22 June 2006 - CRINMAIL 791
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- HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL: Opening Ceremony and First Week [news]
- TREATY BODY REFORM: NGO Group Encourages Withdrawal of Proposal [news]
- BRAZIL: National Campaign to Eradicate Physical Punishment [news]
- G8 SUMMIT 2006: Children's "Junior 8" Summit [website and e-discussion]
- DAY OF GENERAL DISCUSSION: Committee Encourages Children's Participation [news]
- DR CONGO: Report of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict [publication]
** NEWS IN BRIEF **
** EMPLOYMENT **
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Your submissions are welcome if you are working in the area of child rights. To contribute, email us at [email protected]. Adobe Acrobat is required for viewing some of the documents, and if required can be downloaded from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html 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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HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL: Opening Ceremony and First Week [news]
[22 June 2006] - The first session of the Human Rights Council is currently underway at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. It opened on Monday 19th June and will end on Friday 30th June. The newly established Human Rights Council takes over from the Commission on Human Rights (abolished on 16 June) and this first session serves the main purpose of deciding on working procedures.
The session is attended by delegates from member and non-member States of the Human Rights Council, as well as a substantial number of representatives from non-governmental organisations, representatives of national human rights institutions and members of the press.
The inaugural ceremony took place on Monday 19th June with statements from Jan Eliasson, President of the UN General Assembly, Kofi Annan, the United Nations Secretary-General, Louise Arbour, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Ambassador Luis Alfonso de Alba of Mexico, President of the Council.
In his speech Kofi Annan reminded Council members of their pledges to uphold human rights at home and abroad: "Their peoples – and the peoples of the world – will be watching to see whether those standards are indeed upheld", he said. He then praised the achievements of the Commission on Human Rights but highlighted the need for a "clean break from the past" and a change of culture: "In place of the culture of confrontation and distrust, which pervaded the Commission in its final years, we must see a culture of cooperation and commitment, inspired by mature leadership". Addressing Council members, Annan said: "You have much hard work before you. In the weeks and months ahead, as you descend into detail and wrestle with issues at the heart of the Council’s mandate, I urge you to keep constantly in mind the noble aims that brought you here. Never allow this Council to become caught up in political point-scoring or petty manoeuvre. Think always of those whose rights are denied".
Most of the first week of the session has consisted of a High-Level Segment (19-22 June), where dignitaries from member and non-member States have addressed the Council. However, this afternoon, national human rights institutions and a few NGO representatives will also be given the opportunity to deliver statements. Furthermore, the final agenda for the first session will be adopted this afternoon.
According to the draft agenda for the second week, the Council is expected to tackle procedural issues as well as some pressing human rights issues as follows:
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Monday 26th: pressing human rights issues - Report of Intergovernmental Working Groups (Durban and Right to Development)
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Tuesday 27th: Report of Intergovernmental Working Groups (on Optional Protocol to International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, on draft Convention on Disappearances, and on draft Indigenous Declaration)
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Wednesday 28th: Universal Periodic Review - Review of mandates and mechanisms
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Thursday 29th: Programme of work for future HRC sessions - Dialogue and cooperation on human rights (human rights education and learning, advisory services, technical assistance and capacity-building) - Conclusions and recommendations, including interim measures on mechanisms and mandates.
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Friday 30th: Continued and Report of the session.
On the second week, CRIN will be reporting from the Human Rights Council through the HRC CRINMAIL and daily updates on the HRC news page. CRIN has produced a new webpage on the Human Rights Council. The page offers information on the first HRC session for child rights NGOs. It provides links to daily news updates on the HRC, information on NGO participation and useful contacts. It contains background information on the Commission on Human Rights and the creation of the Human Rights Council, as well as on the historical involvement of child rights NGOs in the work of the Commission.
[Source: ISHR and UN]
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=8839
Further information
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TREATY BODY REFORM: NGO Group Encourages Withdrawal of Proposal [news]
[GENEVA, 19 June 2006] - In a statement on Treaty Body Reform to the Fifth Inter-Committee Meeting, the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child has called on the Office of the High-Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to withdraw the proposal for a unified treaty body and adopt an approach that would enhance the protection of rights holders.
