Committee on the Rights of the Child

List of issues prior to submission of the seventh periodic report of Italy *

1.The State Party is invited to submit in writing the information requested below, of 21,200 words maximum, by 15 February 2027. The replies should take into consideration the Committee’s recommendations contained in its concluding observations on the combined fifth and sixth periodic reports of the State Party. The Committee may take up all aspects of children’s rights set out in the Convention and the Optional Protocols thereto during the dialogue with the State Party.

I.New developments

2.The Committee requests the State Party to provide:

(a)Information on the adoption or reform of laws, policies and programmes, and any measures taken, such as the creation or reform of institutions, that are significant for the implementation of the Convention, the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict and the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography;

(b)Any other information that the State Party considers relevant and that is not covered in the replies to the questions below, including information on obstacles and challenges faced.

3.The Committee also requests the State Party to provide information on how a children’s rights-based approach is integrated into the planning, implementation and monitoring of measures for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, including with regard to the participation of children and data collection, and how such measures promote the realization of children’s rights under the Convention and the Optional Protocols thereto.

II.Rights under the Convention and the Optional Protocols thereto

A.General measures of implementation (arts. 4, 42 and 44 (6))

Comprehensive policy and strategy

4.Please provide information on the implementation of the sixth national plan of action for children (2025–2027), particularly on:

(a)The mechanisms put in place for children’s participation in the elaboration, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the plan;

(b)The measures envisaged to ensure that its implementation is in line with the Convention and the Optional Protocols thereto;

(c)The measures envisaged to ensure an equal level of responsibilities among the ministries responsible for its implementation;

(d)The measures taken to ensure its effective and coherent implementation by regional and municipal authorities.

Coordination

5.Please inform the Committee about the measures taken to implement its previous recommendation to establish a coordination mechanism with a clear mandate and sufficient authority to coordinate all relevant plans of action and activities relating to the implementation of the Convention at the national, regional and local levels and across sectors. If such a mechanism has been established, please provide information on the role, composition, mandate and resources of the mechanism.

Independent monitoring

6.Please indicate the measures taken to expand the mandates of the national and regional ombudspersons for children’s rights and to provide them with sufficient resources so as to ensure that they can monitor and address the implementation of rights under the Convention and the Optional Protocols thereto throughout the country.

Allocation of resources

7.Please indicate:

(a)The measures taken to ensure sufficient resources for the implementation of all policies, plans, programmes and legislative measures directed at children;

(b)The measures taken to establish a coordinated, integrated and coherent system to identify budget allocations for and expenditure on children by specific ministries and by regional and municipal authorities;

(c)The measures taken to define budgetary lines for children in disadvantaged situations;

(d)The mechanisms in place to ensure transparent and participatory budgeting processes in which children can participate, and mechanisms to eradicate corruption.

Data collection

8.Please inform the Committee about the efforts made to improve data collection to ensure that it covers all areas of the Convention and the Optional Protocols thereto, in particular with regard to the concrete measures taken to develop an integrated system for examining the situation of children in the State Party through a comprehensive analysis of the data that are currently collected by various entities with different methodologies.

Access to justice and effective remedies

9.Please inform the Committee about the measures taken:

(a)To reduce the delays in judicial proceedings involving children;

(b)To provide effective training for lawyers on child-sensitive justice;

(c)To ensure that children have effective access to specialized legal assistance;

(d)To implement Legislative Decree No. 150/2022 (referred to as the Cartabia reform);

(e)To guarantee the rights of, support for and protection of child victims of crime.

Dissemination and awareness-raising

10.Please provide information on:

(a) Programmes, including campaigns and education programmes, to raise awareness of the Convention and the Optional Protocols thereto among children in marginalized situations, especially Roma, Sinti and Caminanti children and asylum-seeking, refugee and migrant children;

(b) Systematic training for relevant professional groups on the provisions of the Convention andthe Optional Protocols thereto, and efforts to raise awareness of the Committee’s concluding observations on the combined fifth and sixth periodic reports of the State Party.

Children’s rights and the business sector

11.Please inform the Committee about the progress and remaining challenges in the implementation of the Second National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (2021–2026), particularly in the areas of child labour, forced labour and trafficking and exploitation of children, notably in the sectors of agriculture and construction.

