Children’s rights at the United Nations

Annual day on the rights of the child

The theme of this year’s annual day on the rights of the child is “Information and communication technology and child sexual exploitation”. The full-day meeting will constitute an important opportunity to discuss different national, regional and international initiatives to empower children through information and communications technologies (ICTs). The meeting will discuss the need for children to be protected against child sexual exploitation online and offline, while ensuring their digital rights are upheld. The annual day will explore:

The relationship between ICTs and the rights of the child, including opportunities and challenges to the realisation of these rights;
Good practices and lessons learnt aimed at promoting regional and international cooperation on this issue;
Strategies to empower children to make better use of the internet, and to contribute to their online protection;
Recommendations to guarantee safe and equal access for children to ICTs and to ensure the criminalisation of online child abuse and exploitation.

You can watch the event live and archived on http://webtv.un.org.

Child rights events at the Human Rights Council:

Monday – 07/03/2016

Side event organised by the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography: “Tackling the demand for the sexual exploitation of children” – 12:30 until 14:00 in room XXIV of the Palais des Nations.
Annual full day on the rights of the child – 9:00 am – 6:00 pm, Room XX.
Mega Sporting Events and Human Rights – 11:00 am – 12:00 pmPalais des Nations, Room XVIII, Geneva.
Side event organised by La Francophonie on the presentation of a Guide on accompanying children victims of sexual abuse – 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm tbc
Root causes of attacks against persons with albinism: witchcraft and health – 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm Palais des Nations, Room XXIII, Geneva
Monitoring Places where Children Are Deprived of Liberty – launch of European Guide – 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm tbc

Tuesday – 08/03/2016

Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography – Room XX, Palais des Nations, Geneva.
Interactive Dialogue with the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Children and armed Conflicts – Room XX, Palais des Nations, Geneva.
Interactive Dialogue with the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Violence against Children – Room XX, Palais des Nations, Geneva.
Side event organised by the Group of Friends on children and armed conflict “born in battle” – Geneva, Geneva.
“Born in Battle” Movie 1:15 pm – 3:00 pm, Room 24, Palais des Nations, Geneva.

Thursday – 10/03/2016

Side event on the Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty –tbc
Side event on: Working Together Towards a Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty – 10:00 am – 12:00 pm Palais de Nations, Room XXIII, Geneva

Special rapporteur reports at the Human Rights Council

Special procedure mandate-holders are requested by the Human Rights Council to present annual reports in which they describe their activities undertaken during the previous year. The annual reports discuss general issues concerning: working methods, theoretical analysis, general trends and developments with regard to their respective mandates and may contain general recommendations. Reports on country visits are usually presented as addenda to the annual reports.

The following reports will be presented at this year’s Human Rights Council:

A/HRC/31/19 – Annual report of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict.
A/HRC/31/20 – Annual report of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children.
A/HRC/31/29 – Report of the Secretary-General on the impact of the arbitrary deprivation of nationality on the enjoyment of the rights of children concerned, as well as on the existing laws and practices on accessibility for children to acquire nationality, inter alia, of the country in which they are born, if they otherwise would be stateless.
A/HRC/31/33 – Follow-up report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on investment in the rights of the child.
A/HRC/31/34 – Report of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on information and communications technology and child sexual exploitation.
A/HRC/31/35 – Study of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation of migrants in transit, including unaccompanied children and adolescents, as well as women and girls.
A/HRC/31/37 – Annual report on Protection of the family: contribution of the family to the realization of the right to an adequate standard of living for its members, particularly through its role in poverty eradication and achieving sustainable development. Report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
A/HRC/31/58/Add.2 – Report of the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography on her mission to Armenia.
A/HRC/31/80 – Report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on technical cooperation and capacity-building to promote and protect the rights of all migrants, including women, children, older persons and persons with disabilities.

An important report:

Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children

In light of this year’s annual day on the rights of the child, and speaking on the occasion of Safer Internet Day last month, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, Marta Santos Pais, renewed her call to ensure that the empowerment of children is at the heart of building a safer and more inclusive Internet. She noted that rather than curtailing children’s natural curiosity and sense of innovation, it is critical to tap into their resourcefulness and enhance their capacities to use the internet with confidence and safety.

This year also marks the 10th anniversary of the United Nations Study on Violence against Children and the start of efforts to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including goal 16.2 on ending all forms of violence against children. The annual report of the Special Representative reviews key developments and initiatives she has promoted. This year’s annual report addresses the SDGs, the Global study on the deprivation of liberty, regional processes for the protection of children from violence and a special note of concern drawing attention to the serious impact on children of cyberbullying and challenges to their digital rights.

Filed under: Children's rights, education Tagged: Children's Rights, CRIN, UN