The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was agreed in 1989 and has been ratified by all EU countries. However, despite the commitment and intentions from state parties in Europe and different efforts from civil society, it has become evident that professional human resources dedicated to the development and promotion of children’s rights requires specialised education at a higher level.

Over the same period, it is clear that, in respect to CR, new knowledge, methodologies and techniques of working with children within a CR framework have been produced mainly outside universities.

Therefore there is a need to offer a higher university degree (MA) that includes international and interdisciplinary perspectives of CR to extend and complement existing training courses and seminars on children, childhood, human and in particular CR.

The European Council has declared 2005 the European Year of Education for Democratic Citizenship which is embedded in the United Nations' Decade for Education for Sustainable Development. The project is closely linked to these priorities as it is concerned with promoting active and effective participation of children in societal processes.