B.General principles (arts. 2, 3, 6 and 12)

Non-discrimination

12.Please provide information on the measures taken to prohibit discrimination against children on all grounds and in all aspects of life, including multiple and intersectional discrimination. Please also provide information on the measures taken:

(a)To eliminate systematic discrimination against children in disadvantaged situations, particularly children living in poverty, children belonging to ethnic and national minorities, including Roma, Sinti and Caminanti children and children of African descent, asylum-seeking, refugee and migrant children, children with disabilities and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex children;

(b)To assess and renew the National Integration Plan for Persons Entitled to International Protection (2022–2024), and implement the National Plan to Combat Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance, adopted in 2025.

Best interests of the child

13.Please indicate the measures taken to ensure that the best interests of the child are a primary consideration when drafting, adopting and reviewing legislation and policies that have an impact on the enjoyment of children’s rights.

Respect for the views of the child

14.Please provide information about the measures taken:

(a)To guarantee the right of children to be heard in any decision affecting them, including in civil and criminal courts;

(b)To institutionalize municipal children’s councils, the Youth Advisory Board and the national children and youth council;

(c)To implement the 2022 guidelines for the participation of girls and boys.

C.Civil and political rights (arts. 7, 8 and 13–17)

Nationality

15.Please provide updated information on the measures taken to prevent statelessness, including on the granting of Italian citizenship at birth to otherwise stateless children, in the context of Decree-Law No. 36/2025, on Italian citizenship, adopted in March 2025, and Law No. 176/2023, on reception of unaccompanied foreign minors.

D.Violence against children (arts. 19, 24 (3), 28 (2), 34, 35, 37 (a) and 39 of the Convention, and the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography)

Corporal punishment

16.Please indicate the efforts made:

(a)To prohibit corporal punishment by law and in practice in all settings, including at home and in schools, youth centres and alternative care facilities;

(b)To repeal the provisions from the Criminal Code incorrectly construed as providing a“right of correction”;

(c)To promote positive, non-violent and participatory forms of child-rearing and discipline, including through awareness-raising and education programmes for parents, teachers and care professionals.

Abuse, neglect, sexual abuse and exploitation

17.Please inform the Committee of the measures taken:

(a)To adopt a comprehensive definition of violence against children in legislation, in line with the Convention and the Optional Protocols thereto;

(b)To ensure adequate and regular data collection on violence against children;

(c)To prevent and address domestic violence;

(d)To ensure the provision of specialized care, support and adequate reparations to child victims.

18.Please provide information about the measures taken:

(a)To strengthen established child-friendly mechanisms for reporting instances of sexual exploitation and abuse and to make it mandatory for everyone to report any case of sexual abuse of children;

(b)To undertake actions to prevent gender-based violence against girls, particularly in the family context;

(c)To introduce a consent-based definition of rape into legislation;

(d)To protect children from online sexual exploitation and abuse, such as sexual harassment, sexting, online grooming, sexual extortion and child sexual abuse material;

(e)To ensure support services for children who are victims of sexual exploitation and abuse;

(f)To investigate, prosecute and sanction cases of sexual abuse by religious personnel of the Catholic Church, including cases involving volunteers and community members;

(g)To establish an independent and impartial commission of inquiry into sexual exploitation and abuse by religious personnel of the Catholic Church;

(h)To ensure that persons convicted of sexual abuse of children are excluded from having contact with children in their professional capacity;

(i)To identify and protect children at risk of being involved in organized crimeand to expand the rehabilitation and reintegration programmes for affected children, such as the “Free to Choose” programme.

Harmful practices

19.Please update the Committee about:

(a)Current regulations and protocols for the treatment of intersex children;

(b)Measures taken to provide families with intersex children with adequate counselling and support;

(c)Measures of rehabilitation and redress for intersex children who have undergone unnecessary and irreversible medical or surgical treatment.

Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography

20.Please inform the Committee about the measures taken to fully harmonize national legislation with the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography and about the specific measures to eliminate sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism.

