Complaints Mechanism: UN Working Group Meeting

Summary: Meeting closes on Friday 18th. Read updates.

Updates from Working Group Meeting

Read statements: View Experts' Submissions (OHCHR website)

About the Working Group

Although the final mandate of the Working Group is weaker than what was originally hoped for, it is a great achievement at the UN level as it launches the process and provides a formal platform for States to discuss a communications procedure under the CRC.

The Resolution

Co-sponsors of this resolution are: Austria, Belarus, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malta, Mexico, Montenegro, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Thailand, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Ukraine, Uruguay.

What is this Working Group about?

An “open-ended working group” means that any State interested in the issue is welcome to be part of the Group. It is therefore still unclear who will attend the first session and who will not.

The Working Group will report back to the Human Rights Council at its 13th session, in March 2010 on the progress or decisions made during this five day meeting.

Since no term was given to the Working Group, a new resolution renewing its mandate and ideally requesting the Working Group to start the drafting process will be needed in 2010.

The mandate to “explore the possibility of elaborating an Optional Protocol” establishing a communications procedure under the CRC means that States will merely discuss this possibility during its first session. The reiterated statements of delegations about not “prejudging” the outcome of the Working Group imply that the Working Group may not decide to elaborate such an Optional Protocol at the end of its first session.

Further information and how to get involved

Owner: Open Ended Working Grouppdf: www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/OEWG/index.htm

Organisation: 
UN Human Rights Council
UN Human Rights Council
UN Human Rights Council
UN Human Rights Council
Web: 
http://www.crin.org/law/CRC_complaints/
Tags: 
Individual cases of violations
Reporting to and monitoring the CRC
Link : 
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/OEWG/index.htm

Countries

    Please note that these reports are hosted by CRIN as a resource for Child Rights campaigners, researchers and other interested parties. Unless otherwise stated, they are not the work of CRIN and their inclusion in our database does not necessarily signify endorsement or agreement with their content by CRIN.