January 15 2002: CRINMAIL 349 Special Edition on the 29th Session of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. Contents: - CHILD RIGHTS: The Committee on the Rights of the Child Opens 29th Session [news] - COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD: 29th Session of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child [event] - OPTIONAL PROTOCOL ON THE SALE OF CHILDREN: Enters into force on 18 January 2002 [news] - CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD: UNHCHR Factsheet 10 (Rev 1): The Rights of the Child [publication] - NGO ALTERNATIVE REPORTS: NGO Alternative Reports to the 28th Session of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child [publications] - NGO GROUP FOR THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD: Profile of the NGO Group for the CRC [organisation] - CRIN: Events Calendar [request] Your submissions are welcome if you are working in the area of child rights. To contribute, email us at info@crin.org. Please note that we are unable to respond to emails addressed to crinmail_english@domeus.co.uk --------------------------------------------------- - CHILD RIGHTS: The Committee on the Rights of the Child Opens 29th Session [news] [14 January 2002] The Committee on the Rights of the Child opened its twenty-ninth session this morning by hearing United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson say that children remained the first victims inside and outside Afghanistan. The High Commissioner said that the tragedies that occurred in the United States on 11 September and their aftermath had absorbed the attention of the world, and of the United Nations, including her Office. In the case of Afghanistan, "we are all aware that children remain the first victims inside and outside of that country". Mrs. Robinson announced that the General Assembly's Special Session on Children, which was postponed after 11 September, would now take place from 8 to 11 May 2002 in New York. She said that the Special Session would have a particular significance for the Committee's monitoring role in that States were likely to include in their reports information on measures taken and results achieved in the implementation of the 1990 Plan of Action. Turning to the two Optional Protocols to the Convention, Mrs. Robinson said that the Protocol on the sale of children would enter into force on Friday, 18 January 2002. The other Protocol on children in armed conflict would enter into force on 12 February 2002. Also this morning, the Committee, which is composed of 10 independent Experts, adopted its agenda and programme of work before going into a private meeting. During its three-week session, the Committee will consider reports submitted by Lebanon, Greece, Gabon, the United Arab Emirates, Mozambique, Chile, Malawi, Bahrain and Andorra. A representative of the Secretariat announced that the Committee had so far received 167 initial reports and 53 periodic reports, out of which 164 had been considered by the Committee. At least 26 initial and 88 periodic reports are overdue. When the Committee reconvenes at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 15 January, it will start its consideration of the second periodic report of Lebanon. The full text of the High Commissioner?s opening address can be viewed at: http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/(Symbol)/OHCHR.STM.02.2.En?OpenDo cument [Source: OHCHR. See website for the latest news releases on Child Rights] See also http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=1819 --------------------------------------------------- - COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD: 29th Session of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child [event] The 29th Session of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is currently in progress (14 January 2002 to 1 February 2002). State party reports being considered are as follows: Andorra: http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/(Symbol)/CRC.C.61.Add.3.En?OpenDocument Bahrain: http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/(Symbol)/CRC.C.11.Add.24.En?OpenDocument Chile: http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/(Symbol)/CRC.C.65.Add.13.Sp?OpenDocument Gabon: http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/(Symbol)/CRC.C.41.Add.10.Fr?OpenDocument Greece: http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/(Symbol)/CRC.C.28.Add.17.En?OpenDocument Lebanon: http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/(Symbol)/CRC.C.70.Add.8.En?OpenDocument Malawi: http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/(Symbol)/CRC.C.8.Add.43.En?OpenDocument Mozambique: http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/(Symbol)/CRC.C.41.Add.11.En?OpenDocument United Arab Emirates: http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/(Symbol)/CRC.C.78.Add.2.En?OpenDocument For a complete listing to be updated with Concluding Observations following the meeting, see: http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu2/6/crc/crcs27.htm#29th or http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=1555 Further information is available from: The Secretariat for the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Palais Des Nations, 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland . Tel: 00 41 22 917 9301; Fax: 00 41 22 917 9022; Email: pdavid.hchr@unog.ch; Website: www.unhchr.ch ----------------------------------------------- - OPTIONAL PROTOCOL: Enters into force on 18 January 2002 [news] The Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography enters into force on January 18 2002. It can be read at: http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu2/dopchild.htm. The Optional Protocol concerning Children and Armed Conflict enters into force on February 12 2002 and can be read at: http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu2/6/protocolchild.htm. The Optional Protocol requires that 'each State Party shall, within two years following the entry into force of the present Protocol for that State Party, submit [an initial] report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child providing comprehensive information on the measures it has taken to implement the provisions of the Protocol, including the measures taken