About Us

STEKR: strong in children's rights

Who are we?

We are STEKR: we help ensure that everyone respects children's rights and that children and young people have a strong (legal) position. We were born from the merger of three organisations — the Knowledge Centre on Children's Rights, the Children's Rights Coalition Flanders, and tZitemzo — and we bring their strength together under one name. STEKR, meaning 'strong in children's rights'.

STEKR stands for the power of knowledge, advocacy, and accessible information about children's rights. We stand up for the interests and rights of children. We are the go-to source for information on children's rights. We stimulate, connect, inspire, and support knowledge development and the application of children's rights. In this way, we contribute to the realisation of the rights of all children and young people and the improvement of their position in society.

What do we stand for?

We believe in a society where children and young people fully count, think along, and participate in decisions. Children's rights are not extras. They are fundamental for children and young people to live a dignified life.

STEKR advocates for a respectful, just society with the ambitious goal that everyone respects children's rights and that children and young people have a strong (legal) position. We start from a connecting and broad view of children's rights based on scientific, practical, and experiential knowledge.

All children and young people are informed about their rights, are supported and empowered to exercise their rights. Everyone who impacts the lives of children and young people has access to accessible, concrete, and extensive knowledge and actively applies it in practice.

We don't do this alone and work critically-constructively with local, national, and international partners and governments. In our joint efforts, children and young people are central.

Who are we here for?

We are here for…

Children & young people

Relevant persons for children & young people

Professionals and civil society partners

Policymakers

Researchers

How do we do this?

Knowledge development

Stimulating, unlocking, and valorising scientific, practical, and experiential knowledge about children's rights, tailored to different target groups.

Networking

We are a strong partner for those who come to us for support and we work structurally with Flemish, national, and international partners. We are an active network where partners can both contribute and benefit.

Reporting

The development of an alternative report on how children's rights are implemented in Belgium.

Advisory and awareness

Raising awareness and providing advice to ensure that children's rights are safeguarded and applied, and that actions are taken from a children's rights reflex.

Information and education

Informing, supporting, and translating correct information to individual situations, as well as organising training on children's rights.

Advocacy

We maintain structural contact with our target groups, especially children and young people themselves and civil society, so that we can advocate for the interests of children and young people with a mandate, on request, and proactively.

What are our core values?

Justice

Our organisation is dedicated to human and children's rights. We want to treat our own target groups fairly and also radiate this value within the organisation.

Inspiration

We share our ideas and tell a story. We inspire people to engage with children's rights. We also want to continue to be inspired ourselves so that our services remain of high quality.

Mission-driven

Our mission and vision are our strength and driving force. We have a commitment to society. We set goals and act accordingly.

Critically constructive

We dare to critically question existing structures while acting as a constructive partner with an eye for innovative solutions.

Creative

We keep innovating and dare to innovate. We keep looking for the right solutions, positions, and the best ways to inform and support our different target groups.

Our Team

Children's Rights Network

STEKR facilitates the Children's Rights Network as an independent platform within which civil society organisations voice their views on the implementation of children's rights. This network is the only platform in Flanders where civil society organisations specifically unite around children's rights. The Children's Rights Network has a signalling function and, together with its Walloon counterpart La CODE, is responsible for drafting an alternative report for the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.

The network offers its members a platform to exchange knowledge, unite different perspectives on the implementation of children's rights, and together make their independent voice heard. In this way, STEKR strengthens the voice of civil society.

Signal function

The members of the Children's Rights Network have their finger on the pulse of the lives of children and young people and can sound the alarm when children's rights are (at risk of being) violated. The network meets several times a year to bundle signals from civil society regarding the implementation of children's rights and to work on these broadly or thematically. This work can result in in-depth dossiers, positions or advice, short publications, or actions such as awareness campaigns. The Children's Rights Network engages with policymakers and informs the general public.

Alternative reporting

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child was established to ensure that States that have ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child comply with their obligations. Every five years, the Committee asks these States to take stock of their efforts through a government report. This report provides an official overview of compliance with the Convention. In addition, the Committee relies on alternative reports from specialised children's rights organisations that cast a critical eye on the State's compliance. In Belgium, STEKR facilitates an internal, independent Children's Rights Network to draft the Flemish part of an alternative report that represents the voice of civil society.

Since 2024, the Committee uses a simplified reporting procedure. Based on the alternative reports, the Committee draws up a list of questions, to which the State responds in its government report. During the pre-session, the Committee enters into dialogue with stakeholders, including civil society organisations. This is followed by a plenary session: a dialogue between the Committee and State representatives. Based on all the input received, the Committee formulates Concluding Observations: concrete recommendations that the State must work on in the coming years.

Become a member

Currently, the Children's Rights Network consists of former members of the Children's Rights Coalition. They are working on internal regulations, guidelines for the composition of the network, and a procedure for candidate members. Once this is finalised (expected May 2026), new candidate network members will be able to submit their candidacy to the Children's Rights Network. The procedure will be published on this website.

Integrity

We strive for a safe feeling during your contact with or through STEKR

This is ensured by the Integrity Contact Point (API)

More information