CRC Sessions and Webcasting

During its sessions, the Committee conducts dialogue with the States who have ratified the Convention and/or its Optional Protocols in order to assess progress and shortfalls in their implementation.

The session are broadcasted live by the UN Web TV. The link to the webcast is then posted on the session page together with the audio recording.

The webcast is a unique opportunity to raise awareness and do advocacy on the CRC reporting at national level, either by gathering children’s rights defenders around the live webcast or by using the recorded videos for follow-up activities, advocacy actions or capacity-building activities, especially with children.

CRC Sessions and pre-sessions overviews

Child Rights Connect follows all the sessions and produces its own summary country reports, highlighting reporting status, main issues discussed and main recommendations included in the Concluding Observations.

1. List of States reviewed (Reviewed Reports, Concluding Observations)  

At its 94th session (04 September – 22 September) the Committee reviewed the reports and issued Concluding Observations for 6 States:  

2. Children’s participation Monitoring and Analysis

Many of the General Comment 26 Children’s Advisory Team and other children engaged in the official launch event of the General Comment 26 as speakers, co-moderators and participants.

In its Concluding Observations, the Committee issued recommendations on Child Human Rights Defenders under the cluster General measures of implementation – Cooperation with civil society for Albania, Kyrgyzstan and Togo.

3. Status of ratifications (as of September 2023):  

  • 196 States parties to the CRC 
  • 173 States parties to the OPAC  
  • 178 States parties to the OPSC  
  • 51 States parties to the OPIC – Moldova acceded to OPIC  

Check the ratification status in real time! 

4. Status of work on General Comments (as of September 2023) 

On 18 September 2023, the General Comment No.26 on children’s rights and the environment, with a special focus on climate change was launched at Palais des Nations, Geneva. The Child Rights Advisory Team demonstrated their clear commitment to take forward the implementation of the general comment, with the support of thousands of children and young people who had contributed to it. The Advisory Team and local children also held a tree-planting ceremony to mark the launch.  

As a first step towards the implementation of General Comment No.26, the Committee decided to create a new cluster entitled “children’s rights and the environment” to be used in the Committee’s dialogues with States parties and Concluding Observations. See Decision No. 19 on “Implementation of General Comment no. 26”. 

5. Status of work on Day of General Discussion (as of September 2023) 

The Committee’s Working Group on Working Methods is working on a proposal to align the themes of the Day of General Discussion with the General Comment, as per its Decision No. 16 to integrate Days of General Discussion into the process of developing General Comments.  

6. Status of individual communications under the Optional Protocol on a communications procedure 

  • The Committee examined six individual communications under the OPIC during the 94th session and found violations in two cases. 
  • Argentina: on the child justice system. 
  • Denmark: on deportation of a father of three minor children, resulting in the separation from his children. 
  • They also declared a case against Switzerland inadmissible. 
  • The Committee discontinued two cases against Switzerland due to positive outcomes and one case against Spain due to loss of contact with the author of the communication.  
  • Finally, they also discussed three inquiries under article 13 of the Optional Protocol.  
  • Access all the OPIC decisions here.

7. Status of Simplified Reporting Procedure (SRP) 

There is no update on the SRP calendar and no date of implementation of the Committee’s Decisions No. 15. The Decision No. 18 on the simplified reporting procedure as the standard reporting procedure for periodic reports under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and for initial reports under the Optional Protocols will start to be implemented from 1 January 2024. 

At the end of the Concluding Observations, there is currently no date for the next State report: “The Committee will establish and communicate the due date of the periodic report of the State party in line with a future predictable reporting calendar based on an eight-year review cycle and following the adoption of a list of issues and questions prior to reporting, if applicable, for the State party.” This is linked to the Committee’s decision 18 on the Implementation of the simplified reporting procedure for reports to the Committee as well as decision 15 on the Procedure (8 year cycle).

8. Relevant activities of the Committee during the session 

9. Relevant activities of Child Rights Connect during the session 

  • During the opening of the session, Child Rights Connect delivered a statement on behalf of its network. 
  • Child Rights Connect delivered online briefings for civil society organisations to effectively engage in the Committee’s session, as well as in the pre-session and children’s meetings. 
  • During the 54th session of the Human Rights Council, Alex Conte, Executive Director of Child Rights Connect, participated as panellist to a side event on children and climate change.
  • Child Rights Connect has collaborated with Terre des Hommes on the launch of the General Comment 26, providing advocacy support and coordinating the process, including post-launch opportunities, with our Child’s Advisory Team and Working Group on environment. Child Rights Connect partnered with Terre des Hommes Germany, one of our member organisations, to contribute to the draft of the child-friendly version of the GC26 which is accessible in the following languages: English, Français, Español, Português 

 10. 96th Pre-Session 

The Committee held the pre-session meetings and issued List of Issues for the following States: 

  • Bahrain (OPAC, OPSC) 
  • Egypt 
  • Mali
  • Namibia 
  • Panama (OPSC)
  • Pakistan (OPSC) 
  • South Africa  

1. List of States reviewed

At its 93rd session , the Committee reviewed the reports and issued Concluding Observations as well as press releases for six States:

2. Status of ratifications (as of May 2023):

    • 196 States parties to the CRC
    • 173 States parties to the OPAC
    • 178 States parties to the OPSC
    • 50 States parties to the OPIC

There wasn’t any new ratification or accession since the last session.

Check the ratification status in real time!

3. Status of work on General Comments (as of May 2023)

The Committee adopted its General Comment No. 26 on children’s rights and the environment, with a special focus on climate change. There has been unprecedented interest with over 16,000 children consulted in the drafting process, including very young children (find more information). The final edited text will be made available in July 2023. It will be launched during the 94th CRC session on 18th September 2023.

4. Status of work on Day of General Discussion (as of May 2023)

The Committee’s Working Group on Working Methods is working on a proposal to align the themes of the Day of General Discussion with the General Comment, as per its Decision No. 16 to integrate Days of General Discussion into the process of developing General Comments.

5. The Committee’s work around the Optional Protocol on a Communications Procedure (OPIC)

The Committee examined ten individual communications under the OPIC during the 93rd session and found violations in three cases.

  • Peru: on the access to abortion services by a 13-year-old victim of rape and incest and the criminalization of abortion. (Press release here).
  • Czech Republic: on the institutionalization of children to ensure their right to health and education.
  • Denmark: on deportation of a girl to Somalia with a risk of being subjected to female genital mutilation.

The Committee also considered the case of Luxembourg on separation of children from parents and best interest of the child, finding no violation of the Convention.

They also declared two cases inadmissible against Chile and Spain respectively.

Finally, the Committee discontinued two cases against Switzerland, one against Ireland and one against Denmark.

Access all the OPIC decisions here.

6. Status of Simplified Reporting Procedure (SRP)

There is no update on the SRP calendar and no date of implementation of the Committee’s Decisions No. 18 and No. 15.

7. Relevant activities of the Committee during the session

8. Relevant activities of Child Rights Connect during the session

  • During the opening of the 93rd session, Child Rights Connect delivered a statement on behalf of its network.
  • Child Rights Connect organized a conference to celebrate its 40th anniversary, which members of the Committee on the Rights of the Child attended and contributed to as panelists.

9. 95th Pre-session

During its 94th Pre-session, the Committee held the pre-session meetings and issued List of Issues Prior to Reporting for the following States:

Pre-session meetings:

  • Bulgaria
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Paraguay
  • Congo
  • Senegal

List of Issues Prior to Reporting

1. List of States reviewed

At its 92nd session (16 January 2023 – 3 February 2023) the Committee reviewed the reports and issued Concluding Observations for seven States:

2. Children’s participation Monitoring and Analysis

Children have addressed the Committee at the session opening. A member of the General Comment 26 Children’s Advisory Team delivered a speech, followed by a video message from other GC26 child advisors.

3. Status of ratifications (as of February 2023):

    • 196 States parties to the CRC
    • 173 States parties to the OPAC – Solomon Islands ratified the OPAC on 20 January 2023
    • 178 States parties to the OPSC
    • 51 States parties to the OPIC – Lithuania has accessed the OPIC on 3 October 2022

Check the ratification status in real time!

4. Status of work on General Comments (as of February 2023)

The Committee has pursued its work on its General Comment on the Right of the Child and the Environment, with a particular focus on climate change. It has issued a call for comments on the draft general comment.  The Committee held an online meeting with the GC26 Children Advisory Team during the session.
The Committee announced that it will adopt the General Comment during its session in May 2023 and launch it during its session in September 2023.
Visit the dedicated website for more information.

5. The Committee’s work around the Optional Protocol on a Communications Procedure (OPIC)

The Committee had adopted decisions in eight cases.
It had found violations of the Convention in a case against France concerning an unaccompanied migrant child who was subjected to age determination tests and denied access to accommodation, education and other social services.
The Committee had also examined two cases against Switzerland concerning deportations to Georgia and Austria respectively, but found no violations of the Convention.
The Committee had also declared a case against Chile admissible, which concerned the return of a child from Chile to Switzerland.
The Committee had discontinued four cases, two against Spain and two against Switzerland, respectively.

The Committee published its Follow-up progress report on individual communications.

6. Status of Simplified Reporting Procedure (SRP)

  • The CRC SRP calendar was updated.
  • New States have accepted to be reviewed under the SRP since the last session: Australia, Barbados, Botswana, Denmark, Lebanon, and Trinidad and Tobago.
  • The Committee decided that the simplified reporting procedure will be the standard reporting procedure for periodic reports under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and for initial reports under the Optional Protocols from 1 January 2024. States parties should inform the Secretariat if they wish to opt-out by 30 September 2024. See Decision No. 18 on implementation of the simplified reporting procedure for reports to the Committee.

7. Relevant activities of the Committee during the session

8. Relevant activities of Child Rights Connect during the session

  • Child Rights Connect delivered a statement on behalf of its network at the session opening. Key highlights are: the Committee’s engagement in our 40th anniversary event in May; our work around the first study of the Council of Europe on the situation of children as human rights defenders; the child rights mainstreaming UN Guidance Note; the 2024 Summit of the Future and the Pact for the Future; our deep concerns about UNOG’s decision to stop providing interpretation for online meetings from mid-2023.
  • On the 6th February, Child Rights Connect co-organised with the Geneva Academy a Human Rights Conversation focusing on Child Participation in the work of UN Human Rights Mechanisms. Our Deputy Director Ilaria Paolazzi was one of the panelist alongside Bragi Gudbrandsson, member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, Arden and Omima (Members of the Children’s Parliament), Beau and Daisy (Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament), and Bruce Adamson, Children and Young People’s Commissioner of Scotland. Watch here!
  • Our Working Group on children and violence met the Committee members to discuss gaps and opportunities to strengthen country responses and actions and the role of Human Rights mechanisms in Geneva. The specific objectives were to:
    1. Present the findings from the WG review of 47 countries on how violence against children has been addressed in the Concluding Observations of the CRC, HRC Resolutions and UPR.
    2. Share advocacy plans and recommendations for action from the WG.
    3. Discuss areas of collaboration.
  • Child Rights Connect delivered online briefings for civil society organisations to effectively engage in the Committee’s session, as well as in the pre-session and children’s meetings.

9. 94th Pre-session

During its 94th Pre-session, the Committee held pre-session meetings and issued Lists of Issues and Lists of Issues Prior to Reporting for the following States:

Lists of Issues:

Lists of Issues Prior to Reporting:

SRP pre-sessions:

  • France
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

1. List of States reviewed

At its 91st session (29th August-23rd September 2022) the Committee reviewed the reports and issued Concluding Observations for eight States:

2. Children’s participation Monitoring and Analysis

Landmark CRC Concluding Observations on Child Human Rights Defenders linked to freedom of expression!

3. Status of ratifications (as of October 2022):

    • 196 States parties to the CRC
    • 172 States parties to the OPAC
    • 178 States parties to the OPSC
    • 50 States parties to the OPIC – New Zealand and Lithuania accessed/ratified the OPIC in September 2022

Check the ratification status in real time!

4. Status of work on General Comments (as of September 2022)

The Committee pursued its work on its General Comment on the Right of the Child and the Environment, with a particular focus on climate change. It adopted the draft for the public consultation scheduled in November 2022.
The findings of the consultations (31 March 2022 – 30 June 2022) with children and young people informing General Comment No. 26. were compiled in the the Consultation Report. 7,416 children from 103 countries shared their views on their rights, the environment and climate change.
Visit the dedicated website for more information.

5. The Committee’s work around the Optional Protocol on a Communications Procedure (OPIC)

The Committee had adopted decisions in eight cases.
It had found violations of the Convention in a case against Finland concerning the situation of children detained in refugee camps in northern Syria, and violations of the Convention in four cases against Spain concerning access to primary education by children of Moroccan nationality and residing in Melilla, Spain.
The Committee had also examined a case against Ireland concerning the international abduction of a child from Canada, finding the case inadmissible.
The Committee had discontinued two cases, against Denmark and against Switzerland.

6. Status of Simplified Reporting Procedure (SRP)

The CRC SRP calendar was updated.

