FOLLOW-UP TO THE CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS

USING CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS AT NATIONAL LEVEL

The concluding observations of the Committee can be an unparalleled tool for NGOs to stimulate a discussion at the national level, to exert pressure on the government to follow up on the recommendations of the Committee, and to lobby for changes in legislation and practice.
NGOs and child rights coalitions are increasingly making use of the concluding observations in their programmes, advocacy and monitoring. The Working Group on National Coalitions conducted a basic analysis describing the ways in which national coalitions publicize the concluding observations in their country

 

and monitor the implementation of these recommendations. An earlier study on the use of concluding observations for monitoring the implementation of the CRC looked at how nine countries were monitoring the implementation of the concluding observations at national level.

NGOs can play a key role in the short and long term to assist the government in following up on the concluding observations. Child Rights Connect has drawn up a list of potential activities that NGOs may carry out in relation to the concluding observation. Child Rights Connect welcomes receiving information on how NGOs and national coalitions are using the concluding observations in their work so that these experiences may be shared with other NGOs. Please submit any relevant  information to the Child Rights Connect Secretariat.

CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS FOLLOW-UP CASE STUDIES

To promote a cyclical approach to engaging in the reporting process of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (the Committee) and encourage NGOs to use the Committee’s recommendations to the fullest in their advocacy work, Child Rights Connect has put together a series of case studies on follow-up activities conducted by NGOs and National Human Rights Institutions.

Download the the full set of case studies in English, Spanish.

Download individual case studies:

Case Study 1: Cambodia - Consultative Workship and Action Plan in English, Spanish

Case Study 2: England - Annual Review in English, Spanish

Case Study 3: Azerbaijan - Follow-up activities on the Concluding Observations in English, Spanish

Case Study 4: Democratic Republic of Congo - Workshop on the Implementation of the OPAC Concluding Observations in English, Spanish

Case Study 5: International NGO - Follow-up on a Thematic Issue in English, Spanish

Case Study 6: Italy - Annual Report in English, Spanish

Case Study 7: Peru - Monitoring Report in English, Spanish

Case Study 8: Philippines - Monitoring Indicators English, Spanish

Case Study 9: Senegal - Follow-up on Specific Recommendations in English, Spanish

Case Study 10: Sri Lanka - Child Centric Budget Analysis in English, Spanish

SUB-REGIONAL FOLLOW-UP MEETINGS

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has organized a series of workshops to follow-up on the implementation of the concluding observations of the Committee. The workshops focus on a limited number of countries in a sub-region and participants include governmental officials, representatives of national human rights institutions, non-governmental organizations and UN agencies. Child Rights Connect has assisted OHCHR in the planning of the meetings and has actively participated in the meetings since 2005. Workshops have been held in:

• Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (November 2008) for Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo.
• San José, Costa Rica (November 2006) for Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama.
• Suva, Fiji (February 2006) for Fiji.
• Buenos Aires, Argentina (November 2005) for Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
• Doha Qatar (June 2005) for Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabic, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
• Bangkok, Thailand (November 2004) for Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.
• Damascus, Syria (December 2003) for Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.