The annual Inter-Committee Meeting gathers chairpersons and members of each of the seven human rights treaty bodies. It provides a forum for members of the human rights treaty bodies to discuss their work and consider ways to enhance the effectiveness of the treaty body system as a whole. At the 5th meeting on 20th June 2006, the Inter-Committee Meeting consulted with NGOs on the issue of treaty body reform and the High-Commissioner for Human Rights' proposal for a unified standing treaty body.
The NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a network of more than 70 NGOs which facilitates the promotion, implementation and monitoring of the Convention, addressed the 5th Inter-Committee meeting to convey their views on efforts to reform the treaty body system.
As mentioned in previous communications to the High Commissioner, the NGO Group's primary concern is to ensure that the protection of children as rights holders is enhanced through the reform of the treaty bodies. However, they believe that OHCHR has made no attempt at justifying this with the recent proposal for a unified standing treaty body.
On the contrary, the creation of a unified body may result in a loss of focus on children and their rights and that consolidation may have a negative impact on the vibrant national process that has contributed to building momentum and visibility around children’s rights issues.
Indeed, the creation of a unified reporting and monitoring system might entail:
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The inability to monitor implementation in sufficient depth
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A less efficient scrutiny of the implementation of specific rights
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A dimished capacity to galvanise those sectors of government and civil society dealing with specific issues
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A reduced variety of specialised expertise among treaty body members
According to the NGO Group, the High Commissioner's paper, rather than addressing the above-mentioned concerns, simply states that “measures would be taken” to prevent the loss of specialised expertise and to ensure that the process engages those sectors of government and civil society working in the specific rights. Nowhere does the paper make any suggestions as to what these measures might be.
The NGO Group's statement suggests that, although there is much to be done to improve the current system, if treaty bodies adopted the best practices of other treaty bodies, substantial progress could be made in improving the system. They suggest the establishment of working groups specific issues, composed of Committee members, States parties and NGOs in order to seek consensus on harmonising working methods.
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=8806
For more information, contact:
NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child
1 rue Varembé, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 740 47 30; Fax: +41 22 740 1145
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.crin.org/NGOGroupforCRC
Further information
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BRAZIL: National Campaign to Eradicate Physical Punishment [news]
[RIO, 21 June 2006] - Brazil is one of the first nations to take part in Save the Children’s campaign to eradicate physical punishment as a way to discipline children in Latin America. The latest step of this long journey was taken at a recent press conference at the headquarters of the Brazilian Attorneys' Association in Rio de Janeiro.
"The only way to end the vicious circle of violence on this continent is to start from the bottom up. Where the children are. There is no other way," says Denise Stuckenbruck, programme coordinator for Save the Children Sweden in Latin America.
Save the Children Sweden has brought together several national organisations and some of Brazil’s most influential people in a campaign that will reach the entire nation with its 186 million inhabitants. One of the best known personalities in the campaign is the highly popular television star Maria da Graça “Xuxa” Meneghel. Xuxa has been presenting her own show for children for twenty years on the country’s leading television network, Rede Globo.
"Many of my fans from way back are soon going to be parents themselves. I’m sure that I can reach them. I’m sure that they will listen to me. Together we can change people’s attitudes," says show host Xuxa, 43 years old. She herself is a mother of a seven-year-old girl, Sasha.
Also participating in the campaign is the Rede Globo network that produces Brazil’s popular “telenovelas”, soap operas that spellbind Brazilians during eight months. Sometimes, up to 90 per cent of the television audience may watch and follow the daily episodes. In each serial drama, the programme directors try to approach a hot social question. Physical punishment in the family is such a widespread problem in Brazil that it could easily work as the main topic for a forthcoming soap opera, says said Luis Erlanger, Rede Globo’s Communications Director.
