Website of the
Subgroup for the Human Rights Council, NGO Group for the CRC
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NORTH AFRICA: Children's Rights Country Profiles on Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia [publication]
[3 April 2007] - The International Bureau for Children’s Rights (IBCR) this month its second report on Making Children’s Rights Work analysing the status of implementation the Convention on the Rights of the Child that was unanimously adopted in November 1989 by the General Assembly of United Nations. This report feature five countries of North Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia.
The report highlights that there have been significant accomplishments in these countries, particularly in the area of national legislation reform to ensure compatibility with the Convention and also the enjoyment by children of their rights to health and education – although there are still disparities between girls and boys and between urban and rural areas. The Constitutions of almost all the countries make references to the rights of children. There has also been good progress in the establishment at country level of an appropriate government structure to coordinate actions for the realisation of the children’s rights.
The report also underlines that there has been little progress in creating at country level an independent institution to monitor compliance with the Convention principles, to promote and protect the children’s rights, although Morocco and Egypt have taken steps in that direction. Progress is somewhat limited in relation to the application of the best interests of the child and child participation principles, to listening to the child views and concerns and also in the area of protecting the child from all forms of discrimination. The study also underscores the serious efforts being made to promote a change of attitudes, cultural and traditional practices for ensuring the full respect of the rights of the children.
Overall, the report shows that there have been some advances in the area of child protection but far more rigorous actions are needed to address factors that impede progress, including negative social attitudes, stigma, discrimination, taboo and cultural and traditional practices and beliefs. The enforcement of some of the new laws that protect children’s rights is also a significant challenge, according to the study. The report notes that committed political leadership in all five States gives high priority to children in national agendas, although the level of commitment may vary. This commitment, combined with a heightened awareness of children’s rights both within Government and civil society is a good foundation for progress in the effective implementation of the Convention through further legislative reforms and enactment of laws adopted, more and better policies and programmes specifically targeted the realisation of the children’s rights, and, most importantly, an increased allocation of resources to address the remaining challenges identified.
Based on the findings of the study, IBCR concludes that the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in the five North African countries is work in progress with some challenges ahead that require further and more vigorous actions in some areas and also an enhanced partnership with civil society and the children themselves.
For more information, contact:
International Bureau for Children's Rights
1185 Saint-Mathieu, Montreal, Quebec, H3H 2P7, Canada
Tel: + 1 514 932 7656
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.ibcr.org
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=12973&flag=report
Further information
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DISABILITY: Record numbers sign up to new treaty [news]
[NEW YORK, Mar 30 2007] - Eighty-one Member States and the European Community signed a landmark new treaty at the United Nations that aims to improve the lives of the world’s estimated 650 million people with disabilities, a record for the first day of signature of any convention.
Jamaica also ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – the first country to go beyond endorsement and adopt it as law. The pact, the fastest negotiated international human rights instrument in history, needs 19 more States Parties to enter into force.
Some 44 countries signed the Optional Protocol to the Convention, which will give individuals recourse to an expert committee on the rights of persons with disabilities when all national options have been exhausted.
The Convention outlaws discrimination against persons with disabilities in all areas of life, including employment, education, health services, transportation and access to justice.
It requires that public spaces and buildings be accessible to persons with disabilities, and calls for improvements to information and communications infrastructure.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour told a press briefing in New York that the drive and commitment of the disability community was the greatest impetus behind the treaty’s content and relatively rapid adoption.
“It is very appropriate [that] it targets a community that has been marginalised for so long,” she said. “The most important thing is to recognise that where we are today is already a testimony to the empowerment of a community which has a long history of disempowerment.”
Yannis Vardakastanis of the International Disability Caucus called the Convention “a very drastic paradigm shift in the way the international community looks at disability.”
He said the pact should bring real changes in the daily lives of people living with disabilities, helping to take away the discrimination, exclusion and obstacles they routinely face.
“Allow me to quote the German poet Bertolt Brecht: ‘Some there are who live in darkness/while the others live in light/we see those who live in daylight/those in darkness out of sight.’ This is a Convention to bring those in darkness into light.”
Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro told a ceremony at UN Headquarters in New York that “in three short years, the Convention went from dream to reality” to become the first human rights treaty of the century.
She added that fewer than 50 nations currently have specific legislation protecting people with disabilities. “I know we can do better,” she said.
Addressing the same gathering, General Assembly President Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa described the adoption of the Convention as “a historic event not only for persons with disabilities, but also for the promotion of the human rights agenda at the United Nations.”
Sheikha Haya – who spoke by video message from the Middle East, where she is on an official visit – called for a change in values and cultural attitudes towards the disabled to match the legal changes embodied in the Convention.
