Child Rights Connect

The International Journal of Children’s Rights UNCRC 30th Anniversary Conference
2019-06-20 10:00 - 2019-06-21 17:00 (Europe/Paris)
Thirty Years of Children’s Rights Scholarship: Taking Stock and Thinking Ahead
This conference will provide an opportunity for children’s rights scholars from across the globe to reflect on developments in children’s rights scholarship since the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It will cover a range of issues, including juvenile justice, education, family relationships, child participation, health and well-being, poverty and immigration.
Discussions will be informed by a series of short reviews by leading and up-and-coming scholars from across the world who will reflect on key theoretical, empirical and methodological contributions to children’s rights research over the past three decades. This will help to reveal gaps in knowledge and identify opportunities and priorities for further scholarship.
Our Programme Manager Ilaria Paolazzi will be participating.

Day 1 Thursday 20th June
Chair: Kirsten Sandberg

11.00-11.10
Introductions
Laura Lundy and Helen Stalford

11.15-12.00
Children’s Rights Theory
Karl Hanson (University of Geneva)
Noam Peleg (UNSW, Sydney)

12.00-12.45
Poverty/socio-economic rights
Aoife Nolan (Nottingham University)
Kirrily Pells (UCL)

1.30- 2.15
Education
Ann Quennerstedt (Orebro University)
Zoé Moody (University of Geneva)

2.15-3.00
UNCRC Incorporation
Simon Hoffman (Swansea University)
Rebecca Stern (Uppsala University)

3.00-4.00
Open Discussion
Discussant: Roberta Ruggiero

Day 2 Friday 21th June
Chair: Professor Julia Sloth-Nielson

11.00-11.15
30 years, 30 cheers!:
Celebrating the UNCRC
Michael Freeman

11.15-12.00
Child Participation

Kay Tisdall (Edinburgh University)
Christina McMellon (Glasgow University) (TBC)

12.00-12.45
Child Migration
Ellen Desmet (Ghent University)
Ruth Brittle (Nottingham University)

1.30- 2.15
Family
Conor O’Mahony (University College Cork)
Lydia Bracken (University of Limerick)

2.15-3.00
Juvenile Justice
Ton Liefaard (Leiden University)
Nessa Lynch (University of Wellington)

3.00-4.00
Open Discussion
Discussant: Claire Fenton-Glynn

The Human Rights of Children in Practice - Too serious to be left only to the goodwill of adults
2019-06-18 18:00 - 20:00 | La Pastorale, Centre d’Accueil de la Genève Internationale (CAGI), Switzerland
An event in the context of the 30th anniversary of the CRC is being organised by the University of Geneva as part of their Summer Schools programme, in partnership with Child Rights Connect, 30 ans de droits de l’enfant and the Centre Interfacultaire en droits de l’enfant!
Konstantinos, a child advisor in our DGD Children’s Advisory Team, will be delivering a keynote speech and be part of a dialogue with panelists:

Philip Jaffé, Professor, University of Geneva and Member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child,
Jean Zermatten, Former Chairperson of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child,
Stephen Langton, our interim Director.

Moderation : Roberta Ruggiero, Centre for Children’s Rights Studies
Join us on 18 June 2019, 6pm La Pastorale, Centre d’Accueil de la Genève Internationale (CAGI)
Flyer here.

Strategic litigation before the UN: a tool for social and legal change
2019-05-28 12:30 - 14:00
Join us, in person or online, for a Presentation by partners Litigating cases of Girls victims of Sexual Violence and Forced Pregnancies at the UN treaty bodies, including the CRC
Global Planned Parenthood and the Center for Reproductive Rights together with in-country partners, will be presenting cases being submitted to the UN treaty bodies, including the Committee on the Rights of the Child involving girls victims of sexual violence who were forced to carry their pregnancies to term in several Latin American countries. The case brought before the CRC will be the first time the Committee will have to pronounce itself through an individual communication on the public health problem of forced pregnancies which violates girls’ right to health; education; and information, among others;
The event will also be an opportunity to hear first-hand about the litigation strategy and why for example the case presented to the Committee on the Rights of the Child was not instead submitted to the CEDAW or a regional human rights court.

30 years after the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child: achievements, challenges and opportunities, with a key focus on access to information, digital skills and online safety for children
2019-05-27 13:00 - 14:45 | Palais des Nations (Room XXV)
Background and objectives

The Permanent Mission of Romania and the Permanent Mission of Austria are organizing an event in the margins of the 81st session of the CRC entitled “30 years after the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child: achievements, challenges and opportunities, with a key focus on access to information, digital skills and online safety for children”.
The year 2019 provides the opportunity to take stock of the achievements 30 years after the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to identify challenges in the implementation of the rights of the child and to discuss the way ahead. This event aims to contribute to these discussions. Particularly, it will be an opportunity to take stock of 30 years since the adoption of the CRC from the perspective of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, to identify the existing gaps and challenges for the implementation and to discuss emerging issues in the area of children’s rights. Among current challenges and opportunities, the event will focus on the interlinkages between access to information, digital skills and online safety for children, also with a view to the ongoing work of the Committee on a General Comment on children’s rights in the digital environment. While access to information contributes to the promotion of children’s social, spiritual and moral well-being, as well as to their physical and mental health, and digital skills become indispensable in the process of education, online safety must be a priority for these essential objectives to be met.
Romania, the holder of the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, and Austria, the previous EU Council presidency, are committed to promoting children’s rights. The 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child is an opportunity to reaffirm this commitment and to galvanize reflection on achievements, challenges and opportunities in the area of children’s rights.

