Submitted by crinadmin on
The Committee on the Rights of the Child this morning opened its forty-second session by hearing an address by Jane Connors, Senior Human Rights Officer of the Treaties and Commission Branch of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. It also adopted its agenda and programme of work. In her opening statement, Ms. Connors said that the new Human Rights Council would replace the Commission on Human Rights, which would formally cease to exist on 16 June 2006. It was foreseen that the Council would convene three times per year in Geneva, in contrast with the annual session of the Commission. While it was not certain at the current stage what impact that would have on the work of the treaty bodies, the High Commissioner believed that the universal review mechanism was likely to bring considerable attention to the work of the Committee, for it would be natural for a human rights review to begin with the independent assessments made by international expert bodies. With regard to the Secretary-General's Study on Violence against Children, which was entering its final phase, Ms. Connors said discussions were taking place at various levels to determine how best to ensure efficient mechanisms to follow-up the recommendations of the Study and ensure that the momentum gained through the regional consultations and other numerous activities was maintained. The Independent Expert was currently working to consolidate the main recommendations and core strategies in order to ensure global impact and strong follow-up to the Study Report. During its three-week session, the Committee will consider reports from El Salvador, Belgium, Latvia, Colombia, Canada, Turkey, Czech Republic, Qatar, Uzbekistan, Tanzania, the Marshall Islands, Mexico, Lebanon, Turkmenistan, Iceland and Italy on their efforts to implement the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the two Optional Protocols to the Convention. The Secretary of the Committee announced that the Committee had received 9 new reports on both Optional Protocols since the last session. When the Committee, which is meeting in double chambers, reconvenes at 3 pm this afternoon, Chamber A is scheduled to take up the initial report of El Salvador on the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the involvement of children in armed conflict (CRC/C/OPAC/SLV/1). Chamber B is scheduled to meet in private to hold a technical review on the initial report of Belgium on the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the involvement of children in armed conflict (CRC/C/OPACBEL/1). Statement by Senior Human Rights Officer of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights JANE CONNORS, Senior Human Rights Officer, Treaties and Commission Branch, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that as a result of the adoption of an historic General Assembly resolution in March, the new Human Rights Council would replace the Commission on Human Rights, which would formally cease to exist on 16 June 2006. It was foreseen that the Council would convene three times per year in Geneva, in contrast with the annual session of the Commission. It would also have the possibility of special sessions convening with the agreement of one-third of the Members. It was envisaged that the Council would retain the system of independent special procedures, and in addition, would establish a new system of universal human rights reviews of Member States. While it was not certain at the current stage what impact that would have on the work of the treaty bodies, the High Commissioner believed that the universal review mechanism was likely to bring considerable attention to the work of the Committee, for it would be natural for a human rights review to begin with the independent assessments made by international expert bodies. After initial consultations with treaty bodies and other actors, the High Commissioner had now finalised her concept paper for a unified standing treaty body, Ms. Connors said. The High Commissioner would very much welcome any reactions and suggestions the Committee might have on her paper. A first brainstorming meeting on the concept paper had taken place with Member States on 5 April, and with non-governmental organisations on 6 April. The issue would be discussed during the fifth inter-committee meeting and eighteenth meeting of the chairpersons from 19 to 23 June 2006. The Government of Liechtenstein had offered to host an informal brainstorming meeting on the paper from 14 to 16 June 2006. Ms. Connors said that while discussions on the High Commissioner's proposals on a unified standing treaty body were on-going, efforts to strengthen the human rights treaty reporting system initiated pursuant to the Secretary-General's 2002 reform proposal were continuing. The treaty bodies had been considering harmonised guidelines for reporting. The High Commissioner's Plan of Action emphasised the need to finalise and implement the harmonised guidelines so that the treaty bodies could begin to function as a unified system. The Office of the High Commissioner had continued to make efforts to help raise awareness of the human rights treaty body system among NGOs, national human rights institutions and the media, Ms. Connors said. The Office continued to advance the treaty body system through its traditional form of engagement – through the technical cooperation activities of its 40 country and regional field presences – by promoting ratification of the treaties as well as encouraging reporting thereto. At the same time, from Headquarters, the Office continued to implement a major programme that would work with them to help national actors make best use of the treaty monitoring process prior to sessions. In that context, a regional workshop on follow-up treaty body recommendations had been held in Nairobi, from 22 to 24 February 2006 for Africa. Turning to the Secretary-General's Study on Violence against Children, which was entering its final phase, Ms. Connors said discussions were taking place at various levels to determine how best to ensure efficient mechanisms to follow-up the recommendations of the Study and ensure that the momentum gained through the regional consultations and other numerous activities was maintained. The Independent Expert was currently working to consolidate the main recommendations and core strategies in order to ensure global impact and strong follow-up to the Study Report.