COMMITTEE ON RIGHTS OF CHILDREN OPENS THIRTY-SEVENTH SESSION

Hears Statement by Chief of Treaty and Commission Branch of Office

Of High Commissioner for Human Rights; Adopts Agenda, Programme of Work

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 13 September (UN Information Service) -- The Committee on the Rights of the Child this morning opened its thirty-seventh session by hearing an address by the Chief of the Treaty and Commission Branch of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and adopting its agenda and programme of work. 

In her address, María Francisca Ize-Charrin, the Chief of the Treaty and Commission Branch of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, conveyed the deepest sympathy and solidarity of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, with the families of the victims and those who were injured in Beslan, southern Russia, during the recent hostage-taking there and its aftermath, which, according to reports, claimed the lives of some 330 people, half of whom were children. 

Ms. Ize-Charrin said she was encouraged that the Committee’s “two chamber proposal” would be discussed in New York at the General Assembly’s fifty-ninth session.  She also noted the holding by the Committee of a day of general discussion during the current session on “implementing child rights in early childhood” which expected to gather over 100 participants. 

Committee Chairperson Jacob Egbert Doek expressed the Committee’s “horror and sadness” over the events in Beslan.  He joined the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in welcoming the appointment of Mehr Khan Williams as Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights and stressed that the Committee would continue to support the reform of the treaty body system.  Mr. Doek said the Committee was happy to hear that the study on violence against children was moving forward and hoped the study would be under way during the course of this year.  

During its three-week session, the Committee will consider reports from Brazil, Botswana, Croatia, Bahamas, Kyrgyzstan, Equatorial Guinea, Angola and Antigua and Barbuda. 

The Secretary of the Committee, Paulo David, announced that since its inception, the Committee had received 282 reports and had so far considered 236.  The Convention on the Rights of the Child was ratified by 192 countries.  Regarding the optional protocols, there were 78 States parties to the protocol on children in armed conflict and 79 States parties to the protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. 

The Chairperson said the report submitted by Iran to the Committee, which was originally scheduled to be taken up during this session, would be considered during the next session.

When the Committee reconvenes at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 14 September, it is scheduled to take up the report of Brazil (CRC/C/3/Add.65).

Statement by Chief of Treaty and Commission Branch of Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights

MARÍA FRANCISCA IZE-CHARRIN, Chief of Treaty and Commission Branch in the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights, said that although High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour was unable to open the session herself, she would be meeting with the Committee on 1 October to discuss child rights and the Committee’s work.  Ms. Ize-Charrin conveyed the High Commissioner’s deepest sympathy and solidarity with the families of the victims and those who were injured in Beslan, southern Russia, during the recent hostage-taking there and its aftermath, which, according to reports, claimed the lives of some 330 people, half of whom were children.  The events in Beslan “could go on to haunt a generation of young people in the form of life-long trauma”, she added.  The work of the Committee was of essential importance in building societies in which children needed not fear that their dreams and hopes could be so cruelly wiped out. 

Ms. Ize-Charrin informed the Committee of the appointment on 25 August 2004 of Mehr Khan Williams as Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights.  Ms. Khan Williams, who will take up her new functions on 1 October, had worked previously in senior management positions at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and was currently serving as Special Adviser to UNICEF’s Executive Director. 

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights had been continuing with its efforts to implement the Secretary-General’s agenda for reform, as outlined in his 2002 report, “Strengthening the United Nations:  an agenda for further change” (A/57/387).  Moreover, efforts to enhance the efficiency and impact of the human rights treaty monitoring system had also continued, Ms. Ize-Charrin said.  In this connection, she noted the work undertaken recently by Committee member Kamel Filali as newly appointed Rapporteur to look into this matter.  Thus far, he had consulted with members of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and would engage in a similar exercise with the Committee on the Rights of the Child during the current session.  In the forthcoming months, Ms. Ize-Charrin added, he would brief the five other remaining human rights treaty bodies in order to collect all existing views and opinions on the subject. 

Ms. Ize-Charrin also drew the attention of Committee members to the appointment of Vernor Muñoz Villalobos of Costa Rica as the new Special Rapporteur on the right to education. 

While noting that the Committee was planning to discuss several issues related to its methods and work at this session, including, among other things, a possible decision on children deprived of family care and modalities for experts’ country visits, the representative of the High Commissioner’s Office said she was encouraged that the Committee’s “two chamber proposal” would be discussed in New York at the General Assembly’s fifty-ninth session. 

Also noted was the planned holding by the Committee of a day of general discussion on “implementing child rights in early childhood”, which expected to gather over 100 participants, and that the Committee would continue with its work related to drafting general comments on the Convention, in particular with regard to separated and asylum seeking children, indigenous children, juvenile justice and children with disabilities. 

Ms. Ize-Charrin indicated that the Secretariat of the Secretary-General’s study on violence against children was now involved in preparing the regional study’s consultations that would take place during 2005.  Organizing steering committees had started to work in Cairo, Bangkok, Dakar and Buenos Aires, and this week one such working meeting would take place in Geneva for the CEE/CIS/Baltics regions. 

Lastly, Ms. Ize-Charrin mentioned that three members of the African Committee on the Rights and Welfare of the Child would be visiting the Committee during its current session.

* *** *