儿童权利委员会
背景新闻

2014年8月28日

将审议克罗地亚、斐济、匈牙利、摩洛哥、新加坡和委内瑞拉的儿童权利状况 

儿童权利委员会将于2014年9月1日至19日在日内瓦威尔逊宫举行会议，届时将审议克罗地亚、斐济、匈牙利、摩洛哥、新加坡和委内瑞拉根据《儿童权利公约》及其两项任择议定书规定促进和保护儿童权利的情况。

委员会将在开幕会议上通过其议程和工作方案。在会议期间，委员会除了审议缔约国的包噶偶按，还将讨论未来工作的组织和工作方法问题。

克罗地亚将提交其根据公约编撰的第三次至第四次合并定期报告（CRC/C/HRV/3-4），委员会2004年9月审议其第二次定期报告的结论性意见和建议请参见：CRC/C/15/Add.243.

斐济将提交其根据公约编撰的第二次至第四次合并定期报告（CRC/C/FIJ/2-4），委员会1998年5月审议其初次报告的结论性意见和建议请参见：CRC/C/15/Add.89.

匈牙利将提交其根据公约编撰的第三次至第五次合并定期报告（CRC/C/HUN/3-5），委员会2006年1月审议其第二次定期报告的结论性意见和建议请参见：CRC/C/HUN/CO/2。匈牙利还将提交其根据关于儿童卷入武装冲突问题任择议定书编撰的初次报告（CRC/C/OPAC/HUN/1）和根据关于买卖儿童、儿童卖淫和儿童色情制品问题任择议定书编撰的初次报告（CRC/C/OPSC/HUN/1）。
 
摩洛哥将提交其根据公约编撰的第三次至第四次合并定期报告（CRC/C/MAR/3-4），委员会2003年6月审议其第二次定期报告的结论性意见和建议请参见：CRC/C/15/Add.211。摩洛哥还将提交其根据关于儿童卷入武装冲突问题任择议定书编撰的初次报告（CRC/C/OPAC/MAR/1）。

新加坡将提交其根据关于儿童卷入武装冲突问题任择议定书编撰的初次报告（CRC/C/OPAC/SGP/1）。

委内瑞拉将提交其根据公约编撰的第三次至第五次合并定期报告（CRC/C/VEN/3-5），委员会2007年9月审议其第二次定期报告的结论性意见和建议请参见：CRC/C/VEN/CO/2。委内瑞拉还将提交其根据关于儿童卷入武装冲突问题任择议定书编撰的初次报告（CRC/C/OPAC/VEN/1），以及根据关于买卖儿童、儿童卖淫和儿童色情制品问题任择议定书编撰的初次报告（CRC/C/OPSC/VEN/1）。 

与委员会工作相关的其他文件也可在委员会网站上查看。

此外，委员会还将举行2014年有关“数字媒体和儿童权利”的一般讨论日。讨论将于2014年9月12日星期五在万国宫第十七会议室举行。一般性讨论日旨在更好地了解儿童参与社交媒体以及信息和通信技术的影响，从而了解该领域的儿童权利所受影响和作用，并制订以权利为基础的战略，在保护他们免受风险和可能伤害的同时最大限度地扩大儿童的在线机会。所有信息都公布在2014年一般讨论日的网站上。 
 
为了庆祝9月24日公约通过二十五周年，委员会将在会前工作组会议中抽出一天与来自16个不同国家的儿童进行对话。当天将举行四场会议，以便委员会与不同时区的儿童交谈。这些会议将通过Google+环聊进行，并将在以下链接进行现场直播： http://www.ohchr.org/ch/HRBodies/CRC/Pages/CRC25thAnniversary.aspx
 
该委员会是1991年成立的独立专家机构，旨在监测《儿童权利公约》各缔约国的条约落实情况。《公约》对国际法中的儿童权利作出全面汇总。委员会亦监测《公约》两份任择议定书的落实情况，即《关于儿童卷入武装冲突问题的任择议定书》及《关于买卖儿童、儿童卖淫和儿童色情制品问题的任择议定书》。联合国大会于2011年12月19日通过了第三份关于来文程序的任择议定书，该议定书已于2014年4月14日正式生效。它允许儿童个人根据《公约》及其两份任择议定书就具体的侵犯人权现象提出投诉。

