Global study on reporting to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child

Date: 30th July 2019
Category: Reporting to and monitoring the UNCRC
Author: Child Rights Connect

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The study, commissioned by Child Rights Connect, highlights the progress that has been made over the last 30 years, including the increase in children’s participation in reporting processes, as well as challenges that need addressed.

The study assesses reporting both by states and civil society, including children and young people.

Progress

The report highlights:

  • The majority of states (92%) report on time or within four years of their report being due.
  • The Committee has been receptive to recommendations made by civil society, with these generally being reflected in the Committee’s concluding observations.
  • An increase in participation of children in the UNCRC monitoring cycle, encouraged by the adoption of related guidelines in 2011.

Challenges

Challenges highlighted by the report include:

  • The lack of stability of national children’s rights coalitions, and restricted participation of marginalised groups of children and young people (e.g. younger children, experience of poverty, minority and indigenous children).
  • Multiple uncoordinated reports from across civil society. Joint reports coordinated between a group of NGOs shown to be effective but many organisations bypass this to ensure their own views are represented. Lack of cooperation and coordination means the Committee is now receiving many reports with the result that key and prioritised messages are lost.

Read the report here.

A related presentation setting out key messages was given at Child Rights Connect’s General Assembly in May 2019. View the presentation slides here.