Day of General Discussion

Days of General Discussion help develop a deeper understanding of the content or implications of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

The Committee on the Rights of the Child (the Committee) holds a Day of General Discussion (DGD) in Geneva every two years in September focused on a specific article of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) or a related subject. These meetings are an opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the contents and implications of the CRC. The topic is selected by the Committee and announced at least one year in advance. To know more check our Factsheet and the Committee’s webpage.

DGD 2021: Children’s Rights and Alternative Care

Given the current situation with the spread of COVID-19, the Committee on the Rights of the Child has decided that the Day of General Discussion on Children’s Rights in Alternative Care, originally scheduled to take place in September 2020, is postponed to 16-17 September 2021. Read more here.

You can now register here in English, French and Spanish to the DGD.

Child Rights Connect is currently mobilizing its members and partners who have an interest in being involved in the DGD to work in a broad coalition in order to achieve a meaningful DGD, as well as to ensure the full and meaningful participation of children throughout the process.
Any organisations who are interested in being involved in coordinating the DGD, please contact: Caroline Rose, Lumos caroline.rose@wearelumos.org

  • Submissions to the Committee

    As part of a public consultation to help feed into and guide the discussions, all interested stakeholders, whether adults or children, are encouraged to send written submissions to the Committee at crc@ohchr.org.

    Submissions must be below the 2500 word limit and submitted before the 30th of June 2021. Children may also send other forms of submissions, such as video and audio recordings.

  • Global Children’s survey

    Children and young people can take part in a global consultation on children’s rights and alternative care to the attention of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child for its Day of General Discussion 2021.

  • Children and young peoples’ responses to a global survey for the Day of General Discussion 2021 on Children’s Rights and Alternative Care

    Full-version:

    English | Français

    Child and Youth friendly version:

    English | Français

Programme of work

English

Concept note

English | Français Español

Submission Guidelines

English | Français | Español

Children participating in the DGD
Preparation and information document

English | Français | Español

DGD 2021 Child Safeguarding Policy and Procedure

Full version:

English | Français | Español

Child-friendly version:

English | Français | Epañol

Article by a Young Person

English | Español

Global consultation survey

More information

DGD 2018: Children Human Rights Defenders!

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child dedicated its 2018 DGD to the thematic “Protecting and empowering children as human rights defenders”, after accepting Child Rights Connect’s proposal. As such, Child Rights Connect was the main partner organization of the DGD, working closely with the Committee, OHCHR, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights defenders and many other key experts and stakeholders, including children.

The thematic of Children Human Rights Defenders is not just a day conference but an ambitious long-term project to promote a global movement for children human rights defenders. Such movement will catalyse and strengthen existing initiatives to empower children as human rights defenders, by connecting them to broader initiatives at national, regional and international levels.

The DGD 2018 logo has been designed by the DGD Child Advisory Team!
Download in JPEG – PDF

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Child speakers & moderators
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DGD participants, including…
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children!
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Remote participants
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… from countries

Child Participation in DGDs

The Committee wants children to be at the heart of the DGDs and for children’s voices to be central in all aspects of the preparations throughout the Day itself and what happens afterwards. See the Working Methods for child participation in DGDs in all UN languages!

For the first time, during the 2018 DGD, all working groups discussions were dialogues between adults, children and youth!
Child Rights Connect called on members and partners to gather children’s views on the scope of the DGD to inform many documents, such as the concept note.
Child Rights Connect also organised DGD briefing and debriefing Workshops for all the children attending the DGD!

The Children’s Advisory Team

Child Rights Connect has set up a Children’s Advisory Team of 21 Child Advisors, from 19 countries and covering all regions of the world! They each have a supporting organisation.
Since January 2018, the Child Advisors participated by developing the DGD programme, the children’s consultation methodology, a child-friendly DGD concept note and the UN Committee’s Working Methods for child participation in DGDs and by participating in the DGD as speakers and moderators!

Global Consultations

Child Rights Connect supported a global round of DGD children’s consultations which were taken forward by the Children’s Advisory Team, our members and partners, and children themselves. The aims of the consultations were to:

  • Collect from children acting as or seeking to become human rights defenders their experiences, views and solution-oriented recommendations on the recognition, empowerment and protection of children human rights defenders to inform the programme and discussions of the DGD and related activities;
  • Raise awareness and understanding of the topic of children human rights defenders and to support/advance their ongoing efforts related to children’s rights.

The findings of the submissions and materials are compiled in the following documents:

“This DGD was truly exceptional and innovative, and the level of participation of children was unprecedented” […] “A real child participatory event, where we talk about children with children”

Renate Winter, Chairperson of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child

“We have to fight for our rights – even if it’s difficult, no one can say it’s impossible”

Magdalena, DGD child speaker from Albania

“Since I have been in the halls of the U.N. this is the only time I think that I ever seen a room so very full, not just by Delegations, the government, but the new generation, the youth, those who will be fighting for liberty and freedom in the future, already Human Rights Defenders for whom we have organized this day” […] “And in the immediate commitment in my next upcoming country reports or thematic reports each and every time I will devote a specific chapter to young rights defenders”

Michel Forst, Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders

“It shouldn’t be such a rare and exceptional event to have your voices join ours in discussion, directly influencing the decision making that takes place here.”

Kate Gilmore, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights

DGD Hubs

As part of the Global Movement for Children Human Rights Defenders, all types of discussions and debates can be DGD Hubs, before, during and after the DGD, at local, national, regional and international levels. See the DGD Hubs Guidelines (EN – FRES)! Should you be interested in organizing a DGD Hub, please contact us at secretariat@childrightsconnect.org to share your plan and receive our DGD Hub communication guidelines.

Our member network has a broad reach and works in every country in the world.

It is unique in its global outreach and its diversity, constituting a strong and credible global voice on children’s rights.

Help us create a world in which all children can enjoy their rights.