Source: United Nations – Geneva
The Committee on the Rights of the Child this afternoon concluded its ninety-eighth session after adopting concluding observations on the periodic reports under the Convention on the Rights of the Child of Ecuador, Eritrea, the Gambia, Honduras, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Slovakia. The concluding observations will be made available on the session’s webpage on Thursday, 6 February.
In closing remarks, Ann Marie Skelton, Committee Chairperson, said that the Committee had worked steadily to hold States to account where they were failing to uphold children’s rights. The Committee had observed staggering levels of violence against children, including sexual violence, in several of the States reviewed. Further, the Committee had also seen a normative pushback against gender equality, happening against a backdrop of high rates of teenage pregnancy, which the Committee also noted in many of the countries reviewed this session.
Over the three weeks in which the session was held, Ms. Skelton noted, many children around the world had continued their daily struggle to survive. Over this period, the war in Sudan had raged on, with children bearing the brunt of it. At least 23 children were reported to have died in January. Tensions had also increased in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and there had been a surge in children who were separated from or not accompanied by their parents.
Ms. Skelton thanked the Committee’s many partners for their cooperation during the session, including United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations, national human rights institutions, children, Committee members, members of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Secretariat and other persons who had contributed to the session.
Francisco Vera-Francisco, a young child rights advocate from Colombia, also addressed the Committee, saying that this was a crucial moment for children’s rights across the world. In Colombia, the internal conflict continued to impact children’s wellbeing and rights, he said. Several thousands of children had been displaced near the border with Venezuela. The same situation was seen around the world, with children’s rights violated in Sudan, Yemen and Gaza, where many thousands of children were killed. The violence needed to stop now. He concluded by calling on the Committee to continue fighting for children.
During the meeting, five Committee Experts whose mandates are coming to an end – Mikiko Otani (Japan), Luis Ernesto Pedernera Reyna (Uruguay), Velina Todorova (Bulgaria), Ratou Jean Zara (Chad), and the Chair, Ann Marie Skelton (South Africa) – made statements of thanks and reflection on their tenure.
The Committee adopted the report of its ninety-eighth session.
Summaries of the public meetings of the Committee can be found here, and webcasts of the public meetings can be found here. Documents related to the Committee’s ninety-eighth session can be found here.
The Committee will hold its ninety-ninth session from 5 to 23 May 2025, when it is scheduled to review the periodic reports under the Convention of Brazil, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iraq, Norway, Pakistan, Qatar and Romania, as well as the reports of Brazil and Pakistan under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.
Statements
ANN MARIE SKELTON, Committee Chairperson, said that the Committee had worked steadily to hold States to account where they were failing to uphold children’s rights. The Committee had observed staggering levels of violence against children, including sexual violence, in several of the States reviewed. There appeared to be widespread impunity regarding violence in the home and in communities and religious institutions. In some States, children were in the grip of chaos caused by gang violence and organised crime.
Over the last few years, Ms. Skelton said, the Committee had also seen a normative pushback against gender equality, which threatened to prevent adolescent girls from accessing reproductive health rights and services. This was happening against a backdrop of high rates of teenage pregnancy, which the Committee also noted in many of the countries reviewed this session.
Poverty stalked children’s lives in most of the States reviewed this session, and massive inequality left so many children behind. Some States were also ambivalent about seeing children as independent rights holders. Children were often not consulted and their views not considered in decisions that affected their lives.
Over the last three weeks in which the session was held, Ms. Skelton noted, many children around the world had continued their daily struggle to survive. Over this period, the war in Sudan had raged on, with children bearing the brunt of it. At least 23 children were reported to have died in January. Tensions had also increased in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and there had been a surge in children who were separated from or not accompanied by their parents.
On a more positive note, Ms. Skelton said, during the past three weeks, a ceasefire had been announced in Gaza. Some detained teenagers had been released, and hostages were being released, which hopefully would include the two remaining child hostages.
Ms. Skelton announced that one of the Committee’s decisions in a case concerning Finland had been voted as the top United Nations treaty body case of 2024 by the Hertie School Centre for Fundamental Rights. The case concerned three Sami indigenous girls who challenged the permission for a mining exploration permit that threatened their way of life. The Committee was happy to know that its decisions were attracting attention and having an impact on the lives of children.
FRANCISCO VERA–FRANCISCO, child rights advocate from Colombia, said that this was a crucial moment for children’s rights across the world. In Colombia, the internal conflict continued to impact children’s wellbeing and rights, he said. Several thousands of children had been displaced near the border with Venezuela. The same situation was seen around the world, with children’s rights violated in Sudan, Yemen and Gaza, where many thousands of children were killed. The violence needed to stop now.
War was the most regrettable act that human beings could engage in, Mr. Vera-Francisco said. In war, young soldiers killed each other for the sake of old men. He said that, for him, children were the present, and killing children amounted to killing the present. Countries needed to not lose hope and continue fighting for children’s rights.
Countries declared a war on children when they made environmental issues worse, he said. More than seven trillion United States dollars had been dedicated to subsidising fossil fuels last year. Almost 30 per cent of global finances had been used to finance military activities. In the latest Conference of the Parties, developed countries decided to dedicate only 300 billion United States dollars to climate financing, even though developing States had asked for 1.2 trillion dollars.
All children had the right to live in a peaceful world, Mr. Vera-Francisco stressed. Countries needed to continue fighting for peace, children’s rights and their well-being. States made many inspiring statements, but these needed to be backed up with actions. Countries needed to make peace with nature and life. Mr. Vera-Francisco concluded by calling on the Committee to continue fighting for children.
