Submitted by crinadmin on
Summary: The Forum for the Convention on the
Rights of the Child, NorwayThe Forum for the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Norway
The Forum was established in 1994 and includes 50 non-governmental
organisations, institutions of highereducation, research institutes
and individuals that are interested in, and involved in the
implementation of children’s rights in Norway. A list of the members
of the Forum is enclosed. The Forum was established in order to
facilitate exchange of information concerning cases and questions
related to the safeguarding of children’s rights, nationally and
internationally, and to be a source of inspiration for everyone
working with or for children in our country. A Government Hearing in
March 1998 and a Children’s Hearing in December 1998 stand out as the
two main events arranged by the Forum. The findings from these
hearings have formed the basis of this Supplementary Report to the
Committee on the Rights of the Child. The Commissioner for Children,
who normally participates in the Forum, made his own comments to the
Committee separately. This is due to the special position of the
Commissioner, as a publicly appointed official. Secretariat for the
Forum:
Save the Children Norway, the Child Rights Centre, P.box 6902 St.
Olavs pl., N-0130 Oslo, e-mail:
[email protected] Chair for the coordinating committee:
Per Miljeteig, e-mail:
[email protected]
The Government Hearing and the Children’s Hearing
The Forum believes it is important to have an open dialogue between
the authorities, organisations and media, on the question of how we
wish to safeguard children’s rights in our country. With this in mind
a public Hearing was arranged in March 1998. The Government was asked
to respond to questions related to the implementation of the
Convention on the Rights of the Child in Norway. The questions
were based on the problems experienced by the organisations in the
course of their work and areas of interest, nationally and locally.
The Hearing represented a unique opportunity for a thorough
examination of the Convention in direct dialogue between a number of
the Forum’s members and seven Cabinet Ministers or their specially
appointed representatives. After the Hearing – to which the media and
journalists from relevant professional periodicals were invited – a
report was published which contains the questions from the
organisations and the answers from the Ministers. In the aftermath of
this hearing the organisations have initiated a follow up of the
answers and promises made by the various Ministers.
In December 1998 the Forum arranged a Children’s Hearing where
members of several children and youth organisations decided which
questions the government should be asked. Approximately 60,000
children in the age group 10 – 14 years received a workbook on the
CRC. Approximately 600 children sent their views to the Government on
their understanding of how Norway observes the Convention. The
children decided themselves in which way their views should be
presented, and their contributions included drawings, songs, plays,
poems, videos and sculptures. 60 children were chosen to participate
in the Hearing, where they put questions directly to the Government.
Representatives from 10 of Norway’s 16 Ministries were present at the
Hearing, including 7 Cabinet Ministers participated.
Activities the Forum include:
Seminars about the history, contents and implementation of the CRC
Discussions on the situation of asylum-seeking children
Discussions on how children’s rights are integrated in all work for
children.
The Supplementary report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the
Child Comments to the 2nd
Report from the Government of Norway
Norwegian public policy for the care and well-being of children is
generally sound and positive, and the majority of children living in
Norway enjoy the rights they are entitled to.
However, it is the view of the Forum that Norway’s 2 nd Report pays
too little attention to the challenges of applying a child right’s
approach to children’s issues and problems relating to childhood and
the standard of living of children and their families. There is also
too little attention to the weaker groups of children and
conditions, which could actually threaten the rights of children in
Norway. The Report is too much a record of the ways and means the
Government practices it’s child and family policy, without
sufficiently relating it to the actual situation for children, and
how this is constantly changing. In our opinion the official report
contains too little reflection about what it means to fulfil the
intentions of the CRC in country such as Norway, that is among the
most affluent in the world and that wants to keep high human rights
standards for all citizens. One of Norway’s greatest challenges right
now – in the Forum’s view - is to face the increasing differences in
the services of the various local communities. Services for children
in the kindergarten, school and health sectors show large variations
in quality and quantity among the various municipalities and counties.
Another significant challenge is the increasing difference between
groups of the population, and the conditions for the poorest children
in Norway. During the compilation of Norway’s official report, the
Government invited a number of organisations to a discussion on how
best to produce a representative outline of the situation in Norway
related to children’s rights. We found this very prudent,
demonstrating a positive attitude towards the work of the
organisations associated with the Forum. Unfortunately, not much of
what was put forward by the organisations has been included in the
report. The Supplementary report in particular focuses on the
following:
· The need to incorporate CRC in Norwegian law
· The right to know identity of biological parent (father) in cases
of artificial insemination
· The right of the child to be heard
· The situation of children with no permanent/legal residence in
Norway
· The issue of religious instruction in primary and secondary schools
· The need to integrate children’s rights in training of all
professionals, local government who deal with children or are
responsible for decisions that affect children’s lives.
For the full text of the Supplementary report see
http://www.crin.org/ngo.nsf [when the text has been placed
there]