2025-03-202024/25:SoU19 · p.12SoUHealth & social services
Support persons and support organizations for children, etc.
A children's rights committee and expanded powers for the Children's Ombudsman
What's at stake: A children's rights committee and a Children's Ombudsman empowered to pursue its own cases could give children whose rights have been violated stronger protection and a more coordinated handling of children's rights issues, compared with today's agency mandates and follow-up within existing frameworks.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The question is whether the government should set up a special children's rights committee and give the Children's Ombudsman the power to pursue its own cases, or whether the ongoing work to strengthen children's rights within existing structures should be considered sufficient.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee shares the government's assessment that there is a continued need for strategic and systematic work on children's rights, but points to ongoing agency mandates - including method support, knowledge-sharing and a web-based information space for children with complaints - as well as a review of work on the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and concludes overall that a special children's rights committee or expanded powers for the Children's Ombudsman are not needed. The committee recommends rejecting the motions.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 19 (C, MP)
The reservation holds that the government should set up a children's rights committee that can take a comprehensive approach to children's rights issues and identify which areas need reform, and that the Children's Ombudsman should be given the power to pursue its own cases so that children whose rights have been violated can obtain redress.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 19 by C, MP.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
What each plan points to — and how the party voted
For each party: the vote its own election manifesto and party programme point to in this case, next to how the party actually voted. A plan can only point to Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| Plan | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | Yes 16/0/0/8 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| S | No | Yes 92/0/0/14 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | No | No 0/15/0/3 | follows the plan | confidence: high | not addressed |
| C | No | No 0/20/0/4 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 9/0/0/7 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| KD | No | Yes 16/0/0/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| M | Yes | Yes 59/0/0/9 | follows the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| SD | No | Abstain 0/0/62/10 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2024/25:1078 by Marléne Lund Kopparklint (M) amendment 3, 2024/25:1366 by Carina Ståhl Herrstedt et al. (SD) amendment 17, and 2024/25:2951 by Martina Johansson et al. (C) amendments 1 and 38.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2024/25:1078 av Marléne Lund Kopparklint (M) yrkande 3, 2024/25:1366 av Carina Ståhl Herrstedt m.fl. (SD) yrkande 17 och 2024/25:2951 av Martina Johansson m.fl. (C) yrkandena 1 och 38.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag rejected approximately 90 proposals in motions about children and young people in social services. The motions were submitted during the general motion period of 2024 and address, among other things, interventions for children and young people, placement forms for children and young people, and children's rights. The Riksdag refers primarily to work already underway in the areas addressed by the proposals.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to increase collaboration between schools, social services, and healthcare to identify vulnerable children. (C, MP) — Reservation 19
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The plan wants to continue realizing the child convention and the principle that in every situation ensure the child's best interests, and emphasizes that legal certainty is maintained through legal aid and independent scrutiny.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants to continue realizing the child convention and the principle that in every situation ensure the child's best interests, and emphasizes that legal certainty is maintained through legal aid and independent scrutiny. A children's rights committee and a Children's Ombudsman who can conduct own cases are institutional tools of that kind. The plan does not mention these bodies, so the conclusion is derived.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill fortsätta förverkliga barnkonventionen och principen att i varje läge se till barnets bästa, och betonar att rättssäkerhet upprätthålls genom rättshjälp och oberoende granskning. En barnrättskommitté och en Barnombudsman som kan driva egna ärenden är institutionella verktyg av det slaget. Planen nämner inte dessa organ, varför slutsatsen härleds.
- the child's best interests realizeddecisive»principen att i varje läge se till barnets« (party programme ↗)“the principle that in every situation ensure the child's”
- stronger children's rights»Utvecklingen mot starkare rättigheter för barn är en av de progressiva« (party programme ↗)“The development towards stronger rights for children is one of the progressive”
- legal aid and independent scrutiny»Rättssäkerheten behöver upprätthållas genom rättshjälp« (party programme ↗)“Legal certainty needs to be maintained through legal aid”
- strengthened child perspective»Barnperspektivet måste stärkas i vårdnadstvister och det ska inte vara möjligt för våldsutövare att behålla gemensam vårdnad.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The child perspective must be strengthened in custody disputes and it should not be possible for abusers to retain joint custody.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The party programme binds the party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and to ensuring all children have the right to a safe upbringing and equal opportunity for participation.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme binds the party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and to ensuring all children have the right to a safe upbringing and equal opportunity for participation. A children's rights committee and a children's ombudsman able to initiate their own cases are instruments for children whose rights have been violated to obtain redress. The plan takes no position on these institutional solutions, so the stance is derived.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet binder partiet till barnkonventionen och till att alla barn ska ha rätt till en trygg uppväxt och lika möjlighet till delaktighet. En barnrättskommitté och en Barnombudsman som kan driva egna ärenden är instrument för att barn som fått sina rättigheter kränkta ska få upprättelse. Planen tar inte ställning till dessa institutionella lösningar, så ställningstagandet är härlett.