E.Family environment and alternative care (arts. 5, 9–11, 18 (1) and (2), 20, 21, 25 and 27 (4))

Family environment

21.Please indicate the measures envisaged to extend the duration of parental leave, to extend family support for parents with children older than 14 years of age and throughout adolescence and to expand family support to all types of family structures.

Children deprived of a family environment

22.Please provide information on the measures taken to develop an integrated child rights-based and accountable system of alternative care that is available equally across regions and that is based on a national register and a wide system of foster care for children.

Adoption

23.Please provide information on the measures taken to implement the Committee’s previous recommendations on ensuring systematic data collection on domestic and intercountry adoptions and to guarantee that the child’s views and best interests are given due consideration in adoption processes.

Children in prison with their mother

24.Please provide information on measures taken to guarantee appropriate living conditions for children in detention with their mothers.

F.Children with disabilities (art. 23)

25.Please provide information on the measures taken:

(a)To develop an efficient system for early diagnosis of disability and to improve access by children with disabilities to early childhood education;

(b)To consult children with disabilities in the elaboration of policies and programmes that concern them;

(c)To ensure that children with disabilities have access to inclusive education, including reasonable accommodation in school;

(d)To facilitate the full inclusion of children with neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorders.

G.Health (arts. 6, 24 and 33)

Health and health services

26.Please indicate the measures taken:

(a)To further expand vaccination coverage and ensure the same coverage in all regions;

(b)To promote the practice of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life;

(c)To combat overweight and obesity among, and tobacco, alcohol and drug use by, children and adolescents;

(d)To address the shortage of primary care paediatricians and the lack of specialized paediatric wards in hospitals,particularly in the southern regions;

(e)To introduce education on sexual and reproductive health as a mandatory component in school curricula;

(f)To ensure access to safe abortion and post-abortion services across all regions.

Mental health

27.Please provide information on:

(a)The current situation of children’s mental health, including the mechanisms in place to collect data on children and mental health;

(b)The steps taken to establish a comprehensive legal and policy framework on the mental health of children that addresses the lack of essential services, long delays for diagnosis and treatment opportunities and unequal access across regions;

(c)Initiatives undertaken to mitigate and respond to the effects of digital media, including online social networks and artificial intelligence-driven platforms, on the cognitive, emotional and relational well-being of children and adolescents;

(d)The resources allocated to children under the National Mental Health Action Plan (2025–2030), and support for the national children’s helpline and other front-line services;

(e)The implementation of the measures establishing the “school psychologist” model.

H.Standard of living (arts. 18 (3), 26 and 27 (1)–(3))

28.Please provide an update on:

(a)The remaining challenges to addressing poverty and social exclusion, including inadequate housing conditions, particularly in the southern region;

(b)The results of child-related social protection programmes, including the universal allowance for dependent children;

(c)The steps taken to facilitate access by children in disadvantaged situations, including children of African descent and Roma, Sinti and Caminanti children, to social services, health and education, particularly early childhood care and education;

(d)The measures taken to ensure that Roma children and their families living in informal settlements are not subjected to forced eviction.

I.Children’s rights and the environment (arts. 2, 3, 6, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 24 and 26–31)

Impact of climate change on the rights of the child and environmental health

29.Please provide information on:

(a)Children’s participation in the elaboration, implementation and assessment of environmental and climate laws and policies, particularly the updated national energy and climate plan (2021–2030), the nationally determined contribution and the National Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change;

(b)The measures taken to set out a clear legal commitment, with appropriate resources, to assess the effects of polluted air and chemical pollution on children’s health and to scale up and expedite the implementation of plans to reduce air pollution levels, especially in areas near schools and residential areas.

J.Education, leisure and cultural activities (arts. 28–31)

Education: aims and coverage

30.Please provide information on:

(a)Children’s participation in the drafting and implementation of the national curriculum guidelines for preschool and first-cycle education;

(b)Measures envisaged to increase investments in the education sector, including allocations of resources to reduce regional inequalities;

(c)Specific measures taken to ensure sufficient human, technical and financial resources for education, as well as adequate infrastructure and learning environments;

(d)Specific measures aimed at increasing the rate of enrolment in early childhood education, notably in southern regions;

(e)Progress made in addressing the high level of school dropout, in particular among children in disadvantaged situations;

(f)Progress in expanding access to vocational education and training;

(g)Measures taken to address bullying and discrimination at school;

(h)Measures envisaged to improve learning outcomes, particularly in southern regions;

(i)Whether human rights education has been incorporated into mandatory school curricula.

