CRIN - Child Rights Information Network

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The Universal Periodic Review (UPR)

Special Procedures

Human Rights Council

The subgroup on the Human Rights Council brings together NGOs willing to promote the rights of the child at the United Nations Human Rights Council.

The subgroup aims to ensure that this important international human rights mechanism addresses the specific rights and situations of children worldwide in its regular work and sessions on human rights. By advocating for the inclusion of its concerns into the Council's resolutions, the NGO community can further ensure better support and coherence between international politics and local realities.

*Formerly, the subgroup for the Commission on Human Rights.

Core areas of work

The 2003 Annual Report of the subgroup is available here [word]

The subgroup coordinates the preparation and involvement of NGOs throughout the year to effectively make an impact on the Commission. To this end the subgroup:

Facilitate the preparation of NGO proposals to the text of the "Omnibus Resolution" on the Rights of the Child
Lobby with the government sponsors of the resolution on the Rights of the Child to include NGO proposals to the text
Lobby for children's rights issues to be reflected in other resolutions
Co-organise side events on children's issues during the Commission
Coordinate and organise the Children's Human Rights Caucus activities during the Commission
Provide the NGO community and wider public information on the Commission on children's rights and related issues

Partnerships

The subgroup on the Human Rights Council works in close partnership with all the thematic subgroups of the NGO Group for the CRC, to enable their participation in the plans and events of the subgroup during the Human Rights Council.

The subgroup also has regular consultation with member States, special rapporteurs and the Committee on the Rights of the Child, to promote mutual information sharing and dialogue in support of promoting children's rights within the work of the Commission.

Objectives and Activities

Reinforcing the "omnibus resolution" on the rights of the child

The UN resolution on the rights of the child contains a fairly comprehensive list of issues currently affecting the realisation of children's rights. The subgroup regards this resolution as very important and devotes a significant percent of its work to:

Draft and gather contributions for the alternative NGO text for the resolution
Use the text in lobbying during the drafting and negotiations of members States on the resolution
Disseminate widely both the alternative NGO text and the final resolution, in particular to national child rights coalitions, in order to enhance the impact and implementation of the resolution at country level and identify potential areas to develop further the following year

It is still not known whether the new Human Rights Council will adopt an omnibus resolution in the same way as the Commission.

Mainstreaming children's rights

The subgroup strongly believes that children's rights issues ought to be included in other human rights resolutions. With this position the subgroup:

Identify ways of fostering mainstreaming (using concluding observations of the Committee, existing international standards, additional information on targeted themes or countries, etc.)
Lobby member states sponsoring resolutions in which children's rights could be mainstreamed
Promote a child rights approach to any child related issue addressed by the Commission

Organising side-events and information sharing

The Council attracts some of the foremost human rights advocates from around the world. The subgroup facilitates the organisation of side-events whereby NGOs have a platform raising children's rights issues. Many people interested in the Council also have the opportunity to be kept informed through the website and email. The subgroup:

Co-organises with other subgroups or members panels on issues of importance to children's rights NGOs
Participates in all side-events related to children and report through the Children's Human Rights Caucus

Ensuring follow-up of the Council's work on child related issues

After the Council the subgroup has a review process that involves:

Conducting an evaluation session of the subgroup's work at the Council with the aim of finding new areas for further improvements
Producing (e )and disseminating(e) an analytical and a reader-friendly versions of the Children's Human Rights Caucus activity report at the Council
Attending the annual meetings of special procedures of the Council and chairpersons of the treaty bodies to present the report and recommendations of the subgroup

Information and Membership

In order to receive information during the Council, subscribe via the CRINMAIL page.

If you want to become a member of the subgroup (if your organisation is a member of the NGO Group for the CRC) or an observer (others, NGO or not) in order to receive regular information on meetings and activities of the sub-group, please contact:

Cecile Trochu, co-Convenor
OMCT, Email: ct@omct.org
or Jennifer Grant, co-Convenor
Save the Children UK
Email: J.Grant@savethechildren.org.uk

Tools

Children's Human Rights Caucus Final Report [word] and [pdf]
Subgroup alternative resolution on the rights of the child for the 60th Session of the Commission on Human Rights 2004 on item 13 [word] and [pdf]
Rights of the child, Commission on Human Rights resolution 2000/85, dated 27 April 2000 (E/CN.4/RES/2000/85) [html format]
All Resolutions adopted by the Commission at the 60th session [htm]
Subgroup paper on some country resolutions from the UN Commission on Human Rights vis-à-vis the Concluding
Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, January 2003 [word and pdf]
Children's Human Rights Caucus report 2004 [word and pdf] 2003 [pdf], 2002 [word and pdf].