- the Convention on the Rights of the Child as the foundationdecisive»Alla barn ska ha rätt till en trygg uppväxt i enlighet med FN:s barnkonvention.« (party programme ↗)“All children shall have the right to a safe upbringing in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.”
- equal conditions for children»och till en trygg uppväxt fri från droger och våld.« (party programme ↗)“and to a safe upbringing free from drugs and violence.”
- equal participation»Vi socialdemokrater vill att alla ska ha lika förutsättningar och lika möjlighet till delaktighet« (party programme ↗)“We social democrats want everyone to have equal conditions and equal opportunity for participation”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The party programme requires that the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child become Swedish law and that political decisions be preceded by a child impact analysis, and that the child's legal protection must be strengthened.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme requires that the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child become Swedish law and that political decisions be preceded by a child impact analysis, and that the child's legal protection must be strengthened. Children are seen as active co-creators, not passive recipients. A children's rights committee and a children's ombudsman who can pursue their own cases are tools for precisely the reform the plan promises.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet kräver att barnkonventionen blir svensk lag och att politiska beslut föregås av en barnkonsekvensanalys, och att barnets rättstrygghet måste stärkas. Barn ses som aktiva medskapare, inte passiva mottagare. En barnrättskommitté och en barnombudsman som kan driva egna ärenden är verktyg för just den upprättelse planen utlovar.
- Convention on the Rights of the Child as lawdecisive»FN:s barnkonvention ska bli svensk lag och politiska beslut bör föregås av en barnkonsekvensanalys.« (party programme ↗)“The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child shall become Swedish law and political decisions should be preceded by a child impact analysis.”
- strengthened legal protection for children»Barnets rättstrygghet måste stärkas om det finns misstankar om våld eller sexuella övergrepp.« (party programme ↗)“The child's legal protection must be strengthened if there is suspicion of violence or sexual abuse.”
- children as rights-bearing subjects»Barn är aktiva medskapare av samhället och ska inte ses som passiva mottagare av det samhälle som vuxna skapar åt dem.« (party programme ↗)“Children are active co-creators of society and shall not be seen as passive recipients of the society adults create for them.”
- comprehensive approach to children's rights»Samverkan mellan olika aktörer som kommer i kontakt med barn och unga i riskzonen, och som kan bidra till att relevanta åtgärder sätts in, bör stärkas.« (party programme ↗)“Cooperation between different actors who come into contact with children and young people at risk, and who can contribute to relevant measures being taken, should be strengthened.”
The election manifesto states that the opportunity to sue the state or municipality must not be reserved for those with high income and wants to strengthen agencies' work against violations.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto states that the opportunity to sue the state or municipality must not be reserved for those with high income and wants to strengthen agencies' work against violations. The party programme makes children's rights and perspective what should guide society's actors. Allowing the Children's Ombudsman to conduct own cases so that abused children get redress, and gathering child rights issues in a committee, follow from these principles. However, the forms are not mentioned in the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet slår fast att möjligheten att processa mot stat eller kommun inte får vara förbehållen dem med hög inkomst och vill stärka myndigheternas arbete mot kränkningar. Partiprogrammet gör barnens rättigheter och perspektiv till det som ska styra samhällets aktörer. Att låta Barnombudsmannen driva egna ärenden så att kränkta barn får upprättelse, och att samla barnrättsfrågorna i en kommitté, följer av dessa principer. Formerna nämns dock inte i planen.
- right to have case hearddecisive»Möjligheten att processa mot stat eller kommun, då man har goda skäl att få sin sak prövad, ska i en liberal demokrati inte vara en rätt förbehållen de med hög inkomst.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The opportunity to sue the state or municipality, when one has good grounds to have one's case heard, must not in a liberal democracy be a right reserved for those with high income.”
