Joint letter on the impact of the UN liquidity crisis and the UN80 Initiative on children’s rights to Permanent Missions to the United Nations in Geneva and New York and the Secretary-General of United Nations:

Excellencies,

We, the undersigned civil society organisations, individual experts, national human rights institutions and ombudspersons working for the promotion and protection of children’s rights worldwide, express great concern over the cancellation of meetings – the May pre-session, as well as the September session and pre-session – of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC Committee) due to the ongoing UN liquidity crisis. 

We reiterate our concerns expressed in the joint letter of April 2024. These cancellations, together with the discontinuation of hybrid modalities, severely undermine the CRC Committee’s ability to fulfil its core mandate and significantly impair the opportunities for civil society, particularly children themselves, to participate meaningfully in the monitoring of States’ implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This is particularly alarming as children around the world are increasingly impacted by a convergence of crises, from deepening poverty and economic shocks to climate change, armed conflicts, and the breakdown of essential health and education services. 

The UN80 Initiative, launched in March 2025 by the Secretary-General, presents a critical opportunity to strengthen the UN’s human rights pillar. As emphasized in the joint civil society letter, measures aimed at increasing efficiency must not come at the expense of human rights protections.  The human rights pillar of the UN must retain a strong and visible focus on children’s rights—anchored in sustained financial investment and political commitment.  

To ensure the UN maintains its commitments and capacity to uphold children’s rights, the Secretary-General’s Guidance Note on Child Rights Mainstreaming should serve as a central guiding framework for any reforms undertaken under the UN80 Initiative. The Guidance Note has mandated the mobilization of the UN system to collectively strengthen and elevate a shared UN child rights agenda across all pillars – peace and security, human rights and development -, including through meaningful and effective child participation, adequate budgeting and coordinated implementation across all mandates. 

We urge you to ensure that any reforms proposed in the name of efficiency do not weaken the protection and promotion of children’s rights, including the mandates and mechanisms tasked with protecting these rights, as well as the UN operational capacity to support Member States in fulfilling their human rights obligations. We call on you to safeguard the mandates and operational capacities of the CRC Committee, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Special Representatives of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children and on Children and Armed Conflict, and UNICEF. These entities represent crucial avenues through which children can access the UN directly as rights-holders and agents of change. Undermining these mechanisms through de-prioritization and resource cuts would close vital spaces for accountability and participation. 

Reforms should capitalise on and better coordinate existing mandates, mechanisms, and expertise to avoid duplication, maximise synergies, and ensure cost‑effective action. Enhancing inter-agency collaboration and pooled resources for country-level human rights monitoring and technical assistance, including through shared capacity-building initiatives and tools – such as the online child rights training programme developed by UNICEF and made available to all United Nations entities –  is critical to strengthening system-wide staff capacity on child rights, providing more streamlined support to States and better leveraging of existing expertise without increasing costs. 

Finally, we urge you to ensure that any restructuring of the UN system preserves and strengthens the space for civil society engagement. As defenders of children’s rights, we too are facing severe underfunding that limits our ability to engage with the UN and to support children’s meaningful participation. In today’s global climate of backlash against human rights, it is more essential than ever that the UN stands firmly by its commitments to children and to civil society actors working to protect human rights. We further call on you to ensure that civil society is meaningfully consulted throughout the UN80 Initiative process, with special efforts made to reach underrepresented groups, including children. 

We thank you for your attention to this urgent matter and stand ready to support efforts that uphold the rights of all children. 

Please accept the assurances of our highest consideration. 

Child Rights Connect with the following members and partners

 

List of signatories (as of 01.10.2025):

