The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is a body of experts who monitor the implementation by State Parties of the Convention on the Right of the Child.

The Committee holds regular sessions each year to review States Parties’ reports on progress made in fulfilling their obligations under the Convention and its Optional Protocols.

The Committee can make suggestions and issue recommendations to governments and the General Assembly on ways to meet the Convention’s objectives.

The remit of the Committee on the Rights of the Child

The Committee meets three times a year for a period of three weeks in January, May-June and September. At each session, the Committee examines reports from about 10 States Parties, discusses issues with a government delegation and issues recommendations (called “Concluding Observations”). NGOs are invited to submit “Alternative Reports” alongside the States Parties’ reports to give a different perspective to the Committee.

Once a year, at its September session, the Committee holds a Day of General Discussion (DGD) on a specific provision of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in order to issue more detailed recommendations to governments. Each year, children, NGOs and experts are invited to submit documents to inform the Committee’s one-day debate with stakeholders (UN agencies, Committee members, NGOs, academics, lawyers, children, and more).

The Committee on the Rights of the Child and the UN Assembly

Once a year, the Committee submits a report to the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly (GA), the GA hears a statement from the CRC Chair and the GA adopts a Resolution on the Rights of the Child. Read the 2006 CRC Report to the GA and the 2006 GA Resolution on the Rights of the Child.

Government reports to the Committee on the Rights of the Child

States which are party to the Convention, including the UK, are required to report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. Each State Party has to submit a comprehensive report every five years. The Committee on the Rights of the Child is a United Nations treaty monitoring body which assesses how well states are implementing the Convention, reports on progress, and also makes recommendations.

This year the UK Government is due to submit its report to the Committee. UNICEF UK is involved, as part of a coalition, in assessing the Government’s response and in providing a parallel report compiled by child rights organisations in the UK.

Further information

For further information on the Committee on the Rights of the Child visit: http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/crc/index.htm .