The assessment of a child’s best interests must be a multidisciplinary exercise (47) involving relevant actors and undertaken by specialists and experts who have been vetted and who have received the relevant training to work with children (48)
The best interests of the child are objective in nature, i.e. they cannot rely on subjective attitudes, views and opinions. An adult’s judgement of a child’s best interests cannot override the obligation to respect all the child’s rights under the Convention (49). This means that the BIC should never justify a deprivation of a right according to the CRC.
| It is considered good practice to ensure that any recommendation or assessment made regarding the child’s best interests is further reviewed and approved, using the four-eye principle where at least two officers look at the case |
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(47) Recommendations for the use of a multidisciplinary team can also be found in CRC Committee, General comment No 14 (2013) on the right of the child to have his or her best interests taken as a primary consideration (art. 3, para. 1), 29 May 2013, CRC /C/GC/14.
(48) Separated Children in Europe Programme, Statement of Good Practice, March 2010, 4th revised edition, p. 6.
(49) CRC Committee, General comment No 14 (2013) on the right of the child to have his or her best interests taken as a primary consideration (art. 3, para. 1), 29 May 2013, CRC /C/GC/14.