			Subgroup on the Human Rights Council* Links The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Special Procedures Human Rights Council News CRINMAILs A to Z of Child Rights Menu: Core areas of work \| Partnerships \| Objectives and Activities \| Information and Membership \| Tools \| Links The subgroup on the Human Rights Council brings together NGOs willing to promote the rights of the child at the United Nations Human Rights Council. The subgroup aims to ensure that this important international human rights mechanism addresses the specific rights and situations of children worldwide in its regular work and sessions on human rights. By advocating for the inclusion of its concerns into the Council's resolutions, the NGO community can further ensure better support and coherence between international politics and local realities. Formerly, the subgroup for the Commission on Human Rights. Core areas of work* The 2003 Annual Report of the subgroup is available here [word] The subgroup coordinates the preparation and involvement of NGOs throughout the year to effectively make an impact on the Commission. To this end the subgroup: Facilitate the preparation of NGO proposals to the text of the "Omnibus Resolution" on the Rights of the Child Lobby with the government sponsors of the resolution on the Rights of the Child to include NGO proposals to the text Lobby for children's rights issues to be reflected in other resolutions Co-organise side events on children's issues during the Commission Coordinate and organise the Children's Human Rights Caucus activities during the Commission Provide the NGO community and wider public information on the Commission on children's rights and related issues Partnerships The subgroup on the Human Rights Council works in close partnership with all the thematic subgroups of the NGO Group for the CRC, to enable their participation in the plans and events of the subgroup during the Human Rights Council. The subgroup also has regular consultation with member States, special rapporteurs and the Committee on the Rights of the Child, to promote mutual information sharing and dialogue in support of promoting children's rights within the work of the Commission. Objectives and Activities Reinforcing the "omnibus resolution" on the rights of the child The UN resolution on the rights of the child contains a fairly comprehensive list of issues currently affecting the realisation of children's rights. The subgroup regards this resolution as very important and devotes a significant percent of its work to: Draft and gather contributions for the alternative NGO text for the resolution Use the text in lobbying during the drafting and negotiations of members States on the resolution Disseminate widely both the alternative NGO text and the final resolution, in particular to national child rights coalitions, in order to enhance the impact and implementation of the resolution at country level and identify potential areas to develop further the following year It is still not known whether the new Human Rights Council will adopt an omnibus resolution in the same way as the Commission. Mainstreaming children's rights The subgroup strongly believes that children's rights issues ought to be included in other human rights resolutions. With this position the subgroup: Identify ways of fostering mainstreaming (using concluding observations of the Committee, existing international standards, additional information on targeted themes or countries, etc.) Lobby member states sponsoring resolutions in which children's rights could be mainstreamed Promote a child rights approach to any child related issue addressed by the Commission Organising side-events and information sharing The Council attracts some of the foremost human rights advocates from around the world. The subgroup facilitates the organisation of side-events whereby NGOs have a platform raising children's rights issues. Many people interested in the Council also have the opportunity to be kept informed through the website and email. The subgroup: Co-organises with other subgroups or members panels on issues of importance to children's rights NGOs Participates in all side-events related to children and report through the Children's Human Rights Caucus Ensuring follow-up of the Council's work on child related issues After the Council the subgroup has a review process that involves: Conducting an evaluation session of the subgroup's work at the Council with the aim of finding new areas for further improvements Producing (e )and disseminating(e) an analytical and a reader-friendly versions of the Children's Human Rights Caucus activity report at the Council Attending the annual meetings of special procedures of the Council and chairpersons of the treaty bodies to present the report and recommendations of the subgroup Information and Membership In order to receive information during the Council, subscribe via the CRINMAIL page. If you want to become a member of the subgroup (if your organisation is a member of the NGO Group for the CRC) or an observer (others, NGO or not) in order to receive regular information on meetings and activities of the sub-group, please contact: Cecile Trochu, co-Convenor OMCT, Email: ct@omct.org or Jennifer Grant, co-Convenor Save the Children UK Email: J.Grant@savethechildren.org.uk Tools Children's Human Rights Caucus Final Report [word] and [pdf] Subgroup alternative resolution on the rights of the child for the 60th Session of the Commission on Human Rights 2004 on item 13 [word] and [pdf] Rights of the child, Commission on Human Rights resolution 2000/85, dated 27 April 2000 (E/CN.4/RES/2000/85) [html format] All Resolutions adopted by the Commission at the 60th session [htm] Subgroup paper on some country resolutions from the UN Commission on Human Rights vis-à-vis the Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, January 2003 [word and pdf] Children's Human Rights Caucus report 2004 [word and pdf] 2003 [pdf], 2002 [word and pdf]. Links Reports, documents and statements for the sixtieth session of the Commission are available on the CRIN website [html] Regular email updates of the Caucus will be available. For more information on the UN Human Rights Council, see the official website: www.unhchr.ch/html/menu2/2/chr.htm For more information about other NGO activities at the Council, see CONGO website: http://www.ngocongo.org

Subgroup on the Human Rights Council*