Skip to main content
Migration and Home Affairs

child's best interests determination (BID)

Definition(s)

A formal process with strict procedural safeguards and documentation requirements designed to determine the best interests of the child (BIC) for particularly important decisions affecting the child and which should facilitate adequate child participation without discrimination, involve decision-makers with relevant areas of expertise, and balance all relevant factors in order to assess the best option.

Source(s)

UNHCR: Guidelines on Determining the best interest of the child, 2008.

Translations

  • BG: определяне на висшия интерес на детето
  • CS: určení nejlepšího zájmu dítěte
  • DE: Bestimmung des Kindeswohls / Feststellung des Kindeswohls
  • EL: Καθορισμός υπέρτερου συμφέροντος του παιδιού (ΒΙD) (EL); BIC, καθορισμός βέλτιστου συμφέροντος του παιδιού (ΒΙD) (CY)
  • EN: child's best interests determination (BID)
  • ES: determinación del interés superior (DIS) / determinación del interés superior del niño
  • ET: lapse parimate huvide määramine
  • FI: lapsen edun määrittäminen
  • FR: détermination de l’intérêt supérieur de l’enfant
  • GA: cinneadh um an leas is fearr do leanbh
  • HR: određivanje najboljeg interesa djeteta
  • HU: a gyermek mindenek felett álló érdekének meghatározása
  • IT: child's best interests  determination (BID
  • LT: geriausių vaiko interesų nustatymas
  • LV: bērna interešu noteikšana
  • MT: determinazzjoni tal-aħjar interessi / determinazzjoni tal‑aħjar interessi tal‑minorenni
  • NL: bepaling van het belang van het kind
  • PL: określenie najlepszego interesu / określenie najlepszego interesu dziecka
  • PT: determinação do superior interesse da criança
  • RO: determinarea interesului superior (DIS) / determinarea interesului superior al copilului
  • SK: definovanie / určenie najlepšieho záujmu dieťaťa
  • SL: določitev največje koristi otroka
  • SV: prövning av barnets bästa
  • NO: n/a
  • KA: ბავშვის საუკეთესო ინტერესების განსაზღვრა (BID)
  • UK: визначення найкращих інтересів дитини (ВНІ)
  • HY: երեխայի լավագույն շահերի սահմանում

Synonym(s)

  • BIC
  • child's best interests determination
  • best interests of the child determination

Broader Term(s)

Related Term(s)

Notes

In formal child's best interests determination (BID) processes all relevant factors are weighed and balanced giving appropriate weight to the rights and obligations recognized in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and other human rights instruments, so that a comprehensive decision can be made that best protects the rights of children. A best interests determination requires stricter procedural safeguards than the assessment. The UNHCR guidelines on assessing and determining the best interests of the child 2018 require UNHCR to undertake a BID in the following three situations:

  1. the identification of the most appropriate durable solution or complementary pathway for unaccompanied children (and separated children) where there is an additional significant risk factor or protection concern);
  2. the identification of the most appropriate options for children at risk in exceptional situations; and
  3. decisions which may involve the separation of a child from parents against their will.