An official signing ceremony will be held in 2012 where States will be able to sign and ratify the new Protocol. The new Protocol needs to be ratified by ten States before it can enter into force and be used.
UN Adopts Complaints Mechanism for Children The UN General Assembly has adopted a new Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) establishing a complaints procedure for violations of children’s rights.
The UNGA is expected to act on this resolution and adopt the Protocol around the 22/23 December 2011.
If it does, the Protocol will be open for signature and ratification at an official ceremony to be held in 2012. It will then enter into force after ten ratifications.
OPCRC Campaign - Advocacy Toolkit This is the latest version of the Advocacy Toolkit for NGOs interested in engaging in the campaign for a new Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child establishing a communications procedure.
COMPLAINTS MECHANISM: Human Rights Council adopts CRC complaints mechanism The UN Human Rights Council has adopted the final draft Optional Protocol on a communications procedure for children’s rights violations crafted by an intergovernmental working group over ten days in December 2010 and February 2011. The new protocol will enable the Committee on the Rights of the Child to examine communications from children and their representatives alleging violations of their rights.
The third OP to the CRC on a communications procedure has been adopted by the Human Rights Council! After two years of discussions and negotiations at the international level, the new Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child which will establish a communications procedure for children and their representatives has been adopted by the UN Human Rights Council and transmitted to the UN General Assembly for final adoption.
Find more information about the new Protocol here: http://www.crin.org/NGOGroup/childrightsissues/ComplaintsMechanism/
COMPLAINTS MECHANISM: NGOs urge Council to adopt draft Protocol On 6 June, NGOs made a joint statement urging the Council to adopt the draft Protocol on a complaints mechanism for the CRC, and initiate discussions at the national level to prompt ratification in due course.
COMPLAINTS MECHANISM: Joint NGO Submission Preliminary Joint NGO Submission to the Open-ended Working Group on an Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child to provide a communications procedure submitted in February 2011.
Complaints Mechanism: Updated Advocacy Toolkit This is toolkit is for activities leading up to the UN meeting in December 2010 to discuss the draft Optional Protocol. This toolkit also contains a commentary on the draft and an explanation about collective complaints.
Complaints Mechanism: Model Letter This is a model letter for NGOs to use to write to their Foreign Ministries with regards to the campaign for a communications procedure under the UN CRC. The Letter is calling for States to support the drafting of the OP in December 2010 with a collective complaints procedure.