The law – search database of international, regional and national ‘instruments’
Making and enforcing the law – international, regional and national ‘mechanisms’ e.g UN, African, American, European systems etc
Introduction
When governments fail to recognise and respect children’s rights, international and regional human rights mechanisms are needed to hold States to their legal obligations.
In all regions, the massive extent of breaches of children’s civil and political and economic, social and cultural rights is increasingly well-documented in reports from UN agencies, human rights institutions and NGOs. Yet few of these breaches are brought to the notice of the mechanisms that can be used to challenge them.
The mechanisms are not difficult to use.
This section aims to make existing human rights mechanisms – international and regional - well known to all those who can use them to promote and safeguard children’s rights. It will be divided into three sections: compliance, jurisprudence and avenues for redress.
Complaints
While there are mechanisms allowing for individual complaints under most other international human rights instruments, as yet there is no mechanism linked to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. However, CRIN is part of coalition of organisations that is campaigning for the establishment of such a mechanism.
- Read more about the Campaign for a complaints mechanism to the CRC
Guide to human rights systems around the world
- Search our new database of international and regional instruments: http://www.crin.org/Law/search.asp
- Index to explanatory pages of international and regional human rights systems and how they work for children's rights: http://www.crin.org/law/mechanisms_index.asp
- Search our issues page by CRC articles: http://www.crin.org/issues
The CRC in your country: what is its status?
1. Compliance: States' duties to undertake legislative and administrative reform pursuant to Art 4 of the CRC.
2. Children's rights jurisprudence: This section will provide an overview of children's rights jurisprudence by country and will aim to have commentary on each article of the CRC from international, regional and domestic level.
3. Avenues for redress: this section aims to provide information on options available for those whose rights have been violated. It aims to trace the steps that need to be taken to pursue a judicial or non-judicial remedy in a specific jurisdiction.
NEW: Country report: Israel
Country report: Belarus
Country report: England and Wales
Country report: South Africa
Country report on Sweden
Disclaimer: Please note that these country reports will need constant updating. We therefore invite members to keep us informed of changes in legislation, or amendments we need to do.
Background information:
- Introduction to the United Nations Human Rights System:
link here - Introduction to Regional Human Rights Systems:
link here - The Council of Europe:
link here - The Organisation of American States (OAS):
link here - The African Union (AU):
link here - A to Z of child rights
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