Speakers

Nils Muižnieks

Nils Muižnieks is the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights since 2012. Born in 1964, Muižnieks is a Latvian national educated in the United States of America, where he obtained a Ph.D in political science at the University of California at Berkeley. Prior to his appointment as Commissioner for Human Rights, he held prominent posts such as Director of the Advanced Social and Political Research Institute at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Latvia in Riga; Chairman of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance; Latvian minister responsible for social integration, anti-discrimination, minority rights, and civil society development and Director of the Latvian Human Rights Centre.

David Mcloughlin

David Mcloughlin is the UNICEF Deputy Regional Director for Central and Eastern Europe and Commonwealth of Independent States. From 2007-2010 he held the position of UNICEF Deputy Country Representative of China, followed by the post of UNICEF Deputy Country Representative/Programme Director of India 2010-2015, including the position as Head of the UN/Government of India Disaster Management Team. Mcloughlin has hold several senior positions in UN, including UNESCO and World Food Programme. He has worked as Director of Schools and Special Executive Advisor to the Minister of Education in Tasmania, Australia. He holds Degrees and Diplomas in Environmental Science, Philosophy, Psychology, Sports Science, including a Bachelor of Education, and commenced his M.Ed in 1999 at the Centre of Excellence, University of Tasmania, Australia.

Jutta Croll

Jutta Croll is Managing Director of the German Centre for Child Protection on the Internet (Zentrum für Kinderschutz im Internet – I-KiZ). She is the Chair of the Board of Stiftung Digitale Chancen, an NGO under the auspices of the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology and the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs. She has done research in national and European projects concerning the use of digital media, youth protection and digital literacy. She holds a university degree in political science, media science and German literature.

Fredrik Malmberg

Fredrik Malmberg is the Ombudsman for Children in Sweden. He has worked as Head of the Swedish Program at the Save the Children Fund and as regional representative of the Save the Children Fund in Southern and Central Asia. Before that, he was lead writer at the newspaper Göteborgs-Posten, Chairman of the Liberal Party Youth Club and Chief of Staff for the Liberal Party’s party leader’s office in the Swedish Parliament.

Stephanie Rap

Dr. Stephanie Rap is lecturer and senior researcher at the Child Law Department at Leiden University, the Netherlands. She holds master’s degrees in Pedagogical sciences and Criminology. In 2013 she defended her Ph.D. dissertation in juvenile criminal law titled The participation of juvenile defendants in the youth court: A comparative study of juvenile justice procedures in Europe at Utrecht University. Stephanie has published and presented extensively on juvenile justice, children’s rights and child participation in legal proceedings. She lectures on topics related to juvenile justice and child protection in the Master of Laws in Advanced Studies in International Children’s Rights.

Sølve Bjørn Randal

Sølve Bjørn Randal is the Programme Director for Child Protection for Unaccompanied Minor refugee children in Municipality of Bergen in Norway. He has previously worked as a clinical social worker in Sandviken Psychiatric Hospital and as a nursing assistant in Haukeland Hospital. Randal is an active volunteer in children rights projects and has worked with several international organisations. He has participated in several projects in Mexico, Ethiopia, Liberia, Sudan, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Peru and Chile. Randal has a bachelor’s degree in social work and master’s degree in child welfare and child protection.

Koen Leurs

Koen Leurs is Assistant Professor in Gender and Postcolonial Studies at Utrecht University. He is a critical internet researcher interested in migration, gender, diaspora and youth culture. He is currently guest-editing journal special issues on ‘Forced migration and digital connectivity’ for Social Media + Society and “Connected migrants: Encapsulation and Cosmopolitanism” for Popular Communication. International Journal of Media and Culture. He is the principal investigator of the 3-year study Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research funded “Young connected migrants. Comparing digital practices of young asylum seekers and expatriates in the Netherlands”

Elin Wernquist Roberts

Elin Wernquist is the head of the newly founded Children’s Rights Bureau in Stockholm, Sweden, which provides social and legal support and advice to a very vulnerable and at risk client group, many of whom are unaccompanied, refugee children and young people. She has previously worked in the area of child protection in the United Kingdom and has a university degree in politics from Manchester Metropolitan University.

