GENEVA (5 January  2015) –The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is meeting in Geneva from 12-30 January to review children’s rights in the following countries: Cambodia, Dominican Republic , Turkmenistan, Sweden, Mauritius, Gambia, Tanzania, Jamaica, Uruguay, Colombia, Iraq, and Switzerland.

The Committee, which is composed of 18 independent experts, monitors how States that have ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child are complying with the Convention's obligations. The Committee also reviews how States are implementing two optional protocols to the Convention – one on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, and one on the involvement of children in armed conflict.

States that are party to the Convention and the Optional Protocols must submit regular written reports to the Committee. During the meetings in Geneva, Committee members hold question and answer sessions with the respective government delegations.

The Committee will meet at Palais Wilson in Geneva in two parallel chambers:
A:  Cambodia (12-13 Jan), Turkmenistan (13-14 Jan); Gambia (15 Jan); Jamaica (19-20 Jan); Colombia (20-21 Jan); Switzerland (21-22 Jan)

B:  Dominican Republic (12-13 Jan); Sweden (13-14 Jan); Mauritius (14-15 Jan); Tanzania (15-16 Jan); Uruguay (19-20 Jan); Iraq (21-22 Jan)

The sessions will be webcast here: http://www.treatybodywebcast.org/. More information is available at: http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=825&Lang=en. The CRC will publish its concluding observations here on 4 February.

ENDS

For more information and media requests, please contact Liz Throssell (+41 (0) 22 917 9466 / ethrossell@ohchr.org )

Background:

The Committee on the Rights of the Child: 
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/crc/index.htm

Convention on the Rights of the Child (ratified to date by 194 States):
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/CRC.aspx

Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (ratified to date by 169 States):
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/OPSCCRC.aspx

Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict (ratified to date by 159 States)
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/OPACCRC.aspx

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