7. Relevant activities of the Committee during the session

  • The Committee adopted its decision 16 on the integration of the DGDs into the process of developing General Comments. The Working Group on Working Methods will develop a proposal with further details.
  • The Committee issued a joint statement “Children have specific rights and should be protected at all times” with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, UNICEF, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. UN experts call on States to recognize all persons under 18 years as children and provide them with special protection, and express concerns about situations in which children above a certain age are treated as adults or as ‘young’ adults. This is an outcome of the Committee’s biennial meeting with UNICEF during the session, during which the issue of children versus youth was discussed.
  • The Committee adopted a joint statement on illegal intercountry adoptions, issued with the Committee on Enforced Disappearances, the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, the Special Rapporteur on the Promotion of Truth, Justice, Reparation and Guarantees of Non-recurrence, the Special Rapporteur on the Sale and Sexual Exploitation of Children including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material, and the Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, especially women and children.

8. Relevant activities of Child Rights Connect during the session

  • At the 91st CRC session, our Children’s Advisory Team (CAT) delivered a statement, which marks the first time ever that children have addressed the Committee on the Rights of the Child at the opening of their session! Read our news piece which includes the video statement and the live speech of the CAT, and the recording of the opening.
  • During the opening of the 91st session, Child Rights Connect delivered a statement on behalf of its network. Read the OHCHR press release and all opening statements delivered by the CRC Chair, OHCHR, UNESCO, UNICEF, and the Secretary of the Committee here.
  • Child Rights Connect Working Group on Child Participation delivered a briefing for the Committee on “Advancing standards on Child Human Rights Defenders”, after noting that while the recommendations increased after the 2018 Day of General Discussion on protecting and empowering children as human rights defenders, there was a progressive decrease in recent years and a need for an explicit use of the UN terminology “child human rights defenders”.
  • Child Rights Connect held a informal briefing on Child Human Rights Defenders (CHRDs) and the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), with States and civil society. Ms Mikiko Otani, the Chairperson of the Committee, participated.
  • Child Rights Connect delivered online briefings for civil society organisations to effectively engage in the Committee’s session, and in the pre-session and children’s meetings.

1. List of States reviewed

At its 90th session (3rd May-3rd June 2022) the Committee reviewed the reports and issued Concluding Observations for twelve States:

2. Children’s participation Monitoring and Analysis

Analysis of how children’s participation was addressed by the Committee on the Rights of the Child during its 90th session.

3. Status of ratifications (as of June 2022):

  • 196 States parties to the CRC
  • 172 States parties to the OPAC
  • 178 States parties to the OPSC
  • 48 States parties to the OPIC

Check the ratification status in real time!

4. Status of work on General Comments (as of June 2022)

The Committee has pursued its work on the new General Comment on the Right of the Child and the Environment, with a particular focus on climate change as a provisional title. On 24th February 2022, the consultative process on General Comment was officially launched and an online meeting with children and other partners, including Child Rights Connect, was held. The online questionnaire for children aged 13 to 17 was launched. The child advisory board was established and held its first meeting on 3rd March 2022.

Visit the dedicated website for more information.

5. Status of work on the Day of General Discussion (as of June 2022)

The Committee adopted the report on “Children’s Rights and Alternative Care”, following its Day of General Discussion 2021.

6. The Committee’s work around the Optional Protocol on a Communications Procedure (OPIC)

  • Individual communications procedure

During its 90th session, the Committee adopted decisions in seven individual communications:

    • The Committee noted violations of the Convention in four cases of these individual communications.
      • One case against Chile concerning the return of a child who was subject to an international abduction.
      • One case against Georgia on the lack of an effective investigation on corporal punishment in a child centre;
      • And two cases against Denmark concerning: 1) the return of a child to Somalia with the risk of female genital mutilation, and 2) the return of a child and the mother victim of gender-based violence.

    • The Committee also discontinued three cases:

      • Two against Spain on the age determination of unaccompanied migrant children;
      • And one case against Slovakia on the return of a family of Afghan asylum seekers to the Netherlands pursuant to the Dublin Regulations.

The Committee also adopted its report on the Follow Up and Views assessing the measures taken by the State parties to implement the views of the Committee in:

    • Seven cases against Spain on age determination of unaccompanied migrant children.
    • One case against Finland related to the return of a child to the Russian Federation with the risk of undergoing bullying and discrimination based on the mother’s sexual orientation;
    • And a case against Switzerland on the expulsion of Azerbaijani children to Italy pursuant to the Dublin Regulations. The Committee decided to maintain all these cases open as part of the Follow Up Procedure.
  • Inquiry procedure

During its 90th session, the Committee adopted its working methods on inquiries and continued the consideration of inquiries.

  • Concluding observations in relation to the OPIC
    • OPIC ratification:
      • In its Concluding observations following States review during this session, the Committee welcomed the progress made by Croatia and Cyprus in ratifying the OPIC.
      • The Committee also called on Cambodia, Canada, Cuba, Djibouti, Greece, Iceland, Kiribati, Somalia, and Zambia to ratify the OPIC in order to further strengthen the fulfillment of children’s rights.
    • Follow-up on Inquiry:

The Committee also made specific recommendations to Chile in relation to the inquiry conducted by the Committee under article 13 of OPIC. In particular, in paragraph 19 of the COBs, the Committee stated that: “recalling its previous recommendations, with reference to its general comment No. 13 (2011) on the right of the child to freedom from all forms of violence and the Committee’s report on the Inquiry concerning Chile under article 13 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a communications procedure, 1 and taking note of target 16.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals on ending all forms of violence against children, the Committee urges the State party to:

a) Establish reparation mechanisms for past or present victims, prioritizing their right to be heard and to express their pain, and ensure that all cases of death of children while under the care of the State party are promptly and impartially investigated by an independent body;

b)Conduct prompt and thorough investigations ensuring accountability and no impunity, including of all cases of violence against children during the October 2019 demonstrations and of the several violent episodes against children perpetrated by the carabineros, and ensure prosecution, sanctions and accountability of all carabineros and all other officials, – involved in torture, cruel or degrading treatment against children;

c) Put in place measures, including creation of a specialized independent legal team, to ensure the protection and reparation of children who are victims of physical abuse, and/or sexual violence committed by State officials;

d) Ensure that there is a well-established reparation mechanism for Mapuche children who are victims of police violence;

e) Ensure ongoing training, monitoring and evaluation in the development of strategies with regards to the protection of children;

f) Ensure ongoing in-person human rights monitoring by the National Preventive Mechanism against Torture of youth centres, including centres where children are detained;

g) Guarantee resources for the rapid implementation of the law that creates the System of Guarantees and Comprehensive Protection of the Rights of Children and Adolescents and establish the right of children to protection against violence, including mental, physical and sexual abuse, and take effective and prompt measures to prevent, investigate, sanction all forms of violence against children;

h) Make information from the database system of all forms of violence against children publicly available and provide unified information across sectors;

i) Implement the plan to end institutional violence in alternative residential care.

In paragraph 24, the Committee also added that “while noting the closure of some large residential centres, the increase in the number of children under the care of a family, and the actions taken by the State party to address the systematic violations of children’s rights in its care, the Committee remains deeply concerned about: […] (h) Limited implementation of recommendations made by the Committee in its report on the Inquiry concerning Chile under article 13 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a communications procedure (CRC/C/CHL/IR/1).”

7. Status of Simplified Reporting Procedure (SRP)

  • New States have accepted to be reviewed under the SRP since the last session: Morocco and Mongolia. Check the CRC Secretariat SRP calendar.
  • Croatia, Zambia, and Chile were the 6th,7th, and 8th countries to be reviewed under the SRP.

8. Relevant activities of the Committee during the session

  • The Committee created a new Working Group on emergencies, for rapid responses to communications received from the civil society organisations. Focal points were designated within the members of the Committee for the situations in Ukraine, Yemen, State of Palestine, Afghanistan, and Myanmar.
  • The Committee created the Working Group to Follow Up to the Extraordinary 84th CRC session held in Samoa in March 2020.
  • The Committee finalized its working methods related to inquiries and progresses around pending inquiries were discussed.
  • The Committee, and in particular its inter-parliamentary Union focal Point, developed a draft statement on Parliaments, including a pilot proposal on the inclusion of National parliaments in the work of the CRC.
  • The Committee met with five children from Belgium in the context of the Belgium NHRI initiative “Fight 4 Your Right”, to raise awareness on the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the CRC reporting cycle. Listen to the UN Info Genève podcast “le grand angle”.
  • On March 21st , the CRC and CRPD launched a joint statement on the rights of children with disabilities.

  • On June 3rd, the Committee joined Child Rights Connect’s General Assembly, during its discussions on child rights mainstreaming.
  • On the occasion of the 73rd session of the Committee Against Torture and the 90th session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), and Child Rights Connect organised a reception. The OMCT’s Guide: ‘Best Practices to Protect Children against Torture in Detention’ was presented.
  • The Chair of the Committee participated in the 34th meeting of Chairpersons of the Human Rights Treaty Bodies, in New York.
  • The next CRC session schedule in September 2022 is also extended by one week, as a measure to address the current backlog of country reviews.
  • The Committee made press releases on the 90th session that were published in the OHCHR website.
  • The Committee considered ways of addressing its backlog of reports, which currently stood at 78.
  • On 6th June 2022, the elections of the Committee were held in New York, and nine new members were elected.

9.Relevant activities of Child Rights Connect during the session

  • During the opening of the 90th session, Child Rights Connect delivered a statement on behalf of its network.
  • Child Rights Connect delivered online briefings in English and in Spanish, for civil society organisations to effectively engage in the Committee’s session.
  • Child Rights Connect closely monitored the changes in the 2022 session and pre-session schedule by liaising with the CRC Secretariat and updating civil society organisations on a regular basis.
  • Child Rights Connect organised and participated in its usual OPIC annual meeting with member States, which was realised in a hybrid mode.

1. List of States reviewed

At its 89th session (31 January – 11 February 2022) the Committee reviewed the reports and issued Concluding Observations for two States:

The Committee participated in person in Geneva (with two members participating remotely) and the States parties delegations of the Netherlands and Madagascar participated remotely.

As stated on the OHCHR website, “as a result of unprecedented rise of COVID-19/Omicron cases, the OHCHR has evaluated that the 89th session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child due to start on 17 January 2022 is not possible in an in-person format” and the programme of work of this session was largely impactedThis session was reduced to two weeks and therefore, seven country sessions scheduled in January were postponed to the next session.

2. Children’s participation Monitoring and Analysis 

Analysis of how children’s participation was addressed by the Committee on the Rights of the Child during the dialogue with States in its 89th Session. 

 3Status of ratifications (as of February 2022):  

  • 196 States parties to the CRC
  • 172 States parties to the OPAC – Suriname acceded to the OPAC
  • 177 States parties to the OPSC 
  • 48 States parties to the OPIC  

Check the ratification status in real time! 

4. Status of work on General Comments (as of February 2022)

5. Status of work on Day of General Discussion (as of February 2022)

6. Status of individual communications under the Optional Protocol on a communications procedure (OPIC)

  • Individual communications procedure
  • During the 89th session, the Committee adopted decisions concerning 13 cases. Among these decisions:
    • 6 cases on merits with violation:
    • It found violations in six cases, including three cases against France concerning the repatriation of French children from refugee camps in Syria, two cases against Belgium concerning the administrative detention of migrant children pending their asylum proceedings, and one case against Switzerland concerning the deportation of children to the Russian Federation without ensuring access to urgent medical treatment required for a child with disabilities and without hearing a child requiring psychiatric treatment.
    • 1 case inadmissible – One case against Belgium was declared inadmissible.
    • 6 cases discontinued – Six cases were discontinued, five against Spain and one against France.
  • Inquiry procedure
    • The Committee also discussed inquiries under Article 13 of the Optional Protocol, but did not provide additional information during the closing statement.
    • In the context of the outcome of the Treaty bodies strengthening process adopted by the General Assembly in its Resolution 68/268 on strengthening and improving the effective functioning of the human rights treaty body system, the Committee continued its discussion in relation to its working methods, in particular on inquiries.
  • Concluding Observations concerning the OPIC
    • Madagascar: “the Committee recommends that the State party, in order to further strengthen the fulfillment of children’s rights, ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on a communications procedure” (para 47 of the Concluding observations on the combined fifth and sixth reports of Madagascar).
    • Netherlands: “the Committee recommends that the State party, in order to further strengthen the fulfilment of children’s rights, ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on a communications procedure” (para 44 of the Concluding observations on the combined fifth and sixth periodic reports of the Netherlands).

For more information please visit our OPIC-dedicated mini site. 

7. Status of the Simplified Reporting Procedure (SRP)

  • New States have accepted to be reviewed under the SRP since the last session: Republic of Moldova and Saudi Arabia. Check the CRC SRP calendar.
  • The Netherlands was the fifth country to have its session under the SRP.
  • The Committee announced that while it will implement its fixed calendar, the Simplified Reporting Procedure will be the default procedure with option for States parties to opt-out. See the decision.

