7th Regional Meeting of child rights coalitions in
Europe
Effective Engagement with the CRC
Committee
29 April, 2014
Sofia, Bulgaria
Child Rights Connect ’s role
Advice and support
National NGOs
and NHRIs
Committee
Effective engagement
New Child Rights Connect Guide on
the CRC Reporting
•Specific guidelines on structure,
sources, format and timeline for
drafting and submitting alternative
reports
•Tips on how to effectively answer the
Committee’s questions
•Role and support of Child Rights
Connect
•Concrete suggestions on follow-up to
Concluding Observations (Case
studies)
Reporting as a Cycle
Submission of State
party report
Submission of
NGO reports
Implementation of COs
ongoing advocacy by NGOs
Concluding Observations
issued by Committee at end of session
Session – all information discussed
between Committee & State delegation
Written replies
sent to Committee
Pre-sessional Working Group
Considers NGO & other reports
List of Issues sent
to government
Integrated reporting
OPAC and OPSC
Periodic OP reports should
be combined with the State
party report on the CRC to
produce one integrated
report. At the end of the
review of an integrated State
party report on the CRC, the
OPAC and/or OPSC, the
Committee will adopt one set
of Concluding Observations
covering all the treaties
covered by the report.
Role of coalitions in the CRC Reporting
• Providing comprehensive, up-to-date, accurate
and objective information
• Suggesting concrete and solution-oriented
recommendations
• Monitoring and advocating for the
implementation of the Concluding Observations
(CObs)
• Supporting children in making their views heard
by the Committee
Be aware of and build on the
advantages of reporting as a coalition
• Produce a comprehensive analysis of the implementation
of the Convention and its Protocols that can help national
monitoring and advocacy
• If you speak with one single but stronger voice you will
gain legitimacy that will help you building a relationship
with government
• Strengthen the coalition by strengthening the
cooperation with other child rights actors or the broader
national civil society to facilitate coherent and collaborative
advocacy at national level
Face the challenges
• Different members’
interests and agendas
• Lack of trust and
common objectives
• Lack of strategy and
credibility
• Difficulty in sustaining
active interest
• Poor management and
coordination
• Lack of funding and
resources
CRC Reporting: A tool for change
Child rights &
realities
Gaps on child
rights
Priority
problems &
violations
Proposed
solutions
Think strategically
LINK the CRC Reporting to your work and BE Goalorientated !
 What do you want to change?
 What will your strategy be to bring about that change?
 Who will your key partners be?
 Why the CRC and not another human rights mechanism?
 How can your work benefit from the CRC reporting?
Focus on influencing the CObs
Produce SMART recommendations to ensure that the CObs
will be a support tool for your advocacy and the design of
your activities
What are the Concluding Observations?
• They are not legally binding but they are the result of the expert
analysis of States’ legal obligations
• They define and prioritise the actions that need to be taken to
enhance the realization of child rights
• They should make a constructive contribution to national
problem-solving and to provide a structured framework for
dialogue with the authorities
• They should form the basis for periodic evaluation and followup
Follow-up to concluding observations
Basis for NGO participation in follow-up
The Committee recommends that the State party further encourage the
active, positive and systematic involvement of civil society, including
NGOs, in the promotion of children’s rights, including their
participation in the follow-up to the concluding observations of the
Committee.
- 2006 Concluding Observations of Swaziland
At national level, the Committee depends on national
non-State actors to ensure that its recommendations are
being implemented by the State.
Why civil society should follow up on
the CObs?
Achieving the change we are seeking for children
require the engagement of society as a whole,
including NGOs and children
•
•
•
•
Because the CObs carry weight as the States have
obligations to follow-up
Because it is no longer NGOs but the international
body who has the mandate to tell State how they
should fulfil their obligations
Because CObs often reflect NGOs’ recommendations
Because without follow-up reporting becomes an adhoc exercise
Challenges and obstacles
• Unclear role on NGOs (no formalised process)
• The Committee does not have a formalised
procedure
• The length and the structure of CObs
• Lack of awareness and understanding of the
treaty body mechanisms within the ministries
responsible of follow-up
• Difficulties in maintaining the momentum and
insufficient resources and time
The right approach for coalitions
Take into account all UN Human Rights mechanisms’
recommendations and integrate them into your ongoing monitoring and advocacy
Recommandations
Monitoring
Recommandations
Recommandations
Alternative Reports
Advocacy
Beyond the reporting process…
.
• 25th Anniversary of the CRC
24 September 2014
• Days of General Discussions
12 September 2014 “Social media and children’s
rights”
• General Comments
“Public spending” and “Adolescents”
What is effective engagement?
• Be aware of processes and opportunities and plan
accordingly
• Disseminate the information and find allies
• Make use of the main entry points and anticipate
deadlines
• Understand and use the outputs in a strategic way at
national level
• Link international processes and outputs to national
and regional strategies
Useful Tools
Thanks for your attention!
Questions and Answers