Committee on Rights of the Child concludes fifty-seventh session

Committee on the Rights of the Child
PROVISIONAL ROUNDUP 17 June 2011

Committee reviewed the reports of Bahrain, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czech Republic, Egypt and Finland

The Committee on the Rights of the Child today concluded its three-week fifty-seventh session, during which it reviewed the reports of Bahrain, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czech Republic, Egypt and Finland under the Convention and the reports of Egypt under the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict and the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.

The Committee's comments on the reports reviewed will be made public Monday, 20 June when the full text of the concluding observations will be available on the website of the session, at the following address: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/crc/crcs57.htm.

During the session, 7 new Committee Members took the solemn declaration and a new bureau was elected. The Committee also met with non-governmental organizations that submitted testimony on the situation in countries whose reports were under consideration this session and pursued its discussion on how existing cooperation with various relevant bodies could be further strengthened to enhance the promotion and protection of the rights of the child.

The Committee continued to draft general comments based on the various principles and provisions of the Convention, and specifically on article 3, the principle of the best interests of the child; on article 31, the right to play; and on article 24, the right to health; as well as the draft joint general comment with the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on harmful practices. It also discussed other topics for future general comments.

The Committee's next session will be held from 19 September to 7 October 2011 in Geneva, when it will consider 11 reports: the periodic reports of Greece, Iceland, Italy, Madagascar, Panama, the Republic of Korea, the Seychelles, and Syria under the Convention; the initial report of Sweden under the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography; and the initial reports of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Greece under the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict.

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For use of the information media; not an official record