8. Relevant activities of the Committee during the session 

  • The Committee held its 13th informal meeting with States parties, discussing the Committee’s backlog in reviewing reports caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the importance of a predictable review calendar, among others.
  • The Committee announced that they are adopting an 8-year fixed calendar cycle, with a mid-term follow-up review. The date of implementation and working methods are yet to be determined. See the decision.
  • This year, the Committee is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the entry into force of the Optional Protocols on the involvement of children in armed conflict (OPAC), and on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (OPSC). Two events will be organised in February and March. On the OPSC, the Committee is organizing an online event and discussion on 24th February on how countries can prevent and protect children from being sold or sexually abused and are calling for children’s participation (child-friendly concept note). On the OPAC, on the occasion of the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers, the Committee and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict jointly called on States parties to ratify the OPAC, to commit to ending and preventing the recruitment of children into their armed forces and to criminalize the recruitment and use of children.
  • On 19 October 2021, the Committee co-sponsored the side event of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly “Progressing child rights mainstreaming through a UN common agenda,” co-organized by Amnesty International and Child Rights Connect. Following the milestone decision by the UN Secretary-General in response to our position paper on child rights mainstreaming, a core-group of UN entities was appointed to develop the Guidance Note and there will be broad consultations with all relevant stakeholders, including children and civil society. At its informal meeting with States, the Committee declared that “The implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child will become central to all the UN agencies and bodies” and committed to engage in the development of the Guidance Note. The Committee also thanked Child Rights Connect and Amnesty International for their advocacy which led to the decision on the Guidance Note.
  • The Committee published its contribution to the draft convention on the right to development.
  • The next CRC sessions schedule in May and in September 2022 are both extended by one week, as a measure to address the current backlog of country reviews. The backlog currently stands at 78 reports.

 9. Relevant activities of Child Rights Connect during the session 

  • During the opening of the 89th session, Child Rights Connect delivered a statement on behalf of its network.
  • Child Rights Connect delivered online briefings for civil society organisations to effectively engage in the Committee’s session.
  • Child Rights Connect closely monitored the changes in the 2022 session and pre-session schedule by liaising with the CRC Secretariat and updating civil society organisations on a regular basis.
  • Child Rights Connect participated in its usual annual meeting with the Committee to present our main priorities for the year. It was also an opportunity to raise our concerns on the current backlog, echoing our private letter sent to the Committee and our session opening statement, and to reiterate our support to the Committee.

1. List of States reviewed

At its 88th session (6 September – 24 September 2021), the Committee reviewed the reports and issued Concluding Observations for 4 States:  

Eswatini and Switzerland were the first countries reviewed with a delegation present in Geneva since the COVID-19 pandemic. The delegations of Czech Republic and Poland participated remotely. 

2. Children’s participation Monitoring and Analysis 

Analysis of how children’s participation was addressed by the Committee on the Rights of the Child during the dialogue with States in its 88th Session. 

 3. Status of ratifications (as of September 2021):  

  • 196 States parties to the CRC
  • 171 States parties to the OPAC
  • 177 States parties to the OPSC 
  • 48 States parties to the OPIC  

Check the ratification status in real time! 

4. Status of work on General Comments (as of September 2021)

  • The CRC Committee adopted and released the concept note of its next General Comment on children’s rights and the environment with a special focus on climate change. Read ithere. Consultations with children, State parties and relevant experts will be undertaken to ensure that their perspectives are fully reflected in the general comment. 

5. Status of work on Day of General Discussion (as of September 2021)

  • On 16 and 17 September 2021, the Committee held Day of General Discussion on “Children’s Rights and Alternative Care”. It was the first time that the Committee took forward this event entirely online (due to the COVID-19 pandemic). 
  • The overall purpose of the day of general discussion was to examine broadly the current situation regarding alternative care in its complexity, identify and discuss particular areas of concern with regard to the unnecessary separation of children from their families and appropriate ways to respond to family and child separation in cases where it is unavoidable. 
  • Nearly 2000 children across all regions took part in a global consultation to inform the DGD. 
  • The consensus throughout the sessions was that alternative care should be the last resort and carefully monitored, family separation be avoided, family integration is prioritized, and that the State has the responsibility to protect, be proactive and strengthen the ability of families to provide careIn addition, children must be listened to, and their views taken into account.  
  • The sessions provided three main recommendations for unnecessary separation: the ability to have access to services, timely support and quick, targeted intervention to families in crucial moments and collaboration of networks. 
  • Our news piece is available here. 

6. Status of individual communications under the Optional Protocol on a communications procedure (OPIC)

  • The Committee announced the adoption of six new decisions on individual communications under Article 5 of the OPIC including five cases submitted against Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany and Turkey referring to the impact of climate change and non-refoulement case against Switzerland. More information will be available in our jurisprudence databases soon. The Committee postponed the consideration of two cases against Belgium referring to the issue of administrative detention of children in the context of migration.   
  • The Committee is currently discussing 4 inquiries under article 13 of the OPIC, which relates to an inquiry procedure for grave or systemic violations. And in this regard, it has constituted a specific sub-group on inquiries, which is preparing the draft working methods for inquiries. The coordinators of this sub-group reported the draft is now being finalised for further discussions on the main OPIC Working Group before transmission to plenary. 
  • After revising and modifying the Rules of Procedures under the OPIC and more specifically Rule 19 on oral hearings, the Committee adopted new Guidelines on oral hearings.  
  • The Committee also adopted a Report on follow up to individual communications.

For more information please visit our OPIC-dedicated mini site. 

7. Status of the Simplified Reporting Procedure (SRP)

  • New States have accepted to be reviewed under the SRP since the last session: Chad, Italy, Uruguay. Check the CRC SRP calendar. 
  • Poland and Switzerland were respectively the third and fourth countries to be reviewed under the SRP.  

8. Relevant activities of the Committee during the session 

  • The Committee was the first of ten treaty bodies to resume an in-person session after 18 months of its suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
  • The CRC Committee announced that an increased number of State parties will be reviewed at its next session in January 2022 as a measure to address the current backlog. However, there will be no adoption of Lists of Issues and Lists of Issues Prior to Reporting in February 2022. They are postponed in order to reduce the gap between the LOIs/LOIPRs and the corresponding sessions, and for the Committee to receive most updated information.  

 9. Relevant activities of Child Rights Connect during the session 

  • During the opening of the 88th session, Child Rights Connect delivered a statement on behalf of its network. 
  • Child Rights Connect supported children, NGOs and NHRIs to effectively engage with in the CRC Committee’s pre-sessions and sessions through online briefings and debriefings. 
  • During the 2021 World Congress on Justice with Children, Child Rights Connect will host an international workshop on the OPIC. 

10. 90th Pre-Session

The Committee held the pre-session meetings and issued List of Issues Prior to Reporting for the following States: 

  • Bhutan (LOIPR) 
  • Chile (SRP pre-session) 
  • Ecuador (LOIPR) 
  • Estonia (LOIPR) 
  • Georgia (LOIPR) 
  • Guatemala (LOIPR) 
  • Peru (LOIPR) 
  • Sierra Leone (LOIPR) 
  • Zambia (SRP pre-session) 

1. List of States reviewed

At its 87th online session (17 May – 4 June 2021) the Committee reviewed the reports and issued Concluding Observations for two States. Below, Child Rights Connect country session reports: 

2. Children’s participation Monitoring and Analysis 

Analysis of how children’s participation was addressed by the Committee on the Rights of the Child during the dialogue with States in its 87th Session. 

 3. Status of ratifications (as of February 2021):  

  • 196 States parties to the CRC 
  • 171 States parties to the OPAC – Fiji acceded to the OPAC 
  • 177 States parties to the OPSC – Fiji acceded to the OPSC 
  • 48 States parties to the OPIC – Armenia and Seychelles acceded to OPIC   

Check the ratification status in real time! 

4. Status of work on General Comments (as of June 2021)

5. Status of work on Day of General Discussion (as of June 2021)

  • The Committee continues its work on the Day of General Discussion on alternative care. The event will take place online over two half days on 16 and 17 September 2021, during the 88th session. 
  • Two regional meetings were held in Africa and in Europe to collect stakeholders’ views. 
  • All interested stakeholders, including children, are encouraged to send submissions by the 30th of June 2021 to the CRC Committee at crc@ohchr.org in order to provide any relevant information for the debate. 

6. Status of individual communications under the Optional Protocol on a communications procedure (OPIC)

During the 87th Session and with respect to individual communications under Article 5 of the OPIC, the Committee adopted 7 decisions concerning 15 individual communications. Among these decisions, the Committee: 

  • found violation in a communication against Spain (A.E.A. v. Spain (CRC/C/87/D/115/2020) 
  • found that a communication against Switzerland did not amount to a violation (G.R., H.R, V.R. and D.R. v. Switzerland (CRC/C/87/D/86/2019) 
  • found a communication against Germany inadmissible 
  • found a communication against Switzerland admissible 
  • The Committee also discontinued 11 cases against Spain concerning age assessment of unaccompanied minors. 
  • In fact, the Committee declared that it has made very good progress in clearing its backlog of similar cases relating to age determination of migrant children. 
  • Since January 2021, the Committee has registered 11 new cases, 5 of them with interim measures. 
  • For the first time in its history, during this session the Committee held oral hearings on three cases concerning the impact of climate change on 16 children. 
  • On June 9, 2021, the Committee held an informal event with State parties to discuss the progress on the OPIC. Read our news piece for more information on the event. 
  • The Committee revised and published its new Working methods to deal with individual communications received under the OPIC. 

7. Status of the Simplified Reporting Procedure (SRP)

  • A new State accepted to be reviewed under the SRP since the last session: Romania. Check the CRC Secretariat SRP calendar. 
  • Luxembourg was the second country to complete its review under the SRP.  

8. Relevant activities of the Committee during the session 

  • The CRC Committee elected its new Chairperson, Mikiko Otani (Japan), and Vice-Chairs Velina Todorova (Bulgaria), Philip Jaffé (Switzerland), Hynd Ayoubi Idrissi (Morocco) and Faith Marshall-Harris (Barbados). Read the press release. 
  • Four new Committee members started their mandate: Rinchen Chophel (Bhutan), Sopio Kiladze (Georgia), Zara Ratou (Chad), and Benoit Van Keirsbilck (Belgium).  Check their profiles here! A child friendly version of the bios is also available here. 
  • The CRC Committee continued its discussion on its working methods in regard to the General Assembly resolution 68/268 on “Strengthening and improving the effective functioning of the human rights treaty body system” in particular on individual communications. 
  • On the 16th of April 2021, the Committee attended a webinar organised by the organisation 30 ans des droits de l’enfant on children rights and the Environment with the rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment, human rights defender and civil society organisations which permits to highlight how the Committee can examine children’s rights in relation to the Environment. 
  • The CRC Committee launched the Twitter account @UNChildRights1 on February 12, to present activities of the CRC Committee.  
  • The CRC Committee working group on SDGs commented on a draft declaration of all treaty bodies in the context of the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) which should be held in July 2021 and the CRC Committee joined the declaration untitled: “Sustainable and resilient recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic that promotes the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development: building an inclusive and effective path for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda in the context of the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development”. focusing on the SDGs 1, 2, 3, 8, 10, 12, 13, 16 and 17. 

 9. Relevant activities of Child Rights Connect during the session 

  • During the opening of the 87th session, Child Rights Connect delivered a statement on behalf of its network.  
  • Child Rights Connect supported children, NGOs and NHRIs to effectively engage with in the CRC Committee’s pre-sessions and sessions through online briefings and debriefings, especially in the context of the first fully online session and third online pre-session due to the COVID-19. 
  • The Child Rights Connect Working Group on child rights and environment closely monitored the development of the CRC General Comment on Children’s Rights and the Environment with a Special Focus on Climate Change. Read our news piece on the GC here. 
  • In its work around the OPIC, Child Rights Connect monitored and supported the hearing of children on the cases concerning the impact of climate change on their rights.  
  • On 11th March, one year after the Extraordinary 84th CRC session in Samoa, Child Rights Connect organised a webinar on follow-up actions for its members and contacts in the Pacific region.  

10. 89th Pre-Session

The Committee held the SRP pre-session meetings or issued  List of Issues Prior to Reporting for the following States: 

  • Bulgaria (LOIPR) 
  • Croatia (SRP pre-session) 
  • Fiji (LOIPR) 
  • Liechtenstein (LOIPR) 
  • Oman (LOIPR) 
  • Netherlands (SRP pre-session) 
  • Switzerland (SRP pre-session) 

1. List of States reviewed

The CRC held its online limited 86th session (18 January – 5 February 2021) to deal with some mandated activities, however, no country reviews were conducted during this period due to the extraordinary circumstances of COVID-19.  

 2. Status of ratifications (as of February 2021):  

  • 196 States parties to the CRC 
  • 170 States parties to the OPAC 
  • 176 States parties to the OPSC  
  • 46 States parties to the OPIC 

Check the ratification status in real time! 

3. Status of work on General Comments (as of February 2021)

The Committee adopted the final version of its new General Comment 25 on children’s rights in relation to the digital environment (final version will be available shortly on the OHCHR website).
The Committee received 142 submissions from States, regional organisations, United Nations agencies, National Human Rights Institutions and Children’s Commissioners, children’s & adolescents’ groups, civil society organisations, academics, the private sector, and other entities and individuals from all regions. In parallel, consultations were also held with children from different regions, using the child friendly version of the draft General Comment.
Child Rights Connect’s members and partners made a joint submission focusing on how Child Human Rights Defenders use and engage with the digital environment.

4. Status of work on Day of General Discussion (as of February 2021)

The Committee announced that its next Day of General Discussion on Children’s Rights in Alternative Care will take place on 17th September 2021.
The DGD Working Group of the Committee held online meetings with the civil society organisations’ Task Forceone of which involved the DGD children’s and young people’s advisory teams.

5. Status of individual communications under the Optional Protocol on a communications procedure (OPIC)

Since the 1st of October 2020, the Committee has received 43 new individual communications.
During this session, the Committee has adopted decisions on 13 individual communications and granted interim measures in of them. Among the decisions, the Committee:

  • found violation in 4 individual communications against Finland, Denmark and Spain.
  • found a communication against France inadmissible.
  • discontinued 7 cases.

