 History, structure and governance
 Main areas of work
 Achievements
 Challenges
 Lessons learnt

 Vision: A world in which children’s rights, as defined by the
CRC, are universally recognised and realised.
 Mission: Facilitate the promotion, implementation and monitoring of the CRC.
 Global network of 71 national and international NGOs
 Works with national and international NGOs in 150 countries, including over 100 national coalitions
 Partner in the work of the Committee

 20 NGOs joined forces in 1983 to coordinate their actions to draft the CRC
 Unprecedented impact on the final text of an international human rights treaty
 Decided to create a more formal structure to promote ratification and reporting

 General Assembly
(member organisations)
 Executive Committee
(7-10 members)
 Secretariat
(5 staff)
Thematic working groups
 Children without parental care
 Communications procedure for the CRC
 Human Rights Council
 Indigenous children
 Sexual exploitation of children
 Violence against children

 Support the work of the Committee on the Rights of the Child
 Strengthen capacity and/or facilitate NGO participation in the reporting process
 Develop legal instruments on child rights
 Produce practical tools to advocate and monitor child rights
 Mainstream child rights in the broader UN Human
Rights system

 According to need, train NGOs in forming coalitions and writing alternative reports
 Ensure NGOs participate effectively in the full reporting process (pre-session and session)
 Pay for NGOs to attend the Committee’s meetings

Practical tools to advocate and monitor child rights
 Guidelines to reporting on CRC
& its Optional Protocols
 Fact sheets on elections, DGD and General Comments
 Alternative report database with
CRIN
 Guidelines for children to report
(coming soon)
 Country reports
Website: www.childrightsnet.org

 Leading expertise in the work of the Committee and the monitoring of the CRC and its Optional Protocols
 Contributes to the drafting of treaties such as the CRC, its
Optional Protocols and regional standards.
 Ensures NGO input into international child rights events, days of general discussion and general comments.
 Contribute to the development of the Committee’s working methods

 Model for alternative reporting for UN treaty bodies
 Committee receives credible, representative and comprehensive information from national NGOs and children
 National NGOs (increasingly children) have direct access to the Committee responsible for the CRC
 Committee’s dialogue with states and recommendations take into account NGO information

 Managing the network structure
 Keeping members focused on common goals and avoiding conflict of interest
 Raising funds for ‘abstract activities’
 Followup to Committee’s recommendations

 Have an independent coordinating body that follows and influences the work of the Committee
 Facilitate the access of national NGOs/coalitions
 Work closely with Committee secretariat, UNICEF and
Committee members and other key partners
 Create practical tools for NGOs to engage effectively in the work of the Committee
 Develop methods to follow-up Committee recommendations