Children's Rights in the Sudan: An analysis based on the CRC reports

The next CRC report from the Sudan to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is due in September 2007.

In order for Save the Children Sweden to get a better understanding of the process up to now, an analysis of the previous state and alternative reports to the UN Committee was conducted. This study shows that scarce economic, material and human resources due to years of civil war, drought and famine have seriously limited the authorities’ capacity to ensure the rights of Sudanese boys and girls.

However, the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in January 2005 brought promising possibilities and prospects to the war torn country, as well as enormous challenges and expectations. In this new era of peace building the forthcoming CRC report will be prepared. Learning from the previous reports and the recommendations of the UN Committee, there are four key issues that appear as crucial to consider when preparing the next CRC report:

• the importance of inclusive participation in the reporting process;
• the need for accurate and current data;
• the significance of an inclusive report, which incorporates all aspects and all regions of the Sudan; and
• the wide distribution and availability of the report once it is finalised.

Further information

• Previous report from Sudan to the Committee (2002) and Concluding Observations
• Save the Children Sweden - Eastern and Central Africa
• CRIN's page on Sudan
• Special CRINMAIL on children and armed conflict in Darfur