During this session, the Committee discussed 3 inquiries regarding article 13 of the OPIC. 

The Committee had approved the updating of its working methods to deal with individual communications received under the OPIC. 

At the end of 2020, Child Rights Connect published its OPIC Ratification Toolkit which explores what can be the barriers to OPIC ratification.

6. Relevant activities of the Committee during the session 

  • The Committee announced its decisions to:
    – postpone its adoption of Lists of Issues (LOIs) scheduled during its 89th pre-session in June 2021, given the increasing gap between the adoption of LOIs and corresponding country sessions;
    – undertake online reviews for two States (TBD) in May, should its 87th session still be online. 
  • During the closing session, the Committee expressed concerns about its working conditions during the online session. You can rewatch the opening and closing session on the UN Web TV.
  • In December 2020, the Committee adopted its child safeguarding procedure to ensure a safe and child-friendly environment for children with whom it interacts, prevent and safeguard against the possibility of any harm to children arising from and during their participation in the Committee’s work. The procedure outlines the steps for reporting and responding to child safeguarding concerns. 
  • In November 2020, nine Members of the Committee on the Rights of the Child were elected to replace those whose terms are due to expire on 28 February 2021. 
  • The CRC Working Group on working methods worked on the following items:
    – Amendments of the working methods on child participation in the reporting process;
    – Criteria for the new General Comments;
    – Support for the Committee media focal point;
    – Specific induction for new elected CRC members. 
  • Committee members part of the UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies Working Group on COVID-19 participated in several meetings, and some Committee members participated in an online meeting of the Treaty Body Members Platform organised by the Geneva Academy and Paris Human Rights Center, focusing on how Treaty Bodies can coordinate their working methods in the ongoing situation of online meetings during COVID-19. 
  • Some Committee members participated in the follow-up conference to the 30th anniversary of the CRC Convention organised by the Association 30 Ans de Droits de l’Enfant iNovember 2020.

7. Relevant activities of Child Rights Connect during the session 

  • During the opening of the 86th session, Child Rights Connect delivered a statement on behalf of its network.
  • Child Rights Connect held an online meeting with the Committee to share its key priorities and action plan for the year 2021, with a particular focus on our work on child human rights defenders as well as our new Implementation Guide on the Rights of Child Human Rights Defenders. 
  • Child Rights Connect supported children, NGOs and NHRIs to effectively engage with in the CRC Committee’s pre-sessions through online briefings and debriefings, especially in the context of the second fully online pre-session due to the COVID-19. 
  • Together with the members of TB-Net, Child Rights Connect promoted a merit-based and transparent elections process by sending questionnaires to all nominated candidates. Their responses were made publicly available at www.untbelections.org.    

8. 88th Pre-Session

The Committee held online pre-session meetings and issued List of Issues (soon available) and List of Issues Prior to Reporting for the following States:

  • Afghanistan (OPAC) 
  • Azerbaijan (CRC) 
  • Bolivia (CRC) 
  • Germany (CRC) 
  • Luxembourg (CRC SRP) 
  • North Macedonia (CRC) 
  • South Africa (LOIPR) 
  • South Sudan (CRC) 
  • United Kingdom (LOIPR) 
  • Uzbekistan (CRC) 

1. List of States reviewed 

  • The CRC held an online limited 85th session (14 September – 1 October 2020) to deal with some mandated activities, however, no country reviews were conducted during this period due to the extraordinary circumstances of COVID-19 . The country sessions originally scheduled in May 2020 and then postponed in September 2020 are tentatively scheduled in January 2021.

2. Status of ratifications (as of October 2020):

  • 196 States parties to the CRC
  • 170 States parties to the OPAC  Myanmar, Gambia and Maldives acceded to the OPAC  
  • 176 States parties to the OPSC
  • 46 States parties to the OPIC – Benin and Maldives acceded to the OPIC

Check the ratification status in real time!

3. Status of work on General Comments (as of October 2020)

  • The Committee is currently drafting a General Comment on Children’s Rights in relation to the Digital Environment. The Committee invited all interested stakeholders to provide comment on its draft general comment by 15 November 2020. The Committee will decide on the content of the final version of the general comment after due consideration of inputs provided. More information can be found here 

 4. Status of work on Day of General Discussion (as of October 2020)

  • Due to the extraordinary circumstances of COVID-19, the Committee has decided to postpone to 2021 its next Day of General Discussion on Children’s Rights in Alternative Care, originally scheduled in September 2020. Check our DGD webpage. 

5. Status of individual communications under the Optional Protocol on a communications procedure

6. Relevant activities of the Committee during the session

  • During the opening of the 85th CRC online session, the Committee expressed concern about the online working system, the financial crisis of the treaty bodies as well as the lack of certainty for 2021.
  • The Chair of the CRC Committee presented the Committee’s annual report to the 3rd Committee of the UNGA on 12 October 2020 through videoconference. Read his statement.
  • OHCHR launched a new webpage in English, French and Spanish in July 2020 with information for children about the CRC Committee and its work. Our Children’s Advisory Team was consulted and provided comments and suggestions.
  • The 18th meeting of States parties to the Convention to elect 9 members of the Committee, due to take place in New York in June 2020, has been postponed to the end of 2020. As a member of TB-Net, Child Rights Connect gives all candidates the opportunity to provide further information through its dedicated website www.untbelections.org
  • Following their annual meeting held 27-30 July, the Chairs of the Human Rights Treaty Bodies sent written contribution to the co-facilitation process on treaty body review 2020.
  • In a statement launched in last April, the Committee highlighted that States should respect the rights of the child when taking measures to tackle the public health threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the two Optional Protocols to the CRC, OPSC and OPAC, four UN experts on children’s rights, including the Chair of the CRC Committee, called for universal ratification of two international human rights instruments: statement.

7. Relevant activities of Child Rights Connect during the session

  • During the opening of the 85th session, Child Rights Connect delivered a statement on behalf of its network, calling for collaboration with and support to the Committee to ensure its ability to effectively discharge its full mandate. 
  • Child Rights Connect supported children, NGOs and NHRIs to effectively engage with the CRC Committee through pre-session online briefings and debriefings, especially in the particular context of the first fully online edition due to COVID-19. 
  • Child Rights Connect published a comparative table of the standard and simplified reporting cycles, to detail the differences and processes of the two procedures currently used by the CRC Committee.
  • Earlier in 2020, Child Rights Connect published an updated version of its child-friendly booklet entitled “My Pocket Guide to CRC Reporting” in EnglishFrench and Spanish.
  • For the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the two Optional Protocols to the CRC, OPSC and OPAC, Child Rights Connect endorsed a strong statement calling for universal ratification of the Optional Protocols and timely reporting delivered at the 45th session of the Human Rights Council’s General Debate.
  • Child Rights Connect together with the other members of TB-Net, Amnesty International and ISHR, drafted a civil society letter in EN, FR, SP and RU signed by 522 NGOs from all regions to urge the Treaty Bodies & OHCHR to schedule State reviews no later than 2021.
  • On the UN funding crisisChild Rights Connect and its members have called on States to stand up for the values upon which the United Nations system, in particular the human rights mechanisms, were built and to act in accordance with the vision set out in the CRC Convention.
  • The results of Child Rights Connect’s advocacy work were reflected in a landmark resolution advancing children’s right to a healthy environment.
  • Child Rights Connect closely monitored the 2020 process on Treaty Body Review and submitted inputs together with our members and NGO partners of TB-Net. Many recommendations from TB-Net joint statements and submissions were taken up in the Co-Facilitators report, including the recommendation for a fixed calendar.

8. 87th Pre-Session

The Committee held online pre-session meetings and issued List of Issues and List of Issues Prior to Reporting for the following States: 

  • Canada (CRC)
  • France (LOIPR)
  • Iceland (CRC)
  • Ireland (LOIPR) 
  • Kuwait (CRC)
  • Philippines (CRC)
  • Ukraine (CRC)
  • Viet Nam (CRC)

The Committee also adopted Lists of Issues Prior to Reporting during an online pre-session in June 2020 for: 

  • Mauritius (LOIPR) 
  • New Zealand (LOIPR) 
  • Sweden (LOIPR)

1. List of States reviewed (Reviewed Reports, Concluding Observations, Child Rights Connect Session Reports)

At its extraordinary 84th session (2 – 6 March 2020) the Committee reviewed the reports and issued Concluding Observations for three States:

2. Children’s participation Monitoring and Analysis

Analysis of how children’s participation was addressed by the Committee on the Rights of the Child during its 84th Session.

3. Relevant activities of the Committee during the session

  • The CRC Committee held a meeting with 80 children from Samoa, where children had previously discussed and reported their peers’ views on the three following questions:
    • What are 3 things about living on your island you appreciate or you find difficult?
    • What are 3 improvements that you would like to make to life on your island?
    • What do you think your role is as a child of the Pacific to influence change?
      It was followed by an interactive dialogue between the children and the Committee: watch the webcast
  • In preparations for the session, the Committee members Olga Khazova, Benyam Dawit Mezmur, Philip Jaffe, Renate Winter, Amal Salman Aldoseri and Faith Marshall-Harris, recorded video messages on behalf of the Committee for children in Samoa to engage in the session.
  • The Committee engaged in lunch time events on: (1) Pacific culture and faiths – a barrier or enabler of child rights?, (2) Dialogue on the right to health of children in the Samoan context, (3) Early childhood development in emergencies, (4) A dive into the Blue Pacific, (5) Children’s right to protection from abuse and neglect
  • The Committee held a public meeting on the 30th anniversary of the Convention with 80 children participating
  • The Committee engaged in an event on Climate change, where they discussed with 11 Child Activists of the Pacific on the World of Tomorrow. Asia Development Bank (ADB) led this meeting which included an art activity and discussion on strategic litigation on climate change across the world
  • After the session, the Committee conducted two follow-up country visits to the previous concluding observations in Fiji (Bragi Gudbrandsson) and Vanuatu (Philip Jaffe)

4. Relevant activities of Child Rights Connect during the session

10. 84th Pre-Session

The Committee held the pre-session meeting and issued List of Issues for Kiribati (CRC).

1. List of States reviewed (Reviewed Reports, Concluding Observations, Child Rights Connect Session Reports)

At its 83rd session (20th January– 7th February) the Committee reviewed the reports and issued Concluding Observations for six States.
Below, Child Rights Connect country session reports:

2. Children’s participation Monitoring and Analysis

Analysis of how children’s participation was addressed by the Committee on the Rights of the Child during its 83rd Session.

3. Status of ratifications (as of February 2020):

  • 196 States parties to the CRC
  • 170 States parties to the OPAC
  • 176 States parties to the OPSC
  • 46 States parties to the OPIC

Check the ratification status in real time!

4. Status of work on General Comments (as of February 2019)

  • The first draft of the General Comment on children’s rights in relation to the digital environment is to be released for comments. On behalf of the CRC Committee, the members Amal Aldoseri, Olga Khazova and Philip Jaffe have recorded a video message addressed to the children who have participated in consultations for the General Comment: about 650 contributions from children have been received, representing the largest contribution received by the Committee.

 5. Status of work on Day of General Discussion (as of February 2020)

  • The Day of General Discussion 2020 of the CRC Committee on children in alternative care will be held on September 18th in Geneva. The proposal was submitted by a group of organisations led by Lumos. Updates and relevant documents will be posted on OHCHR webpage and in our dedicated webpage.

6. Status of individual communications under the Optional Protocol on a communications procedure

  • OPIC Event: In light of the increasing number and complexity of individual communications submitted under the OPIC-CRC, the Committee held an internal event on 24th January in order to discuss individual complaints procedural issues and reflect on recent trends and jurisprudence. Check the programme.
  • At the end of the 83rd session, the Committee recommended to Austria, Rwanda, Belarus, and Hungary to ratify the OPIC. It also welcomed Costa Rica for the ratification of the OPIC in 2014 and the State of Palestine in 2019.

7. Status of Simplified Reporting Procedure (SRP)

  • New States have accepted to be reviewed under the SRP since the last session: Estonia, Georgia and Ireland. Check the CRC SRP calendar.
  • Hungary has been the first ever country reviewed under the CRC Simplified Reporting Procedure in the 83rd session. 
  • During the informal meeting with the States the Committee experts announced that now they are offering the SRP to all the States members (except for initial reports).
  • Child Rights Connect CRC reporting minisite now includes step-by-step information on the SRP for civil society organisations, including children, to identify the entry points in the CRC reporting process and how to effectively and concretely engage.

8. Relevant activities of the Committee during the session

  • In March 2020, the Committee will hold an in-country/region session for the very first time in the Treaty Bodies system. The extraordinary session will take place in Apia, Samoa from 2 to 6 March, and will include three country reviews (Micronesia, Cook Islands, Tuvalu), and one country pre-session (Kiribati) (agenda here). The session will be an additional session to the three usual annual sessions that the Committee holds in Geneva. The Committee members Olga Khazova, Benyam Dawit Mezmur, Philip Jaffe, Renate Winter, Amal Salman Aldoseri and Faith Marshall-Harris, recorded video messages for children to engage in the session in Samoa.
  • The Committee held its twelfth informal meeting with States, during which it discussed a range of issues, including the Committee’s upcoming special session in Samoa, its general comment on children’s rights in the digital environment, and the day of general discussion in September 2020 that would address the theme of children in alternative care. For the first time the Committee gave a comprehensive feedback on child participation, taking into account children recommendations.
  • The CRC Committee and the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict signed a Framework of Cooperation during the 83rd session, in order to protect and promote the rights of children impacted by conflict-related sexual violence.
  • Review and possible adoption of the CRC child safeguarding procedure at the next session.
  • The CRC Committee had a briefing on Child Participation with Child Rights Connect and Professor Laura Lundy from Queen’s University to discuss how to further enhance the participation of children in its work.
  • South Sudan submitted its initial State report. With this submission, there is no further initial overdue report under the CRC.

