programmes addressing underage people and strengthening the cooperation for the development of children. Every two years, it also prepares the Biennial report on the condition of children in Italy and on the implementation of their relevant rights. Every five years, it also prepares the scheme for the Government Report to the UN on the implementation of the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

To support the preparatory works of such documents a reserved web area has been created, addressing the coordinators and members of the working groups operating within the Observatory, with a view to facilitating the systematization and exchange of information and documents.

Observatory for childhood and adolescence 2023-2026: Members

Other National Observatories dealing with topics related to childhood and adolescence:

National observatory of the Family

Observatory for the Fight against Paedophilia and Child Pornography