CRINMAIL 1245:

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2011 Day of General Discussion  

Last Friday the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child celebrated its 2011 Day of General Discussion (DGD) in Geneva, in which more than 200 people took part, making it the biggest DGD to date. 
This year’s discussion was dedicated to the theme of ‘Children of Incarcerated Parents’.  The event, opened by Jean Zermatten, Chair of the Committee, aimed to remind governments of their obligations to protect and promote the rights of these children as outlined in Article 9 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. 

Two youth representatives from the United Kingdom: Sian, 13, and Raheel, 17 – both of whom have a parent in prison – were also present at the event to “tell people what things are like first-hand instead of professionals telling our stories for us”. They shared some of the questions that pass through the minds of children in their situation. Why don’t prison staff treat us like human beings? Why don’t we have any privacy? Why aren’t there support groups for children going through similar things? Why don’t prison staff speak to families and get to know them? CRIN later had the chance to interview them both about their experiences. Read the interviews here.

The meeting then split into two working groups. Working group 1, chaired by CRC member Prof. Yanghee Lee, addressed all issues related to babies and children living with or visiting a parent in prison. Issues covered included: the lack of official data to indicate the number of children in such circumstances, the conditions of prisons and the need for child-friendly environments within them, the possibility of non-custodial sentences, setting an age limit for living with an incarcerated parent, children's right to know about their parent's incarceration, the training of staff within the prison and judicial systems, and children's best interests.

Working group 2, chaired by CRC member Mr. Sanphasit Koompraphant and facilitated by Oliver Robertson of the Quakers United Nations Office, focused on all aspects of the impact of a parent's incarceration on children who remain on the outside, including arrest, pre-trial, court and sentencing, contact with the incarcerated parent, life on the outside, and release and reintegration.

For CRIN’s coverage of the highlights of the two working group discussions, click here. And for more information, view the webcast of the day here.

LATEST NEWS AND REPORTS 

Upholding press freedom

In his latest Human Rights Comment, Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe, Thomas Hammarberg has called on States to more effectively protect journalists from intimidation and violence, noting that in recent years investigative journalists have fallen victim to brutal attacks, including in Turkey, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Russia. Hammarberg says “[t]he right of journalists to carry out their work under safe conditions, without fear of being harassed, attacked, beaten or killed is a topic of paramount importance for freedom of the press and freedom of expression in Europe today.” He stresses the importance of combating impunity in cases of violence against journalists, urging that law enforcement and judicial authorities must ensure accountability for such cases, while governments must make sure that the judiciary is independent and that no political interference hinders investigations. Full statement. 

Also check out CRIN’s Transparency Campaign on restrictions on children’s rights defenders. 

New regressions

Families in the Indian state of Kerala will face fines or a prison sentence if they bear more than two children, according to a draft law proposed by the state government that seeks to impose a two-child policy. In addition to sanctions, a third child will not be eligible for services from the government. The move has sparked strong criticism from religious groups which the draft bill specifically bars from encouraging parents to have more children. However a spokesperson of the Kerala Catholic Bishop’s Council has said this assumption is contrary to what the Church believes, saying that neither the state nor a religion have the right to decide how many children a couple can have. Full story. 

Meanwhile in the United States, a Nebraska state school has banned students from wearing the rosary because they believe it is being used as a symbol of gang affiliation. Yet the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska (ACLU) has responded to the school’s policy saying it raises "serious concerns about children's religious liberty." "Students have the right to express their faith in public schools. Whether a student wants to wear a crucifix, a rosary, or another symbol, it is wrong for school officials to interfere. We understand the serious concerns about gangs in schools, but Fremont Public School should demonstrate there is a concrete gang connection before shutting down a student's free speech and religious rights," ACLU Nebraska legal director Amy Miller said in a statement. Full story. 

Also read CRIN’s factfile on children’s rights and wearing religious symbols. 

Also in the United States, human rights organisations have reported that a harsh Alabama immigration law requiring schools to verify the immigration status of students has pushed many from Hispanic communities to drop out of school. Full story.

Child bride's victory

In Australia, a 16-year-old girl has taken legal action to stop her parents from marrying her off in Lebanon. The teenager won the right to be placed on the airport watch list, and her parents must surrender the girl’s passport to the court. The Federal magistrate assigned to the case, Joe Harman has forbidden the girl’s parents from harassing, threatening or intimidating her. Last year another family in Australia was forbidden from taking their 17-year-old daughter to Lebanon for an arranged marriage after she called police to denounce she was being taken against her will. Harman concluded: "It is not the right of any parent to cause their child to be married against their will, whether in accordance with Australian law or otherwise." Full story. 

