Brussels, 16/11/2010 (Agence Europe) - On the initiative of Queen Paola of Belgium and as part of the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers, a conference on “Vulnerable children on the run, a European challenge” will be held in the royal palace in Brussels on Wednesday 17 and Thursday 18 November. The conference has been organised jointly by Missing Children Europe, Child Focus and the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU, in collaboration with the Belgian Federal Justice Civil Service. The conference will close with the launch of the committee of patrons of Missing Children Europe, whose president is Sir Francis Jacobs.
In addition to the some 120 experts and leading authorities from all over Europe, Queen Paola wanted to involve high-profile figures who have been working in child protection from many years: Queen Silvia of Sweden, Grand Duchess Maria-Theresa of Luxembourg, the Infanta Cristina of Spain, the Duchess of Gloucester, Princesses Astrid, Mathilide and Claire of Belgium, former President of Latvian Vaira Vike-Freiberga, Mesdames Chirac, Barroso, Van Rompuy and Tusk, former Commission Vice-President Jacques Barrot and former President of the Italian Constitutional Court Giovanni Maria Flick. Commission Vice-President with responsibility for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Viviane Reding, Belgian Justice Minister Stefaan De Clerck, European Parliament Vice-President Roberta Angelilli and chair of the European Parliament civil liberties committee Juan Fernando Lopez will address the conference. (G.B./transl.rt)