Abdirahim Hussein Mohamed

Abdirahim Hussein Mohamed is a Somalian-born Finnish politician and media personality who was the first immigrant to chair a political party organisation in Finland. He is currently working as a consultant and hosts his own talk show. He has been an advisor to the Finnish Refugee Council and a member of the City of Helsinki Immigration and Integration Advisory Board. In 2012-14, he was the Chairman of the Moniheli Network of Multicultural Associations. He has a university degree in organisational and youth work.

Anne Larilahti

Anne Larilahti is the Vice President of Sustainability Strategy for Telia Company. She is responsible for driving various sustainability activities across the group, with special focus on inclusive digitization. Before joining Telia Company Anne was heading the Finnish Ski Area Association and earlier enjoyed a long career with Nokia in different marketing and sustainability functions, lastly as Head of Sustainability for Nokia Siemens Networks. Children’s rights and the new challenges brought on by their lives online is a special interest to her and a growing part of her current work.

Elizabeth Milovidov

Dr. Elizabeth Milovidov is an Independent Expert on Digital Parenting for the Council of Europe. She is a lawyer from California, a law professor in Paris and an eSafety Consultant in Europe. She researches solutions for parenting in the digital age and provides workshops to empower parents as they embark on the digital age adventure with their children. She is the founder of DigitalParentingCoach.com, a website and community with resources and tools for parents.

George Moschos

George Moschos is the Deputy Ombudsman for Children’s Rights in Greece. He has been working for the defence of children’s rights, prevention of the social exclusion of young people, youth empowerment and children’s expression through drama. He studied Law in Athens and Criminology (MPhil) in London and has trained in the fields of adult education, youth work, self-awareness and drama for children.

Birgy Lorenz

Birgy Lorenz is the ICT development manager and a teacher in Pelgulinna Gymnasium, an upper secondary school in Tallinn. She is also a lecturer on several subjects in Tallinn University, such as media technology and internet safety for schools. In 2011, she was awarded Estonian Teacher of the Year. Lorenz is also a trainer in the Estonian Information Technology Foundation and a community leader for informatics teachers in Tallinn Teachers’ House. She is currently completing her PhD in Information Society Technologies, with a focus on the safety strategies of teenage internet users.

Margus Tsahkna

Margus Tsahkna is the Estonian Minister of Social Affairs. He is an Estonian politician who has been a Member of Parliament after several elections. He has been the Vice Chairman of the Board of the Estonian Health Insurance Fund and a member of the Board of the Estonian Environmental Investment Centre. In 2003 - 2007 he was a member of Tartu City Council. He studied in the faculty of theology and the faculty of law in the University of Tartu, and studied international law in the University of Toronto.

Jürgen Ligi

Jürgen Ligi is the Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs. He is an Estonian politician who has previously hold the positions of Minister of Education and Research, Minister of Finance and Minister of Defence. He has been a Member of the Parliament after several elections. Born in 1959, Ligi studied geography and foreign economics at the University of Tartu, as well as also graduated from the Estonian Business School.

Kadri Soova

Kadri Soova is an Advocacy Officer on EU Migration Policies in PICUM – Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants. She has previously worked as an Adviser to the Chancellor of Justice in Estonia and in the Brussels Advocacy Office of Save the Children International. Soova has a master’s degree in Human Rights and Democratisation from the European Inter-University Centre in Italy.

Jaanus Kangur

Jaanus Kangur is an Estonian trainer who manages a training and consultancy company. He has worked as a lecturer in Tallinn University where he taught courses on criminal justice policy and social work. For several years, he worked as the Head of the Department of Social Affairs in Tallinn Prison, where he was also a chaplain. He holds a master’s degree in the anthropology of religion and he’s currently completing his PhD in Cultural Studies in Tallinn University.

Anne Kleinberg

Anne Kleinberg is Head of the Psychiatry Clinic of Tallinn Children’s Hospital. She has researched mental problems and depression among Estonian children and has taken part in several related researches. She is also a lecturer in Tallinn University where she teaches subjects on child psychopathology. Kleinberg has a PhD and has studied psychiatry at the Faculty of Medicine in University of Tartu.