9. Relevant activities of Child Rights Connect during the session

  • During the opening of the 83rd session, Child Rights Connect delivered a statement on behalf of its network.
  • Child Rights Connect has produced a handbook for adults monitoring and engaging in a CRC session, to explain what is a CRC country session, how to monitor and effectively engage in it in person or remotely through the webcast. It also provides some suggestions for follow-up to the session and to the concluding observations. The Handbook is available in French and Spanish
  • Child Rights Connect co-sponsored the intersessional event on “Realizing the rights of the child through a healthy environment”. Check out the webcast here.
  • Child Rights Connect supported children, NGOs, NHRIs to effectively engage with the CRC Committee through session and pre-session briefings and debriefings.
  • Child Rights Connect has created a dedicated webpage which contains all relevant information for civil society and crucially children to engage in the various activities happening in the extraordinary 84th session in Samoa.
  • Child Rights Connect organised its first webinar of 2020 on our project “Advancing the rights, empowerment and protection of Children Human Rights Defenders (CHRDs) – A toolkit to strengthen the national implementation of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders in harmony with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child”. The webinar involved the CRC member Mikiko Otani and other participants among Child Rights Connect members and partners, to create synergies and get feedbacks.

10. 86th Pre-Session

The Committee held the pre-session meetings and issued List of Issues and List of Issues Prior to Reporting for the following States:

  • Cuba (CRC)
  • Djibouti (CRC)
  • Greece (CRC)
  • Madagascar (CRC)
  • Somalia (CRC)
  • Chile (LOIPR)
  • Gambia (LOIPR)
  • Zambia (LOIPR)

1. List of States reviewed (Reviewed Reports, Concluding Observations, Child Rights Connect Session Reports)

At its 82nd session (9 September– 27 September 2019) the Committee reviewed the reports and issued Concluding Observations for seven States.
Below, Child Rights Connect country session reports:

2. Children’s participation Monitoring and Analysis

Analysis of how children’s participation was addressed by the Committee on the Rights of the Child during its 82nd Session

3. Status of ratifications (as of October 2019)

  • 196 States parties to the CRC
  • 170 States parties to the OPAC – Myanmar, Gambia and Maldives acceded to the OPAC 
  • 176 States parties to the OPSC
  • 46 States parties to the OPIC – Benin and Maldives acceded to OPIC

Check the ratification status in real time!

4. Status of work on General Comments (as of September 2019)

5. Day of General Discussion 

6. Status of individual communications under the Optional Protocol on a communications procedure (OPIC)

  • The Committee had adopted Views with respect to two cases against Spain on lack of access to asylum proceedings by unaccompanied migrant children; two cases against Denmark concerning the deportation of children with their families to Albania; and one case against Denmark on the deportation of a mother and child to Pakistan. 
  • The Committee also published its first Follow-up progress report on individual communications, which tracks State’s implementation of the Committee’s adopted Views. The Committee commended Belgium for swiftly and fully implementing its Views, in a complaint concerning the denial of a humanitarian visa to a child who was taken in under kafalah (guardianship under Islamic law). 
  • At the end of the 82nd session, the Committee called on Australia, Mozambique and the Republic of Korea to ratify the OPIC. The Committee further called on the State parties to ensure complaint mechanisms are available to children and that they are child-friendly. It also welcomed the progress made by Bosnia and Herzegovina in ratifying the OPIC in 2018, and by Georgia in acceding to the OPIC in 2016. 
  • The Committee published a note on Recent developments in the individual communications received under the OPIC highlights key trends in ratification status, the individual communications received and child rights jurisprudence. 

7. Status of Simplified Reporting Procedure (SRP)

  • New States have accepted to be reviewed under the SRP since the last session: Bulgaria, France, New Zealand, Oman, South Africa and United Kingdom. Check the CRC SRP calendar. 
  • The very first pre-session with civil society stakeholders under the SRP happened with Hungary as part of the 84th pre-session, prior to the Hungary session in January 2020 (83rd session). 

8. Relevant activities of the Committee around the session

9. Relevant activities of Child Rights Connect during the session

  • During the opening of the 82nd session, Child Rights Connect delivered a statement on behalf of its network. 
  • During the CRC 30th anniversary celebration event on 16th September, we organised: 
    • Pre-event child reporter liaison and support;
    • Pre-event child participation briefing (four child advisors supported, plus facilitation of other children’s participation);
    • Our Executive Director Alex Conte was interviewed during the ‘Talk show’ panel hosted by child reporters on 30 Years of the Convention. Read more;
    • Presentation and launch of the official UNICEF-Child Rights Connect child-friendly CRC, by two child advisors from the Children’s Advisory Team we established for this project, who represented the broader group of 9 children globally.
  • Child Rights Connect co-sponsored the event “Promoting a Safe and Empowering Environment for All Children and Youth: Best practices for Child and Youth Protection and Participation through Human Rights Education” 
  • In line with the 5th anniversary since the entry into force of the OPIC, Child Rights Connect created a minisite gathering all the relevant information on the Optional Protocol. 
  • Child Rights Connect supported children, NGOs, NHRIs to effectively engage with the CRC Committee through session and pre-session briefings and debriefings. 
  • During the Social Forum 2019, our Executive Director Alex Conte was one of the speakers in the session dedicated to the topic “Education as empowerment for children and youth”. He spoke about the children’s views on education as an essential pillar for empowerment and the promotion of human rights. 
  • Child Rights Connect welcomed the lodging of a landmark child-led complaint to the CRC Committee on 23rd September 2019 concerning the global climate crisis through OPIC, filed by a group of 16 children human rights defenders.

10. 84th Pre-Session (30 September – 4 October 2019)

The Committee held the pre-session meetings and issued Lists of Issues and Lists of Issues Prior to Reporting for the following States:

  • Afghanistan (CRC) 
  • Cambodia (CRC) 
  • Cyprus (CRC) 
  • Czech Republic (CRC) 
  • Eswatini (CRC)
  • Netherlands (LOIPR) 
  • Switzerland (LOIPR) 
  • Tunisia (CRC) 

1. List of States reviewed (Reviewed Reports, Concluding Observations, Child Rights Connect Session Reports)

At its 81st session (13 May– 31 May 2019) the Committee reviewed the reports and issued Concluding Observations for seven States.
Below, Child Rights Connect country session reports:

2. Children’s participation Monitoring and Analysis

Analysis of how children’s participation was addressed by the Committee on the Rights of the Child during its 81st Session

3. Status of ratifications (as of July 2019)

  • 196 States parties to the CRC
  • 168 States parties to the OPAC
  • 176 States parties to the OPSC
  • 44 States parties to the OPIC

4. Status of work on General Comments (as of July 2019)

  • The Committee adopted a revised version of General Comment N.10 on the rights of the child in juvenile justice.
  • The Committee started its work on the next General Comment on children’s rights and the digital environment.

5. The Day of General Discussion 

6. Status of individual communications under the Optional Protocol on a communications procedure

The Committee adopted decisions on individual complaints:

  • The The Committee considered eight individual complaints: 13/201716/2017;  19/201922/201747/20186/201661/201847/2018     
  • The Committee found violations in two of the commutations against Spain; three were considered inadmissible (one against Finland and two against Spain); two cases were filed against Switzerland. 

7. Status of Simplified Reporting Procedure (SRP)

8. Relevant activities of the Committee around the session

  • The Committee proposed amendments on and agreed to support the child friendly version of the Convention that Child Rights Connect has been partnering on with UNICEF. 
  • In celebration of the 30 years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child the Committee is encouraging member states to renew their commitment to the Convention by pledging to take one specific and measurable action for the promotion, protection and realization of the rights of the child.  
  • The Committee adopted the Guidelines on the implementation of the Optional Protocol on the sale of childrenchild prostitution and child pornography.

9. Relevant activities of Child Rights Connect during the session

  • At the opening of the 81st session, a  statement  was made by Ilaria Paolazzi from Child Rights Connect. In her speech, she commended the positive advancements since the last session such as the fact that child participation was a key component of Annual Day on the Rights of the Child; that the 40th session of the Human Rights Council has been a cornerstone in the history of the recognition of children as human rights defenders and an indicator of the positive impact of the 2018 DGD; that child participation was successfully included in the UPR process and mentioned the celebration of the 5th anniversary of OPIC. In her conclusion, Ilaria Paolazzi expressed concern on behalf of Child Rights Connect and its members of the threat of the cancellation of the 3rd HRC session.  
  • During the session , Child rights Connect organized, together with members of the CRC Committee and the CRC Secretariat, an informal follow-up meeting on the implementation of OPIC with permanent missions’ representatives. 
  • Right after the session, Child Rights Connect and its members had a round table with the Chairperson of the CRC Committee Luis Pedernera. Read here some of the main topics discussed.
  • On the 15th May 2019, Child Rights Connect and its members including Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights presented a joint submission with the Centre for Human Rights and Citizenship Education of the Dublin City University Institute of Education and the Centre for Children’s Rights at Queen’s University Belfast on the CRC’s concept note for a General Comment on children’s rights in relation to the digital environment.
  • On the 27th May 2019, Ilaria Paolazzi from Child Rights Connect was one of the panelists in an event on “30 years after the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child: achievements, challenges and opportunities, with a key focus on access to information, digital skills and online safety for children.
  • On the week of 27th May, in partnership with  OHCHR, Child Rights Connect took forwardthree online children’s consultations (in English, French and Spanish) to gatherchildren’s inputs to inform the upcoming report of OHCHR on childrights to the High-LevelPolitical Forum (HLPF) 2019. 
  • On the 28th May 2019, Child Rights Connect hosted an event where Planned Parenthood Global, the Center for Reproductive Rights and in-country partners presented and discussed the litigation strategy behind five cases being submitted to the Human Rights Committee (4) and the Committee on the Rights of the Child (1). 

10. 83rd Pre-Session (3 June – 7 June 2019)

The Committee held the pre-session meetings and issued List of Issues for the following States:

  • Austria
  • Belarus
  • Cook Islands
  • Costa Rica
  • Micronesia (Federated States of)
  • Rwanda
  • State of Palestine
  • Tuvalu

1. List of States reviewed (Reviewed Reports, Concluding Observations, Child Rights Connect Session Reports)

At its 80th session (14 January– 01 February 2019) the Committee reviewed the reports and issued Concluding Observations for seven States.
Below, Child Rights Connect country session reports:

2. Children’s participation Monitoring and Analysis

Analysis of how children’s participation was addressed by the Committee on the Rights of the Child during its 80th Session

3. Status of ratifications (as of April 2019)

  • 196 States parties to the CRC
  • 168 States parties to the OPAC
  • 176 States parties to the OPSC – Marshall Islands acceded to OPSC since the last session
  • 44 States parties to the OPIC – Tunisia, Marshall Islands, State of Palestine acceded to OPIC since the last session

4. Status of work on General Comments (as of April 2019)

  • The draft revision of General Comment 10 on children’s rights in the administration of justice, to be known as General Comment 24, was opened for comment in December 2018.
  • The Committee called for input to a General Comment on children’s rights in relation to the digital environment.

5. The Day of General Discussion 

  • An open call for proposal of themes for the 2020 DGD was launched.

6. Status of individual communications under the Optional Protocol on a communications procedure

The Committee adopted three decisions on individual complaints: 4/2016, 14/2017, 15/2017.

7. Status of Simplified Reporting Procedure (SRP)

  • The Committee adopted the List of Issues Prior to Reporting (LOIPR) for the review of Luxembourg under the SRP.
  • The Secretariat of the Committee published on its webpage more information about the SRP, including a calendar of review of State parties.

8. Relevant activities of the Committee around the session

  • The Committee adopted guidelines for interim measures under the Third Optional Protocol on a Communication Procedure, OPIC.
  • The Committee put out a call for comments on its draft guidelines for the implementation of the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, OPSC.
  • The Committee held an informal meeting with States during which it discussed a range of topics, including the 2018 DGD, reprisals, OPIC, the 30th anniversary of the Convention, the 2020 Treaty bodies review process, and the Committee’s work on General Comments on children’s rights in the administration of justice
  • The CRC Committee sent its contribution to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in response to a call for inputs by the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF).

9. Relevant activities of Child Rights Connect during the session

  • Alongside OHCHR, ILO, IOM, WHO, UNICEF and UNHCR, a statement was made by Ilaria Paolazzi for Child Rights Connect in which she highlighted how empowering the 2018 DGD was for children human rights defenders and stressed the importance of our close partnership with the CRC Committee and of using the convention’s 30th anniversary year to put child participation in the spotlight. A statement was also delivered by High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet, in which she referred to and quoted DGD Child Advisors Nayeli, Konstantinos and Kurt and welcomed the Child Rights Connect network.
  • Child Rights Connect hosted a reception for the Committee, to thank and say goodbye to the four Committee members whose term came to an end this session: Kirsten Sandberg, Hatem Kotrane, Bernard Gastaud and Jorge Cardona Llorens.
  • A meeting was held during the session between Child Rights Connect and the Committee’s Working Group on the SRP, in which we shared feedback from civil society organisations with the Committee.