Format of the event

The theme will be addressed by a panel consisting of members of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, human rights experts, representatives of civil society and diplomats, through short presentations. At the end of this part, a questions-and-answers session will allow the participants to engage with panelists and broaden the reflection initiated by them.

Programme and panelists

13h00-13h20: Light lunch
13h20-13h25: Opening Remarks
H.E. Amb. Adrian Vierita, Permanent Representative of Romania to the United Nations in Geneva
13h25 – 14h05: Panel Session
Justice Renate Winter, Outgoing Chair of the Committee on the Rights of the Child
Mr. Luis Ernesto Pedernera Reyna, Incoming Chair of the Committee on the Rights of the Child
Dr. Philip Jaffé, Professor at the University of Geneva, Psychotherapist and CRC Member
Mr. Chulho Hyun, Regional Chief of Communication, UNICEF Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO)
Ms. Adina Codres, Senior Counsellor, Romanian National Authority for Children’s Rights Protection and Adoption
Ms. Ilaria Paolazzi, Programme Manager, Child Rights Connect
Moderation: Ms. Imma Guerras-Delgado, Team Leader – Child and Youth Rights, OHCHR
14h05-14h35: Exchange time with the floor
14h35-14h45: Closing remarks

81st Session
2019-05-13 - 2019-05-31
Pre-session (08.10.2018-12.10.2018):
Botswana (CRC), Cabo Verde (CRC), Côte d’Ivoire (CRC), Malta (CRC), Poland (LOIPR), Singapore (CRC), Sri Lanka (OPSC), Tonga (CRC)
Session (13.05.2019 – 31.05.2019):
Botswana (CRC), Cabo Verde (CRC), Côte d’Ivoire (CRC), Malta (CRC), Singapore (CRC), Sri Lanka (OPSC), Tonga (CRC)

Child Rights Connect Public Reception
2019-05-09 18:00 - 20:00

Study on the global status of engagement in CRC reporting
2019-05-09 - 2019-05-10
Child Rights Connect is facilitating strategic and critical reflections about challenges and achievements of civil society child rights advocacy and engagement with the CRC Committee by:
– developing a study on the global status of the engagement of States, NGOs and children in the CRC reporting process to highlight gaps and the current outlook of the child rights advocacy movement;
– organising a stock-take exercise with members and key partners to discuss the findings of the study and new joint strategies to be more effective.

Child Rights Connect General Assembly
2019-05-09 - 2019-05-10

80th Session
2019-01-14 - 2019-02-01
Pre-session (04.06.2018-08.06.2018):
Bahrain (CRC), Belgium (CRC), Croatia (LOIPR), Czech Republic (OPSC), Guinea (CRC), Hungary (LOIPR), Italy (CRC), Syrian Arab Republic (CRC)
Session (14.01.2019-01.02.2019):
Bahrain (CRC), Belgium (CRC), Czech Republic (OPSC), Guinea (CRC), Italy (CRC), Japan (CRC), Syrian Arab Republic (CRC)

Day of General Discussion "Protecting & Empowering Children as Human Rights Defenders"
2018-09-28 10:00 - 18:00 | Palais des Nations, Room XVII, Palais des Nations, Geneva, 1211, Switzerland
More information

79th Session
2018-09-17 - 2018-10-05
Benin (OPSC, OPAC), El Salvador (CRC), Lao People’s Democratic Republic (CRC), Mauritania (CRC), Niger (CRC, OPSC), Saudi Arabia (OPSC, OPAC)

78th Session
2018-05-14 - 2018-06-01
Algeria (OPAC), Angola (CRC, OPSC, OPAC), Argentina (CRC), Lesotho (CRC), Montenegro (CRC), Norway (CRC)

Child Rights Connect Public Reception
2018-05-08 18:00 - 20:00 | Club Suisse de la Presse, 106, route Ferney, Geneva, 1202, Switzerland
Child Rights Connect is organising a networking reception, with children’s rights defenders from around the world and inspiring keynote speakers, to trigger discussions and ideas on recognising children as human rights defenders.
During this event Child Rights Connect will be represented by more than 30 of its members, from around the world will be present.
Confirmed speakers:

His Excellency Mr. Michael Gaffey, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of Ireland
Mikiko Otani, Member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
Phil Lynch, Director of ISHR

Registration:
If you are planing to attend the reception and haven’t already signed up for the General Assembly, please register online: www.childrightsconnect.org/reception

Participating Organisations:

Alliance of NGO’s active in the field of Child and Family Social Protection (APSCF), Moldova
ATD Fourth World
Centre of Excellence in Alternative Care
Child Rights Coalition Asia
Child Rights Network Switzerland
Children’s Parliament Scotland
Consortium for Street Children
Defence for Children International
ECPAT International
Edmund Rice International
Friends International Switzerland
Friends World Committee for Consultation represented by the Quakers
Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children
Humanium
International Association of Youth and Family Judges and Magistrates
International Social Service
Make Mothers Matter
Marist International Solidarity Foundation
Plan International
Plataforma de Infancia
REDLAMYC
Rural Women Development Initiative
Save the Children
SOS Children’s Villages International
Tanzania Child Rights Forum
Terre des Hommes International Federation
Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights)
War Child Holland
Women’s World Summit Foundation (WWSF)
World Vision International

General Assembly - Child Rights Connect
2018-05-08 - 2018-05-09 | Club Suisse de la Presse, 106, route Ferney, Geneva, 1202, Switzerland
