Children’s rights: UN committee to review Antigua and Barbuda, Bhutan, Cameroon, Lebanon, Mongolia, Qatar, Romania and USA*

GENEVA (10 May 2017) – The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is meeting in Geneva 15 May - 2 June to review children’s rights in the following countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Bhutan, Cameroon, Lebanon, Mongolia, Qatar and Romania. In addition, members will examine USA‘s implementation of the two Optional Protocols to the Convention, on involvement of children in armed conflict and on sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.

The Committee, which is composed of 18 independent experts, monitors how States that have ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) are complying with their 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 (OPSC) and one on the involvement of children in armed conflict (OPAC).

States that are party to the Convention and/or 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 bases its evaluation on the State party’s report and written replies, the delegation’s replies and also on information from other UN bodies and NGOs.

The sessions will be held on the following dates at Palais Wilson in Geneva: United States of America (OPAC, OPSC, 16 May), Bhutan (CRC, OPSC, OPAC 17-18 May), Lebanon (CRC 18-19 May), Qatar (CRC 22-23May 2017), Romania (CRC 23-24 May), Mongolia (CRC 26 May), Antigua and Barbuda (CRC 29 May), Cameroon (CRC 30 May).

The sessions will be webcast here: http://webtv.un.org/live/. The morning sessions run from 10:00-13:00 and the afternoon sessions from 15:00-18:00.

More information is available here.

The CRC will publish its findings, known as concluding observations, here on 8 June 2017.

A news conference to discuss the findings is scheduled for 11.30 on 8 June at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. 

ENDS

For media requests please contact:

Nicoleta Panta, +41(0) 22 9179310 /npanta@ohchr.org

Media accreditation – click here.

Background

Members of the CRC are independent human rights experts drawn from around the world, who serve in their personal capacity and not as representatives of States parties. The Committee’s concluding observations are an independent assessment of States’ compliance with their human rights obligations under the treaty. To learn more about the Committee on the Rights of the Child: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CRC/Pages/CRCIndex.aspx

Convention on the Rights of the Child (ratified to date by 196 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 173 States):

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/OPSCCRC.aspx

Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict (ratified to date by 166 States): http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/OPACCRC.aspx

Optional Protocol on a communications procedure (ratified by 34 States)
http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=A/RES/66/138&Lang=en

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* The US has signed in 1995 but not ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child but it did ratify in 2002 the two Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child: OPAC on involvement of children in armed conflict and OPSC on sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.