COMMITTEE ON RIGHTS OF CHILD TO HOLD TENTH SESSION AT GENEVA 30 OCTOBER - 17 NOVEMBER

24 October 1995

Press Release
HR/4197

COMMITTEE ON RIGHTS OF CHILD TO HOLD TENTH SESSION AT GENEVA 30 OCTOBER - 17 NOVEMBER

19951024 Background Release Experts to Examine Reports of Italy, Ukraine, Germany, Senegal, Portugal and Holy See

GENEVA, 24 October (UN Information Service) -- The promotion and protection of children's rights in Italy, Ukraine, Germany, Senegal, Portugal and the Holy See will be the focus of discussion as the Committee on the Rights of the Child meets for its tenth session at Geneva from 30 October to 17 November. Representatives of these six Governments will introduce their reports and will respond to oral and written questions from the Committee members.

The 10-member panel of independent experts is charged with monitoring the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the most complete statement of children's rights ever made and the first to give these rights the force of international law. To date, 180 States have ratified the Convention.

During its three-week session, the Committee will devote particular attention to the administration of juvenile justice. A day of general discussion on this topic will be held on Monday, 13 November, with the expected participation of interested bodies, agencies and individual experts. The experience of the Committee has shown that the area of administration of juvenile justice is of practical and current relevance in all regions of the world and in relation to different existing legal systems. The two basic areas to be considered during the debate will be the relevance of the effective implementation of existing standards and the value of international cooperation, namely through programmes of technical assistance. The consideration of these areas will emphasize the importance of accountability for the protection of, and respect for, the human rights of children, while

stressing the need to foster international solidarity for the realization of those same rights.

Timetable for Consideration of Reports

The following is a tentative timetable for consideration of reports from States parties to the Convention during this session: Italy, 31 October and 1 November; Ukraine, 2 and 3 November; Germany, 6 and 7 November; Senegal, 8 and 9 November; Portugal, 9 and 10 November; and the Holy See, 14 and 15 November.

Convention on Rights of 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. Unlike that document, the Convention makes States which accept it legally accountable for their actions towards children. Work on its drafting began in 1979 -- the International Year of the Child -- at the Commission on Human Rights.

It was opened for signature on 26 January 1990. That day, 61 countries signed it, a record first-day response. Only seven months later, on 2 September 1990, the Convention entered into force after the twentieth State had ratified it.

Ratifying the Convention entails reviewing national legislation to make sure it is in line with the provisions of the treaty. The Convention stipulates, among other things, that every child has the right to life, and States shall ensure to the maximum child survival and development; every child has the right to a name and nationality from birth; and, when courts, welfare institutions or administrative authorities deal with children, the child's best interests shall be a primary consideration. The Convention recognizes the right of children to be heard.

Furthermore, States shall ensure that each child enjoys full rights without discrimination or distinctions of any kind; that children should not be separated from their parents, unless by competent authorities for their well-being; States should facilitate reunification of families by permitting

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travel into, or out of, their territories; and States shall protect children from physical or mental harm and neglect, including sexual abuse or exploitation.

Also according to the Convention, disabled children shall have the right to special treatment, education 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; and children of minority and indigenous populations shall freely enjoy their own culture, religion and language.

The Convention also recognizes the crucial contribution that international cooperation can make to bringing about conditions in which children can fully enjoy their rights. Technical assistance or advice can be sought by States parties and transmitted by the Committee to the specialized agencies, the United Nations Children's Fund and other competent bodies.

States Parties to Convention

The following 180 States are parties to the Convention: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Germany, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia and Lebanon.

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Also, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Palau Islands, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tomé and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Committee Membership, Officers

According to article 43 of the Convention, the qualities required of the 10 members of the Committee are high moral standing and recognized competence in the field of children's rights. The following experts, nominated by the States parties to serve in their personal capacity, have been elected to the Committee: Hoda Badran (Egypt), Akila Belembaogo (Burkina Faso), Flora Eufemio (Philippines), Thomas Hammarberg (Sweden), Judith Karp (Israel), Youri Kolosov (Russian Federation), Sandra P. Mason (Barbados), Swithun Mombeshora (Zimbabwe), Marta Santos Pais (Portugal) and Marilia Sardenberg Zelner Gonçalves (Brazil).

The Committee's officers are: Akila Belembaogo, Chairperson; Thomas Hammarberg, Flora Eufemio and Marilia Sardenberg Zelner Gonçalves, Vice-Chairpersons; and Marta Santos Pais, Rapporteur.

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