The EOC EU Office followed with great interest the 15th European Forum on the Rights of the Child, which took place in Brussels on 23–24 June under the theme “Championing Children’s Rights: Building Fair and Resilient Societies”. The Forum reinforced the EU’s commitment to protecting children’s rights across all policies and sectors, with key discussions on online safety, mental health, and child participation.
These priorities closely align with the EOC EU Office’s broader safeguarding efforts. Earlier this year, we launched our first Lunch & Learn Webinar focused on the revision of the EU Directive on Combating Child Sexual Abuse, bringing together EU institutions, National Olympic Committees, and the IOC to explore sport’s role in prevention and protection. Additionally, the SAFE HARBOUR project, coordinated by the EOC EU Office, is laying the groundwork for the International Olympic Committee - IOC Regional Safeguarding Hub in Europe by strengthening the capacity of International Federations and European NOCs to respond to safeguarding violations and concerns; therefore, building a shared, athlete-centred European response framework, along with national strategies to strengthen the response mechanisms to safeguarding violations and concerns in European sports.