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=12957&flag=news
[Source: UN]
Further information
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SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA: Demystifying Non-Discrimination for Effective Child Rights Programming [publication]
Non-discrimination is an important principle of child rights programming which is closely related to the principles of participation and accountability. It is often the lack of participation of rights holders and accountability of the key duty-bearers that perpetuates and reinforces discrimination.
This paper confirms the belief that many programmes in the region are ‘diversity-blind’ and do not actively address root causes of child rights violations such as patriarchal structures and unequal power relations.
The paper presents the right to not be discriminated against as a human rights principle. It analyses the various international human rights instruments, including the UNCRC, CEDAW, CERD, ICCPR, ICESCR, UDHR as well as governments’ obligations. It explores the constitutional provisions of each country in South and Central Asia with regard to the principle of equality of all citizens.
The paper also examines how children who are discriminated against are excluded, oppressed and alienated, and its long term impact on children’s development. It attempts to bring out some of the issues in children’s own voices and how it affects them.
The paper offers recommendations for working to eliminate or combat discrimination. It provides general recommendations in areas of advocacy, capacity building, legislation reform, media, monitoring and research and information/documentation. It also provides recommendations applicable to specific thematic areas such as disability, caste and religion, child abuse and exploitation, gender, HIV and AIDS, IDPs and refugees, indigenous children, juvenile justice and sexual orientation.
For more information, contact:
Save the Children Sweden - South and Central Asia Region office
Regional Programme for South and Central Asia
c/o Save the Children UK
Sanepa Road, Lalithpur, GPO Box: 5850, Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: + 977 1 5531928 / 5531929 / 5523336; Fax: +977 1 5527266
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.savethechildren.org.np
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=13029
Further information
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UNITED NATIONS: Guidelines on Justice in Matters involving Child Victims and Witnesses of Crime [child-friendly resource]
These child-friendly guidelines, which were developed by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, UNICEF and the International Bureau for Children's Rights, explain children's rights in cases where they are victims or witnesses of crime. They were prepared to help make sure that children who have been harmed by crime and children who have seen others harmed are protected and treated fairly when they say what happened to them in a court of law.
For more information, contact:
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
Vienna International Centre
PO Box 500, A-1400 Vienna, Austria
Tel: +43 1 26060 0; Fax: +43 1 26060 5866
Website: http://www.unodc.org
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=12864&flag=report
Further information
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LEARNING: Juvenile Justice and Human Rights - Introduction to Human Rights Education [courses]
Juvenile Justice and Human Rights
Date: 18 - 22 June 2007
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Criminal offences carried out by juveniles have a serious impact on society. Nonetheless, the rights of the child demand that juvenile justice is designed and implemented in the best interest of the child. Alternative responses to judicial proceedings for juvenile offenders are mandated by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and states are required to create a youth justice system as an alternative to the “adult” criminal justice system.
There are two main objectives of the course:
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To provide participants with a thorough understanding of the legal and policy framework for juvenile justice, with the starting point of respecting, protecting, and fulfilling the human rights of children in the criminal justice system.
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To develop an individualised analysis and framework for a human rights-based approach to juvenile justice in their own countries, by
- analysing their countries’ national normative framework in light of the international human rights framework related to juvenile justice, identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges of their system
- Identifying local stakeholders in national juvenile justice systems, and developing indicators relevant to juvenile justice
Course content
- International normative framework on juvenile justice, such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Beijing Rules and Riyadh Guidelines
- Comparative discussion of different systems of juvenile justice: Denmark, USA, Germany, Malawi, Serbia.
- The flow of juvenile justice, including the concept and methods of diversion, and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms relevant for juvenile justice.
- Visit to relevant institutions in Denmark
For more information, contact:
Rita Roca
Education Manager
Danish Institute for Human Rights
Strandgade 56, 1401 København K, Denmark
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.humanrights.dk
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=13027&flag=event
Introduction to Human Rights Education
Date: 12 September - 4 December 2007
Location: E-learning course
The course will introduce the international field of human rights education, including presentations of programming, teaching and learning resources, and related theory. The course is intended for educators and trainers working in both the formal and nonformal sectors. Participants will be assisted in the development of a curriculum, training, or plan to use these skills to further their organisation's advocacy efforts. Participants might be expected to apply these skills within formal education settings, for staff development within their own organisations, and for outreach and advocacy.
Application deadline: 1 June 2007
For more information, contact:
Human Rights Education Associates (HREA), email: [email protected]
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=11222&flag=event
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**NEWS IN BRIEF**
Human Rights and Access to Water: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights calls for information to prepare study
http://www.ohchr.org/english/issues/water/index.htm
Katarina Tomaševski: The State of the Right to Education Worldwide (Right to Education Project, March 2007)
http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=12936&flag=report
Human Rights and Business: E-learning Tool
http://www.ohchr.org/english/issues/globalization/business/HR_business_learning.htm
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