Committee on the Rights of the Child

History and organization

The CRC is one of the ten UN human rights treaty-based bodies. The committee was created by the convention on 27 February 1991. The committee is made up of 18 members from different countries and legal systems who are of 'high moral standing' and experts in the field of human rights. Although members are nominated and elected by States party to the convention, committee members act in a personal capacity. They do not represent their countries' governments or any other organization to which they might belong. Members are elected for a four-year term and can be re-elected if nominated.

The 196 states that have ratified the convention ("States party to the Convention") (which includes all UN member states except the United States, South Sudan ratified on 23 January 2015, Somalia's domestic ratification finished in January 2015 and the instrument was deposited with the United Nations in October 2015.) are required to submit initial and periodic reports on the national situation of children's rights to the committee for examination. The committee examines each report and raises concerns or makes recommendations to the State party. It also issues occasional general comments on the interpretation of particular Convention obligations. Once a year, the committee submits a report to the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, which also hears a statement from the CRC Chair, and the Assembly adopts a Resolution on the Rights of the Child.

Individual complaints of children are based on the third Optional Protocol on Individual Communications and may be considered only under certain conditions by the committee, as is the case with other committees established by international human rights treaties. The case of Gendhun Choekyi Nyima, 11th Panchen Lama, was considered by the committee on 28 May 1996, as well as at other later dates.

There is inquiry procedure based on the Art, 13 of the third Optional Protocol on Individual Communications. The Committee can open an inquiry if it receives a reliable information indicating grave or systematic violations by a State party of child rights.

In November 2014, for the first time, the committee joined with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women to release a comprehensive interpretation of the obligations of States to prevent and eliminate harmful practices done to women and girls.

Members

The current members of the Committee on the Rights of the Child are listed on the Web site of the Office of the UN Commissioner for Human Rights. Information on former CRC members is linked from the same Web page. The current president of the committee is Luis Pedernera, a children's rights expert from Uruguay. As of 2022, the committee chair is international human rights lawyer Mikiko Otani.

Periodic Report on the Holy See

Main article: Concluding observations on the second periodic report of the Holy See

In February 2014 the committee, after interviewing two top officials of the Catholic Church, published observations described as "a scathing indictment of the Vatican's handling of child sexual abuse cases involving clerics, releasing a report that included criticism of church teachings on homosexuality, gender equality and abortion". The Holy See released a critical statement and said that it did not appreciate being asked to change its position on issues it considered immutable. Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Holy See's permanent observer at the UN, said that he suspected pro-gay-rights NGOs had influenced the committee and "reinforced an ideological line" in the UN. Advocates for the survivors of clerical sex abuse welcomed the committee's findings.

Days of General Discussion

Each year, the committee on the Rights of the Child holds an international Day of General Discussion, bringing together experts and civil society members to discuss important children's rights issues with the committee. In 2021, the Day of General Discussion focuses on alternatives to institutional care for children. In particular, it aims to, "Create meaningful engagement for children and young people who have experience of the child protection system and/or of living in alternative care of any type so they can voice their opinions on what constitutes quality care and advocate for legislative and systemic changes."

References

References

1. (1989). "United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child". United Nations Treaty Collection.
2. (2010). "A Concise Encyclopedia of the United Nations". Martinus Nijhoff.
3. (2019). "United Nations Handbook 2019–20". Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand.
4. Yuste Martínez, Inmaculada. (2024). "Los cachorros del califato y las nuevas prisiones: Campamentos de desplazados internos en Siria". [[Inter-American Institute of Human Rights]].
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7. (2015-10-02). "Joint statement on Somalia's ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child".
8. link. (3 November 2012 . Retrieved 26 November 2008.)
9. "Resolution on the Rights of the Child, 21 November 2012.".
10. "Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a communications procedure".
11. "Complaints about human rights violations—Treaty Bodies".
12. [http://www.tchrd.org/publications/brochures/panchen_lama_XI-2005.html Gedhun Choekyi Nyima: the XIth Panchen Lama of Tibet] {{webarchive. link. (24 March 2008 website of TCHRD)
13. "Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a communications procedure".
14. (5 November 2014). "UN human rights experts set out countries' obligations to tackle harmful practices such as FGM and forced marriage". United Nations Human Rights, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
15. "Membership".
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17. (2022-05-03). "Committee on the Rights of the Child opens its ninetieth session, hears from the High Commissioner for Human Rights".
18. [https://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/documents/world/un-issues-scathing-report-on-vatican-handling-of-sex-abuse/777/ Committee on the Rights of the Child: Concluding observations on the second periodic report of the Holy See, 31 January 2014] {{Webarchive. link. (8 December 2022 draft published on the Washington Post Web site)
19. (5 February 2014). "U.N. panel blasts Vatican handling of clergy sex abuse, church teachings on gays, abortion". The Washington Post.
20. Katherine Gallagher, a senior staff attorney at the US-based Centre for Constitutional Rights was among those who welcomed the committee's findings on sex abuse within the Catholic Church
21. (5 February 2014). "Vatican envoy rejects UN panel's critical verdict on clerical abuse scandal". The Guardian.
22. "OHCHR {{!}} Day of General Discussion: Children's rights and alternative care".