  1. Aba Woldetensae Gizaw Board Led Mothers and Children Charity Organization
  2. Ability Bhutan Society (ABS)
  3. ACFS Community Education and Feeding Scheme
  4. Advocating the Rights of Children (ARC)
  5. Alana Institute
  6. All Human Rights for All in Iran
  7. All Survivors Project
  8. Ann Skelton, Independent Expert, Former Chairperson UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
  9. ARALMA, Asociación civil Argentina
  10. OMBUDS OF BASQUE COUNTRY (SPAIN)
  11. Asociación Nacional Contra el Maltrato Infantil -CONACMI-
  12. association ADO+
  13. Association de Protection des Droits des Enfants au Tchad (APDET)
  14. Association des Jeunes Futurs Cadres du Pays
  15. Association of the Survivors of Makobola Makobola ( ARMMK)
  16. Association Tié
  17. Australian Child Rights Taskforce
  18. Austrian National Coalition for the Implementation of the CRC (Netzwerk Kinderrechte Österreich)
  19. Awareness for Child Trafficking Africa (ACT Africa)
  20. Beyond Our Hearts Foundation
  21. BLIND SA
  22. Bureau International Catholique de l’Enfance – BICE
  23. Bureau international des droits des enfants/International Bureau for Children’s Rights
  24. Caleb Foundation-Save Life with Pennies .INC
  25. Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children (CCRC)
  26. Care and Protection of Children Learning Network
  27. CECODAP
  28. Center for the Human Rights of Children, Loyola University Chicago
  29. Centre for Child Law, South Africa
  30. Centre for Child Rights in Somalia
  31. Centre International de Conseil, de Recherche et d’Expertise en Droits de l’Homme (CICREDHO)
  32. Child and Youth Friendly Governance Project
  33. Child Rights Coalition Asia
  34. Child Rights Coalition Cambodia (CRC-Cambodia)
  35. Child Rights Information Center
  36. Child Rights International Network (CRIN)
  37. Child Rights Network Switzerland
  38. ChildFund Alliance
  39. Children and Young People Living for Peace (CYPLP)
  40. Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland
  41. Children First Canada
  42. Children Not Numbers
  43. Children’s Rights Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand
  44. Children’s Rights Alliance for England, part of Just for Kids Law
  45. Citizens Commission on Human Rights Europe (CCHR Europe)
  46. CNIAC
  47. Coaching Beyond Borders
  48. Collectif des Ligues et Associations de Defense des Droits de l’Homme
  49. Comunidad de Derechos Humanos (CDH)
  50. Conscience and Peace Tax International (CPTI)
  51. Consortium for Street Children
  52. Coordinadora de Profesionales por la Prevención de Abusos (CoPPA)
  53. Coordination des Associations et des Particuliers pour la Liberté de Conscience
  54. Corporación La Caleta
  55. Dare To Rise
  56. Defence for Children International
  57. Defence For Children International – Canada
  58. Defensoría de los Derechos de las Niñas, Niños y Adolescentes de la República Argentina
  59. Dutch NGO Coalition for Children’s Rights | Kinderrechtencollectief
  60. ECPAT International
  61. Edmund Rice International
  62. Education For All (E4A)
  63. EFry Hope and Help for Women
  64. Egyptian Foundation for Advancement of the Childhood Conditions
  65. Environment Africa Zambia
  66. Ethiopian Mulu Wongel Amagnoch Church Development Commission (EMWACDC)
  67. Eurochild
  68. European Link Coalition
  69. European Network on Statelessness
  70. Family for Every Child
  71. Federation of NGOs for Children – FONPC
  72. First Rights Project of Methoria
  73. Fondation Apprentis d’Auteuil International
  74. Fondazione Marista per la Solidarietà Internazionale ETS
  75. Fundación Quitu Raymi
  76. Fundación Raíces
  77. Future Curious
  78. Gabriel Foundation Organisation
  79. Global Detention Project
  80. Global Survivors Fund
  81. Golammogo child care centre
  82. Greek Helsinki Monitor
  83. Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor, Armenia
  84. Hope and Homes for Children
  85. IBFAN CZ – International Baby Food Action Network Czech Republic (SpoKojení)
  86. Ikamva labantwana development programme
  87. iLANGA Ethiopia
  88. Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion
  89. Instituto de Democracia y Derechos Humanos de la Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
  90. Instituto Promoviendo Desarrollo Social – IPRODES
  91. Intact Denmark
  92. International Centre for Civil Initiatives “Our House”
  93. International Child Rights Center
  94. International Coalition for Children with Incarcerated Parents (INCCIP)
  95. International Federation of Social Workers
  96. International humanitarian law and youth initiative (IHLYI)
  97. International Social Service
  98. Jelly Beanz Foundation
  99. Keep The Dream196
  100. Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)
  101. Kindernothilfe e.V.
  102. KJ Therapy
  103. Learning for Wellbeing Foundation
  104. Legatum Foundation
  105. Loo Niva Child Concern Group-Nepal
  106. Love for Children and Family Development Organization
  107. Luis Pedernera, Ex Presidente Comité Derechos del Niño Naciones Unidas
  108. Lumos
  109. Manara Network
  110. Marta Maurás, Ex miembro Comité Derechos del Niño Naciones Unidas
  111. Meremeta Community initiatives organisation
  112. Molo Songololo
  113. Motheo Training Institute Trust
  114. Music for Every Child
  115. NGO for Children Confederation
  116. One Child One Family Hope and Homes for Children SA
  117. Organisation des Jeunes pour le Monde d’Avenir
  118. PEDI – Congo
  119. People for Successful COrean REunification
  120. Plan International Inc.
  121. Plataforma de Infancia
  122. Plateforme CDE Maroc
  123. Red Niña Niño Guatemala
  124. Red por los Derechos Humanos de Niños, Niñas y Adolescente, REDHNNA, Venezuela
  125. Regards de Femmes France
  126. Renegade Consulting
  127. Roshni Homes Trust, Gujranwala, Pakistan
  128. Rural Women Empowerment Network.
  129. Save the Children International
  130. ShonaquipSE
  131. Small Steps Foundation
  132. SOS Children’s Villages Ethiopia
  133. SOS Children’s Villages International
  134. South African Disability Alliance
  135. org / Zwischengeschlecht.org
  136. Terre des Hommes International Federation
  137. The Alliance of Active NGOs in the field of Child and Family Social Protection (APSCF)
  138. The Central Union for Child Welfare
  139. The Concerned for Working Children
  140. The Eastern Africa Child Rights Network (EACRN)
  141. The Hands-on Generation
  142. The Helix Foundation for Children and Youth
  143. The Marian Rose Foundation
  144. The Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund
  145. The Teddy Bear Foundation for Abused Children
  146. Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights)
  147. World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)
  148. World Vision International