The state of children’s rights 

The Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC) in Pakistan has launched the 2010 edition of its flagship publication on the State of Pakistan’s Children, which took place at the end of September in Geneva. The report aims to give a candid picture on the current state of child rights in the country, covering vital issues such as health, education, child labour, juvenile justice, violence against children and child suicide. Download the report.

SPARC has also launched a petition to urge the President of Pakistan, Mr. Adif Ali Zardari, to initiate the enactment of the National Commission on the Rights of Children Bill, establishing an independent and central monitoring body for children’s rights. Support this campaign by signing the petition here. 

New reports 

The International Center for Transitional Justice has published a report called 'Through a New Lens: A Child-sensitive Approach to Transitional Justice', which examines how and to what extent transitional justice approaches have engaged children and considered their needs and perspectives, analysing the experience of truth-seeking mechanisms, criminal justice, reparations, and institutional reform. The report looks at the experiences of four countries – Liberia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Colombia and Nepal – and identifies some key lessons on children’s participation in transitional justice measures. Download the report. 

Save the Children and Handicap International have launched a new report on sexual violence against children with disabilities. The report exposes the hidden nature of this abuse, and seeks to make it more visible by addressing the scale and causes of the problem, as well as the barriers to protection. Case studies are included on Burundi, Madagascar, Mozambique and Tanzania. Download the report. 

UN news

The Human Rights Council concluded its 18th Session 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. Read CRIN's coverage of the Session here. 

UNICEF's Innocenti Research Centre has launched a new portal called ResearchWatch, with the aim of providing field staff and those working in development with access to some of the latest thinking on key issues affecting children. ResearchWatch brings discussions on children’s research to the table in a bite-size format, dedicating each issue to a specific theme – the first on Early Childhood Development. Access it here. 

UPCOMING EVENTS 

Africa: Pan African Conference on Celebrating Courage and Overcoming Harmful Traditions
Organiser: African Union Commission et al.
Dates: 5–7 October 2011
Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
More details here. 

Children in care: Improving Outcomes for Vulnerable Young People
Organiser: Public Policy Exchange 
Dates: 3 November 2011
Location: London, United Kingdom
More details here. 

Climate Change: Impacts on Children and their Rights
Organiser: International Institute for the Rights of the Child et al.
Dates: 25–28 October 2011
Location: Sion, Switzerland 
More details here. 

Juvenile justice: Healing and Hope – A Celebration
Organiser: Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth
Dates: 1 November 2011
Location: Washington D.C., USA
More details here.

Child protection: Working in Partnership to Transform Child Protection – Delivering a Child-centred System
Organiser: Public Policy Exchange 
Dates: 3 November 2011
Location: London, United Kingdom
More details here.

Africa: Deprivation of Children’s Liberty as the Last Resort
Organiser: Defence for Children International & African Child Policy Forum 
Dates: 7–8 November 2011
Location: Kampala, Uganda 
More details here.  

Europe: The 3^rd Annual International Symposium on Preventing Human Trafficking
Organiser: Public Policy Exchange  
Dates: 24 November 2011
Location: Brussels, Belgium  
More details here. 

EMPLOYMENT 

Children’s Commissioner for Wales: Policy Officers x2

The office of the Children’s Commissioner for Wales is accepting applications for two vacancies for the role of Policy Officer to be based in Swansea. The two successful candidates will be responsible for analysing and influencing key policy initiatives from the Welsh Government and other public bodies, and monitor their impact upon children and young people’s wellbeing, among other activities. Application deadline: 7 October 2011 (5PM). For more details, click here.  

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Better Care Network: Senior Coordinator 

The Better Care Network is accepting applications for the role of Senior Coordinator to be based in New York, USA. The successful candidate will manage the strategic development of the Network, hold primary accountability for all of its activities, and be responsible for policy formulation and advocacy around better care issues. For more details, click here.   

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Save the Children Sweden: Child Protection Advisor 

The East and Central Africa Office (ECAf) at Save the Children Sweden is accepting applications for the role of Child Protection Advisor at its regional office in Nairobi, Kenya. The successful candidate will be responsible for the continual development and strengthening of the ECAf  Child Protection Programme for increasing sustainable impact. Application deadline: 7 October 2011. For more details, click here.

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Save the Children Sweden: Communications Manager

Save the Children Sweden is recruiting a Communications Manager to lead and coordinate the organisation’s Child Protection Initiatives’ communications to protect children from abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence, and to act as editor of the organisation’s Resource Centre. Application deadline: 13 October 2011. For more details, click here.  

The Last Word 

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