At the opening of the 99th CRC session, Child Rights Connect delivered a statement on behalf of its network:

Distinguished members of the Committee, representatives of UN agencies and CSOs, colleagues and friends,

Thank you for the opportunity to address the Committee on behalf of Child Rights Connect at the public opening of this important first session of the Committee with a new composition of members, with the new Chair and the Bureau to be elected. Our President, Mikiko Otani, who cannot participate in the meeting in person, is joining this statement.

First, we welcome the five newly elected members of the Committee. In this occasion, we would like to express the renewed commitment of Child Rights Connect to its long-standing support to the Committee. We look forward to working closely with you all under the leadership of the new Chair, in collaboration with the OHCHR and UNICEF.

Child Rights Connect welcomes the holding of this 99th session, despite the uncertainty due to the UN liquidity crisis. While the cancellation of the 101st pre-session is regrettable, we hope that the Committee will have a productive session with country review and other important works. In particular, we would like to request the Committee to discuss the organization of its future work for 2025 and 2026 including when and how cancelled 101st pre-session will be carried out, as meetings of the Committee with stakeholders, including civil society and children, are crucial and indispensable elements of country review.

Today, Child Rights Connect, as a global network of child rights organisations, wants to raise its deepest concern regarding the impact on children of the unprecedent funding crisis affecting the child rights sector, including most of our member organisations, of any size and in all regions, as well as Child Rights Connect itself. Despite these difficult circumstances, Child Rights Connect has continued to pursue its mandate and work together with civil society, children, the CRC Committee, OHCHR and UNICEF colleagues.

In this sense, I would like to highlight some of the recent activities.

Child Rights Connect welcomes the publication of the first draft of the Committee’s General Comment 27 on Children’s Rights to Access to Justice and Effective Remedies. Child Rights Connect has mobilised children and civil society around it, by producing a methodology to consult children along with supporting child-friendly materials, thanks to the collaboration of UNICEF and the support of our Children’s Advisory Team.

During the 58th session of the Human Rights Council in March, the Strategic Vision on Child Human Rights Defenders was launched. We appreciate its endorsement by the Committee and the OHCHR and the support from UNICEF.

Also, we recently launched a global survey on the digital protection of child human rights defenders to collect information, opinions and experiences of children who stand up to protect human rights in the digital space.

Before concluding, I would like to reiterate the critical importance of a synergistic work of the whole child rights’ community and mechanisms. At a time when manifold crises have impacted children of the world, and the work of the UN and civil society organisations face serious challenges, it is necessary for all of us holding mandates for children to strengthen joint efforts, find new ways of working with creativity and stronger partnership to better serve children. Child Rights Connect stands firm and ready to support the Committee and the broader community in this endeavour.

I thank you.

Rossella Urru
Officer in charge
child rights connect