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World Congresses
Cambridge 2025
The 9th World Congress was held in the historic city of Cambridge in the United Kingdom in partnership with the Faculty of Law and the University of Cambridge in July 2025. The overarching theme of the conference was “Children Caught in Conflict, Inspiring Positive Change” and explored the issues which continue to impact children on a global scale, including family violence, child abuse, international child abduction, war, child labour, trafficking and exploitation.
Virtual 2021
The 8th Family Law & Children’s Rights Conference was supposed to be held in Singapore in 2021. For the first time, this conference was jointly organised by the World Congress on Family Law and Children’s Rights and LAWASIA, the Law Association for Asia and the Pacific. Due to the pandemic, the 8th Congress was held virtually.
Dublin 2017
The 7th World Congress on Family Law and Children’s Rights was held in Dublin in 2017, exploring the overarching theme of Rights, Justice and Equality.
Sydney 2013
Sydney hosted the 6th World Congress on Family Law and Children’s Rights in March 2013 in Sydney, Australia. The conference, themed Building Bridges from Principle to Reality, focussed on family law, human rights and children’s law.
Halifax 2009
The 5th World Congress, Children Caught in Conflict, was held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The conference streams covered Children’s Rights and Family Conflict, Child Protection, Responding to Difference, Children of War and Child Soldiers.
Cape Town 2005
Cape Town, South Africa hosted the 4th World Congress on Family Law and Children’s Rights. The conference focussed on children in poverty, trafficking, children in legal process and the voice of the child in family law proceedings.
Bath 2001
The overall theme of the 2001 3rd World Congress was the International Cooperation for the Protection of Children. The conference focussed on the implementation of the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC), child labour and the protection of juveniles from harsh and cruel punishment, violence and abuse.
San Fransisco 1997
San Francisco hosted the 2nd World Congress, in June 1997 in conjunction with the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC). The Congress focussed on a Youth Forum, which called for action against the exploitation of children and the issue of voluntary codes of conduct for the employment and treatment of children.
Sydney 1993
More than 850 delegates from 54 countries attended the inaugural World Congress, held in Sydney, Australia. The Congress brought together practicing lawyers, judges, academics, and politicians, who share a common concern for children and for the maintenance and protection of human rights, particularly the rights of children.
