UN child rights experts issue findings on Nauru, Sierra Leone, New Zealand, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Suriname

GENEVA (7 October 2016) – The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has published its findings on the following countries which it examined during its latest session from 13 to 30 September in Geneva: Nauru, Sierra Leone, New Zealand, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Suriname.

The findings cover how the respective State is doing with regard to children’s rights, detailing positive developments, main areas of concern, and recommendations for action.  The findings, officially known as concluding observations, can be found here:
http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=1041&Lang=en

The Committee on the Rights of the Child is composed of 18 international independent experts, who monitor implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified to date by 196 States. They also monitor implementation of the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (OPSC) and the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict (OPAC),  ratified by 173 States and 165 States respectively. 

The Committee will next meet from 16 January to 3 February 2017 when it is due to review Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Estonia, Georgia, Malawi, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Serbia. More information here:
http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=1042&Lang=en

ENDS

For more information and media requests, please contact:  Liz Throssell ethrossell@ohchr.org / 41 22 917 94 66 / 41 79 752 0488

Background

Members of the CRC are independent human rights experts drawn from around the world, who serve in their personal capacity and not as representatives of States parties. The Committee’s concluding observations are an independent assessment of States’ compliance with their human rights obligations under the treaty. To learn more about the Committee on the Rights of the Child: http://www.ohchr.org/en/treaty-bodies/crc

Convention on the Rights of the Child (ratified to date by 196 States):
http://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-child

Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (ratified to date by 173 States):  http://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/optional-protocol-convention-rights-child-sale-children-child

Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict (ratified to date by 165 States): http://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/optional-protocol-convention-rights-child-involvement-children

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