News about Children's Rights

The Third Optional Protocol to the CRC on a Communications Procedure sets out an international complaints procedure for child rights violations. It will enter into force in April 2014, allowing children from states that have ratified to bring complaints about violations of their rights directly to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in Geneva. 

During its 65^th session, the Committee reviewed Congo, Yemen, Holy See, Portugal, Russian Federation and Germany.  The CRC will publish its concluding observations on Wednesday, 5 February. The next CRC session will take place from May 13 to June 16, 2014.

What's Next:

A general debate on Children’s rights and Justice is scheduled on 13 March, during the 25^th session of the Human Rights Council. A conference on  “Media, social networks and children’s rights” is scheduled for the 12th September, during the 27^th HRC session. 

The CRC on the Holy See

On the 16^th of January 2014, IIMA attended a meeting between the Committee on the Rights of the Child and a delegation from the Holy See to discuss the implementation of their human rights obligations in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols. This was only the second such meeting since the Holy See ratified the Convention in 1990. It is significant that the Convention on the Rights of the Child is one of only three international instruments which the Holy See has ratified. The meeting, unusually, took place in the presence of a large amount of media representatives along with victims of sexual abuse. Such meetings are a regular feature of being a State Party to the convention and are not arranged in response to any one particular issue. However, the controversy surrounding the abuse scandals within the Catholic Church ensured that this would be the predominant subject of discussion.

The 65th session of the CRC

IIMA is currently attending the 65^th session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child. This body periodically meets with a delegation from each State Party, to discuss the State`s progress towards meeting their obligations under the convention and its optional protocols.