GENEVA (10 May 2016) – The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is meeting in Geneva from 17 May to 3 June to review children’s rights in the following countries: Samoa, Nepal, the UK, Slovakia, Pakistan, Gabon, Bulgaria, and Luxembourg. 

The Committee, which is composed of 18 international independent experts, monitors how States that have ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) are complying with its obligations. The Committee also reviews how States are implementing two optional protocols to the Convention – one on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (OPSC) and one on the involvement of children in armed conflict (OPAC).

States that are party to the Convention must submit regular reports to the Committee. During the meetings in Geneva, Committee members discuss a range of issues relating to children's rights with the respective government delegations. The Committee bases its evaluation on the State party’s report and written replies, the discussions in Geneva, and also on information from other UN bodies and agencies, and civil society groups. More information: http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=987&Lang=en

The sessions will be held on the following dates at Palais Wilson in Geneva:
Samoa CRC (17-18 May); Nepal CRC, OPAC (19-20 May); UK CRC (23-24 May); Slovakia CRC (24-25 May); Pakistan CRC (25-26 May); Gabon CRC, OPSC (26-27 May); Bulgaria CRC (30 May); Luxembourg OPSC (31 May).

The sessions will be webcast here: http://www.treatybodywebcast.org/. The morning sessions run from 10:00-13:00 and the afternoon sessions from 15:00-18:00.

The Committee is due to hold a news conference on 9 June at 12:00 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva to discuss its findings, which are officially known as concluding observations and which will be published here on 9 June: http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=987&Lang=en

ENDS

For more information and media requests, please contact
Liz Throssell - +41 (0) 22 917 9466 / +41 79 752 0488 ethrossell@ohchr.org

Media accreditation:    http://unog.ch/80256EDD006B9C2E/(httpPages)/70991F6887C73B2280256EE700379C58?OpenDocument

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 163 States): http://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/optional-protocol-convention-rights-child-involvement-children

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