Save the Children’s overarching campaign goal in Brazil is to make the issue a subject of discussion among the general public and then approach Brazilian politicians. A proposed bill for prohibiting physical punishment in the family was earlier thwarted by a conservative group in Brazil’s congress. This time, mobilisation will be stronger and broader.
According to a survey by the Brazilian NGO Promundo, it is more than common that Brazilians use violence to punish their children. In one slum area in northern Rio de Janeiro last month 77 per cent of parents, hit their child with a cuff, a slap or a blow.
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=8833
For more information, contact:
Save the Children Sweden - Regional Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean
Apartado 14-0393, Lima 27, Peru
Tel: +51 1 4229292; Fax: +51 1 4224632
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.scslat.org
Further information
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G8 SUMMIT 2006: Children's "Junior 8" Summit [website and e-discussion]
For the first time in G8 history a children’s forum will be incorporated into the official programme at this year’s G8 summit in St. Petersburg. The event called the “Junior 8” meeting will be held in Pushkin, near St. Petersburg from 7 to 18 July 2006. The main highlight of this event will be that G8 children will get the chance to share their views directly with the world’s leaders on 16 July 2006.
UNICEF is supporting the Government of the Russian Federation in the preparation and organisation of the Junior 8 at which selected children from G8 countries, with inputs from children from developing countries through video-conferencing, will assemble to discuss HIV/AIDS, Education, Tolerance and Energy and other issues they think should be prioritised.
Gathering before the world leaders convene their meeting, the Junior 8 will continue through the G8 summit, allowing children to exchange ideas before they present their final communiqué to the leaders.
UNICEF’s Voices of Youth has launched a Junior 8 website with the latest news on the Junior 8 2006 process. In addition, Junior 8 participants and young people from around the world will have the opportunity to communicate with each other in a yahoo e-discussion group at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/junior8russia2006.
The e-discussion on Junior 8 2006 gives young people the opportunity to meet online with Junior 8 participants from the G8 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, United States of America, Russian Federation) and young people from around the world to discuss the main themes of the Junior 8 2006 and other issues.
To become a member of the “Junior 8 russia 2006” yahoo group, send a blank email to [email protected] to request membership. The yahoo group will serve as interactive linkage space between young people participating in the Junior 8 meeting in St. Petersburg and young people from other countries. The yahoo group will be time limited (15 June – 20 July 2006) and will only be accessible prior to and during the Junior 8 2006.
Further information
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DAY OF GENERAL DISCUSSION: Committee Encourages Children's Participation [news]
[GENEVA, 21 June 2006] - The Committee on the Rights of the Child is devoting its next day of general discussion to the theme of the child’s right to be heard. The meeting will take place at the Palais Wilson in Geneva, Switzerland, on Friday, 15 September 2006 from 10am to 6pm.
The meeting is open to representatives of non-governmental organisations, children and their organisations/networks, UN programmes and agencies, governments and other interested individuals, experts and organisations.
The aim of the general discussion will be to explore the meaning of article 12 and its linkages to other articles of the Convention, focus on identifying gaps, good practices and priority issues and promote child participation at all levels.
Children's participation
As the theme for this year’s Day of General Discussion is the child’s right to be heard (Art.12), the Committee is particularly keen to hear from, and take into account, the views, opinions and experiences of children.
A separate registration form has been developed for children and young people and all interested under 18s should complete the attached form and return it by the 1st August deadline. The attendance of under 18s must be sponsored by a responsible national or international agency. All under 18s must be supported by an accompanying adult.
An Interagency group will be facilitating a two-day preparatory Forum for the children attending the Day of General Discussion on 13 to 14 September in Geneva. Further details on this will be communicated over the coming weeks - please check the CRIN website.
Attendance and registration
Due to overwhelming interest, the number of participants at this year’s Day of General Discussion will have to be very limited. For that reason, interested individuals are encouraged to register early or to consider submitting written contributions to the Committee as an alternative way of participating in the discussion and the subsequent process of developing the General Comment on Article 12. For those wishing to register, please note that the deadline has been brought forward to 1st August 2006.