10. 82nd Pre-Session

The Committee held the pre-session meetings and issued List of Issues for the following States:

  • Australia (CRC)
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina (CRC)
  • Mozambique (CRC)
  • Portugal (CRC)
  • The Republic of Korea (CRC)
  • Luxembourg (LOIPR)
  • Georgia (OPAC, OPSC)
  • Panama (OPAC)

1. List of States reviewed (Reviewed Reports, Concluding Observations, Child Rights Connect Session Reports)

At its 79th session (14 May – 01 June 2018) the Committee reviewed the reports and issued Concluding Observations for six States.
Below, Child Rights Connect country session reports:

2. Children’s participation Monitoring and Analysis
Analysis of how children’s participation was addressed by the Committee on the Rights of the Child during its 79th Session

3. Status of ratifications (as of October 2018)

  • 196 States parties to the CRC
  • 168 States parties to the OPAC– State of South Soudan acceded to OPAC by increasing the number of States to one more since the last session (14 May – 1 June)
  • 175 States parties to the OPSC – State of South Soudan to OPSC by increasing the number of States to one more since the last session (14 May – 1 June)
  • 41 States parties to the OPIC –Ecuador ratified, and San Marino acceded to the OPIC, bringing the number of States parties to 41, two more since the last session (14 May – 1 June).

4. Status of work on General Comments (as of October 2018)

The Committee (working group headed by Ms Skelton) had continued with the revision of General Comment 10 (2007) on Children’s rights on juvenile justice.

5. The Day of General Discussion (2018)

On the 28th September 2018, the Committee held a Day of General Discussion on “Protecting and empowering Children as Human’s Rights Defenders” at the Palais des Nations. The Committee thanked the children’s Advisory Team, Child Rights Connect, and OHCHR for the support. The event was defined by the Chairperson as “a real child participatory event, where we talk about children with children”.

Here you can find more information .

6. Status of individual communications under the Optional Protocol on a communications procedure

  • During the 79th session, the Committee had also reviewed two communications:
    11/2017, N.B.F vs Spain
    12/2016, C.E. vs Belgium
  • On Spain and Belgium finding a violation in both. With regard to inquiry cases under article 13, with reference to case 2015/1, the Committee had decided not to designate members to conduct an inquiry under article 13, paragraph 2, of the OPIC.
  • 12/2016, C.E. vs Belgium
    – On 27 September 2018, the Committee on the Rights of the Child released decisions on one case, against Belgium under the Optional Protocol on a Communications Procedure (OPIC).
    Facts : The case against Belgium was about a Moroccan married coupled living in Belgium, tutors under the Kafala regime of C.E., a Maroccan girl abandoned by her mother and of an unknown father. Kafala does not give the right to filiation or inheritance so they were unable to apply for a visa on the basis of family reunification to bring C.E. to Belgium. Therefore, they submitted an application for a long-stay humanitarian visa but the Belgian authorities reputedly denied her a visa.
    – The complaint against Belgium consisted of an allegation by the authors that, during all the administrative procedure, the authorities did not taken into account the best interest of the child stated in article 3, as well as the article 12: the authorities never listened to C.E. They also alleged a violation of the article 10 of the Convention. Article 2 were also violated; according to them, the fact that the C.E. has the nationality of a country which has an institution different from adoption, the Kafala, constitutes an obstacle to family reunification in Belgium.
    Examination of admissibility: according to the Committee he authors have exhausted all available and effective domestic remedies and, therefore, the complaint is admissible.
    Examination as to the merits: The Committee concluded that the State party did not concretely consider the best interests of the child when assessing the visa application for the C.E., and did not respect his or her right to be heard, in violation of articles 3 and 12 of the Convention. Having found a violation of articles 3, 10 and 12 of the Convention, the Committee does not consider it necessary to consider whether the same facts constitute a violation of article 2. On article 10, the Committee recognized that this article do not gives a right to family reunification in general. However, the Committee recalled that, in determining the best interests of the child in order to accept or refuse the visa application, the State party is under an obligation to take into consideration the de facto links between the child and the authors. Moreover, it also recalled the definition of family under article 5 of the Convention.        The Committee, acting under article 10, paragraph 5, of the OPIC, notes that the facts before it disclose a violation of articles 3, 10 and 12 of the Convention.  The State party is obliged to review the visa application for EC as a matter of urgency and in a positive spirit, ensuring that the best interests of the child are a primary consideration and that C.E. is heard. In considering the best interests of the child, the State party should take into account the de facto family ties forged between the C.E. and the authors.
  • 11/2017, N.B.F vs Spain:
  • Facts: The complaint against Spain consisted of an allegation by the author that the process of determining the age to which the author, who claimed to be a minor, was subjected violated his rights under the Convention. In particular, the author has argued that this process did not take into consideration the best interests of the child both because of the type of medical evidence on which his age was based and because of the lack of a guardian or representative during the age determination process.
  • Examination as to the merits: The Committee considers that the process of determining the age to which the author, who claimed to be a child, was subjected did not have the necessary guarantees to protect his rights under the Convention. The Committee considers that the best interests of the child were not taken as a primary consideration in the procedure of determining the age to which the author was subjected, in violation of articles 3 and 12 of the Convention. Pursuant to article 11 of the Optional Protocol, the Committee wishes to receive from the State party, as soon as possible and within 180 days, information about the measures taken to give effect to the Committee’s Views.
  • Thus far, the Committee has considered 12 cases, 6 have been declared inadmissible, and four cases has been discontinued. Find the Committee’s jurisprudence here.
  • See the table of pending cases before the Committee here.

7. Status of Simplified Reporting Procedure (SRP)

The Committee has adopted the List of Issues Prior to Reporting (LOIPR) for the review of Poland under the SRP.

8. Relevant activities of the Committee around the session

  • On the 21th September, the CRC Committee members had a meeting with the CRPD Committee members to discuss cooperation of the two bodies with view strengthening the effectiveness and action of the two bodies and creating a joint working groups, with – inter alia- a particular focus on  child participation, as well as children with disabilities in alternative care.
  • On the 9th of October, on the oral report on the work of the Committee on the Rights of the Child during the 73rd session of the United Nation General Assembly, Renate Winter spoke about the DGD. She highlighted how children and children’s views were crucial in the organization and running of the DGD.
  • During the week of the 9th October, the Working Group on child participation headed by Ms Sandberg discussed, jointly with the Working Group on Participation, the follow-up to the DGD regarding child participation.

9. Relevant activities of Child Rights Connect during the session (as of October 2018)

  • During the session, the organization of Day of General Discussion, as well the Day itself was the focus of Child Rights Connect’ s work.
  • On the 27th and 29th September Child Rights Connect held a briefing and debriefing workshop related to the DGD for all the child participants.
  • During these two days of workshop, Child Rights Connect organized a meeting for the children’s Advisory Team with the Members of the Committee.

10. 81st Pre-Session

The Committee held the pre-session meetings and issued List of Issues for the following  States:

  • Botswana (CRC)
  • Cabo Verde(CRC)
  • Côte Ivoire (CRC)
  • Malta (CRC)
  • Singapore (CRC)
  • Tonga(CRC)
  • Sri Lanka (OPSC)
  • Poland (SRP)

1. List of States reviewed (Reviewed Reports, Concluding Observations, Child Rights Connect Session Reports)

At its 78th session (14 May – 01 June 2018) the Committee reviewed the reports and issued Concluding Observations for eight States.
Below, Child Rights Connect country session reports:

2. Children’s participation Monitoring and Analysis
Analysis of how children’s participation was addressed by the Committee on the Rights of the Child during its 78th Session.

3. Status of ratifications (as of April 2018)

  • 196 States parties to the CRC
  • 167 States parties to the OPAC
  • 174 States parties to the OPSC – State of Palestine acceded to OPSC, bringing the number of States parties to 174, one more since the last session (11 September – 29 September 2017).
  • 39 States parties to the OPIC – Bosnia Herzegovina and Slovakia ratified the OPIC, bringing the number of States parties to 39, two more since the last session (15 January – 09 February).

4. Status of work on General Comments (as of July 2018)

The Committee has continued with the revision of General Comment 10 on juvenile justice which will be finalised in September 2018. It will then start to work on a new General Comment on digital media and children’s rights.

5. Status of work on Day of General Discussion (as of July 2018)

Child Rights Connect has released a child friendly version of the concept note and has launched a global consultation with children human rights defenders. The DGD programme will be available soon.

6. Status of individual communications under the Optional Protocol on a communications procedure

  • On 1 June 2018, the Committee on the Rights of the Child released decisions on a total of four cases, one against Germany, two against Spain and one against Denmark under the Optional Protocol on a Communications Procedure (OPIC). The Committee has discontinued the first two cases and the last two were considered inadmissible.
  • The case against Denmark was about a deportation of family with child to Afghanistan, where they claim a risk of persecution based on their alleged conversion from Islam, arguing that it violated the prohibition of discrimination, best interests of the child, protection of the child against all forms of violence or ill treatment. The Committee decided that the case was inadmissible on the basis that the authors have failure to justify a personal risk of a serious violation of A.Y.’s rights upon return to Afghanistan. The Committee therefore considered that this part of the communication was also insufficiently substantiated and declares it inadmissible under article 7 (f) of the Optional Protocol.
  • The complaint against Spain consisted of an allegation by the author that, during the age determination procedure, the best interests of the child recognized in article 3 of the Convention were not taken into account. He pointed out that, as the Committee had noted, there was no uniform protocol for the protection of unaccompanied children at the national level in the State party. Thus, the methods used to determine the age of these children vary according to the Autonomous Community concerned. The Committee had noted that the Algerian consulate in Barcelona issued a temporary passport (laissez passer) in the name of the author, stating that his date of birth was 9 December 1997, a date that would coincide with that indicated by the author in his application for asylum. Therefore, the Committee found out that the case was inadmissible.
  • Thus far, the Committee has considered 11 cases, 7 have been declared inadmissible, and three cases has been discontinued. Find the Committee’s jurisprudence here.
  • See the table of pending cases before the Committee here.

7. Status of Simplified Reporting Procedure (SRP)

The Committee has adopted its first List of Issues Priori to Reporting (LOIPR) for the review of Hungary and Croatia under the SRP.

8. Relevant activities of the Committee during the session

Olga Khazova attended the Chairperson’s meeting in New York that took place during the CRC session, from 28 May to 1 June. Watch the webcast of the meeting  as well as the side event that TBNet organised on TB elections. Child Rights Connect submitted two joint NGO submissions for the Chairpersons’ meeting, you can find them here and here.

9. Relevant activities of Child Rights Connect during the session (as of July 2018)

  • Child Rights Connect met several times with the Committee during the session and pre-session to discuss matters related to child participation and the organisation of this year’s Day of General Discussion.
  • Child Rights Connect met with Committee members, OHCHR and UNICEF to discuss a joint plan of collaboration with the CRPD Committee in eight of the Annual Day of the Child in 2019 and the CRPD General Comment on the participation of persons with disabilities.

10. 80th Pre-Session

The Committee held the pre-session meetings and issued List of Issues for the following seven States:

  • Bahrain (OPSC, OPAC)
  • Belgium (CRC)
  • Italy (CRC)
  • Guinea (CRC)
  • Czech Republic (CRC)
  • Hungary (CRC)
  • Croatia (CRC)
  • Syria (CRC)

1. List of States reviewed (Reviewed Reports, Concluding Observations, Child Rights Connect Session Reports)

At its 77th session (15 January – 02 February) the Committee reviewed the reports and issued Concluding Observations for eight States:

2. Children’s participation Monitoring and Analysis
Analysis of how children’s participation was addressed by the Committee on the Rights of the Child during its 77th Session.

3. Status of ratifications (as of April 2018)

  • 196 States parties to the CRC
  • 167 States parties to the OPAC
  • 174 States parties to the OPSC – State of Palestine acceded to OPSC, bringing the number of States parties to 174, one more since the last session (11 September – 29 September 2017).
  • 37 States parties to the OPIC – Brazil and Turkey ratified the OPIC, bringing the number of States parties to 37, two more since the last session (11 September – 29 September 2017).

4. Status of work on General Comments (as of April 2018)

  • On Friday 9 February, the CRC Committee decided to work on the development of a new General Comment focusing on children’s rights and digital media. The Committee will start working on this new General Comment only once the revision of General Comment No. 10 on Children’s rights in juvenile justice will be over.

5. Status of work on Day of General Discussion (as of April 2018)

  • After accepting Child Rights Connect’s proposal to hold its 2018 Day of General Discussion on the topic “Protecting and empowering children human rights defenders”, the Committee has adopted the Concept Note, informed by the findings of children’s consultations across Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe.
  • The DGD is a long-term project aimed to create a global movement for children human rights defenders around the 20th anniversary of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.
  • The Child Rights Connect Secretariat has set up a Taskforce of members, as well as an expert advisory group which include the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders.
  • Child Rights connect has set up Child’s Advisory Team composed of 20 Child Advisors. In March 2018, we have concluded our 3-day workshop with Child Advisors of the DGD Children’s Advisory Team here in Geneva and many of the other Child Advisors participated by offering their inputs online, including developing the DGD programme, the children’s consultation methodology, a child-friendly DGD concept note and the UN Committee’s DGD child participation Working Methods.
  • Child Rights Connect will be supporting a global round of DGD children’s consultations to be taken forward by the Children’s Advisory Team, by our members and partners, including by adults and children themselves, between March and June 2018.
  • A call for submissions from adults and children is available on the Committee’s webpage (deadline 1st July 2018). Child Rights Connect will continue to engage with children to gather their views and recommendations before, during and after the DGD.
  • At the opening of the session, Deputy High Commissioner Kate Gilmore praised CRC Committee for choosing Children Human Rights Defenders as the topic of the next DGD and said that the creativity of Children Human Rights Defenders are crucial for the youth quake.

