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Summary: Daily updates about child rights at the 61st
Session of the Commission on Human Rights.
No 5 – Tuesday 5 April 05
Children Have Rights Too!
Child rights at the 61st Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights
LATEST NEWS – Omnibus Resolution on the rights of the child
The final proposal for the text of the omnibus resolution on the rights of
the child will be submitted on 13 April. Negotiations will therefore be going
on until then. Voting has been postponed, but no date has yet been
announced. More information to follow. To read the alternative omnibus
resolution, go to:
http://www.crin.org/CHR/Alternative_Omnibus_Resolution2005.doc
Call For Information: Millennium Development Goals & Human Rights
CONGO, the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the UN,
organised a side event to give an update on the Millennium+5 Summit to
be held in New York on 14-16 September 2005, and to look at the current
review process of the MDGs and human rights framework of the UN
reform. This was an opportunity for NGOs to speak out and identify key
issues they want to see addressed at the Summit. Ideas and proposals
given by NGOs and civil society will be compiled into a report to be
delivered by ECOSOC at the Summit.
Feedback and information is welcome on the following:
- What priority areas concerning the human rights global agenda
do you consider most important for States to address at the Millennium
Review Summit?
- How can NGOs help develop a strong unified voice for civil
society while conserving its tremendous diversity?
- How can NGOs strengthen and coordinate their advocacy efforts
and how can they bring the MDG agenda to different regions to get
people’s concerns heard?
Contact CONGO with your comments at: [email protected], visit:
www.ngocongo.org
CHILDREN'S HUMAN RIGHTS CAUCUS – Children and Torture
Today’s guest at the children’s human rights caucus was Mr. Nowak,
Special Rapporteur on Torture. Mr. Nowak was particularly interested to
hear comments and suggestions from NGOs about his current mandate
and how the issue of child rights should be included in his work. One
comment was made about the lack of highlight on any particular group in
the SR’s report, whether children or refugees, or other.
Mr. Nowak said he was interested to broaden his mandate and take into
account issues raised by NGOs, although there is a lot of resistance from
governments to include other forms of violence or torture than that of Sate
torture. Furthermore, the SR undertakes a country visit when he is invited
by the State, or when he has received sufficient information from NGOs or
others to substantiate the need for him to request a visit in a given
country. His next country visits will be Nepal, Mongolia and China. He is
therefore appealing to the human rights community for information.
There was a discussion about corporal punishment, and how it should be
seen as torture. It was mentioned that only 14 countries in the world have
a ban on corporal punishment and it is often socially and legally still
acceptable for parents and teachers to use ‘reasonable chastisement’
against children. This was illustrated by an example in Peru where a
teacher recently caned a child 22 times. This was not illegal as teachers
are allowed to cane a child up to 33 times before it becomes illegal. Mr.
Nowak said he would very much welcome a request from the CHR to
undertake a study on corporal punishment.
A model questionnaire for making allegations is available on the website of
the SR at:
http://www.ohchr.org/english/issues/torture/rapporteur/model.htm, or
contact Safir Syed, on [email protected] for further information.
NGO SIDE EVENT: Children and violence – Breaking the walls of silence
An update on the UN Study on Violence Against Children
Charing this event, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mehr
Khan, highlighted the importance of this study and the difficulty in
gathering statistics as much of the violence that affects children happens
behind closed doors, for instance, in the family, in schools, the community
and in institutions. She welcomed the positive input that States had
provided with 92 governments having so far submitted their questionnaire
to the Independent Expert.
Professor Paolo Sergio Pinheiro, the Independent Expert for the Study,
reiterated the importance of NGO participation in this study. What is vital
for this study is to create dialogue, to break the walls of silence and to
avoid coming up with oceans of recommendations. What this report must
achieve is a set of focused recommendations that can be implemented,
with mechanisms for follow-up. The fact that so many countries have
responded so far, is a sign that they are ready to enter into dialogue and
recognise that children have rights. “Children are not mini people with mini
rights. But as long as they are seen as half citizens, their rights will keep
being violated”, he said. In this context, one problem that needs to be
addressed is the fact that reasonable use of violence against children is
still acceptable.
Participation in this process is of course essential. Ravi Karkara, presently
seconded from Save the Children to the Secretariat of the study to
coordinate child participation, explained how children’s voices can make a
difference. To ensuring positive participation, some key aspects and
techniques have been developed. First of all, child protection policies must
be in place when involving children. Secondly, there must be accountability,
there has to be concrete steps that can be taken for a follow-up process.
Thirdly, non-discrimination is critical, as violence affects boys and girls
differently, but also very young children, disabled children and other
groups. Activities are being prepared to involve children in the upcoming
regional consultations. More information is available at
www.crin.org/violence (NGO site) and www.violencestudy.org (Official
Study site).
For detailed reports, visit : http://www.crin.org/chr/reports.htm
COMING UP – Wednesday 6 April
13 – 15, Room XX: “How can juvenile Justice reform be brought onto the
international agenda?”, Human Rights Watch, World Vision International
and Defence for Children International.
14 – 15, Room XXIV: “Violence Against Women, in particular the crime of
honour killings”, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.
Plenary Session: Item 13: the Rights of the Child, will include the following
speakers:
- Mr Juan Miguel Petit, Special Rapporteur on the sale of children,
child prostitution and child pornography;
- Mr Paolo Sergio Pinheiro, Independent expert appointed by the
Secretary-General to lead the study on the question of violence against
children.
Full agenda is available online at: http://www.crin.org/chr/agenda.htm
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This update has been produced by the Child Rights Information Network,
in collaboration with the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of
the Child, Subgroup for the Commission on Human Rights. These updates
are also available at the following link: www.crin.org/chr/news. You can
sign up to receive these by email. Send an email to: childrightscaucus_chr-
[email protected] . Further information about the 61st Session is
available on the CRIN website at: www.crin.org/chr. To submit information,
contact Veronica Yates on [email protected]. CRIN, c/o Save the Children, 1,
St John’s Lane, London EC1M 4AR, UK.
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