Date of article: 30/04/2019
Daily News of: 30/04/2019
Country: 
Poland
Author: Polish Ombudsman
Article language: en
On the occasion of the Parental Alienation Awareness Day, we publish materials from the international conference on shared parenting which took place in Strasbourg on 22-23 November 2018
The fourth International Conference on Shared Parenting was held in Strasbourg, France, on November 22d and 23th, 2018, at Palais de l’Europe.
The theme of this conference was: Shared Parenting, Social Justice and Children´s Rights.
The conference was organized under the auspices of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Mr. Thorbjørn Jagland. It was opened by Ms. Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe. The conference was also supported by the City of Strasbourg, the University of Strasbourg and the Jardin des Sciences.
The conference intended to report how, within judicial systems and social work practices, both parents are recognized as vital in their children’s lives, even after separation and divorce. It explored how shared parenting seems a means for keeping with the principles and articles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Thus, a focus of the conference was to stress how shared parenting, viewed as in the best interests of children of separated parents, is a crucial issue for practitioners and policymakers around the globe, regarding the alignment of national law and practices with the articles of the UN CRC.
The conference was structured along four main questions.
- First, what are the existing legal systems and the challenges regarding the legal presumption of shared parenting as a children’s right, in different countries?
- Second, what are the current trends and research outcomes regarding social attitudes and knowledge about shared parenting?
- Third, to what extent could shared parenting, gender equality and work-life balance be combined to improve health and wellbeing of children whose parents are separated?
- Fourth, how should national laws and international regulations be adapted for considering these social evolutions?
International specialists in the field of shared parenting – representing both the academic sciences, and the legal and family professions – were invited to present their recent research results and professional practices at this interdisciplinary conference.
In parallel, the ICSP Conference Strasbourg 2018 call for papers reached the interest of many scientists, professionals and members of civil society from around the world. The scientific committee selected 24 presentations from 17 countries including Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, and USA. To ensure the quality of the presentations and to facilitate the discussions, two workshops and poster sessions offered the opportunity for exchanging about new research outcomes, and helpful professional or collective practices.
Three panel discussions addressed specific and crucial issues:
- Legislation on shared parenting in France
- Nordic benefits and challenges in gender equality and shared parenting
- Shared parenting and family violence
The audience consisted of 180 people from about 40 countries.
Plenary sessions for 18 international experts
The conference program featured key international experts on children’s rights, justice and law, sociology, psychology, and public health.
- Regina Jensdottir, Head of the Children´s Rights Division of the Council of Europe
- Jean Zermatten President and Member of UN Committee for Children’s rights (2005-2013), University of Geneva – Switzerland
- Kristina Pardalos, Judge (2009-2018) at and Vice-President of the first Section (2016- 2018) of European Court of Human Rights - Member of the Parliamentary Equal Opportunities Commission - Member of the Bar – San Marino
- Adeline Gouttenoire, Professor of Law, University of Bordeaux – France
- Marie-France Carlier, Judge at the Namur Family Court (division of the Namur and Dinant Family Court) – Belgium
- Josiane Bigot, President of the National Convention of Child Protection Associations (CNAPE), Former judge at the Family Chamber of the Court of Appeal of Colmar – France
- Hildegund Sünderhauf, Professor for family law and youth welfare law, Lutheran University of Applied Sciences, Nuremberg – Germany
- José Manuel de Torres Perea, Professor of Civil Law, University of Málaga – Spain
- Lluis Flaquer, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, University Autònoma de Barcelona – Spain
- Livia Olah, Associate Professor, Dept. of Sociology, Stockholm University – Sweden
- Gerardo Meil, Professor of Sociology, University Autónoma of Madrid – Spain
- Malin Bergström, Centre for Health Equity Studies (CHESS), Stockholm University – Sweden
- William Fabricius, Associate Professor of Psychology, Arizona State University – USA
- Michael Lamb, Professor of Psychology, University of Cambridge – United Kingdom
- Blaise Pierrehumbert, former Privat-Docent in psychology, University of Lausanne – Switzerland
- Derrick Gordon, Associate Professor of Psychiatry (Psychology Section), Yale University School of Medicine – USA
- Christine Simon, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health – USA
- Edward Kruk, Associate Professor of Social Work, ICSP/CIRA President, The University of British Columbia – Canada
Six key perspectives emerging from the interventions during the conference
Belgium
- Wallonia and Federation of Wallonia-Brussels