- children's rights in focus»Samhällets aktörer ska inta individens perspektiv. Av största betydelse är då barnens rättigheter och perspektiv.« (party programme ↗)“Society's actors must take the individual's perspective. Of greatest importance are children's rights and perspective.”
- child's right to be respected»Särskilt viktigt är att värna varje barns rätt att bli respekterad och att bli sedd för den man är.« (party programme ↗)“It is particularly important to protect every child's right to be respected and to be seen for who they are.”
- stronger agency protection for victims»Mer måste göras mot diskriminering. Vi vill stärka myndigheternas arbete mot diskriminering och höja ersättningen till dem som utsatts« (2022 manifesto ↗)“More must be done against discrimination. We want to strengthen agencies' work against discrimination and raise compensation for those who have been subjected to it”
The plan requires that the individual's opportunities to assert their rights against authorities increase and that the ombudsman function's position is strengthened, which supports the counter-proposal's demands that the Children's Ombudsman shall be able to pursue their own cases.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires that the individual's opportunities to assert their rights against authorities increase and that the ombudsman function's position is strengthened, which supports the counter-proposal's demands that the Children's Ombudsman shall be able to pursue their own cases. That children shall be respected as individuals and that those whose rights have been violated shall be able to receive redress point in the same direction. The plan says nothing about a special children's rights committee.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att den enskildes möjligheter att hävda sina rättigheter gentemot myndigheterna ökar och att ombudsmannafunktionens ställning stärks, vilket bär motförslagets krav på att Barnombudsmannen ska kunna driva egna ärenden. Att barn ska respekteras som individer och att den som fått sina rättigheter kränkta ska kunna få upprättelse pekar i samma riktning. Planen säger däremot inget om en särskild barnrättskommitté.
- strengthened legal position against authoritiesdecisive»Den enskildes möjligheter att hävda sina rättigheter gentemot myndigheterna måste öka.« (party programme ↗)“The individual's opportunities to assert their rights against authorities must increase.”
- strengthened ombudsman»Justitieombudsmannens ställning ska stärkas« (party programme ↗)“The Justice Ombudsman's position shall be strengthened”
- children as rights-holders»Barn och ungdomar har rätt att respekteras som individer« (party programme ↗)“Children and young people have the right to be respected as individuals”
- right to redress»Den som drabbas av diskriminering ska kunna få hjälp att få upprättelse« (party programme ↗)“Those who are subjected to discrimination shall be able to receive help to obtain redress”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan makes the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child the starting point for measures for children and establishes that the child's best interests shall come first, while children rarely can assert their rights with the same force as adults and therefore must be heard in decision-making.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan makes the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child the starting point for measures for children and establishes that the child's best interests shall come first, while children rarely can assert their rights with the same force as adults and therefore must be heard in decision-making. A children's rights committee and an opportunity for the Children's Ombudsman to pursue their own cases respond to this weakness in the child's position.
Original (Swedish)
Planen gör barnkonventionen till utgångspunkt för insatser för barn och slår fast att barnets bästa ska komma i främsta rummet, samtidigt som barn sällan kan hävda sina rättigheter med samma kraft som vuxna och därför måste komma till tals i beslutsfattandet. En barnrättskommitté och en möjlighet för Barnombudsmannen att driva egna ärenden svarar mot denna svaghet i barnets ställning.
- child's best interests firstdecisive»barnets bästa ska komma i främsta rummet.« (party programme ↗)“the child's best interests must come first.”
- UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as starting point»ska ske med utgångspunkt i FN:s barnkonvention« (party programme ↗)“shall be done starting from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child”
- children cannot assert their own right»sällan kan hävda sina rättigheter själva med samma« (party programme ↗)“rarely can assert their rights themselves with the same”
- children shall be heard»beakta ungdomars synpunkter när beslut fattas« (party programme ↗)“consider young people's views when decisions are made”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan contains no commitment to a children's rights committee or expanded powers for the Children's Ombudsman.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan contains no commitment to a children's rights committee or expanded powers for the Children's Ombudsman. Its line in child matters is to emphasize parental responsibility and for policy to prioritize and choose against building new public agencies, because a large state gives a weaker society. The counter-proposal's requirement therefore lies outside the nearest principle in the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Planen innehåller inget åtagande om en barnrättskommitté eller utvidgade befogenheter för Barnombudsmannen. Dess linje i barnfrågor är att betona föräldraansvaret och att politiken ska prioritera och välja bort snarare än bygga ut nya offentliga organ, eftersom en stor stat ger ett svagare samhälle. Motförslagets krav ligger därför utanför den närmast liggande principen i planen.