to implement the provisions on participation and recruitment.' Guidelines regarding initial reports of States Parties to the Optional Protocol to the CRC on the involvement of children in armed conflicts are available at: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=2267&flag=legal For the status of ratifications on both Optional Protocols, see: http://www.unhchr.ch/pdf/report.pdf Further information is available at: http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu2/isschild.htm -------------------------------------------------- - CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD: UNHCHR Factsheet 10 (Rev 1): The Rights of the Child [publication] This factsheet explains the history of the CRC, the mandate and activities of its monitoring mechanisms, the Committee on the Rights of the Child, and general measures of implementation. The document also contains the text of the CRC, the guidelines regarding the form and contents of initial reports to be submitted by States parties and the list of States that have ratified or signed the Convention. To view the factsheet online, go to: http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu6/2/fs10.htm or to http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=2363 For more information, contact: UNHCHR (details as before). --------------------------------------------------- CRIN has made available a copy of the full text of the Convention, including an unofficial summary. See; http://www.crin.org/docs/resources/treaties/UNCRC.htm ---------------------------------------------------- - NGO ALTERNATIVE REPORTS [CRIN website] Reports submitted by NGOs to the Committee on the Rights of the Child are made available on the CRIN website, in partnership with the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child. These reports, which are known as NGO Alternative Reports, provide expert advice on the implementation of the Convention in areas falling within the scope of their respective mandates. The reports are submitted in accordance with article 45(a) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which states that ?The Committee may invite the specialized agencies, the United Nations Children's Fund and other competent bodies as it may consider appropriate to provide expert advice on the implementation of the Convention in areas falling within the scope of their respective mandates.? The reports can be searched by country, CRC session or by NGO on the CRIN website. Go to: http://www.crin.org/resources/treaties/CRC.asp?catName=International+Treatie s&flag=legal&ID=6 Alternative NGO reports submitted to the 28th Session of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child concerning the following countries are available in pdf and word format at the following links. Cameroon Contact: Defence for Children International ? Cameroon, PO Box 14 585, Yaoundé, Cameroon. Tel:00 237 20 9515; Fax: 00 237 22 6262 or 00 237 22 6263 http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=2309 Gambia Contact: The Association of NGOs (TANGO), the Gambia, c/o Ms Fatou L. Faye, PMB 392, Serekunda, Gambia. Tel: 00 220 39 05 25; Fax: 00 220 39 05 21; Email: tango@qanet.gm http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=2311 Kenya Contact: Kenya Alliance for Advancement of Children, PO Box 73637, Nairobi, Kenya. Tel: 00 254 2 443 868; Fax: 00 254 2 449 819; Email: kaacr@kaacr.com http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=2312 Paraguay Contact: Roberto Stark, CDIA Peru 1903 esq. Santo Domingo Asuncion, Paraguay http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=2243 For further information, see: http://www.crin.org/resources/treaties/list.asp?ID=16&type=session --------------------------------------------------- - NGO GROUP FOR THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD: Profile of the NGO Group for the CRC [organisation] The NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child is a coalition of international non-governmental organisations, which work together to facilitate the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. It was originally formed in 1983 when members of the NGO Group were actively involved in the drafting of the Convention. The NGO Group has a Liaison Unit that supports participation of the NGOs, particularly national coalitions, in the reporting process to the Committee on the Rights of the Child as well as other activities to ensure the implementation of the Convention. One important area is the management of NGO Alternative Reports to the Committee on the Rights of the Child. To view more information on the NGO Group, including an organisation brochure and publications, go to: http://www.crin.org/NGOGroupforCRC/ For more information about the NGO Group, contact: NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child, c/o Defence for Children International, 1 rue de Varembé, P.O. Box 88, CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland. Tel: 00 41 22 740 47 30; Fax: 00 41 22 740 1145; Email: ngo-crc@tiscalinet.ch --------------------------------------------------- - CRIN: Events Calendar [request] CRIN is updating its website events calendar with information about events such as conferences, workshops, courses on child rights, seminars etc. We are particularly interested in events taking place between March and June 2002. In addition to being included on the website, this information will be disseminated through a special CRINMAIL in February and also, in the CRIN Newsletter (a combined readership of around 12, 000). The deadline for receipt of this information is the end of January. Organisations interested in submitting information about an event should contact us to request an events submission form. Please contact info@crin.org or write to us care of Save the Children, 17 Grove Lane, London, SE5 8RD, UK. Tel: 44 (0) 20 7716 2252; Fax: 44 (0) 20 7793 7628; Email: info@crin.org; Website: www.crin.org ------------------------------------------------------- The CRINMAIL is an electronic mailing list of the Child Rights Information Network (CRIN). CRIN does not accredit, validate or substantiate any information posted by members to the CRINMAIL. The validity and accuracy of any information is the responsibility of the originator.
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