Get to know us
AMBER Alert Europe foundation
Amber Alert Europe Foundation
AMBER Alert Europe, the European Centre for Missing Children, is a foundation that strives to improve the protection of missing children and empower children by raising awareness on the issue of missing children and its root causes. We connect experts from 44 governmental organisations, in particular ministries of the interior and police forces, and non-governmental organisations from 28 countries in our mission towards zero missing children in Europe.
Our activities
Our activities cover prevention and awareness-raising, training, research, and child alerting, as well as launching initiatives aimed at impacting policies and legislation in the area of children’s rights. Our joint efforts with police experts in the field of missing children even paved the way for a European police expert network in this area.
All of our activities are implemented in line with the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child and with respect for the privacy of children and data protection laws.
Our beginnings
As a response to missing children cases exceeding geographical borders, the AMBER Alert Europe Foundation was founded in 2013 to contribute to better cross-border coordination and cooperation in the search for missing children.
Since then, our network has expanded and now encompasses different experts from a variety of backgrounds who make their know-how and expertise available to improve existing practices and procedures for a fast and safe recovery of missing children and safeguarding of children against going missing or an abduction.
Police Expert Network on Missing Persons
The Police Expert Network on Missing Persons (PEN-MP) is the official European missing persons police network consisting of police experts in the field of missing persons from all over Europe. The network was initiated by the AMBER Alert Europe foundation and is now officially affiliated with the Law Enforcement Working Party (LEWP) of the Council of the European Union.
The PEN-MP brings together over 80 law enforcement experts from 34 EU and non-EU countries. The goal of the PEN-MP is to bring together law enforcement experts in the field of missing persons. The PEN-MP enables fast and direct cross-border cooperation and communication between law enforcement experts in missing person cases. It also provides specialist support, advice, and training to participating law enforcement authorities.
Official recognition by the Council of the EU
The PEN-MP was announced in 2016 under the Dutch Presidency of the Council of the European Union. At its launch, the Dutch Presidency called on every Member State to appoint a national contact for the network.
In support of the Dutch initiative, a majority of 465 Members of the European Parliament from all EU Member States signed AMBER Alert Europe’s Written Declaration for better European cooperation on saving the lives of missing children.
Board of Directors
Petra Binkova
Frank Hoen
Advisory Board
Carmelo Abela
Damjan Miklič
Karsten Bettels
Lars Bruhns
Caroline Humer
Victor Reuter
Patrícia Cipriano
Henk Jansen
Maurice Lenferink
With your help
towards #ZeroMissingKids
Contributions to the AMBER Alert Europe foundation make a significant difference in the search for and protection of missing children. With your help, we can continue our ongoing efforts towards #ZeroMissingKids.
Organisations that support AMBER Alert Europe
Annual and Financial Reports
The Netherlands Fundraising Regulator
The Netherlands Fundraising Regulator (CBF) is an independent foundation which has been monitoring fundraising by charities since 1925. The CBF’s task is to promote trustworthy fundraising and expenditure by reviewing fundraising organisations and giving information and advice to government institutions and the public.
Public Benefit Organisation
The AMBER Alert Europe foundation is a ‘Public Benefit Organisation’ (Dutch: Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling, ANBI). We were awarded this status because at least 90 percent of our efforts are focused on the general good.