Summary:

The Committee on the Rights of the Child concluded its fifty-ninth session on 3 February, adopting its report and issuing its Concluding Observations and recommendations on 12 country reports from seven countries.

http://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=11801&LangID=E

The Committee on the Rights of the Child closed the 59th session on 3 February. In addition to reviewing 12 State reports, Agnes Akosua Aidoo, the Committee Rapporteur, said that Committee members had been very active during the session, attending meetings and briefings and continuing work on General Comments.

Issues on the agenda

Important meetings were held with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on:

• Treaty body strengthening: The Chairperson, Jean Zermatten, said the Committee had unanimously decided to support the Dublin 11 document. Read about the process.
• A Communications Procedure: The Committee was keen to ensure that the best interests of the child and child friendliness were reflected in the rules of procedure. Read about the new mechanism.

The Committee also held its periodic meeting with the NGO Group, discussing child participation and other matters. It also decided that the 2012 Day of General Discussion, to be held in September, will be on the rights of all children in the context of international migration.

Finally, Mr. Zermatten said that the Committee had decided it was unable to receive any more General Comment requests before it had concluded the five General Comments it was currently working on.

State Reviews

Below are the Concluding Observations issued by the Committee for the States reviewed, the session reports compiled by the NGO Group for the CRC and the alternative reports submitted by NGOs.

The following States were examined on their compliance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC):
 

- Azerbaijan
Concluding Observations / Session Report / Alternative Reports

- Cook Islands
Concluding Observations / Session Report / Alternative Reports

- Madagascar
Concluding Observations / Session Report / Alternative Reports

- Myanmar
Concluding Observations / Session Report / Alternative Reports

- Thailand
Concluding Observations / Session Report / Alternative Reports

- Togo
Concluding Observations / Session Report / Alternative Reports

N.B Niue Islands were due to be examined but postponed their review.

The following States were examined on their compliance with the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (OPSC):
 

- Azerbaijan
Concluding Observations / Session Report / Alternative Reports

- Thailand
Concluding Observations / Session Report / Alternative Reports

- Togo
Concluding Observations / Session Report / Alternative Reports

The following States were examined on their compliance with the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict (OPAC):

- Azerbaijan
Concluding Observations / Session Report / Alternative Reports

- Democratic Republic of Congo
Concluding Observations / Session Report / Alternative Reports

- Thailand
Concluding Observations / Session Report / Alternative Reports

60th CRC Session (May 2012)

The Committee's sixtieth session will be held in Geneva from 29 May to 15 June 2012, during which it will review the reports of Algeria, Australia, Cyprus, Greece, Turkey and Viet Nam under the main Convention.

The reports of Australia, Greece and Nepal on the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, and the reports of Australia and Greece on the Optional Protocol on children in armed conflict will also be considered.

• Visit our 60th session page
  (including list of all alternative NGO reports)

Further Information

• Visit the webpage of the Committee
• Read all CRIN's CRC news

Previous Members news items

• 02/02/2012: MYANMAR: UN Expert to conclude visit with press conference
• 30/01/2012: ISRAEL: Senior UN humanitarian official urges end to West Bank home demolitions
• 26/01/2012: UN: NGOs share exchange with UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights
• 24/01/2012: SUDAN: Deadline for Independent Expert nominations extended
• 19/01/2012: DR CONGO: CRC Committee reviews State's progress on armed conflict

Organisation Contact Details:

Committee on the Rights of the Child

Last updated 28/02/2012 11:36:38

Please note that these reports are hosted by CRIN as a resource for Child Rights campaigners, researchers and other interested parties. Unless otherwise stated, they are not the work of CRIN and their inclusion in our database does not necessarily signify endorsement or agreement with their content by CRIN.