11 September 2026

The Jaap Doek Children’s Rights Thesis Award is an annual award for the best thesis in the field of Children’s Rights granted by Defence for Children and the Department of Child Law and Health Law of Leiden Law School. Submit your thesis before Monday 12 October 2026. 

On 1 November 2012, the Jaap Doek Children’s Rights Thesis Award was established in honour of Professor Jaap Doek for his outstanding achievements in the field of children's rights, in the Netherlands and worldwide.

Both law students and students from other disciplines can apply for the thesis award. Candidates from the Dutch Caribbean, Surinam and Flanders are also cordially invited to submit their theses.

The prize

The winner of the Jaap Doek Thesis Award is rewarded with an organised trip to Geneva, including a visit to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, and prize money of €500 to be spent freely.

The requirements

Only master’s theses graded with (the equivalent of) an 8 (eight) or more in the preceding academic year (1 September 2025 until 31 August 2026) will be considered. The master’s thesis should be submitted before 12.00 am on Monday 12 October 2026. Detailed information about conditions can be found in the regulations.

Award ceremony

The prize will be awarded on the afternoon of Thursday 10th December, starting at 14.00. The award ceremony will take place at the Leiden Law School, Steenschuur 25, room A051. The participants who are nominated by the members of the jury will be invited to present their theses during the award ceremony.

The jury

The jury consists of experts with special merits in the field of Children’s Rights, including:
Jaap Doek (chairman), emeritus professor of Children’s Rights (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam);
Karin Arts, Professor of International law and development (ISS The Hague, part of Erasmus University Rotterdam);
Sharon Detrick, senior legal adviser, PhD (Defence for Children);
Ton Liefaard, UNICEF Chair of Children’s Rights (Leiden University);
Johan Put, Professor of Law and Criminological Sciences (Catholic University of Leuven).