K.Special protection measures (arts. 22, 30, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37 (b)–(d) and 38–40 of the Convention, and the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict)

Asylum-seeking, refugee and migrant children, including unaccompanied and separated children

31.Please inform the Committee on the measures taken:

(a)To eliminate the detention of asylum-seeking children and of families with children, and to revise relevant legislation and practices accordingly;

(b)To apply the principle of non-refoulement in all cases involving migrant children, including those in an irregular situation, and to ensure their access to free legal aid, appropriate guardians and other forms of assistance at all stages of the process;

(c)To ensure that all asylum-seeking children and their guardians are systematically provided with information on their rights and obligations, asylum procedures and available services;

(d)To effectively implement Law No. 47/2017 (the Zampa Law) to expedite asylum requests, improve communication and reception conditions for children;

(e)To facilitate family reunification for asylum-seekers and refugees by ensuring that the definition of eligible family members remains broad, that the procedure is undertaken without undue delay and that the time to submit an application is extended as required;

(f)To ensure that asylum-seeking, refugee and migrant children have access to services, including adequate housing, healthcare and education;

(g)To repeal Law No. 15 of 2023, on urgent measures for the management of migration flows.

Trafficking

32.Please indicate the progress made under the National Action Plan against Trafficking and Serious Exploitation of Human Beings (2022–2025) and on efforts to protect unaccompanied migrant children, including in preventing enforced disappearances.

Administration of child justice

33.Please provide information on actions taken:

(a)To ensure that child justice policies and practices prioritize rehabilitation and the best interests of the child;

(b)To address overcrowding in children’s penal institutions.

L.Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict

34.Please inform the Committee about the measures taken to implement its previous recommendations relating to the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict, particularly regarding progress made:

(a)To amend its declaration under the Optional Protocol and adopt legislation to ensure a minimum recruitment age of 18 years;

(b)To specifically include the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict as a ground for refugee status in domestic legislation.

III.Statistical information and data

35.The statistical information and disaggregated data provided by the State Party should cover the period since the consideration of its previous reports on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Optional Protocols thereto. The data should be disaggregated by age, sex, ethnic origin, national origin, geographical location and socioeconomic status, as well as by year or other relevant time frame.

36.The provision of tables presenting trends over the reporting period is recommended, and explanations of, or comments on, significant changes that have taken place over the reporting period should also be provided.

A.General measures of implementation (arts. 4, 42 and 44 (6))

37.Please provide information on the budget lines regarding children and social sectors by indicating the amount and the proportion of each budget line in terms of the total national budget.

B.Definition of the child (art. 1)

38.Please provide data, disaggregated as described in paragraph 35 above, on the number and proportion of children under 18 years of age living in the State Party.

C.General principles (arts. 2, 3, 6 and 12)

39.Please provide data, disaggregated as described in paragraph 35 above, on cases of discrimination affecting children, prosecutions brought before the courts under legislation governing non-discrimination and the sanctions imposed on perpetrators.

D.Civil and political rights (arts. 7, 8 and 13–17)

40.Please provide data, disaggregated as described in paragraph 35 above, on the number of stateless children.

E.Violence against children (arts. 19, 24 (3), 28 (2), 34, 35, 37 (a) and 39)

41.Please provide data, disaggregated as described in paragraph 35 above, on:

(a)Children who have been victims of violence, including abuse, neglect and sexual exploitation, as well as on cases of feminicide targeting adolescents, corporal punishment in and outside the home, in schools and in alternative care settings, the cases that have been reported to the authorities, investigated and prosecuted and the sanctions that have been imposed on perpetrators, further disaggregated by the type of offence;

(b)The number and type of protective measures provided for child victims of violence, including asylum-seeking, refugee and migrant children, including unaccompanied and separated children;

(c)The number of cases of children abused by religious personnel of the Catholic Church and the number of investigations and prosecutions carried out, and sentences handed down;

(d)The number of intersex children who have been victims of unnecessary and irreversible medical and surgical treatment.

