[child-rights] CRC 32nd Session: Committee on the Rights of the Child opens

UNITED NATIONS
Press Release

xxxxxxxxxxCOMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD OPENS THIRTY-SECOND SESSION 
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Hears Address by Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights

The Committee on the Rights of the Child began this morning its
three-week winter session by hearing an address of the Deputy High
Commissioner for Human Rights, adopting its agenda, and approving its
programme of work.

Bertrand Ramcharan, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights,
speaking on behalf of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, briefed
the Committee on developments that had taken place since the
Committee's last session, noting among other things that during the
fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly, the UN
Secretary-General had submitted his most recent proposals on reform
of the United Nations, which contained a specific chapter on
strengthening the human rights system. With regard to human rights
treaty bodies, the Secretary-General had suggested streamlining
reporting procedures and had called for consideration of the
possibility of one national report on human rights to be submitted to
all concerned treaty bodies.

The Secretary of the Committee, Paulo David, said that since the last
meeting of the Committee, seven reports had been received from States
parties. These included the first third periodic reports to be
received by the Committee, from Sweden and Bolivia. So far in its
history, the Committee had received 242 reports and had considered
191 of them.

During its three-week session, the Committee will review reports from
Estonia, the Republic of Korea, Italy, Romania, the Solomon Islands,
Viet Nam, the Czech Republic and Haiti. The Committee is composed of
10 independent Experts, although States parties have adopted an
amendment to the Convention on the Rights of the Child that will
increase the membership to 18. The amendment entered into force on 18
November 2002, and the new members will be appointed following
elections to be held on 10 February in New York.

After adjourning its brief public session this morning, the Committee
continued its work in private session.

When the Committee reconvenes at 10 a.m. Tuesday, 14 January, it will
take up an initial report of Estonia (CRC/C/8/Add.45).


Statement by Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights

BERTRAND RAMCHARAN, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, said
that during the fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly, the UN
Secretary-General had submitted his most recent proposals for reform
of the United Nations, which contained a specific chapter on
strengthening the human rights system. With regard to human rights
treaty bodies, the Secretary-General had suggested streamlining
reporting procedures, and had called for consideration of the
possibility of one national report on human rights to be submitted to
all concerned treaty bodies. A report of the UN Office of Internal
Oversight Services on a management review of the Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights had made similar recommendations.

Mr. Ramcharan said the Committee was expected to discuss at this
session, and possibly adopt, three general comments: on HIV/AIDS,
adolescent health and the minimum age for criminal responsibility.
That thematic work was extremely important, as it would provide
detailed guidance to States parties and others on implementation of
the Convention and would enable the Committee's jurisprudence to be
reinforced.

Turning to other developments, Mr. Ramcharan recalled that on 18
December 2002, the General Assembly had adopted an Optional Protocol
to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or
Degrading Treatment or Punishment. That instrument would establish a
preventive system of visits to places of detention in order to
strengthen protections for persons deprived of their liberty -
including children - and so better prevent torture and other inhuman
treatment. Twenty ratifications or accessions were still required for
the Optional Protocol to enter into force.

Mr. Ramacharan told the Committee that Sergio Paulo Pinheiro of
Brazil recently had been informed that he would be nominated by the
Secretary-General as Independent Expert for a UN study on violence
against children. The study had been agreed to by the General
Assembly following the outstanding work of the Committee on the issue
of violence against children. The Office of the High Commissioner for
Human Rights, together with the United Nations Children's Fund
(UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO), had been active in
preparing the ground for the study.

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