6. Status of individual communications under the Optional Protocol on a communications procedure

  • On 2 February 2018, the Committee on the Rights of the Child released decisions on two cases against France and Denmark under the Optional Protocol on a Communications Procedure (OPIC). The first was considered inadmissible and the latter is the first case to be found as a violation under the best interest of the child principle, discrimination and violence against children as included in the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
    The case against France concerned the eviction of a family with children from a Roma camp, with the authors arguing for violations of human rights on the basis of the best interest of the child principle, right to housing, right to health, right to education, discrimination based on ethnicity and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. The case was considered inadmissible on the basis of ratione temporis and, as such, the Committee will engage in no further action regarding it.
    The case against Denmark claimed that the deportation of a girl to Somalia, where she could face the risk of being forcefully subjected to female genital mutilation, would violate the best interest of the child principle, prohibition of discrimination and protection against all forms of violence or ill treatment. The Committee found the claims made by the authors on behalf of the alleged victim to be in violation of the CRC and OPIC.
    Read the full decisions here http://bit.ly/2DWgAtn and http://bit.ly/2DUjVco
  • At the closing session, the current Chairperson Ms. Renate Winter informed that the Committee was reviewing 39 registered communications, out of which 31 had been registered in 2017, which was a sharp increase in the number of cases coming in, mainly related to migration.  Some 125 cases had been received but not yet registered.
  • Thus far, in addition to the new case against France, three cases have been declared inadmissible ( J.A.B.S. v. Costa Rica,  A.A.A. v. Spain and  A.H.A. v. Spain), and one case has been discontinued (case No. 9).  Find the Committee’s jurisprudence here.
  • See the table of pending cases before the Committee here.

7. Status of Simplified Reporting Procedure (SRP)

The Committee is taking a progressive approach and is inviting more States at the end of every session:

  • Due between 1 September and 31 December 2019: Russia, Luxembourg, Croatia (opted-in), Indonesia, Hungary (opted-in), Kyrgyzstan and Congo.
  • Due between 1 January and 30 April 2020: Poland (opted-in), Tanzania, Dominican Republic, and Timor Leste
  • Due between 30 April 2020 and 31 August 2020: Ethiopia, Iraq, Venezuela, India, Morocco, Saint Lucia, and the United Arab Emirates
  • Due between 31 August 2020 and 31 December 2020: Ghana, Eritrea, Netherlands (opted-in), Honduras, Fiji, Switzerland (opted-in), Turkmenistan, and Mexico
  • Countries invited in February 2018, due between 1 January and 30 April 2021:  Bangladesh, Benin, Brazil, Chile, France, Gabon, Gambia, Haiti, Mauritius, Peru, Senegal, Suriname, Sweden, Zambia, Zimbabwe

8. Relevant activities of the Committee during the session

  • On the 1st February 2018, the Committee on the Rights of the Child held its tenth informal meeting with States, during which it discussed, inter alia, the launch of the two joint General Comments with the Committee on Migrant Workers, the day of general discussion on children as human rights defenders, the global study on the situation of children deprived of liberty, the simplified reporting procedure, budgetary allocations for children’s issues, the new structure of the concluding observations, and the revision of General Comment No. 10 on children’s rights in juvenile justice.
  • The meeting started with an intervention from the Chairperson, Ms Renate Winter, who highlighted the cooperation with Child Rights Connect and children themselves. Acknowledging the difficulties for States to fulfil their reporting obligations, the Committee appealed more States to join the simplified reporting procedure, with the current number standing at four.
  • In regards to the OPIC, the Committee noted that 39 cases were registered in 2017, a sharp increase from 2016, and underlined that most of the cases were related to migration issues. The Committee also announced that one decision on the merits of a case had been taken during this session but was not yet publicly available.
  • On the Day of General Discussion, the Committee recognised the importance and difficulty of the topic of children human rights defenders and appealed States to organise side events for it.
  • As for the 20th anniversary of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, the Committee asked for State engagement and said it has been cooperating with the Special Rapporteur on this matter, conducting consultations and organising a workshop in March.
  • On the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Committee said it would be organising monthly events with different stakeholders.

9. Relevant activities of Child Rights Connect during the session (as of April 2018)

  • Child Rights Connect met several times with the Committee during the session and pre-session to discuss matters related to child participation and the organisation of this year’s Day of General Discussion.
  • The intersessional event co-sponsored by Child Rights Connect, the Permanent Mission of the European Union, the Permanent Mission of Uruguay, UNICEF and ICVA on the topic of the rights of the child in humanitarian situations took place on 9th February 2018. CRC Committee member Benyam Mezmur chaired the event.

10. Committee and OHCHR issues and priorities

  • Emphasis on the importance of promoting the voices of children in their activities, with Kate Gilmore (UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights) complementing the choice to have the next Day of General Discussion be on children human rights defenders;
  • Need to improve access to healthcare and education to children, especially girls;
  • Need to fight age-based inequality and the unequal distribution of wealth, which greatly affects children;
  • Treaty body strengthening.

11. 79th pre-session

The Committee held the pre-session meetings and issued List of Issues for the following six States

  • Benin (OPSC, OPAC)
  • El Salvador (CRC)
  • Japan (CRC)
  • Lao People’s Democratic Republic (CRC)
  • Mauritania (CRC)
  • Niger (CRC, OPSC)
  • Saudi Arabia (OPSC, OPAC)

Deadlines for additional information from children’s rights defenders here.

12. Closing session
The Committee continued its work towards the enhancing of its working methods, namely through the simplified reporting procedure.

1. List of States reviewed (Reviewed Reports, Concluding Observations, Child Rights Connect Session Reports)

At its 76th session (11 September – 29 September) the Committee reviewed the reports and issued Concluding Observations for eight States.
Below, Child Rights Connect country session reports:

2. Children’s participation Monitoring and Analysis

Analysis of how children’s participation was addressed by the Committee on the Rights of the Child during its 76th Session.

3. Status of ratifications (as of October 2017)

  • 196 States parties to the CRC
  • 167 States parties to the OPAC – The Central African Republic acceded to OPAC during the session, bringing the number of States parties to 167, one more since the last session (15 May – 2 June 2017).
  • 173 States parties to the OPSC
  • 35 States parties to the OPIC – Cyprus ratified the OPIC during the session, bringing the number of States parties to 35, one more since the last session.

4. Status of work on General Comments (as of October 2017)

  • In June 2017, the Committee published its General Comment No. 21 on children in street situations (adopted in January 2017).
  • On 29 September 2017, the Committee adopted two joint general comments on children in the context of migration prepared together with the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. In relation to the two joint general comments, regional consultations had been organized by the Human Rights Treaties Branch, in cooperation with UNICEF and other partners, in Geneva, Madrid, Bangkok, Berlin, Mexico City, Beirut and Dakar.
  • The Committee will decide in January 2018 which new General Comment it will develop.

5. Status of work on Day of General Discussion (as of October 2017)

  • At its closing session, the Committee announced that it had accepted Child Rights Connect’s proposal to hold its 2018 Day of General Discussion on the topic “Protecting and empowering children human rights defenders”.
  • With the support of its members, Child Rights Connect will oversee the planning and implementation of the DGD. The Child Rights Connect Secretariat is currently setting up a Taskforce of members, as well as a group of Child Advisors, and an expert advisory group which include the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders and the International Service for Human Rights.

6. Status of individual communications under the Optional Protocol on a communications procedure

  • At the closing session , the current Chairperson Ms. Renate Winter informed that the Committee was reviewing 32 registered communications, out of which 27 had been received in 2017.
  • Some 125 cases had been received but not yet registered.
  • Thus far, three cases have been declared inadmissible ( J.A.B.S. v. Costa Rica,  A.A.A. v. Spain and  A.H.A. v. Spain), and one case has been discontinued (case No. 9).  Find the Committee’s jurisprudence here.
  • See the table of pending cases before the Committee here.

7. Relevant activities of the Committee during the session

  • The Committee’s WG on child participation decided to develop working methods on children’s participation in Days of General Discussion and invited Child Rights Connect to its first meeting to brainstorm on the content and outline of the document that will be developed. The Committee welcomed Child Rights Connect’s suggestions and will ask for further inputs.
  • On 28 September 2017, the Committee’s General Comment No. 21 on children in street situations was launched at the Palais des Nations. The event was jointly organized by the Consortium for Street Children, the OHCHR, Uruguay, and the EU. The current Chairperson of the Committee, Ms. Renate Winter, delivered the opening and closing remarks, and Mr. Bernard Gastaud, member of the Committee and Coordinator for the Working Group for drafting the General Comment, spoke in the panel. Watch the broadcast of the event on the Consortium for Street Children’s Facebook page, and see the EU:s press release about the event here.
  • On 5 October, the Committee arranged a film screening on children’s participation in the Day of General Discussion. The film was produced by the Scottish Children’s Parliament, and told the experience of the children who came to Geneva during the Committee’s last Day of General Discussion.
  • On 26 September, the CRC Committee sponsored a Human Rights Council side-event on comprehensive national child protection systems. The Committee’s Chairperson Ms. Renate Winter took part in the event, outlining key messages from General Comment No. 5 on General Measures of Implementation of the CRC. The event was organized by the Permanent Mission of Chile and was co-sponsored by the Permanent Missions of Uruguay and Morocco, from which positive steps and challenges in comprehensive child protection systems were shared. Discussions included training, interdepartmental budgeting and preventative approaches. Child Rights Connect co-sponsored the event together with our member World Vision, who were part of the panel and offered good practices from Sweden and Serbia, stressing that consultative mechanisms must include children and the important role of civil society, including teachers and parents, in supporting integrated child protection systems.

8. Relevant activities of Child Rights Connect during the session (as of October 2017)

  • Between 4-8 October, Child Rights Connect actively participated in the Strategic Litigation Retreat for Migrant Lawyers (FAIR Project). During this exciting workshop, migrant lawyers from seven EU countries (Italy, Ireland, Greece, Malta, Germany, Bulgaria and Spain) as well as representatives from the International Commission of Jurists and the AIRE centre met in Geneva to discuss about cases of migrant children to bring before the CRC Committee and other international and regional mechanisms in order to advance the normative framework.
  • The Permanent Missions of Chile, Ireland, Japan, Sierra Leone and Tunisia, in collaboration with Child Rights Connect, CIVICUS and Save the Children organized a side-event titled “Protecting Civil Society for and with Children: Opportunities and Challenges” during the 36th Human Rights Council Session. The opening remarks were delivered by his Excellency Mr. Michael Gaffey, Irish Ambassador and Ms. Kate Gilmore, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights. The panel was moderated by Mr. Benyam Dawit Mezmur, Member and Former Chairperson of the CRC Committee, and Professor Laura Lundy from the Centre for Children’s Rights, Queen’s University Belfast, Ms. Beatrice Schulter from Child Rights Connect, and Mr. Tor Hodenfield from CIVICUS, were speakers on the panel. Children from Zambia and the Philippines were able to follow the event online and to share their questions and concerns with the panel.  Watch the broadcast of the event on Child Rights Connect’s Facebook page.
  • Child Rights Connect held a reception for the members of the Committee on the Rights of  the Child and the members of Child Rights Connect’s Executive Committee.

9. OHCHR issues and priorities
At the opening session  Mr. Orest Nowosad, Chief of the Groups in Focus Section, Human Rights Treaties Division of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, delivered a statement where he highlighted:

  • With a view to support States in their reporting obligations. The OHCHR had conducted sub-regional training-of-trainers workshops on treaty body reporting, providing support at national level, including on National Mechanisms for Reporting and Follow-up, as well as training methodologies for State officials. As a result of this training, Botswana, Cape Verde, Lesotho, St. Kitts and Nevis and Seychelles had already submitted or are in the process of submitting their respective reports under the CRC.
  • During the Human Rights Council session in June 2017, the OHCHR had presented its analytical study on the relationship between climate change and enjoyment of the rights of the child, and the Council had adopted the resolution 35/14 on youth and human rights.
  • The State support to raise fundraising for the Global Study of Children Deprived of Liberty had thus far been disappointing.
  • The report “Leading the realization of human rights to health and through health”, prepared by the High Level Working Group on Health and Human Rights of Women, Children and Adolescents had been presented to the High Commissioner for Human Rights and Director General of the World Health organization, as a call for action.
  • The OHCHR and the WHO were developing a joint work plan to identify the areas where efforts on promoting health and human rights could be supported in the context of the work of the treaty bodies.
  • There was a need for concerted efforts to increase States’ awareness of OPIC.

10. 78th pre-session
The Committee held the pre-session meetings and issued List of Issues for the following six States:

  • Algeria (OPAC)
  • Angola (CRC, OPSC, OPAC)
  • Argentina (CRC)
  • Lesotho (CRC)
  • Montenegro (CRC)
  • Norway (CRC)

Deadlines for additional information from children’s rights defenders here.

11. Closing session

  • At the closing session, Committee Rapporteur Mr. Bernard Gastaud presented the report on the intersessional activities of the Committee experts.

