12 October 2007 - CRINMAIL CRC 13
___________________________________________________________
- CHILDREN'S RIGHTS: Establishing a complaints mechanism for children's rights [campaign]
- COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD: Concluding Observations and Session Reports issued for 46th Session [news]
- CRC: My Rights! Child friendly Convention in braille and big ink print [publication]
- BURKINA FASO: Workshop to follow up Concluding Observations in West Africa [event]
- COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD: 47th Session [event]
___________________________________________________________
To view this CRINMAIL online, visit: http://www.crin.org/email/crinmail_detail.asp?crinmailID=2462
This list provides specific information on the work of the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Updates are sent during CRC sessions and on an ad hoc basis. Please feel free to forward these updates to others who may be interested. To contribute, email us at [email protected].
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.
___________________________________________________________
CHILDREN'S RIGHTS: Establishing a complaints mechanism for children's rights [campaign]
A group of agencies are campaigning for the United Nations to establish a complaints mechanism to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). This would ensure the availability of legal remedies for children at the international level.
A complaints or communications procedure allows individuals, groups or their representatives, who claim that their rights have been violated by a State that is a party to a convention or covenant, to bring a complaint before the relevant committee. This is provided that the State has recognised the competence of the committee to receive such complaints.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the only international human rights treaty with a mandatory reporting procedure which does not have, in addition, an existing or draft communications procedure. This is a serious matter of discrimination against children. [See existing complaints mechanisms]
While children and their representatives can use the mechanisms established under other international instruments to pursue many of their rights, those instruments do not cover, separately or together, the full range and detail of rights in the CRC.
Furthermore, communications or complaints made on behalf of children to the other bodies will not be considered by a Committee with special expertise on children’s rights. Similar persuasive arguments were made for the adoption of the communications mechanisms under CEDAW and under the new Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The process
The most likely method to establish a complaints mechanism would be through the development of a new Optional Protocol (OP) to the CRC. This would require:
-
Building momentum for the Human Rights Council (HRC) to establish a UN Working Group which will consider such an instrument
-
Lobbying the working group to influence the drafting procedure
-
Lobbying members of the General Assembly to ratify the protocol and bring it into force
-
Undertaking more campaigning to bring about widespread ratification
The agencies supporting the establishment of a communications procedure for the CRC, include: World Vision International, Save the Children UK, the Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children, CRIN, Kindernothilfe, the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) and the European Network of Ombudspersons for Children (ENOC).
Full details about the campaign are available here http://www.crin.org/law/CRC_complaints/
If you would like to support this campaign or would like further information, contact CRIN on: [email protected]
Further information
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD: Concluding Observations issued for 46th Session [news]
The 46th Session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child was held from 17 September - 5 October 2007 in Geneva.
The following Concluding Observations to the States parties reports considered at the 46th Session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child are now available (in English) on CRIN's website. French and Spanish versions are forthcoming.
CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
OPTIONAL PROTOCOLS
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=15106&flag=news
NGO SESSION REPORTS - Venezuela, Bulgaria, Croatia, Lithuania, Qatar, Spain
The NGO Group for the Convention of the Rights of the Child has produced summaries of the Committee Sessions for each country. These are available on the CRIN website, on a news page devoted to the activities of the Committee on the Rights of the Child. Reports are so far available for: Venezuela, Bulgaria (OPSC, OPAC), Croatia (OPAC), Lithuania (OPAC), Qatar (OPAC), Spain (OPAC).
Other session reports will be made available shortly here.
The Committee will hold its next session in January – February 2008. Read more below.
Further information
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=7599&flag=report
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
CRC: My Rights! Child friendly Convention in braille and big ink print [publication]
Save the Children Sweden has launched its latest publication, My Rights!, child friendly versions of the UNCRC in Braille and big print in three booklets for three age groups: below 8 years; 9-15 years of age; and 16- 18 years. The booklets are in Braille and in big ink print so that every child has an opportunity to learn about their rights, including the visually impaired children. The booklets are divided into two sections; the first section is in Braille; and the second section is in print.
Throughout history children and young persons with disabilities experience social exclusion and have no voice in issues that affect their lives, which represents a denial of their basic human rights. The invisibility, prejudice and social exclusion based on a person’s impairment needs to be challenged and equal rights and opportunities addressed.
Children’s right to inclusion and diversity need to be ensured and in order for this to occur, they need to have access to information on their rights as stated in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. These booklets provide children with the opportunities to read about their rights in language that is appropriate to them; promotes participation; and to become self advocates on their rights. The booklets have been developed after consultation with child and disability activists including children themselves.
