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Palais Wilson,
Monday 19 May 2003



Opening of the 33rd session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child
by Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello,
High Commissioner for Human Rights



Mr. Chairman, distinguished members of the Committee,

I am very pleased to welcome you to Geneva, and to open the 33rd session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child.

This is an historic session as it is the first time that the Committee meets with 18 members. I warmly congratulate the ten newly elected members as well as those three that were re-elected at the Ninth Meeting of States parties in February 2003. I follow the work of this Committee with great interest and look forward to meeting you in a less formal atmosphere.

With the accession of Timor Leste on 16 April 2003, the Convention on the Rights of the Child has now been accepted by 192 States parties. The Convention’s two optional protocols have also attracted wide acceptance in the few years since they have been open to ratification. Fifty-one States are now party to the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, while 52 are party to the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict.

These successes have resulted in a challenging workload for this Committee, which is expanded by its other activities, including preparation for days of general discussion, and in relation to the Secretary-General’s study on violence against children. I am aware that you have been thinking of ways to best take advantage of the increase in the Committee’s membership, and I pledge my support as you explore innovations.

Report of the SG: ‘Strengthening the United Nations: an agenda for further change’

Let me now turn to recent developments relating to the Secretary-General’s report on strengthening the United Nations. As you will recall, the Secretary-General called on the human rights treaty bodies to craft a more coordinated approach to their activities and standardize their various reporting requirements, and to consider allowing each State to produce a single report summarizing its implementation of the full range of the provisions of the human rights treaties to which it is a party. The Secretary-General has asked me to undertake consultations on his ideas and to submit my recommendations to him by September 2003. As you know, I am seeking the views of the treaty bodies, States parties, non-governmental organizations and partners within the United Nations system in this context, and have had reactions from most of the treaty bodies. I have also been grateful to receive the informal note on these issues prepared by your Chairperson, and I look forward to your formal reaction.

As you know, my Office prepared a background note on the Secretary-General’s ideas. This note was sent to all members and served as the basis of a brainstorming meeting organized by my Office and hosted by the Principality of Liechtenstein earlier this month. Representatives of treaty bodies, States parties, United Nations entities, NGOs and national human rights institutions participated in what I understand was a very successful event. A document containing the outcome of the meeting has been made available to you and I expect Ms. Khattab, who attended the brainstorming on the Committee’s behalf, will brief you on the event. The second Inter-Committee meeting, which will be held in Geneva from 18 to 20 June 2003, will provide a further forum to advance our work on the Secretary General’s ideas.


Other developments

I am happy to inform you that the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families will enter into force on 1 July of this year. Twenty-one States are now party to this Convention and the first States parties’ meeting will be convened soon to elect the members of its monitoring committee.

Work of the Committee

Your Committee has a very busy session ahead of it. It will review the situation of child rights in ten States parties and will discuss its draft general comment on “Human rights in the context of adolescent health and development”. This thematic work is of critical importance in that it provides detailed guidance to States parties and others on the obligations contained in the Convention, and accordingly the steps that are required for its implementation. In my contacts with State authorities I put particular emphasis, whenever appropriate, on the importance of implementing the recommendations of the treaty bodies and use every opportunity to encourage civil society groups to avail themselves of your procedures and mechanisms. I am also taking steps to ensure that your recommendations are integrated into the activities of our field offices and our technical cooperation programmes, particularly as a vehicle to strengthen the rule of law at the national level.

UN Study on violence against children

On 12 February 2003, the Secretary-General appointed Mr. Sergio Paulo Pinheiro from Brazil as the Independent Expert to direct his Study on violence against children. Your Committee’s work on violence against children, and notably the two thematic discussion days in 2000 and 2001, formed the background of the General Assembly’s recommendation that this Study be conducted. Our Office, together with UNICEF and WHO, has been active in preparing the groundwork for the Study, which will be supported by a small secretariat to be established in Geneva.

During the 59th session of the Commission on Human Rights which closed on 25 April, Mr. Pinheiro had several opportunities to listen to the ideas on the study of all interested parties, including the Chair of your Committee, States, NGOs, academics, professional groups and individual experts, and to discuss way and means of cooperation. Mr. Pinheiro will be in Geneva again for the latter half of June, when he will consult with interested parties in order to advance work on the Study. It is to the credit of this Committee, that the Study has attracted significant interest, and has raised high expectations.

In conclusion, Mr. Chairperson and distinguished members of the Committee, I express my deep appreciation for the good work done by your Committee in promoting and protecting children’s rights and I wish you a fruitful and successful session.



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