ANN MARIE SKELTON, Committee Chairperson, reported that, as of 22 May, there were 196 States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, with the United States having not ratified; 173 States parties to the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict; 178 States parties to the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography; and only 52 States parties to the Optional Protocol on the communications procedure. There had been no new ratifications/accessions since the beginning of this session.
Ms. Skelton said that during the session, the Committee had conducted 90 hours of meetings. In addition to reviewing the reports of seven States parties, the Committee adopted decisions on eight individual communications received under the Optional Protocol on a communications procedure, concerning the child justice system, separation of children from parents subject to criminal sentences, and access to health services for children with disabilities being returned to their country of origin. The Committee found no violation of the Convention in two cases against Switzerland, and declared the communications inadmissible in a case against Belgium and a case against Ecuador. The Committee also discontinued the consideration of four cases after they had become moot. Finally, the Committee adopted its report on follow up to individual communications, deciding to close the follow up dialogue in nine additional cases.
During the session, the Committee also discussed inquiries under article 13 of the Optional Protocol. It was currently dealing with four inquiries. It had published the report of its second inquiry against Paraguay on the killing of two 11-year-old girls by security forces, which concluded that there had been a grave violation of the right to life. The Committee had also adopted its latest inquiry report, which it would send to the State party concerned for their observations.
Further, during the session, the Committee had received briefings from the United Nations Working Group on Discrimination against Women and Girls, the United Nations Children’s Fund and Child Rights Connect. Ms. Skelton thanked the Committee’s many partners for their cooperation during the session, including United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations, national human rights institutions and children.
She announced that the Committee had continued its work on the next general comment, concerning children’s rights to access to justice and effective remedies. A first round of consultations on the general comment had gathered more than 300 submissions from different parts of the world, including children’s groups. Ms. Skelton called on interested parties to look out for the second draft of the general comment and provide feedback.
Also, during the session, the Committee held its sixteenth informal meeting with States at the Palais des Nations. Sixty States participated and seven took the floor for observations and questions.
In closing, Ms. Skelton expressed thanks to Committee members, members of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Secretariat and other persons who had contributed to the session.
Ms. Skelton then invited the outgoing Committee Experts to make statements.
MIKIKO OTANI, Committee Expert, said that during her time as Chair of the Committee, the Committee issued 37 public statements on country-specific issues concerning children. She had also worked to mainstream child rights in the wider United Nations system and had contributed to the Secretary-General’s guidance note on child rights mainstreaming. She had advocated for child participation in major conferences and had invited children to speak in the public openings of the Committee’s sessions. The diversity of the Committee had tremendously deepened her knowledge of children’s rights. She expressed hope that the Committee would continue to use its voice to advocate for child rights in every possible way.
LUIS ERNESTO PEDERNERA REYNA, Committee Vice-Chair, said that over the last eight years, the Committee had launched four general comments, adopted more than 100 decisions on individual communications, reached out to other treaty bodies and special procedures mandate holders, and increased its workload without budget increases. There had also been attacks against the Convention in the name of family values on behalf of conservative and religious groups. The Committee’s work was more necessary than ever, and it was vital to ensure that there was no backsliding. Mr. Pedernera Reyna said that he had learned much from fellow Committee Experts. He expressed thanks to the governments that understood the Committee’s mandate and opened their doors to the Committee, to civil society, which had made the Committee’s work easier, and to the children and adolescents who had shared their stories with the Committee.
VELINA TODOROVA, Committee Expert, thanked the States parties that elected her to the Committee. She said she was grateful to the Committee and its secretariat, non-governmental organization partners, and children. Her eight years on the Committee had been a time of progress for children but also frustration with the slow process of implementation of the Convention, coupled with an increase in hate and polarisation in societies and a lack of protection for human rights. She expressed hope that the Committee would continue to work to protect children’s rights.
RATOU JEAN ZARA, Committee Expert, said that the work that the Committee had accomplished over her time on it had been very important. She had learned much each day and shared each member’s common aim of upholding children’s rights. She had warm memories of her time on the Committee that she would incorporate into her daily work in Chad. She wished the Committee all the best in its important work in upholding children’s rights.
ANN MARIE SKELTON, Committee Chairperson, said that chairing an 18-member group had been challenging at times. Listening to different voices from different countries made the Committee able to engage with States around the world while holding true to the Convention. Members came and went, but the Committee remained.
Ms. Skelton expressed concern about backsliding in children’s rights. The Committee needed to be tough in this regard. It had a collective heart that needed to be big enough to think about all the children in the world. The Committee had kept its finger on the pulse, reviewing the situation of children in situations of war around the world, including those in Ukraine, Sudan and Israel. It was important that even States parties in conflict had interacted with the Committee.
Children needed to grow up in an environment of happiness, love, understanding and peace, Ms. Skelton said. She said she was proud of the jurisprudence that the Committee had built up over her time on it.
BRAGI GUDBRANDSSON, Committee Vice Chair, on behalf of the remaining Committee members, expressed admiration for the outgoing members’ wonderful contributions to protecting children’s rights. They had held States parties to account, and contributed to the Committee’s jurisprudence and general comments. Further, they had been leaders in developing and promoting children’s rights globally. Their departure from the Committee represented a great loss. They had set high standards that the remaining Experts needed to work to meet. He called on them to continue sharing their wisdom with the Committee after they left.
FRANCISCO VERA–FRANCISCO, child rights advocate from Colombia, also expressed thanks to the outgoing Experts on behalf of all children. It was the responsibility of all to fight for children’s rights. Everyone needed to stay focused to fight violence and hate, and keep fighting for children’s rights.
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