F.Family environment and alternative care (arts. 5, 9–11, 18 (1) and (2), 20, 21, 25 and 27 (4))

42.Please provide data, disaggregated as described in paragraph 35 above, on the number and proportion of families and children receiving economic and other type of support services, including parental leave.

43.Please provide data, disaggregated as described in paragraph 35 above, on the number of:

(a)Children in institutional care and the average number of days in which they remain in such care;

(b)Children in family- or community-based care;

(c)Children adopted within the country and through intercountry adoption.

G.Children with disabilities (art. 23)

44.Please provide data, disaggregated as described in paragraph 35 above and further by type of disability, on the number of:

(a)Children with disabilities;

(b)Children with disabilities living with their families and living in family- and community-based care;

(c)Children with disabilities in inclusive education and the number of children in separate schools;

(d)Reported cases of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment and neglect of, and sexual violence against, children with disabilities, the number of investigations and prosecutions carried out and sentences handed down.

H.Basic health and welfare (arts. 6, 18 (3), 24, 26, 27 (1)–(3) and 33)

45.Please provide data, disaggregated as described in paragraph 35 above, on the number of:

(a)Children diagnosed with mental illness;

(b)Paediatric and mental health services and professionals specialized in young children and adolescents, disaggregated by region.

46.Please provide data, disaggregated as described in paragraph 35 above, on the number of:

(a)Adolescent mothers;

(b)Children with obesity;

(c)Children who abuse drugs and alcohol;

(d)Sexual and reproductive health services available to adolescents, disaggregated further by region.

47.Please provide data, disaggregated as described in paragraph 35 above, on the number and proportion of:

(a)Children living under the poverty line and in extreme poverty;

(b)Children affected by air and chemical pollution;

(c)Children affected by climate change.

I.Education, leisure and cultural activities (arts. 28–31)

48.Please provide data, disaggregated as described in paragraph 35 above, in respect of:

(a)The number and proportion of children aged between 16 and 18 years not attending school;

(b)The number and proportion of children who have dropped out of school;

(c)The number and proportion of children attending early childhood education programmes and the average number of years of attendance;

(d)The number of children enrolled in public and private, including religious, schools.

J.Special protection measures (arts. 22, 30, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37 (b)–(d) and 38–40)

49.Please provide data, disaggregated as described in paragraph 35 above and further by country of origin and accompanied or unaccompanied status, on the number of:

(a)Asylum-seeking and refugee children;

(b)Children in situations of migration;

(c)Unaccompanied children in asylum reception centres;

(d)Asylum-seeking and refugee children and children in situations of migration who have been detained, including in transit centres;

(e)Asylum-seeking and refugee children and children in situations of migration attending school and who have access to healthcare.

50.Please provide data, disaggregated as described in paragraph 35 above and further by types of violation reported, on:

(a)The number of reported cases of trafficking in children and the number of children involved;

(b)The number of such children who have been provided with access to rehabilitation programmes;

(c)The number and percentage of such cases that have resulted in sanctions, with information on the country of origin of the perpetrator and the nature of the penalties imposed.

51.Please provide data, disaggregated as described in paragraph 35 above and further by type of crime, on the number of:

(a)Children in detention facilities and the average length of time they are held, disaggregated further by type of detention, namely, pretrial detention, such as in police cells, and detention centres for children;

(b)Children referred to diversion and non-custodial sentencing options.

K.Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography

52.Please provide data, disaggregated as described in paragraph 35 above, on the number of:

(a)Reported cases of the sale of children and sexual exploitation of children in prostitution and child sexual abuse material;

(b)Such cases that have been investigated, prosecuted and sanctioned;

(c)Children who were victims of such crimes who have been provided with recovery assistance or compensation.

L.Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict

53.Please provide data, disaggregated as described in paragraph 35 above, on the number of:

(a)Asylum-seeking and refugee children entering the State Party from areas where children may have been recruited or used in hostilities;

(b)Children who benefit from physical and psychological recovery and social reintegration measures.