Opening Remarks by Christina Meinecke, Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to the European Union.

22 September 2026, Brussels.

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Welcome to the UN House and to this Human Rights Talk on Ending child homelessness in Europe: policy and legal pathways.

We started this series of Human Rights Talks a few years back to mark the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration for Human Rights, to place a spotlight on a wide range of human rights and bring together different networks and stakeholders to discuss persisting and emerging human rights issues and how to address those. We are now relaunching it, as part of a broader effort to inspire action and strengthen collaboration for human rights under the Global Alliance for Human Rights.

Today’s event explores the reality of child homelessness in Europe, how EU instruments can be used to address it and how UN human rights mechanisms can guide those efforts. It has been organized in excellent collaboration with the European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA).

The issues that we will discuss today of crucial importance. Let us be clear: No child should be without a home. No child should live on the street, in a car, in a shelter or hop from couch to couch.