CRINMAIL 92:
February at the UN
In this issue:
To view this CRINMAIL online, click here.
This time of year is always really busy for children's rights at the UN. Information is key for successful human rights advocacy, so we hope you don't mind that it's a little long this time.
Briefly, highlights this month include:
- Children's right to health is in focus at the Annual Day of the Rights of the Child at the Human Rights Council next week. There are also some really interesting side events, and CRIN will be reporting live from Geneva.
- Today (28th February) is the first anniversary of the optional protocol for a complaints mechanism for the Convention on the Rights of the Child. But it still needs seven more States to ratify before it can come into force...
- The High Commissioner for Human Rights has made a bold call to the Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court.
....and much more!
Human Rights Council
Session 22 got under way on 25 February, and will last until 22 March. CRIN will be reporting live from Geneva, with daily bulletins available on our 22nd session page and via our twitter feed.
Below are the highlights for children’s rights.
Focus on children's right to health
Children's right to health takes centre stage on 7 March, as States, UN agencies and NGOs get ready to participate in the Annual Day on the Rights of the Child.
The discussion follows the UN Study on the right to health, to which NGOs and other civil society organisations made a number of submissions. Read CRIN's submission here.
The day will be split into two parts: the morning session will focus on "challenges in achieving the full realisation of the right of the child to health", with panellists from the World Health Organisation, the Uruguayan government and NGOs; in the afternoon, panellists will discuss the "implementation of the right of the child to health and accountability mechanisms". A resolution, to be introduced by Uruguay (GRULAC) and the European Union, will be adopted at the end of the session.
Side events
Over 70 side events will be held during the course of the session, with some focusing directly on children's rights and others providing important opportunities for advocates to position children's rights on the broader agenda.
Here are a selected few:
- "Impact of violence against children on the right to health"
International NGO Council on Violence against Children
(1pm, 6 March / Room XXIV)
- "Protecting Children From Harmful Practices With a Special Focus on Child Marriage and the Interrelatedness to Sexual and Reproductive Rights"
The Office of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Violence against Children
(1pm, 7 March / Room XXVII)
- "Child HIV and health rights"
Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF)
(2pm, 6 March / Room XXV)
- "Health in juvenile detention"
Defence for Children International
(12pm, 7 March / Room XI)
- "Mental health of children of prisoners"
Friends World Committee for Consultation
(12pm, 4 March / Room XXIV)
- "The Child’s right to health through adequate nutrition – how can this be ensured in a fragile context?"
(13.15pm, 5 March / Room XXI)
- "Rights of children in alternative care"
International Social Service
(2pm, 7 March / Room XX11)
- "Children’s rights in the information society in Africa"
OCAPROCE Internationale
(4pm. 8 March / Room XXII)
- "Right to education"
International Catholic Child Bureau
(4pm, 11 March / Room XXIII)
- "Criminalisation of human rights defenders"
International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
(12pm, 6 March / Room XXI)
- "Legislation affecting Human Rights defenders"
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
(4pm, 6 March / Room XXII)
- "Human Rights of Women and Children"
General Arab Women Federation
(4pm, 15 March / Room XX1)
- For a full list of side events, click here.
NGO participation
Read all the statements submitted by NGOs ahead of the session, here.
Only NGOs with ECOSOC status can attend the discussions in Geneva. However, in addition to following CRIN's coverage on our website or through this list, you can watch the sessions live on the UN webcast. For more information on how to contribute, contact the OHCHR civil society unit at [email protected].
The International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) also provides indepth coverage of all discussions. Visit their website here.
Also on the Human Rights Council agenda
On 6 March, a joint interactive dialogue will be held with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children (read Ms Pais' report), and the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (read Ms. Najat Maalla M'JID's report). You can also visit CRIN's Violence microsite here.
The Commission of Inquiry on Syria will present its latest report on 11 March, which highlights how both pro- and anti-Government forces have become increasingly violent and reckless with human life as the conflict draws to the close of its second year. North Korea, Mynamar, Sri Lanka and Iran will also be under the spotlight.
Several Special Procedure mandate holders are set to present their annual reports, with children's rights likely to be on the agenda, including on torture (read the report); human rights defenders (report); freedom of religion or belief (report); and dialogue with the Working Group on arbitrary detention (report).
