7 May 2008 - Child Rights at the Human Rights Council 44
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To view this CRINMAIL online, visit: http://www.crin.org/email/crinmail_detail.asp?crinmailID=2763
Children Have Rights Too!
If you do not receive this email in html format, you will not be able to see some hyperlinks in the text. At the end of each item we have therefore provided a full URL linking to a web page where further information is available.
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UPR: Deadline for submissions for the third session [news]
The deadline for the submission of contributions from relevant stakeholders to OHCHR for the 3rd session of the Working Group on UPR, scheduled to be held from 1 to 12 December 2008, is:
14 July 2008.
Visit http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/NewDeadlines.aspx for more information, including modified page limits for documents submitted by large coalitions of NGOs. An up-dated version of the guidelines on stakeholders' participation in the UPR process will be made available shortly.
See which States are up for review during the third session.
For more information, contact:
UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
OHCHR-UNOG
8-14 Avenue de la Paix, 1211 Geneva 10
Tel: + 41-22 917-9000; Fax: + 41-22 917-9016
Website: www.unhchr.ch
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=17236
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UPR: Child rights extracts from the submissions to the first and second sessions [publication]
This is a compilation of extracts featuring child-rights issues from all the reports submitted to the first Universal Periodic Review. There are extracts from the 'National Report', the 'Compilation of UN Information' and the 'Summary of Stakeholder's Information', of each country which was examined during the sessions.
Click on the country name to view the report extracts for that country:
First session
Algeria | Argentina | Bahrain | Brazil | Czech Republic | Ecuador | Finland | India | Indonesia | Morocco | Netherlands | Philippines | Poland | South Africa | Tunisia | United Kingdom
Second session
Benin | France | Gabon | Ghana | Guatemala | Japan | Mali | Pakistan | Peru | Republic of Korea | Romania | Sri Lanka | Switzerland | Tonga | Ukraine | Zambia
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=17031
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Second session UPR timetable [news]
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=17032
For more information, contact:
UN Human Rights Council
Website: http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/
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Human Rights Council Session 8 [event]
The 8th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC) will be held from 2 until 18 June 2008 (to be confirmed) at the Palais des Nations in Geneva,in Room XVII.
Programme of work (draft)
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Menu: CRINMAILs - NGO participation - Special Procedures - Sources of information - Subgroup on the HRC - Universal Periodic Review - Useful contacts
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CRINMAILs
Child Rights at the Human Rights Council 41
Child Rights at the Human Rights Council 40
Child Rights at the Human Rights Council 39
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NGO participation
Guidelines for submitting written statements
First information note for NGOs (as of 6th May 2008):
Draft programme of work & timetable:
The draft timetable of the session is expected to be discussed at the organisational meeting of the Human Rights Council to be held on May 19th. It will be drawn from the annual programme of work, already available on the HRC Extranet (see below).
Documents for the Human Rights Council’s 8th Session will be available on the relevant OHCHR webpage:
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/8session/index.htm
The Secretariat strongly encourages NGOs to consult the Extranet, as well as the OHCHR website on a regular basis, as they will be updated with information relating to the organisation of the 8th session of the Human Rights Council.
NGO written statements:
NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC will be able to submit written statements relevant to the work of the Human Rights Council (in accordance with paragraphs 36 and 37 of ECOSOC resolution 1996/31).
NGOs may submit their written statements to the Council Secretariat electronically to [email protected].
The deadline for the submission of written statements is Friday 23 May.
The Secretariat will not be able to ensure the timely circulation of written statements late in submission.
The HRC Secretariat wishes to draw the attention of NGOs to ECOSOC resolution 1996/31, which authorises written statements of: a) 2,000 words for NGOs in general consultative status; and b) 1,500 words for NGOs in special consultative status and on the roster.
Read guidelines for the technical submission of NGO written statements here.
Accreditation:
NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC wishing to accredit representatives to the 8th session of the Human Rights Council are invited to send their letter of accreditation request/s to the Secretariat of the Council as of 19 May by fax, to the attention of the accreditation officer, who can be reached at:
Until 30 May:
Fax: +41 (0)22 917 90 11
Contact information (phone, fax, room number) of the accreditation officer in place during the session will be communicated at a later stage.
The letter requesting accreditation should contain the following elements:
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It should be submitted on the official letterhead of the organisation;
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It should clearly state the title and duration of the session the organisation wishes to attend, e.g. “Name of NGO, in consultative status with ECOSOC, wishes to send the following members to attend the 8th session of the HRC (2 June– 18 June 2008)…..“;
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The letter needs to be signed by the President or the Main Representative of the organisation in Geneva;
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It should also indicate the name/s (first name and family name) of the person/s who will represent the organisation at the HRC session:
o Names of persons must appear exactly as they appear in the ID document,
o Family Name(s) have to be capitalised.
NOTE: The so-called “orange registration forms” previously distributed by Conference Services during the session, will no longer be in use. Therefore, in order to register names for the list of participants, it is important to ensure that the name(s) of those members already in possession of a valid identity badge issued by UNOG Security and Safety Section, and who plan to attend the 8th session of HRC, is/are also included in the accreditation letter, with an indication that the person(s) hold(s) an annual badge.
Annual or temporary representatives of NGOs in possession of an identity badge issued by UNOG Security and Safety Section and valid for the duration of the session, will have unrestricted access to the conference rooms.