1. Election of the new Chairperson
As per its rules of procedures, the Chairperson’s term is two-years not renewable. On the first day of the session, the Committee members elected a new Chairperson, Ms. Renate WINTER from Austria, who replaced the member from Ethiopia, Benyam Dawit Mezmur.
A new bureau was also elected: Ms. Suzanne AHO ASSOUM (Vice Chairperson), Ms. Olga a. KHAZOVA (Vice Chairperson), Mr. Clarence NELSON (Vice Chairperson), Mr. José Angel RODRÍGUEZ REYES (Vice Chairperson) and Mr. Bernard GASTAUD (Rapporteur).

2. New CRC members started
Cephas LUMINA
Mikiko OTANI
Ann Marie SKELTON
Luis Ernesto PEDERNERA REYNA
Velina TODOROVA

3. List of States reviewed (Reviewed Reports, Concluding Observations, Child Rights Connect Session Reports)
At its 75th session (15 May – 9 June 2017) the Committee reviewed the reports and issued Concluding Observations for eight States:

For the first time in the Treaty Bodies system, the webcast of Cameroon, Lebanon, Mongolia and Qatar was done in English and the national language, even if not a UN language as in the case of Mongolia.

4. Children participation monitor
Analysis of how children’s participation was addressed by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child during its 75th session

5. Status of ratifications (as of June 2017)

  • 196 States parties to the CRC
  • 166 States parties to the OPAC
  • 173 States parties to the OPSC
  • 34 States parties to the OPIC – Since last session in January 2017, five more States have ratified OPIC: Croatia, Liechtenstein, Paraguay, Panama and Switzerland

6. Status of work on General Comments (as of June 2017)
The Committee continued to work on the joint General Comment on children in the context of international migration and held regional consultations in Madrid, Bangkok, and Mexico; and Global consultation in Geneva and Berlin to gather comments on a zero draft.
Child Rights Connect attended the consultation in Geneva on 2nd May and raised the need to ensure child participation throughout the process.

7. Status of implementation of OPIC
As of June 2017, 3 cases have been declared inadmissible (J.A.B.S. v. Costa Rica, A.A.A. v. Spain and A.H.A. v. Spain), 1 case has been discontinued (case No. 9) and 14 cases are under consideration by the Committee. The Committee published a table with the pending cases on OPIC to encourage third party interventions (amicus curiae), following the good practice of CESCR.
The current Working Group of Committee members in charge of OPIC is:

  • Renate Winter (Chairperson and Rapporteur on OPIC)
  • Kirsten Sandberg
  • Amal Salman Aldoseri
  • Gehad Madi
  • Jorge Cardona
  • Jose Angel Rodriguez Reyes
  • Nelson Clarence
  • Hynd Ayoubi Idrissi
  • Bernard Gastaud

The first four members will rotate in January 2018 to leave the place to other members to join.

8. Relevant activities of the Committee during the session

  • The Committee published the report of the Day of General Discussion on Children’s Rights and the Environment that took place in 2016.
  • The Committee’s Working Group on the Simplified Reporting Procedure (SRP) met several times during the session to take decisions on how children’s rights defenders, including children, can engage.
  • The Committee’s Working Group on child participation was reconstituted and met to discuss the follow-up to the March 2017 retreat on child participation, which was organised by Child Rights Connect. The Working Group is currently composed of the members below:
    – Kirsten Sandberg (coordinator)
    – Amal Salaman Aldoseri
    – Suzanne Aho Assouma
    – Jorge Cardona
    – Bernard Gastaud
    – Clarence Nelson
    – Luis Pedernera

9. Committee and OHCHR priority issues

  • Strengthening the Treaty Body system by harmonizing working methods and simplifying procedures, as provided by the General Assembly Resolution 68/268.
  • Promote a rights-based approach to health trough the recent established OHCHR-WHO High Level Working Group on the Health and Human Rights of Women, Children and Adolescents.
  • Call for funds and support for the UN Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty.
  • Preparation for next year’s Annual Day of the Rights of the Child topic around children in the context of humanitarian emergencies.
  • Continue advocacy efforts to ensure that the rights of children on the move are fully reflected, implemented and operationalized on the Global Compact for Safe, Regular and Orderly Migration and on the Global compact on Refugees.
  • Strengthen children’s participation and include SDGs related issues in the Committee’s working methods.

For more information, check out the speeches from Ibrahim Salama, Chief, Human Rights Treaties Branch, and the former Chairperson, Benyam Mezmur’s at the opening session, as well as the current Chairperson Renate Winter’s closing speech at the closing session.

10. 77th pre-session
Committee hold pre-sessional working group meetings and issued List of Issues for:

  • Guatemala (CRC)
  • Palau (CRC)
  • Panama (CRC)
  • Marshall Islands (CRC)
  • Seychelles (CRC)
  • Spain (CRC)
  • Solomon Islands (CRC)
  • Sri Lanka (CRC)

Deadlines for additional info from children’s rights defenders here.

11. Committee and OHCHR priority issues

  • On 12 May, Child Rights Connect and UNICEF met with the new CRC members during their induction day organised by OHCHR to present who we are and what we do.
  • Child Rights Connect’s Task Force on Simplified Reporting Procedure (SRP) held meetings with the Committee’s Working group on SRP to give inputs and ensure civil society participation in this new reporting process. As part of the Task Force work, Child Rights Connect developed an FAQs document on SRP to be disseminated at the national level.

Child Rights Connect’s Working group on children of incarcerated parents held a private meeting with the Committee to brief, discuss and recommend the Committee about the rights of children of incarcerated parents.

1. List of States reviewed (Reviewed Reports, Concluding Observations, Child Rights Connect Session Reports)

At its 74th session (16 January – 3 February 2017) the Committee reviewed the reports and issued Concluding Observations for eight States.
Below, Child Rights Connect country session reports:

2. Children participation monitor

Analysis of how children’s participation was addressed by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child during its 74th session

3. Status of ratifications (as of March 2017)

  • 196 States parties to the CRC
  • 166 States parties to the OPAC
  • 173 States parties to the OPSC
  • 32 States parties to the OPIC

4. Status of work on General Comments (as of March 2017)

  • The General Comment on the rights of adolescents was launched.
  • A new General Comment on children in street situation was adopted by the Committee and will be published soon on OHCHR website.
  • The Committee continued to work on the General Comment on children in the context of international migration and announced that regional consultations are started to be planned.

Status of individual communications

  • Inadmissible cases:

55 individual communications were rejected: 25 communications were from non-State parties, 14 were information requests from States, 4 did not exhaust domestic remedies, in 2 cases the violation happened before the Optional Protocol entered into force, 2 communications were contact letters showing interest in the Protocol, in 1 case there was a language problem, 3 have not yet finalized the legal procedures and 4 other additional cases.
3 decisions had been taken on admissibility so far. All 3 cases have been declared inadmissible. Recent jurisprudence on OHCHR website

  • Pending cases:

6 cases pending decisions: 1 was granted interim measures and is ready for decision, 1 is not ready for decision due to translation issues, 1 was granted interim measures and waiting for the comments of the author, 1 was granted interim measures and waiting for the State answers to determine its admissibility, 1 was granted interim measures but the State did not respect them and the Committee is waiting for the State’s reply to its questions, and finally 1 is pending for revision since it was submitted recently.
For more information, check out the 74th closing session here.

5. Relevant activities of the Committee during the session

  • The Committee worked on the report of the Day of General Discussion on Children’s Rights and the Environment that took place in 2016. The report is published here.
  • The Committee held its 9th informal meeting with States. In this occasion, Committee members informed the permanent missions to the UN in Geneva about recent developments in relation to: The Global Study on the situation of children deprived of liberty; the Simplified Reporting Procedure; the Optional Protocol on a communications procedure; and the new methodology for concluding observations with urgent measures for countries that have been reviewed more than two times.

6. Committee and OHCHR priority issues

  • Strengthening the Treaty Body system by harmonizing working methods and simplifying procedures, as provided by the General Assembly Resolution 68/268.
  • Advocate with States for the ratification of the third Optional Protocol on a communications procedure.
  • Implement the 2030 agenda from an integrated children’s rights based approach focusing in those children left behind and those furthest left behind.
  • Support the UN Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty.
  • Addressing the direct link between violations of children’s rights and armed conflict in topics like killing and maiming, abduction, sexual violence, child and youth recruitment, attacks on schools and hospitals, and denial of humanitarian access in Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo and Israel, Colombia, Nigeria, Philippines and Pakistan, and others.

CRC/Integrated: Eritrea, EthiopiaGhana, Honduras, Mexico, Netherlands
OPAC: Honduras, Laos, Netherlands
OPSC: Honduras, Israel, Laos

CRC/Integrated: Colombia – Dominican Republic – Iraq – Jamaica – Mauritius –  Sweden –Switzerland – Tanzania – The Gambia – Turkmenistan – Uruguay
OPAC: Cambodia – Iraq – Turkmenistan – Uruguay
OPSC: Cambodia – Iraq – Switzerland – Turkmenistan – Uruguay

CRC/Integrated: Croatia – Fiji – Hungary – Morocco – Venezuela
OPAC: Hungary – Morocco – Singapore – Venezuela
OPSC: Hungary – Venezuela

CRC/Integrated: Jordan – Kyrgyzstan – India – Indonesia – St. Lucia
OPAC: Jordan – India
OPSC: Jordan – UK – India

CRC/Integrated: Congo – Germany – Holy See – Portugal – Russian Federation – Yemen
OPAC: Holy See – Portugal – Russian Federation – Yemen
OPSC: Holy See – Portugal

CRC/Integrated: China – Kuwait – Lithuania – Luxembourg – Monaco – Sao Tomé – Tuvalu
OPAC: China – Paraguay
OPSC: Paraguay – Republic of Moldova

CRC/Integrated: Armenia – Guinea Bissau – Israel – Rwanda – Slovenia – Uzbekistan
OPAC: Armenia – Rwanda – Uzbekistan
OPSC: Armenia – Rwanda – Uzbekistan

CRC/Integrated: Guinea – Guyana – Malta – Niue
OPAC: Burkina Faso – Slovakia – United States
OPSC: Burkina Faso – Philippines – Slovakia – United States

CRC/Integrated: Albania – Andorra – Austria – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Canada – Liberia –Namibia
OPAC: Albania
OPSC: Albania – Canada

CRC/Integrated: Algeria – Australia – Cyprus – Greece – Turkey – Vietnam
OPAC: Australia – Greece
OPSC: Australia – Greece – Nepal

CRC/Integrated: Argentina – Belgium – FYR Macedonia – Grenada – Japan – Nigeria – Tunisia
OPSC: Argentina – Belgium – Colombia – Japan – FYR of Macedonia – Serbia
OPAC: Argentina – Colombia – Japan – FYR of Macedonia – Serbia

CRC/Integrated: Burkina Faso – Cameroon – Ecuador – El Salvador – Mongolia – Norway –Paraguay – Tajikistan
OPSC: Ecuador – El Salvador – Estonia – Mongolia
OPAC: Ecuador – Israel – Liechtenstein – Mongolia

Overall Report

CRC/Integrated: Bolivia – Mozambique – Pakistan – Philippines – Qatar
OPSC: Poland – Yemen
OPAC: Poland – Turkey

Overall Report

CRC/Integrated: Bangladesh – France – Mauritania – Niger – Romania –  Sweden
OPSC: Oman – Slovenia
OPAC: Oman – Slovenia

Overall Report

CRC/Integrated: Chad –DPR Korea –DR Congo- Malawi –Moldova – Netherlands
OPAC: Maldives – Moldova– Tunisia
OPSC: Maldives –Netherlands

CRC/Integrated:: Dominican Republic – Timor-Leste
OPSC: Chile – Kuwait – Timor-Leste
OPAC: Chile – Germany – Kuwait – Timor-Leste

CRC/Integrated:: Kazakhstan – Maldives – Slovak Republic – Uruguay
OPSC: Bangladesh – Guatemala – Sudan – Ukraine
OPAC: Guatemala – Monaco – Norway – Sweden

CRC/Integrated: Chile – Honduras – Kenya – Malaysia – Mali– Marshall Islands* – Suriname
OPSC: Costa Rica – Kyrgyzstan
OPAC: Costa Rica – Kyrgyzstan
*The report of the Marshall Islands was examined in a private technical review in the absence of a government delegation.

CRC/Integrated: Benin – DR Congo – Ethiopia – Ireland – Jordan – Kiribati – Oman – Samoa Senegal – Swaziland
OPSC: Denmark – Syria – Vietnam
OPAC: Kazakhstan – Malta* – Vietnam

*The report of the Malta was examined in a private technical review thus there is no dialogue available.

CRC/Integrated: Colombia – Latvia – Lebanon – Mexico – Tanzania – Turkmenistan –Uzbekistan
OPSC: Iceland – Italy – Qatar – Turkey
OPAC: El Salvador – Iceland – Italy

CRC/Integrated: Azerbaijan – Ghana – Hungary – Lithuania – Liechtenstein – Mauritius – Peru [English] [Español] – Saudi Arabia – Thailand – Trinidad and Tobago
OPSC: Andorra – Kazakhstan – Morocco
OPAC: Andorra – Bangladesh – Switzerland

CRC/Integrated: Australia – Algérie [Français] – People’s Republic of China (including Hong Kong and Macao) – Denmark – Finland – Russia – Uganda
OPSC: People’s Republic of China