Human Rights Council Annual Day on the Rights of the Child

Date: 27th April 2012
Category: General measures of implementation

This year's Annual Day, on 8 March, was divided into two half-day panels: "Children in the judicial process: worrying trends and best practices" and "Children deprived of their liberty and children of incarcerated parents: protection and realisation of their rights".

The NGO Group Secretariat, the Inter-Agency Panel on Juvenile Justice and the Quaker UN Office represented NGOs in the planning stages. Collaborating with States, OHCHR and UNICEF, the Children and the Administration of Justice provided expertise about the themes and recommended panelists. Some of the key messages from the panel were: that zero tolerance, hard line reactions, over-use of the criminal system don't work. The discussion highlighted the tendency for politicians to respond to fears of dangerous youths, but not the reality of the extent of the problem. The panelists stressed that diversion and alternative measures have much better outcomes and are more respectful of children's rights. Click here for a full list of speakers, and to learn more about the concept and focus of the discussions, or watch the webcast.

In parallel to the Annual Day, we coordinated the input of NGOs on the HRC's Omnibus Resolution. Among other provisions, the resolution decided the Annual Day's theme for 2013: "the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health".