STEKR, sterk in kinderrechten, Ghent, Belgium

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 position in society.  We stand for the power of knowledge, advocacy and accessible information about children's rights. We defend the interests and rights of children and young people. We encourage, 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. Children and young people are always at the centre of our work and in our activities. We recognize them as full participants in society and their experiences, knowledge, and insights as impactful.

STEKR was created from a merger of three organisations: tZitemzo, Children’s Rights Coalition Flanders (Kinderrechtencoalitie) and Children’s Rights Knowledge Centre (Kenniscentrum Kinderrechten).

Overview of the activities of STEKR:

• Knowledge development: stimulating, unlocking and valorising knowledge about children's rights, tailored to our various target groups.  
• Networking: developing a Flemish network of expertise on children's rights, in which we actively and structurally collaborate with national and international partners. 
• Reporting: developing an alternative report for the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child on how children's rights are implemented in Belgium.
• Advice and awareness-raising: raising awareness and providing advice so that children's rights are guaranteed and applied and action is taken based on a children's rights reflex. 
• Information and education: informing, supporting and translating correct information into individual situations, as well as setting up training on children's rights. 
• Advocacy: maintaining structural contact with our target groups – primarily children and young people themselves, but also civil society – so that we can legitimately and proactively advocate for the interests of children and young people when requested and when mandated to do so. We take a well-founded position when children's rights are violated or threatened.