Child Rights Connect

95th pre-session
2023-05-01 - 2023-05-05
Pre-sessions: Congo, Lithuania, Paraguay, Senegal (CRC, OPSC, OPAC)
Deadline for alternative reports: 1st March 2023
SRP pre-sessions: Bulgaria, Liechtenstein
Deadline for written inputs to State report: 1st March 2023
Adoption of LOIPR: Norway, Qatar, Romania
Deadline for written inputs to LOIPR: 1st March 2023

93rd session
2023-05-08 - 2023-05-26
Finland (CRC, OPSC), France, Jordan, Sao Tome and Principe, Türkiye, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Deadline for additional submission: 15th April 2023

40th Anniversary Conference: Changing the Narrative
2023-05-26
Promoting positive change with children around 40 years of civil society advocacy in Geneva
Changing the Narrative: Promoting positive change with children around 40 years of civil society advocacy in Geneva

About the Conference
*Check out our web story !
2023 marks the 40th anniversary of Child Rights Connect, celebrating 40 years of coordinated global civil society advocacy in Geneva for child rights. It also marks 25 years since adoption of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and 75 years since adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Yet, across the globe, these celebrations coincide with attacks on democracy, shrinking civil society space and an unprecedent backlash against universal human rights, undermining the freedom, safety and action of those defending human rights. Child rights, their defenders (including child human rights defenders), and the larger child rights movement are not spared.
For the purpose of developing a strategy for the child rights movement, including children, to effectively counter anti-child rights rhetoric and respond to challenges faced by the movement, experts and practitioners convened with children, key States and the public at a conference hosted in Geneva (in hybrid format) on Friday 26 May 2023.
Recognising its importance, the conference was part of the formal programme of work of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child during the last day of its 93rd session in Geneva. Child advisors of the CRCnct Children’s Advisory Team also attended.

Conference programme
The conference centred around two plenary high-level panels: the first considering the context and challenges faced by the child rights movement and child human rights defenders; and the second looking at potential responses through UN mechanisms and agencies.
The morning plenary was proceeded by a dialogue with representatives of the Child Rights Connect Children’s Advisory Team, which was selected as ‘Changemakers’ by World Vision International. The afternoon plenary was proceeded by a keynote address from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Each plenary session was followed by parallel working sessions on key thematic issues, aimed at identifying elements for the subsequent development of a global strategy to counter anti-child rights rhetoric through changing the narrative around the role and impact of the child rights movement.

Please access our digital conference pack, which includes the conference programme and the interventions from our speakers (audio-visual and written). In line with our environmental policy (under development), the conference was a paperless event. This virtual treasure chest of fascinating discussions and memorable moments. Within its digital pages, you’ll discover an impressive lineup of panelists, ranging from luminaries like Ann Skelton,Volker Türk , Mary Lawlor, and Catherine Russel to brilliant and dedicated child advisors from around the world.
Inside the conference pack, you’ll discover a wealth of engaging speeches and interventions by our panelists. This is where you can relive thought-provoking moments and gain valuable insights that shaped our 40th Anniversary Conference. This will be the essential resource for accessing the conference program and experiencing the core of our event.

Recordings

Plenary sessions
Working group 1 session
Working group 2 session
Working group 3 session
Working group 4 session

Next steps and follow-up

On our News webpage, a dedicated web story highlighting the strong moments and statements of the day is now available to read!
All parts of the conference were recorded, with recordings available on this webpage.

The Child Rights Connect Secretariat intends to use these to help it draw key findings and recommendations from the conference so that these can be used to strengthen on-going advocacy as well as to identify potential global responses to the challenges being faced by the child rights movement and child human rights defenders. In turn, this will inform development of the Strategic Plan for 2025-2029 for the Child Rights Connect network, which will be considered for adoption at the organisation’s General Assembly in mid-2024. Conference discussions may also inform the contribution of Child Rights Connect to the Human Rights 75 Initiative of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, which will affirm the need to put children’s rights at the core of any new vision for the future of human rights.

Do not hesitate to contact the secretariat at secretariat@childrightsconnect.org if you have any questions.

94th session & launch of General Comment 26
2023-09-04 - 2023-09-22
Albania, Andorra, Dominican Republic, Kyrgyzstan, Liechtenstein, Togo (CRC, OPAC)
Deadline for additional submission: 15th August 2023

96th pre-session
2023-09-25 - 2023-09-29
Pre-sessions: Bahrain (OPSC, OPAC), Egypt, Mali, Namibia, Pakistan (OPSC), Panama (OPSC)
Deadline for alternative reports: 1st July 2023
SRP pre-sessions: South Africa
Deadline for written inputs to State report: 1st August 2023

95th session
2024-01-15 - 2024-02-02
Bulgaria, Congo, Lithuania, Russian Federation, Senegal (CRC, OPSC, OPAC), South Africa
Deadline for additional submissions: 15th December 2023
The review of Israel has been postponed.

