CRINMAIL 74:
HRC 18th Session concludes
In this issue:
To view this CRINMAIL online, click here
18th Session Summary
The 18th regular session of the Human Rights Council closed on 30 September with the adoption of 31 resolutions and several Special Procedure Mandate appointments and extensions.
Children's rights featured prominently in a resolution on the "administration of justice, in particular juvenile justice" and on a resolution on the death penalty, which paid particular attention to juveniles. Children's rights were also addressed in a number of discussions, most notably on child slavery and children in armed conflict.
In a closing statement, NGOs labelled the outcomes of the session as a 'mixed record', citing in particular the Council's lack of progress in taking action on country situations, notably Yemen and Sri Lanka.
Key Resolutions
Administration of Justice
On 29 September, the Council adopted a resolution on the Administration of Justice, in particular Juvenile Justice. The resolution addresses a number of issues, notably the age of criminal responsibility, and capital punishment and life imprisonment for offences committed by persons under 18. Read the resolution, here. Read also about CRIN's inhuman sentencing campaign.
The 2012 Annual Day on the Right of the Child will be on:"Children and the Administration of Justice". Details to follow.
Death Penalty
In a resolution regarding the report by the Secretary-General on the the death penalty, the Council requested the SG to continue to submit a yearly supplement to his quinquennial report on capital punishment, paying special attention to the imposition of the death penalty on persons younger than 18 years of age at the time of the offence, on pregnant women and on persons with mental or intellectual disabilities. Read the resolution.
Read about other resolutions passed, including on freedom of expression and the internet, here.
Key discussions involving children
A number of Special Rapporteurs (what are these?) presented their reports and engaged in interactive discussions with States, UN bodies and NGOs. Key child-related discussions included:
Child Slavery
The Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, Ms Shahinian, presented her 2011 report to the Council on child slavery in the artisanal mining and quarrying sector. The main challenges to combating slavery, she said, were awareness raising, legislation, discrimination, rehabilitation, and financial and technical assistance programmes. Read more about the discussions and watch a short video of Ms Shahinian talking about different forms of slavery.
Children and Armed Conflict
During her presentation, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy, expressed concern over issues related to children and justice (read also her latest publication), including the detention and prosecution of children in situations of armed conflict. You can also read our latest 'Children and Armed Conflict' CRINMAIL.
Other notable discussions
Mandate appointments
The Council announced the following new mandates:
- Read also: "Through a New Lens: A Child-Sensitive Approach to Transitional Justice"
Mandate Extensions
Visit CRIN's pages on Special Procedures:
- An Introduction | Information and Advocacy Opportunities
- How to engage with Special Procedures | Upcoming visits
- Latest press releases by Experts
Universal Periodic Review (what is this?)
The Council adopted 15 UPR reports for States reviewed during the 11th session, and held a general debate on the UPR under Item 6.
12th Session
The final session of the UPR's first cycle opened on 3rd October. See which States are under review and read CRIN's child rights extract reports taken from the pre-review report submissions.
UPR-Info.org are staging a conference on 13 October at the Palais des Nations to assess the first cycle of the UPR and its impact on human rights situations worldwide, as well as looking towards the 2nd cycle. CRIN will be reporting on the conference.
2nd Cycle / Deadlines
The schedule for the 2nd cycle has been released with States due to be examined in the same order, beginning in May 2012. Read more about the changes to the UPR process and what it means for NGOs.
The following reporting deadlines apply for the 13th session:
- 21 November 2011: Bahrain, Ecuador, Tunisia, Morocco, Indonesia, Finland and the United Kingdom.
- 28 November 2011: India, Brazil, Philippines, Algeria, Poland, Netherlands and South Africa.
For more information on the UPR, visit CRIN's pages:
- An Introduction | Information and Advocacy Opportunities
- CRIN's report: "Status of Children's rights in the UPR" |
- CRIN's report: "Guide to using the UPR" | Latest news on the UPR
- You can also read about "UPR in the media" on UPR-info.org.
OTHER NEWS
Expert Consultation on Street Children
A UN meeting on children living and / or working on the street will take place in Geneva from 1 - 2 November. UN Member States, UN agencies and NGOs will discuss a number of themes in preparation for OHCHR's report to the Human Rights Council. View the agenda.
Business and Human Rights
The five members of the new UN Working Group on human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, formed after the Human Rights Council endorsed a new set of Guiding Principles, were appointed during the 18th session. Details on the upcoming work of the UN Group and how NGOs can engage with the members will follow in due course.
Call for Contributions
- The UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Ms. Magdalena Sepulveda Carmona, is calling for contributions to her upcoming report, which is due to be presented at the Council's 20th Session. The deadline is 1 November. Read more, here.
- Further to Council Resolution 16/27 adopted in March 2011 at the Council, the Advisory Committee are calling for submissions to their preliminary study exploring the intersection between malnutrition, childhood disease and human rights, taking children affected by Noma as an example. The deadline is 14 October. Read more, here.
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