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COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD OPENS FORTY-THIRD SESSION
11 September 2006
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Committee on the Rights
of the Child 11 September 2006
The Committee on the Rights of the child this morning opened its forty-third session, adopting the agenda and discussing the organisation of work for the session. Jane Connors, Senior Human Rights Officer of the Treaties and Council Branch of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, also addressed the Committee.
Ms. Connors said the last months had been particularly intense, challenging and fruitful in the human rights area. The Human Rights Council had held its first session, and, as the main organ within the United Nations system with responsibility for the promotion and protection of human rights, had been mandated to address situations of human rights violations. Of particular interest for treaty bodies and in particular the Committee was the Council’s mandate to undertake a universal periodic review of the fulfilment by each State of its human rights obligations and commitments.
The first, comprehensive global study conducted by the United Nations on all forms of violence against children would be presented by the Independent Expert Paulo Sergio Pinheiro to the General Assembly’s Third Committee in the afternoon of 11 October 2006, Ms. Connors said. It provided information on the hidden, unreported and under-recorded aspects of this global problem, including the incidence of various types of violence against children within the family, schools, alternative care institutions and detention facilities, places where children worked and communities. It proposed recommendations to prevent and respond to this issue.
Jacob Egbert Doek, Committee Chairperson, in a brief opening statement, said today the world was reminded of what had happened five years ago, and reflected on the impact of terror in the world. The killings on 9/11 2001 and the very visible attacks that followed in Madrid, London, Istanbul and India and in Iraq and Afghanistan, killed more vulnerable civilians, and showed the world’s vulnerability, despite efforts to halt terror. There were other, less visible acts of terror committed against children in centres of detention and others, including within the family.
The Committee held a moment of silence in commendation of all victims of terror, wherever they may be.
The Committee is meeting in two parallel chambers. The next public meeting of Chamber A of the Committee will be at 3 p.m. when it will take up the report of Kazakhstan under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the involvement of children in armed conflict. Chamber B will meet starting 3 p.m. in private to hold a technical review on Malta’s report under the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict.
Statements
Jacob Egbert Doek, Committee Chairperson, in a brief opening statement, said today the world was reminded of what had happened five years ago, and reflected on the impact of terror in the world. The killing on 9/11 2001 and the very visible attacks that followed in Madrid, London, Istanbul and India and in Iraq and Afghanistan, killed more vulnerable civilians, and showed the world’s vulnerability, despite efforts to halt terror. There were other, less visible acts of terror committed against children in centres of detention and others, including within the family. The results of the study on violence against children would come out next month, and the Committee urged all Member States of the United Nations to adopt the recommendations contained therein and fully implement them. Terror should be combated in all places, including homes and in families.
JANE CONNORS, Senior Human Rights Officer of the Treaties and Council Branch of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the last months had been particularly intense, challenging and fruitful in the human rights area. The Human Rights Council had held its first session, and, as the main organ within the United Nations system with responsibility for the promotion and protection of human rights, had been mandated to address situations of human rights violations; promote human rights education, technical assistance and capacity-building; contribute to the prevention of human rights violations, and respond promptly to human rights emergencies. Of particular interest for treaty bodies and in particular the Committee was the Council’s mandate to undertake a universal periodic review of the fulfilment by each State of its human rights obligations and commitments. The General Assembly underlined that such a mechanism should complement and not duplicate the work of the treaty bodies. In the months following the conclusion of the Council’s first session, much thought had already been devoted to the possible modalities and process of review.
Another important event was the entry into force of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, on 22 June. This was indeed a historic milestone in the fight against torture, and provided for a new monitoring mechanism that was very different from those established by other treaties in force. In conformity with the High Commissioner’s Plan of Action and the Strategic Management Plan of the Office, particular focus had been placed in achieving greater awareness, understanding and support for the implementation of treaty bodies’ recommendations in country engagement strategies. The whole Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, at headquarters and in the field, was pursuing a greater engagement with all key private and public actors for a better involvement in the treaty bodies’ work, in an effort to bridge implementation gaps at the national level.
The first, comprehensive global study conducted by the United Nations on all forms of violence against children would be presented by the Independent Expert Paulo Sergio Pinheiro to the General Assembly’s Third Committee in the afternoon of 11 October 2006. The final report provided information on the hidden, unreported and under-recorded aspects of this global problem, including the incidence of various types of violence against children within the family, schools, alternative care institutions and detention facilities, places where children worked and communities. It proposed recommendations to prevent and respond to this issue. The report would be accompanied by separate, supporting documents and other materials, including an extensive book which provided a more detailed account of the study and child-friendly materials. It was essential to ensure that the issues and recommendations raised by the study were kept high on the international agenda, and it recommended that the General Assembly request the Secretary-General to appoint a special representative on violence against children, to act as a high-profile global advocate to promote prevention and elimination of all violence against children, encourage international and regional cooperation, and ensure follow-up to the recommendations.