- parental responsibility firstdecisive»Betona och förstärka föräldraansvaret« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Emphasize and strengthen parental responsibility”
- prioritize core mission»Politiken har en viktig uppgift att prioritera och välja bort,« (party programme ↗)“Politics has an important task to prioritize and reject,”
- limited state apparatus»En stor stat leder till ett svagare samhälle.« (party programme ↗)“A large state leads to a weaker society.”
The election manifesto notes that children often get squeezed when adults fail and that today there is insufficient support for the child, and requires increased quality and legal security in investigations of children.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto notes that children often get squeezed when adults fail and that today there is insufficient support for the child, and requires increased quality and legal security in investigations of children. A children's rights committee and the possibility for the Children's Ombudsman to conduct their own cases address that support need and that the child's best interests shall always be considered. At the same time, the plan calls for restraint in new agency structures, which makes the conclusion uncertain.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet konstaterar att barn ofta hamnar i kläm när vuxna brister och att det i dag saknas tillräckligt stöd till barnet, samt kräver ökad kvalitet och rättssäkerhet i utredningar om barn. En barnrättskommitté och en möjlighet för Barnombudsmannen att driva egna ärenden svarar mot det stödbehovet och mot att barnets bästa alltid ska beaktas. Samtidigt manar planen till återhållsamhet med nya myndighetsstrukturer, vilket gör slutsatsen osäker.
- strengthened support for the childdecisive»Barn hamnar inte sällan i kläm när vuxna brister och det saknas idag ett tillräckligt stöd till barnet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Children often get squeezed when adults fail and today there is insufficient support for the child.”
- legal security for children»Öka kvalité och rättssäkerhet i utredningar om barn« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increase quality and legal security in investigations of children”
- the child's best interests»Att barnets bästa alltid ska beaktas« (2022 manifesto ↗)“That the child's best interests shall always be considered”
- restraint in agency creation»Stoppa slöseriet inom myndigheterna och slå samman myndigheter« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stop waste in the agencies and merge agencies”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2024/25:SoU19)
- Committee report full text (HC01SoU19)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2024/25:1021 — Nolltolerans mot barnsoldater i Sverige av Kerstin Lundgren (C)
- Motion 2024/25:1078 — Uppföljning av riskbedömningar i vårdnadsmål och utvärdering av barnkonventionens införande av Marléne Lund Kopparklint (M)
- Motion 2024/25:1110 — Barns rättigheter vid familjehemsplaceringar av Marléne Lund Kopparklint (M)
- Motion 2024/25:1140 — Ersättning till barn som farit illa av Marléne Lund Kopparklint (M)
- Motion 2024/25:1296 — Återförening mellan barn och föräldrar som förlorat kontakten efter vårdnadstvister av Runar Filper och Angelica Lundberg (båda SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1361 — En stark och kvalitativ Sis-vård i hela landet av Mona Olin m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1366 — Socialtjänsten av Carina Ståhl Herrstedt m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1389 — Familjerätt av Mikael Eskilandersson m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1413 — Krafttag mot hedersrelaterat våld och förtryck av Sara Gille m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1495 — Befogenheter för SOS Alarm vid nödsituationer av Marléne Lund Kopparklint (M)
- Motion 2024/25:1671 — Nationell handlingsplan mot barnfattigdom av Aida Birinxhiku och Sofia Skönnbrink (båda S)
- Motion 2024/25:1834 — Obligatorisk BVC av Jennie Wernäng m.fl. (M)
- Motion 2024/25:1905 — En starkare folkhälsa av Karin Rågsjö m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2024/25:197 — Ofrivilligt faderskap av Nima Gholam Ali Pour (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:2059 — Stärkt kamp mot sexuellt utnyttjande av barn av Niels Paarup-Petersen (C)
- Motion 2024/25:2062 — Hederskultur ska aldrig accepteras av Ann-Sofie Alm (M)
- Motion 2024/25:2172 — Stärkt vård och behandling för unga av Eva Lindh m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:2185 — Barnförsäkring av Amalia Rud Stenlöf och Gunilla Carlsson (båda S)
- Motion 2024/25:2196 — Placeringar på Sis av Johanna Rantsi och Sten Bergheden (båda M)
- Motion 2024/25:2198 — Nationellt register för behandlings- och familjehem av Johanna Rantsi (M)
Source: The Swedish Parliament