The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted on 20 November 1989, has led to widespread discussion about the place of the child in present-day society. In particular, it implies coherent planning at the national level of overall policies for the period of childhood itself, rather than an accumulation of individual measures which affect children. This book reflects the extraordinary richness of Council of Europe legal instruments concerning children, and will be of interest and inspiration to all those involved in children's issues, including planners in government departments, officials in local authority departments, social workers, and people working in the voluntary sector.