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xNGO Alliances to attend UN Committee pre-sessional meeting
Date: 29th September 2015
Category:
Reporting to and monitoring the UNCRC
Together, SYP, SHRC & SCCYP will give evidence to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child at a pre-session meeting in Geneva.
In July 2015, Together submitted a Scotland NGO report to the UN Committee which examines implementation of the UNCRC since the last UN review in 2008 and includes recommendations for further action to promote child rights, as part of a periodic review process on how well UK governments are fulfilling their children's rights obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
Subsequently, Scotland welcomed Ms Amal Aldoseri, Vice-Chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in September. The visit encompassed meaningful interaction with children and young people around Fife and Glasgow and valuable insight into many of the issues raised in the Scotland NGO report submissions. Key messages were delivered through the visit to support the UN Committee's understanding of the situation of children's rights, in order to help inform discussions at the UN Committee pre-sessional meeting next week and later processes in the UK review.
The pre-sessional working group provides the Committee with the opportunity to conduct a preliminary review of the State party report through the examination of reports received from NGOs, UNICEF and other UN agencies, NHRIs, children and child-led organisations. Based on the submissions and the pre-session, the Committee identifies the main questions to be discussed with the State party during the plenary session.
It is in this context in which questions will be raised and evidence given by Together, SYP, SCCYP and the SHRC, drawing on those NGO reports submitted earlier in 2015. Whilst representatives will seek to emphasise the importance of devolution in Scotland, the meeting will also address a UK list of issues.
On the last day of the session, the Committee will adopt a new set of Concluding Observations to the UK Government. These Concluding Observations will point out the progress achieved, the main areas of concern and recommendations for the implementation of the CRC and Optional Protocols.
Further updates will be given once the pre-sessional meeting has taken place.