Resolutions
A number of resolutions will be tabled during the session, including on:
- The rights of children whose parents have been sentenced to death, calling for a panel on the 24th session of the Council (tabled by Belgium)
- Torture and other cruel and degrading treatment and punishment, focusing on rehabilitation and redress (tabled by Denmark)
- Freedom of religion and belief, including extension of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief (tabled by the European Union)
- Protection of human rights defenders (tabled by Norway)
- Birth registration and the right of everyone to recognition as a person before the law (tabled by Turkey)
- Iran, extending the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation in the country (tabled by Sweden)
- Promoting reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka (tabled by the United States)
- Visit our 22nd session page to view all resolutions set to be introduced.
Further Information
Universal Periodic Review(UPR) (What is this?)
The following States will have their reports adopted from 13 - 15 March:
A debate under item 6 on the UPR will follow the adoptions.
Special Procedures (What are these?)
In addition to Special Rapporteurs presenting their annual reports to the Council's 22nd session (see above), a number of country visits have already taken place this year and many more are scheduled.
Recent visits:
- After a visit to Sudan, the UN expert called on the government to make improvements in the administration of justice.
- Ahead of the election in Kenya, the UN expert on internally displaced persons called on the government to avoid a displacement crisis.
- The Working Group on arbitrary detention voiced its concern at detention conditions in Greece.
- Finally, the Special Rapporteur on Myanmar called on the government to close the gap between policy and implementation in the reform process.
Upcoming visits:
- The Working Group on arbitrary detention will visit Brazil from 18 - 27 March.
- The Kyrgyz Republic will be the destination for the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography from 15 - 26 April.
- The Special Rapporteur on violence against women will visit India from 22 April - 1 May.
- Finally, the visit to the United States by the Working Group on Business and Human Rights, postponed in January, is now set to take place from 22 April - 1 May.
- View the full schedule for 2013
- Find out how you can engage with Special Rapporteurs here
- Visit CRIN's page on information and advocacy opportunities
- Visit our Children's Rights Wiki for children's rights extracts of previous visits
Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
Complaints mechanism (what is it?)
February 28th is the first anniversary of the signing of the Optional Protocol for a complaints mechanism to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). But it still needs seven more ratifications before it can come into force…Find out whether your State has signed the Optional Protocol, here.
The Committee has already adopted its Rules of Procedure for the complaints mechanism. You can read the new rules here . To find out how the rules compare to other treaty body complaints mechanisms, view our comparative table. An updated table will be published shortly now that the CRC Rules have been published.
- Further information on the coalition,click here.
- Read our report on the use of the CRC in courts around the world, here.
Other news
Further to the Committee's 2012 Day of General Discussion - on "the rights of all children in the context of international migration” - a summary report has been published. You can also read CRIN's coverage of the day, here.
The Committee's General Comment on Child Rights and Business has been published. You can read the text on the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre's website here. View also their recently launched portal on the UN Guiding Principles, here.
Finally, we are still awaiting the publication of the other General Comments adopted at the recent CRC session, on the best interest of the child, the right to play, and the right to health. These will be posted on our CRC news page as soon as they become available.
Further Information
Other UN Treaty Bodies
Sessions in progress
Pakistan and Greece are among the eight States being examined by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women during its 54th session. More here.
Seven States, including Russia and Algeria are being reviewed by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination at its 82nd session. More here.
Upcoming sessions
The Human Rights Committee will hold its 107th session from 11 - 28 March. Angola and Peru are amongst States under review. More here.
The Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) will, for the first time, examine States' reports during its 4th session (8 - 19 April). Uruguay and Frances are facing examination. Find out how you can engage wtih the Committee here.
Further Information
To find what treaty bodies are saying - or not - about children’s rights in your country, type your country name at the end of www.crin.org ; for example, for India, type: www.crin.org/india.
UN Security Council
During the Security Council’s thematic debate on Protection of Civilians on 13 February, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, reiterated the call for the UN body to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court (ICC), stating the move “would send a clear message to both the government and the opposition that there will be consequences for their actions”. More on Syria here.
Commenting on the situation in Mali, Ms Pillay said the Council had achieved political consensus and welcomed the Council provision for UN human rights monitoring in the country. Read more about the situation in Mali here.
The High Commissioner also updated the Security Council on the situations in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia and the Central African Republic. Read her address here.
Useful Resources and Contacts
Useful Resources
Contacts and Organisations
As always, you can keep up to date with all our coverage of children’s rights at the UN by clicking on the following links:
If you have any feedback on our new CRINMAIL, please write to us at [email protected].
{THE LAST WORD}
“Making Children’s Voices a Reality: Mobilizing States toward Ratification of the Third Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child”
To mark the first anniversary of the signing ceremony for the Third Optional Protocol, the UN Permanent Missions of Chile, Finland, Germany, the Maldives and Thailand hosted an event on 28 February.
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