到目前为止，共有194个国家批准或加入公约，使其成为全球最被广泛接受的国际人权文书。只有南苏丹尚未签署公约，索马里和美国签署但未批准公约。公约各缔约国应向委员会派出代表，提交其关于落实儿童权利的做法的报告。各国必须在加入公约后的前两年进行报告，随后每五年进行报告。委员会审议每一份报告，并以“结论性意见和建议”的形式对缔约国提出委员会的关注问题及建议。

The Convention on the Rights of the Child

The General Assembly adopted the Convention unanimously on 20 November 1989, 30 years after the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of the Child. The Convention renders States parties legally accountable for their actions towards children. Work on drafting the Convention began in 1979 – the International Year of the Child – at the Commission on Human Rights. The Convention was opened for signature on 26 January 1990. That day, 61 countries signed it, a record first-day response. It entered into force just seven months later, on 2 September 1990.

Ratifying the Convention requires a review of national legislation to ensure it meets the provisions of the treaty. The Convention, inter alia, stipulates that every child has the right to life, and that States shall ensure to the maximum extent possible the survival and development of the child; that every child has the right to a name and nationality from birth; and that the child's best interests shall be a primary consideration when they are dealt with by courts, welfare institutions or administrative authorities. The Convention recognizes the right of children to be heard.

States shall ensure that each child enjoys full rights without discrimination or distinction of any kind, and that children should not be separated from their parents, unless by competent authorities for their well-being. States shall facilitate reunification of families by permitting travel into, or out of, their territories and protect children from physical or mental harm and neglect, including sexual abuse or exploitation. Children with disabilities shall have the right to education, special treatment and care; primary education shall be free and compulsory and discipline in school should respect the child's dignity; capital punishment or life imprisonment shall not be imposed for crimes committed before the age of 18; no child under 15 should take any part in hostilities and children exposed to armed conflict shall receive special protection. Children of minority and indigenous populations shall freely enjoy their own cultures, religions and languages.

Optional Protocols

In May 2000, the General Assembly adopted the two Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict and on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. The Optional Protocols entered into force in 2002. Currently, 156 countries have ratified the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict; and 167 States have ratified the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. A third Optional Protocol was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 19 December 2011. It provides for a Communications Procedure to allow individual children to submit complaints regarding specific violations of their rights under the Convention and the first two Optional Protocols. To date, 11 States have ratified it: Albania, Belgium, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Gabon, Germany, Montenegro, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Thailand.

Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography

Although the Convention requires States parties to prohibit the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, this Optional Protocol extends the measures that States parties must undertake to protect children from these violations of their human rights. The Optional Protocol not only defines the sale of children, child pornography and child prostitution, but also provides a non-exhaustive list of acts and activities which shall be criminalized by States parties. This criminalization also includes attempts, complicity, or participation in such acts or activities. The Optional Protocol sets out the bases for States parties to assert jurisdiction over actionable practices relating to the sale of children, child prostitution, and child pornography (including extra-territorial legislation) and to make provisions about extradition of alleged offenders. Based on the principle of the best interests of the child, the Optional Protocol also sets forth provisions for protecting and assisting child victims during all stages of the criminal justice process. Preventive measures, as well as redress, rehabilitation and recovery of child victims, are also covered. For the implementation of all these provisions, the Optional Protocol asks for a close collaboration among States parties.

Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict

The Optional Protocol establishes that no person under the age of 18 shall be subject to compulsory recruitment into regular armed forces, and imposes an obligation on States to raise the minimum age for voluntary recruitment to at least 16 years. Upon ratification of or accession to the Optional Protocol, countries must deposit a binding declaration stating their minimum age for voluntary recruitment and the safeguards in place to ensure that that recruitment is voluntary. States Parties to the Protocol shall also ensure that members of their armed forces under 18 years of age do not take direct part in hostilities. In addition, armed groups separate from the armed forces of a State should not, under any circumstances, recruit or use in hostilities persons under 18. States parties are required to take all feasible measures to prevent the recruitment and use of children by any groups, including the criminalization of such practices.

