Geneva, The UN Child Rights Committee (CRC) is scheduled to review the child rights practices of six countries, including Congo, Bulgaria, Senegal, the Russian Federation, Lithuania, and South Africa, in its upcoming session from January 15 to February 2.
According to Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, these six countries are part of the 196 States parties to the Child Rights Convention. They will undergo a comprehensive examination by the CRC, composed of 18 independent international experts, to assess their adherence to the Convention and its Optional Protocols, as well as the implementation of the Committee’s prior recommendations. Notably, Senegal will also present its initial reports under the Optional Protocols on the sale of children, child prostitution, child pornography (OPSC), and the involvement of children in armed conflict (OPAC).
The CRC, having received country reports and submissions from non-governmental organizations, will engage in public dialogues with the delegations from these countries. These discussions are scheduled on specific dates for each country at the Ground Floor Conference Room, Palais Wilson, in Geneva. The sessions for Congo are set for January 15 and 16, Bulgaria on January 17 and 18, and Senegal on January 18 and 19, with an additional session for Senegal’s OPSC/OPAC reports on January 19. The Russian Federation, Lithuania, and South Africa will have their reviews on January 22-23, January 23-24, and January 24-25, respectively.
These meetings are open to accredited journalists and will be live-streamed on UN Web TV. Further details about the session, including the full schedule of meetings and the reports submitted by the States, are available on the session’s webpage.