All registrations received up until 1st August – from both adults and under 18s - will be considered as expressions of interest but, due to the limited space, the Committee will not be able to accommodate all requests. All requests will be considered taking into account various factors/criteria, including the limited places available, the need for adequate regional representation, diversity of child participation experiences and the participation of children and young people. Confirmation of registration and attendance will be provided by 15th August.
NGO and children's contributions
NGOs and children are invited to submit written contributions for the Day of General Discussion to the Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR) before 30th June 2006. Contributions will then be posted on the CRIN website. The Committee has issued guidelines on submitting written contributions.
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=8817
Further information
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DR CONGO: Report of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict [publication]
[20 June 2006] – Grave rights abuses against children continue largely with impunity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan says in a new report, calling for stepped-up measures to protect young Congolese at risk of being killed, maimed, recruited in armed forces and groups, abducted, and subject to sexual violence.
In a report to the Security Council, Mr. Annan documents these abuses in Katanga, Ituri and North Kivu Provinces, and says among those engaged in the violations are Mai-Mai groups, Rwandan elements with close links to the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR) but not under FDLR command, members of Congolese security forces and dissident or nonaligned groups that have refused to join the army integration process and disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration including militia groups such as the coalition of the Mouvement révolutionnaire congolais (MRC).
The report does point to some progress thanks to joint national and international efforts that have resulted in “great strides in the fight against impunity for those who recruit and use children.” The report cites the case of Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, a former leader of the Union des patriotes congolais active in Ituri Province, who was handed over to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, accused of the war crime of recruitment and use of children.
The report documents in detail grave rights abuses against children, including incidents when they were killed during clashes by armed groups. It also warns that upcoming polls could exacerbate the plight of these youngsters. “As elections approach, children are at risk of being utilised for political purposes and thus exposed to related violence,” the Secretary-General warns.
Attacks on schools and hospitals have compounded the already abysmal humanitarian conditions faced by children in the DRC, where around half are excluded from health services and millions out of school.
The Secretary-General strongly urges the release of all children present in the DRC armed forces and armed groups operating in the country. He calls on the Government to train and instruct security forces to prevent any excessive or illegal use of force that may result in arbitrary killings or other serious violations against children.
“I also call on the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and armed groups to fully respect applicable international law concerning the protection of schools. Attacks on schools and the occupation of school premises, with special attention to affected schools in Katanga Province, must cease without delay,” Mr. Annan writes.
He also encourages the Government and international donors to include child protection within security sector reform efforts.
Note
This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions of Resolution 1612 (2005). It is presented to the Security Council and its Working Group on children and armed conflict as the first country report from the monitoring and reporting mechanism referred to in paragraph 3 of that Resolution.
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=8826
Further information
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** NEWS IN BRIEF **
Arabic CRINMAIL: Issue 2
http://www.crin.org/resources/infodetail.asp?id=8842
Belgium: Photo Exhibition on Street Children
http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=8788
Check CRIN's calendar for events taking place over the next year
http://www.crin.org/resources/events
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** EMPLOYMENT **
Children in Scotland: Director to the Board
Children in Scotland is looking to recruit a Director to the Board who will share his/her experience and knowledge in strategic, financial and organisational management, and issues affecting children and families, to help lead this growing and innovative agency. Applicants from the private sector are welcome. This is an unsalaried position but out of pocket expenses will be reimbursed.
Application deadline: 19th July 2006
For more information, contact:
Heather Macnaughton, Director of Corporate Services
Children in Scotland
Princes House, 5 Shandwick Place, Edinburgh EH2 4RG, UK
Tel: +44 (0)131 222 2406; Fax: +44 (0)131 228 8585
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.childreninscotland.org.uk
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The CRINMAIL is an electronic mailing list of the Child Rights Information Network (CRIN). CRIN does not accredit, validate or substantiate any information posted by members to the CRINMAIL. The validity and accuracy of any information is the responsibility of the originator. To subscribe, unsubscribe or view list archives, visit http://www.crin.org/email.
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