Optional Protocol on a Communications Procedure

This new Optional Protocol empowers children to complain about specific violations of their human rights under the Convention and its first two optional protocols to an international body. The Optional Protocol was transmitted by the Human Rights Council to the General Assembly in June 2011. It establishes a procedure to bring complaints under the Convention similar to those that already exist for other core human rights treaties. Upon receiving a complaint, the Committee will examine it to determine whether the Convention has been violated. The Committee will guarantee that child-sensitive procedures and safeguards are put in place to prevent the manipulation of the child by those acting on his or her behalf under the Protocol. While it is examining the complaint, the Committee may request the State to adopt interim measures to prevent possible irreparable damage to the child. It may also request protection measures to prevent reprisals, including further human rights violations, ill-treatment or intimidation, for having submitted such complaints. If the Convention is found to have been violated, the Committee will make specific recommendations for action to the State responsible. Under the Optional Protocol the Committee may now initiate inquiries into grave and systematic violations of the Convention and its first two Optional Protocols. The Optional Protocol also provides for an inter-state communications procedure. The Committee adopted the rules of procedure for this Optional Protocol (CRC/C/62/3) during its 62nd session.

The Protocol opened for signature on 28 February 2012 and entered into force on 14 April 2014, three months after the deposit of the tenth instrument of ratification.

Committee Membership

The Committee is made up of Experts of high moral standing and recognized competence in the field of children's rights. The following Experts currently serve in the Committee: Amal Aldoseri (Bahrain); Aseil Al-Shehail (Saudi Arabia); Jorge Cardona Llorens (Spain); Sara de Jesus Oviedo Fierro (Ecuador); Bernard Gastaud (Monaco); Peter Guran (Slovakia); Maria Herczog (Hungary); Olga Khazova (Russian Federation); Hatem Kotrane (Tunisia); Gehad Madi (Egypt); Benyam Dawit Mezmur (Ethiopia); Yasmeen Muhamad Shariff (Malaysia); Wanderlino Nogueira Neto (Brazil); Maria Rita Parsi (Italy); Kirsten Sandberg (Norway); Hiranthi Wijemanne (Sri Lanka); and Renate Winter (Austria).


Tentative Timetable for Consideration of Reports

Following is a tentative timetable for the consideration of reports from States parties to the Convention during this session:
 
Monday, 1 September
 
10 a.m.         Opening of the session and adoption of agenda
3 p.m.           Venezuela – third to fifth periodic report
 
Tuesday, 2 September
 
10 a.m.         Venezuela (continued)
3 p.m.           Venezuela - Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography and Optional Protocol
                       on the   Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict
 
Wednesday, 3 September
 
10 a.m.         Morocco – third to fourth periodic report
3 p.m.           Morocco (continued)
 
Thursday, 4 September
 
10 a.m.         Morocco - Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict
3 p.m.          Fiji – second to fourth periodic report
 
Friday, 5 September
 
10 a.m.         Fiji (continued)
3 p.m.           Closed meeting
 
Monday, 8 September
 
10 a.m.         Closed meeting
3 p.m.           Closed meeting

Tuesday, 9 September
 
10 a.m.         Singapore - Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed
3 p.m.           Hungary – third to fifth periodic report
 
Wednesday, 10 September
 
10 a.m.        Hungary (continued)
3 p.m.          Hungary - Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography and Optional Protocol
                     on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict
 
Thursday, 11 September
 
Holiday
 
Friday, 12 September
 
10 a.m.         Day of General discussion (Palais des Nations – Room XVII)
3 p.m.           Day of General discussion (Palais des Nations – Room XVII)
 
Monday, 15 September
 
10 a.m.         Croatia – third to fourth periodic report
3 p.m.           Croatia (continued)
 
Tuesday, 16 September
 
10 a.m.         Closed meeting
3 p.m.           Closed meeting
 
Wednesday, 17 September
 
10 a.m.         Closed meeting
3 p.m.           Closed meeting
 
Thursday, 18 September
10 a.m.         Closed meeting
3 p.m.           Closed meeting
 
Friday, 19 September
 
10 a.m.         Closed meeting
3 p.m.           Public closing of session
 
 

For more information and media requests, please contact Liz Throssell (+41 (0) 22 917 9466/ ethrossell@ohchr.org
 
To learn more about the Committee on the Rights of the Child, visit: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CRC/Pages/CRCIndex.aspx
 
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/OPSCCRC.aspx
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/OPACCRC.aspx
UN Human Rights, follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unitednationshumanrights
Twitter: http://twitter.com/UNrightswire
Google+ gplus.to/unitednationshumanrights
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/UNOHCHR
Storify: http://storify.com/UNrightswire

Check the Universal Human Rights Index: http://uhri.ohchr.org/en
 
 ______

For use of the information media; not an official record