97th pre-session
2024-02-05 - 2024-02-09
Pre-sessions: Armenia, Eritrea, Honduras, Mexico, Slovakia, Turkmenistan
Deadline for alternative reports: 1st November 2023
SRP pre-sessions: Estonia, Bhutan, Georgia, Guatemala
Deadline for written inputs to State report: 1st November 2023
No adoption of LOIPR.

96th session
2024-05-06 - 2024-05-24
Bhutan SRP, Egypt, Estonia SRP, Georgia SRP, Guatemala SRP, Mali, Namibia, Paraguay and Panama (OPSC)
Deadline for additional submissions: 15th April 2024

98th pre-session
2024-05-22 - 2024-05-23
The 98th pre-session has been postponed for countries under the tradicional reporting procedure!
Pre-sessions: Brazil (CRC, OPSC), Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iraq, Pakistan, St. Kitts and Nevis and Sudan (POSTPONED to September)
Deadline for alternative reports: 1st March 2024
SRP pre-sessions: Ecuador and Argentina (ADVANCED TO 22 and 23 May)
Deadline for written inputs to State report: 1st April 2024

97th session
2024-08-26 - 2024-09-13
Sessions: Argentina, Armenia, Bahrain (OPAC, OPSC), Ecuador, Eritrea, Israel, Mexico and Turkmenistan
Deadline for additional submissions: 15th August 2024
The reviews of Honduras and Slovakia have been postponed to Janury 2025!

99th pre-session
2024-09-16 - 2024-09-20
Pre-sessions: Brazil (CRC, OPSC), Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iraq, Pakistan, St. Kitts and Nevis and Sudan
Deadline for alternative reports: 1st July 2024
The pre-session of Burkina Faso, Colombia, Ghana, Malaysia, Maldives, Uganda and United States of America (OPSC, OPAC) has been postponed to January 2025.
SRP pre-sessions: Gambia, Peru and Spain
Deadline for alternative reports: 1st August 2024

98th session
2025-01-13 - 2025-01-31
Sessions: Gambia (SRP), Ecuador (SRP), Eritrea, Honduras, Peru (SRP), Saint Kitts and Nevis and Slovakia.
Deadline for additional submissions: 15th December 2024
The CRC session of Spain has been postponed to September 2025.

100th pre-session
2025-02-03 - 2025-02-07
Pre-sessions: Burkina Faso, Colombia, Ghana, Malaysia, Maldives and Uganda.
Deadline for alternative reports: 1st November 2024
SRP pre-sessions: Norway, Qatar and Romania.
Deadline for alternative reports: 1st December 2024

99th session NEW DATE 12-30 May
2025-05-12 - 2025-05-30
New dates! The session will take place from 12 to 30 May 2025.
Sessions: Brazil (CRC; OPAC), Indonesia, Iraq, Norway (SRP), Qatar (SRP) and Romania (SRP)
Deadline for additional submissions: 15th April 2025
Ethiopia and Pakistan (CRC; OPSC) are postponed to the 100th session in September 2025

101th pre-session CANCELLED
2025-05-26 - 2025-05-30
Please note that the pre-session is cancelled. There is no information as to when the pre-session will be rescheduled.
Pre-sessions: Kazakhstan, Lesotho, Nepal, Serbia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, United Republic of Tanzania and United States of America (OPAC; OPSC).
Deadline for alternative reports: 1st March 2025

100th session is cancelled
2025-09-01 - 2025-09-19
The 100th CRC session scheduled from 01-19 September 2025 is cancelled due to the UN liquidity crisis.
Therefore, the country reviews of Burkina Faso, Colombia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malaysia, Maldives, Pakistan (CRC, OPSC), Spain, Uganda are tentatively rescheduled in January 2026.
The new deadline for additional information is 15th December 2025.

101st pre-session - NEW DATES
2025-09-16 - 2025-10-17
New dates! The session will take place from 16 September to 17 October 2025.
Pre-sessions: Kazakhstan, Lesotho, Serbia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, United Republic of Tanzania and United States of America (OPAC; OPSC).
Deadline for submissions: 1st August 2025

102nd pre-session is partially cancelled
2025-09-22 - 2025-09-26
The 102nd pre-session scheduled from 22-26 September 2025 is partially cancelled due to the UN liquidity crisis.
The adoption of the Lists of Issues for El Salvador, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Seychelles, Suriname is tentatively postponed to February 2026.
The new deadline for Suriname reports is 1st November 2025.
The adoption of the Lists of issues Prior to Reporting for Denmark, Italy, Morocco, Republic of Moldava, Uruguay is still maintained, given that the adoption of LOIPR is done through a silent procedure, without meeting with stakeholders.
The deadline remains 1st August 2025.

103rd Pre-Session
2026-02-01 - 2026-02-28
The 103rd pre-session is scheduled in February 2026. It is tentative and to be confirmed.
Pre-sessions: Australia, Barbados, Botswana, Chad, Lebanon, Trinidad and Tobago.
Deadline for alternative reports: 1st December 2025
Adoption of Lists of Issues: El Salvador, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Seychelles, Suriname.
Deadline for alternative reports: 1st November 2025