Mart Laanpere

Mart Laanpere is a Senior Research Fellow in Tallinn University and a training manager in Samsung’s DigiTurn project, which advises Estonian schools on using digital solutions and smart equipment. He previously worked as a school headmaster in Kolga school, Harjumaa County. Laanpere has a PhD in Educational Sciences with a focus on educational technology.

Kristel Siitam-Nyiri

Kristel Siitam-Nyiri is Deputy Secretary General of Criminal Policy Department of the Estonian Ministry of Justice. She has previously worked as a Senior Prosecutor in Northern District Prosecutor’s Office in Estonia. Siitam-Nyiri has degree in law from the University of Tartu.

Henrik Roonemaa

Henrik Roonemaa is Estonian technology journalist. He is currently the Editor in Chief of technology website Geenius.ee and for the past three years has worked as a columnist for Postimees, the largest daily newspaper in Estonia. For several years Roonemaa has lead different radio shows on technological topics. In 2005-2015 he was the Editor in Chief for technology magazine Digi. He has a university degree in communication and journalism.

Margit Sutrop

Margit Sutrop is the Professor of practical philosophy and the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities in University of Tartu. She is also the founder of University of Tartu Centre for Ethics. Sutrop is an Expert of Ethics for the European Commission. One of her passions is educational innovation, she has been a participant in building official curriculums in Estonia and several lifelong learning programmes.

Sven Jürgenson

Sven Jürgenson is the Ambassador of Estonia, the Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York and the President of the UNICEF Executive Board for the term 2016. He has previously served as the Ambassador to the United States, Canada, Mexico and to France, Monaco and Tunisia. He has worked in the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the Chancellery of the President of Estonia. Jürgenson has also worked in Estonian embassies in Helsinki and Vienna. He graduated from the information processing department of Tallinn Polytechnic Institute and completed the diplomacy and consular affairs course at the International Institute of Public Administration in Paris.

Maarja Punak

Maarja Punak is a police officer and one of three web-constables in Estonia. Her work includes lectures on internet safety and security to children and their parents. In 2015 she took part in a mission in Slovenia where she acquainted herself with the situation of refugees and refugee children. Punak has previously worked as a police officer spezialised in youth issues and as a police officer on patrol. She has a master’s degree in administrative management from the University of Tartu.

Andres Aru

Andres Aru is Head of the Children´s and Youth Rights Department in the Office of the Chancellor of Justice. Andres has a long time experience in solving matters concerning the protection and promotion of children´s and youth rights that fall within the competence of the Chancellor of Justice. Andres Aru has degree in law from the University of Tartu.

Malle Hallimäe

Coordinator of the Safer Internet Centre in Estonia. She is also the project manager for Estonian online solutions in INHOPE - international network of hotlines, dealing with illegal content online. She has previously worked as an area manager and programme manager in the Estonian Union for Child Welfare, where she has published books about children’s rights. Hallimäe has also worked as a teacher of Art and she has studies applied arts in the Estonian Academy of Arts.

Boris Veler

Boris Veler is the co-founder and managing director of Slovenian NGO LogOut, center for digital addiction help and treatment. He is a web enthusiast and a former computer programmer. Veler is also a Member of the Board of the Safer Internet Slovenia and he is promoting safe and creative use of digital media among parents, youth and children. He has a university degree in economy.

Livia Stoica Becht

Livia Stoica Becht is a Policy Programme Officer in the Children’s Rights Division of the Council of Europe and a Secretary to the Ad hoc Committee on the Rights of the Child (CAHENF), which guides the Organisation’s intergovernmental work in this area. In these capacities, she follows closely the implementation of the Council of Europe Strategy for the Rights of the Child (2016-2021). Livia Stoica Becht is a Romanian national educated in France, and holds a postgraduate law degree from the Panthéon Sorbonne University (France) and from the College of Europe (LLM European Law).

Karmen Laus

Karmen Laus is the Director of International Organizations Division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Estonia. She has previously worked as a Deputy Head of Mission in the Embassy of Republic of Estonia in London and in Dublin as well. She has also worked in several divisions in the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and as the Permanent Representation of Estonia to the European Union. Laus has certificate cum laude in the European Studies from the Diplomatic Academy Vienna.