STATES PARTIES TO CHILDREN’S RIGHTS CONVENTION ELECT 13 EXPERTS TO MONITORING COMMITTEE

Meeting of States Parties
Convention on Rights of Child
10 February 2003
15th & 16th Meetings (AM & PM)




In two meetings today, States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child expanded the membership of the Committee that monitors compliance with the Convention with the election of 13 experts -- five to replace current members whose terms will expire and eight new ones -- bringing to 18 the total number of members.

The Committee on the Rights of the Child was formed in 1991 to monitor implementation of the Convention, which is the principal children’s treaty encompassing a full range of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. The Convention seeks to protect children from discrimination, neglect and abuse.

Elected in the first of two ballots from a list of 29 candidates were: Joyce Aluoch (Kenya, two years); Jakob Doek (Netherlands, four years); Kamel Filali (Algeria, four years); Moushira Khattab (Egypt, four years); Hatem Kotrane (Tunisia, four years); Lothar Krappman (Germany, four years); Yanghee Lee (Republic of Korea, two years); Lucy Smith (Norway, two years); Majorie Taylor (Jamaica, four years); and Nevana Vuckovic-Sahovic (Serbia and Montenegro, two years). Elected in the second ballot were Noberto Liwski (Argentina, four years), Awa N’Deye Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso, four years), and Rosa Ortiz (Paraguay, four years).

Amended article 43 of the Convention, by which the Committee’s membership was enlarged from 10 to 18 independent experts, was approved by the General Assembly on 21 December 1995 under resolution 50/155. It entered into force on 18 November 2002. The expanded membership would enable the Committee to address several significant challenges, including the backlog of reports awaiting review.

Prior to beginning the elections process, the Committee adopted a draft decision, submitted by Costa Rica, to hold a single election to fill the 13 vacancies on the Committee, including the five current members whose terms expire on 28 February. The experts are elected to serve for four years.

The five experts currently serving terms until 2005, include: Ibrahim Abdul Aziz Al-Sheddi (Saudi Arabia); Ghalia Mohd Bin Hmad Al-Thani (Qatar); Saisuree Chutikul (Thailand); Luigi Citarella (Italy); Amina Hamza El Guindi (Egypt); and Marilia Sardenberg (Brazil).

Also elected today was the Chairperson for the ninth meeting of States parties, Christian Wenaweser (Liechtenstein), as well as three vice-chairpersons: Alexandru Cujba (Republic of Moldova); Bruno Stagno (Costa Rica); and Georges Omokhagbor Oludare Alabi (Nigeria).

The list of candidates nominated by the States parties, including biographical data, was contained in document CRC/SP/33 and addendums 1, 2, 3 and 4. Jean Zermatten (Switzerland), Attiat Mustafa Abdul Halim (Sudan), Guari Pradhan (Nepal), and Rozalyn Hazelle (Saint Kitts and Nevis) were withdrawn before the first ballot.

Before the parties was a statement of programme budget implications of the enlargement of the Committee’s membership (document CRC/SP/2003/L.2). The entry into force of the amendment entails additional resource requirements of $214,100 for the biennium 2002-2003. Those requirements would be sought in accordance with established budgetary procedures. For 10 members, an appropriation of $786,900 had been provided for the biennium 2002-2003 for travel, subsistence allowances and honorariums.

In opening remarks, temporary Chairperson Bacre Ndiaye, Director, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, informed States parties that two Optional Protocols had entered into force early in 2002. There were now 46 parties to the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict, and 45 parties to the Optional Protocol on the sale of children for prostitution and child pornography. Those Protocols would increase protection available to children worldwide. But, monitoring their implementation would add to the Committee’s already heavy workload, he said.

With 191 States parties, the Convention remained the most widely accepted human rights instruments, he said. The increased membership would enable it to address several significant challenges, including the backlog of reports awaiting review. Each year, the Committee considered the report of 27 States parties. Like other treaty bodies, it now adopted general comments, which sought to provide guidance to States parties on various aspects of the Convention. Three such comments had concerned the aim of education, the role of national human rights institutions in promoting and protecting children’s rights, and on HIV/AIDS and the rights of the child.

Recalling that the Committee also convened days of general discussions, he noted that the next such day would take place in September and be devoted to the rights of indigenous children. The Committee would also work to support the independent experts in overseeing the preparation of the Secretary-General’s study on violence against children. The Committee was committed to discharging fully its responsibilities under the Convention, in order to ensure the promotion and protection of children’s rights, and it continued to strive for innovation. It was grateful to the support of States parties, in particular, their support for expanding its membership.

The next meeting of States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child will convene at a date and time to be announced in the Journal.




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