Summary: 19 September 2008, Geneva
**NGO Submissions now available below**
NEW: Programme now available here
The Committee on the Rights of the Child has decided to devote its next Day of General Discussion (DGD) to children's right to education in emergencies - articles 28 and 29 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The meeting will be held at the Palais Wilson in Geneva, Switzerland, on Friday, 19 September 2008 from 10:00-18:00. Read the full outline.
The purpose of the Days of General Discussion is to foster a deeper understanding of the contents and implications of the Convention in relation to specific articles or topics. After the discussion the Committee adopts recommendations, taking into account the issues raised.
The right to education is set out in articles 28 and 29 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child as well as in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and a number of other international instruments. The 2008 Day of General Discussion is intended to provide States and other actors with more comprehensive guidance as to their obligations to promote and protect the right to education as outlined in articles 28 and 29.
Representatives of Governments, United Nations human rights mechanisms, United Nations bodies and specialised agencies, non-governmental organisations, national human rights institutions, children and experts are welcome to take part.
Participants will split into two working groups to discuss the issue (please see the outline for more details on the two working groups and their respective sub-themes):
Working Group 1: Continuation and/or reconstruction of the educational system
Working Group 2: Content and quality of education provided for children in emergency situations
NGO contributions
NGOs and children are invited to submit written contributions on the themes mentioned above to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) as soon as possible. The Committee requests that written contributions be limited to a maximum of seven pages. Although documents may be submitted in English, French or Spanish, they will not be translated into the other languages. Oral contributions from NGOs are also welcome during the day itself but should be limited to interventions in the debate rather than formal statements. Guidelines and additional information are available here: http://www.crin.org/docs/guidelines_DGG_08.doc
The deadline for submissions for 2008 is now passed.
NGO submissions will be posted on the CRIN website when they are received.
Registration
As the meeting is open to the public, written invitations will not be issued by the United Nations or the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child. For security reasons and due to limited space, attendance at the meeting requires advance registration. For this reason, please also note that organisations are strongly encouraged to limit participation in this event to a maximum of three representatives.
The registration deadline is now passed.
More information
For registration and to submit written contributions, contact:
Secretariat, Committee on the Rights of the Child
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Email: CRCgeneraldiscussion@ohchr.org
If you have any questions about NGO contributions, contact Lisa Myers:
NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Email: ngocrc-lup@bluewin.ch
Other information
**SUBMISSIONS**
NGO submissions
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Kinderdorf International
Working with the Community for the Community -
International Catholic Child Bureau
The Right of the Child to Education in Emergency Situations: Reflections from our Grassroots Experience -
Committee for Legal Aid to the Poor
The right to education in emergency situations -
Child Helpline International
Child Helplines as an essential mechanism to protect the Right to Education in emergency situations -
Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE)
Submission to the Committee on the Rights of the Child for the Day of General Discussion on Education in Emergency Situations -
Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)
Comments by SIDA -
Ad Hoc Working Group on "Education in Emergencies: The African Context; an African Perspective"
The Right of the Child to Education in Emergency Situations -
Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII
Day of General Discussion: The Right of Children to Education in Emergency Situations -
International Development and Disability Consortium
Discussion paper on Access to Quality Educational Activities for Children with Disabilities in Conflict and Emergency Situations -
The International Clinic for the Defense of Human Rights of the Université du Québec à Montréal and Teachers Without Borders-Canada
Ensuring education for all and guaranteeing child's right to registration
Assurer une éducation pour tous et le droit à l’enregistrement des enfants
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Save the Children Norway on behalf of the International Save the Children Alliance
Recommendations to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child -
UNICEF, IRC. INEE, UNGEI
The Right of the Child to Education in Emergency Situations -
Save the Children Spain
The Right to Education in Emergencies -
Arigatou International
The Right of the Child to Education in Emergency Situations -
Defence for Children Palestine
The Right of the Child to Education in Emergency Situations