To order a hard copy, write to: [email protected]
The publication is free of cost, although the publishers request payment for postage.
Further information
For more information, contact:
Save the Children Sweden, Regional Office for South and Central Asia
Sanepa Road, Lalitpur, GPO Box: 5850 Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: + 977 1 5531928 / 5531929 / 5523336; Fax: +977 1 5527266
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://sca.savethechildren.se
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=15146
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
BURKINA FASO: Workshop to follow up Concluding Observations in West Africa [event]
Date: 7 - 10 November 2007
Location: Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
The first regional workshop for West African States on follow up to the Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child will be held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, from 7 to 10 November 2007.
Participating countries will be francophone countries from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Delegations from the following countries will attend: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Togo and Senegal. Ghana, Cameroon, Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde.
The aim of the workshop, which will be organised by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and Plan International, is to provide technical support to countries in West Africa to improve the implementation of the CRC and the quality of States Parties’ reports to the Committee.
Plan has previously participated as a partner in the organisation of two similar workshops in Argentina and Costa Rica (2004 and 2005 respectively). Read the reports here.
A similar workshop will be organised in 2008 for Anglophone countries in West Africa.
Objectives
-
Increase awareness of State Parties' obligations regarding the CRC
-
Exchange experiences, best practice and lessons learned
-
Lay the foundations for improved regional networking and cooperation for the promotion of children’s rights in West Africa
-
Define regional and country priorities for child rights
Contents
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has prepared a regional assessment paper for the workshop. The following themes have been identified from the Committee’s recommendations to countries in agreement with the Committee on the Rights of the Child and will serve as the basis for the three-day discussion:
-
Universal birth registration
-
Follow up to the UN Study on Violence against Children
-
Health
-
Education
-
Worst form of Child labour and child trafficking
-
Juvenile justice
Cross-cutting issues will also be discussed through working groups; they are:
- Independent Monitoring
- Data collection
- Discrimination
- Child participation
- HIV and AIDS
- Migrations
Participants
Main participants will include:
- Children and youth organisations such as the African Movement of Working Children and Youth and like-minded organisations such as the Coalition of African NGOs working with Children (invited by Plan)
- Country delegations. Each country delegation will comprise 3 government representatives, 3 civil society representatives, 2 members of Parliament (invited by UNICEF), 2 human rights organisation members, 1 journalist (invited by UNICEF)
- The Economic Commission of West African States (ECOWAS)
- The African Commission on Human and People’s Rights
- The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child
- The African Commission on Human and People’s Rights Special Rapporteur on Women’s Rights in Africa
- The Sub-regional Center for Human Rights and Democracy in Central Africa (based in Yaounde, Cameroon)
- The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Regional Representative
- World Health Organisation (West Africa Office)
- The Director of the Human Rights Procedures Division of OHCHR
For more information, contact:
Abdoul Karim Gueye
Regional Child Protection Advisor
Plan West Africa
Sicap Amitiés III. 4023, PO Box 21 121 Dakar, Senegal
Tel: +221 869 74 30
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.plan-international.org/wherewework/westafrica/
Further information
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=15144&flag=event
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD: 47th Session [event]
Français / Español
The 47th Session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child will take place in January - February 2008 at the Palais Wilson in Geneva, Switzerland. The exact dates have yet to be decided.
The Committee will examine reports from the Dominican Republic, Georgia, Timor-Leste and Bhutan on their implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
In addition, the Committee will review reports on the implementation of the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography (OPSC) from Chile, Kuwait and Timor-Leste and reports on the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (OPAC) for Chile, Germany, Ireland, Kuwait and Timor-Leste.
A special CRC news page devoted to the activities of the Committee on the Rights of the Child has been set up on the CRIN website in partnership with the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The page provides summaries of the Committee sessions by country, UN press releases, NGO press releases, information about the Day of General Discussion, Decisions, General Comments and other activities of the Committee.
States Parties reports submitted by governments to the Committee on the Rights of the Child are available in English, French and Spanish on the website of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Word and PDF formats.
Alternative Reports submitted by NGOs to the Committee on the Rights of the Child are made available on the CRIN website in partnership with the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The reports can also be searched by country, Committee session or by organisation. Note that alternative reports are posted on the CRIN website as they are received.
Further information
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=15116&flag=event
___________________________________________________________
The CRC 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.
