Children and young people all over the world need protection and special care when they come into conflict with the law. This is the inspiration behind the establishment of the International Juvenile Justice Observatory (IJJO), which offers an inter-disciplinary system of information, communication, debates, analysis and proposals concerning different areas relating to the development of juvenile justice in the world. The IJJO was created in 2002, obtained the statute of Public Utility in 2006, and has consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC). Its headquarters is in Brussels and it receives support and sponsorship from a variety of university institutions, organizations and government departments, as well as from the European Commission.