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For use of the information media; not an official record
of the Child 11 September 2006
The Committee on the Rights of the child this morning opened its forty-third session, adopting the agenda and discussing the organisation of work for the session. Jane Connors, Senior Human Rights Officer of the Treaties and Council Branch of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, also addressed the Committee.
Ms. Connors said the last months had been particularly intense, challenging and fruitful in the human rights area. The Human Rights Council had held its first session, and, as the main organ within the United Nations system with responsibility for the promotion and protection of human rights, had been mandated to address situations of human rights violations. Of particular interest for treaty bodies and in particular the Committee was the Council’s mandate to undertake a universal periodic review of the fulfilment by each State of its human rights obligations and commitments.
The first, comprehensive global study conducted by the United Nations on all forms of violence against children would be presented by the Independent Expert Paulo Sergio Pinheiro to the General Assembly’s Third Committee in the afternoon of 11 October 2006, Ms. Connors said. It provided information on the hidden, unreported and under-recorded aspects of this global problem, including the incidence of various types of violence against children within the family, schools, alternative care institutions and detention facilities, places where children worked and communities. It proposed recommendations to prevent and respond to this issue.
Jacob Egbert Doek, Committee Chairperson, in a brief opening statement, said today the world was reminded of what had happened five years ago, and reflected on the impact of terror in the world. The killings on 9/11 2001 and the very visible attacks that followed in Madrid, London, Istanbul and India and in Iraq and Afghanistan, killed more vulnerable civilians, and showed the world’s vulnerability, despite efforts to halt terror. There were other, less visible acts of terror committed against children in centres of detention and others, including within the family.
The Committee held a moment of silence in commendation of all victims of terror, wherever they may be.
The Committee is meeting in two parallel chambers. The next public meeting of Chamber A of the Committee will be at 3 p.m. when it will take up the report of Kazakhstan under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the involvement of children in armed conflict. Chamber B will meet starting 3 p.m. in private to hold a technical review on Malta’s report under the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict.
Statements
Jacob Egbert Doek, Committee Chairperson, in a brief opening statement, said today the world was reminded of what had happened five years ago, and reflected on the impact of terror in the world. The killing on 9/11 2001 and the very visible attacks that followed in Madrid, London, Istanbul and India and in Iraq and Afghanistan, killed more vulnerable civilians, and showed the world’s vulnerability, despite efforts to halt terror. There were other, less visible acts of terror committed against children in centres of detention and others, including within the family. The results of the study on violence against children would come out next month, and the Committee urged all Member States of the United Nations to adopt the recommendations contained therein and fully implement them. Terror should be combated in all places, including homes and in families.
JANE CONNORS, Senior Human Rights Officer of the Treaties and Council Branch of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the last months had been particularly intense, challenging and fruitful in the human rights area. The Human Rights Council had held its first session, and, as the main organ within the United Nations system with responsibility for the promotion and protection of human rights, had been mandated to address situations of human rights violations; promote human rights education, technical assistance and capacity-building; contribute to the prevention of human rights violations, and respond promptly to human rights emergencies. Of particular interest for treaty bodies and in particular the Committee was the Council’s mandate to undertake a universal periodic review of the fulfilment by each State of its human rights obligations and commitments. The General Assembly underlined that such a mechanism should complement and not duplicate the work of the treaty bodies. In the months following the conclusion of the Council’s first session, much thought had already been devoted to the possible modalities and process of review.
Another important event was the entry into force of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, on 22 June. This was indeed a historic milestone in the fight against torture, and provided for a new monitoring mechanism that was very different from those established by other treaties in force. In conformity with the High Commissioner’s Plan of Action and the Strategic Management Plan of the Office, particular focus had been placed in achieving greater awareness, understanding and support for the implementation of treaty bodies’ recommendations in country engagement strategies. The whole Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, at headquarters and in the field, was pursuing a greater engagement with all key private and public actors for a better involvement in the treaty bodies’ work, in an effort to bridge implementation gaps at the national level.
The first, comprehensive global study conducted by the United Nations on all forms of violence against children would be presented by the Independent Expert Paulo Sergio Pinheiro to the General Assembly’s Third Committee in the afternoon of 11 October 2006. The final report provided information on the hidden, unreported and under-recorded aspects of this global problem, including the incidence of various types of violence against children within the family, schools, alternative care institutions and detention facilities, places where children worked and communities. It proposed recommendations to prevent and respond to this issue. The report would be accompanied by separate, supporting documents and other materials, including an extensive book which provided a more detailed account of the study and child-friendly materials. It was essential to ensure that the issues and recommendations raised by the study were kept high on the international agenda, and it recommended that the General Assembly request the Secretary-General to appoint a special representative on violence against children, to act as a high-profile global advocate to promote prevention and elimination of all violence against children, encourage international and regional cooperation, and ensure follow-up to the recommendations.
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For use of the information media; not an official record