Any other participants without a UNOG identity badge should apply in person to the security entrance at Pregny Gate, 8 – 14 Avenue de la Paix; on presentation of an identity document and a copy of the letter of accreditation, a photo-badge valid for the duration of the Council session will be issued.
The accreditation office of the Human Rights Council will be located at the security entrance "Pregny Gate" and will be open from Monday to Friday from 8.00 a.m-5.00 p.m. throughout the session.
NGO parallel events:
As under the arrangements and practices observed by the HRC in its former sessions, NGOs duly accredited to the 8th session of the HRC will be able to organise parallel events of relevance to the work of the Human Rights Council, taking into account availability of rooms.
Room booking requests must be received by 19 May 2008 by the Secretariat, and will be processed on a first come first serve basis, subject to availability of rooms. All requests should be sent by fax to:
Until 30 May:
Fax: + 41 (0) 22 917 90 11
Tel: + 41 (0) 22 917 96 41
Contact information (phone, fax, room number) in place during the session will be communicated at a later stage.
NGO Liaison Office:
During the upcoming 8th session of the Human Rights Council and the lead-up to it, OHCHR's NGO Liaison Officer, Ms. Laura Dolci-Kanaan, will be in charge of facilitating the participation of NGO representatives in the work of the Council. Kindly note the following contact details
· Ms. Laura Dolci-Kanaan, e-mail: [email protected], Tel: +41 (0)22 917 9656 (until 30 May)
· Ms. Noemie Crottaz (intern), e-mail: [email protected], [email protected], Tel: +41 (0)22 917 9754 (until 30 May)
Contact information, as well as the NGO liaison office location accessible during the session will be communicated at a later stage.
A further update NGO information note will follow.
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Special Procedures
Read the full list of the new Special Procedures mandate holders here
Among the new appointments, note that:
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Ms. Raquel Rolnik (Brazil) is the new Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living,
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Ms. Najat M’jid Maala (Morocco) is the new Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography,
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Mr. Olivier de Schutter (Belgium) is the new Special Rapporteur on the right to food
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Ms. Gulnara Shahinian (Armenia) is the new Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
Find out more about Special Procedures
Special Procedures: Facts and Figures 2007
Summary of the 2008 Special Procedures Country Visits
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Sources of information
CRIN - sign up to the special HRC CRINMAIL.
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights - Press releases are issued by the HRC on a daily basis during HRC sessions and are available on the OHCHR website. In addition, relevant documents are posted on the Human Rights Council extranet (sign up).
Relevant and updated information on the 5th session of the HRC will be regularly posted on the HRC Extranet. Username: hrc extranet - Password: 1session.
A live Webcast service will be available under the Council’s webpage, covering the plenary session online, and will be accessible through this link.
Civil society news and perspectives are available on the CONGO website (Conference of NGOs in consultative relationship with the UN) and the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) - ISHR: Human Rights Council daily updates
UN - FAQs about the Human Rights Council
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Working Group for the HRC
The Working group for the Human Rights Council, of the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child, brings together NGOs willing to promote the rights of the child at the United Nations Human Rights Council.
The WG’s aim so far has been to ensure that the Human Rights Council addresses the specific rights and situations of children worldwide in its regular work and sessions on human rights. By advocating for the inclusion of its concerns into the Council's Resolutions, the NGO community has ensured better support and coherence between international politics and local realities affecting the realisation of children's rights.
The WG was active during the negotiations on the creation of the Human Rights Council and during consultations on the first session of the Council.
It produced a call for action in May 2006, calling on the Human Rights Council to act on four specific child rights issues: violence against children - sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography - children affected by armed conflict and displacement - children in conflict with the law. The Call for Action was updated last November.
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Universal Periodic Review (what is this?)
The first session of the Working Group on UPR was held from 7 to 18 April 2008 in Geneva, at Palais des Nations. The second session will be held from 5 to 19 May. A special webpage has been launched on the OHCHR website (internet): http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/UPRMain.aspx
CRIN has produced a special information page on the UPR: http://www.crin.org/HRC/UPR.asp and will soon be distributing a UPR tookit produced by the Working Group.
We have also produced reports on child rights in the submissions for the first and second session.
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Useful contacts
For more information about the Working Group for the Human Rights Council, contact:
Cecile Trochu, co-Convenor
OMCT
Email: [email protected]
Visit: http://www.crin.org/docs/resources/publications/NGOCRC/subgroup-CHR.asp
or Jennifer Grant, co-Convenor
Save the Children UK
Email: [email protected]
Visit: http://www.crin.org/docs/resources/publications/NGOCRC/subgroup-CHR.asp
Any other enquiries:
Child Rights Information Network (CRIN)
c/o Save the Children, 1 St. John's Lane, London EC1M 4AR, UK
Tel: + 44 (0)20 7012 6866; Fax: + 44 (0)20 7012 6963
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.crin.org/HRC
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=17237
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This update has been produced by CRIN, in collaboration with the NGO Group Subgroup for the Human Rights Council. To subscribe, unsubscribe or view archives, visit http://www.crin.org/email.
Further information about child rights at the Human Rights Council is available on the CRIN website at: www.crin.org/hrc. To submit information, contact us on [email protected]. CRIN, c/o Save the Children, 1, St John's Lane, London EC1M 4AR, UK.
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