COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILDThirty-fourth sessionGeneva, 15 September-3 October 2003
PROVISIONAL AGENDA AND ANNOTATIONS
Note by the Secretary-General
1.The thirty-fourth session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child will be held at the United Nations Office at Geneva from 15 September to 3 October 2003. The first meeting of the session will be convened on Monday, 15 September 2003 at 10 a.m.
2.In accordance with rule 6 of the provisional rules of procedure, the Secretary-General has prepared, in consultation with the Chairperson of the Committee, the attached provisional agenda for the thirty-second session. Annotations to the provisional agenda are also attached.
3.Pursuant to rule 32 of the provisional rules of procedure, the meetings of the Committee shall be held in public unless the Committee decides otherwise.
4.The attention of the States parties is drawn, in particular, to the annotations to item 4, containing the list of reports that will be before the Committee at its thirty-fourth session.
5.A pre-sessional working group, established in accordance with rule 63 of the provisional rules of procedure, met at the United Nations Office in Geneva from 10 to 13 June 2003.
GE.03-43395 (E) 110803
Provisional agenda
1.Adoption of the agenda.
2.Organizational matters.
3.Submission of reports by States parties.
4.Consideration of reports of States parties.
5.Cooperation with other United Nations bodies, specialized agencies and other competent bodies.
6.Methods of work of the Committee.
7.General comments.
8.Future meetings.
9.Other matters.
Annotations
Item 1. Adoption of the agenda
1.Under rule 8 of the provisional rules of procedure, the first item on the provisional agenda shall be the adoption of the agenda, except for the election of officers when required under rule 16. In accordance with rule 9 of the provisional rules of procedure, the Committee may revise the agenda and may, as appropriate, add, defer or delete items. Only urgent or important items may be added to the agenda.
Item 2. Organizational matters
2.Under this item, the Committee may wish to consider its programme of work for the session, as well as any other matter concerning the modalities of discharging its functions under the Convention.
Item 3. Submission of reports by States parties
Reports received
3.In addition to the reports which are scheduled for consideration by the Committee at its thirty-fourth session (see the timetable for consideration of reports under item 4 below), the Secretary-General has received the following initial reports:
State party |
Date due |
Symbol |
Bahamas |
1993 |
CRC/C/8/Add.50 |
Dominica |
1993 |
CRC/C/8/Add.48 |
Guyana |
1993 |
CRC/C/8/Add.46 |
Antigua and Barbuda |
1995 |
CRC/C/28/Add.22 |
Liberia |
1995 |
CRC/C/28/Add.21 |
Papua New Guinea |
1995 |
CRC/C/28/Add.20 |
Botswana |
1997 |
CRC/C/51/Add.9 |
4.The Secretary-General has also received the following second periodic reports, in addition to those scheduled for consideration at the thirty-fourth session:
State party |
Due in |
Symbol |
Belize |
1997 |
CRC/C/65/Add.29 |
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea |
1997 |
CRC/C/65/Add.24 |
Ecuador |
1997 |
CRC/C/65/Add.28 |
El Salvador |
1997 |
CRC/C/65/Add.25 |
Indonesia |
1997 |
CRC/C/65/Add.23 |
France |
1997 |
CRC/C/65/Add.26 |
Mongolia |
1997 |
CRC/C/65/Add.31 |
Nepal |
1997 |
CRC/C/65/Add.30 |
Philippines |
1997 |
CRC/C/65/Add.31 |
Togo |
1997 |
CRC/C/65/Add.27 |
Croatia |
1998 |
CRC/C/70/Add.23 |
Myanmar |
1998 |
CRC/C/70/Add.21 |
Panama |
1998 |
CRC/C/70/Add.20 |
Rwanda |
1998 |
CRC/C/70/Add.22 |
Slovenia |
1998 |
CRC/C/70/Add.19 |
Austria |
1999 |
CRC/C/83/Add.8 |
China |
1999 |
CRC/C/83/Add.9 |
Germany |
1999 |
CRC/C/83/Add.7 |
India |
2000 |
CRC/C/93/Add.5 |
Iran, Islamic Republic of |
2001 |
CRC/C/104/Add.3 |
Japan |
2001 |
CRC/C/104/Add.2 |
Luxembourg |
2001 |
CRC/C/104/Add.4 |
5.The Secretary-General has also received the following third periodic reports:
State Party |
Due in |
Symbol |
Bolivia |
2002 |
CRC/C/125/Add.1 |
Nicaragua |
2002 |
CRC/C/125/Add.3 |
Norway |
2003 |
CRC/C/129/Add.1 |
Sweden |
2002 |
CRC/C/125/Add.1 |
Yemen |
2003 |
CRC/C/129/Add.2 |
Reports due
6.Under rule 67 of the provisional rules of procedure, the Secretary-General is required to notify the Committee at each session of all cases of non-submission of reports. Accordingly, the States parties whose initial reports were due by 15 July 2003 but have not yet been received are listed below:
State party |
Date due |
Number of reminders sent |
Brazil |
23 October 1992 |
9 |
Angola |
3 January 1993 |
8 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina |
5 March 1994 |
7 |
Albania |
27 March 1994 |
7 |
Equatorial Guinea |
14 July 1994 |
7 |
Turkmenistan |
19 October 1995 |
6 |
Antigua and Barbuda |
3 November 1995 |
6 |
Congo |
12 November 1995 |
6 |
Afghanistan |
26 April 1996 |
5 |
Nauru |
25 August 1996 |
5 |
Samoa |
28 December 1996 |
5 |
Malaysia |
19 March 1997 |
4 |
Swaziland |
5 October 1997 |
4 |
Tuvalu |
21 October 1997 |
4 |
Tonga |
5 December 1997 |
4 |
Kiribati |
9 January 1998 |
3 |
Niue |
18 January 1998 |
3 |
Cook Islands |
5 July 1999 |
2 |
7.At its twenty-ninth session (see CRC/C/114, para. 561), the Committee decided to send a letter to all States parties whose initial reports were due in 1992 and 1993, requesting them to submit that report within one year. The Committee further decided to inform those States parties in the same letter that should they not report within one year, the Committee would consider the situation of child rights in the State in the absence of the initial report, as foreseen in the Committee’s “Overview of the reporting procedures” (CRC/C/33, paras. 29-32) and in light of rule 67 of the Committee’s provisional rules of procedure (CRC/C/4). In this regard, as at 15 July 2003, the Committee had received the initial report of Dominica, Guyana, Sao Tome and Principe, and Bahamas. In letters sent on 30 June 2003 to the Governments of Angola and Brazil, the Committee requested again the submission of their initial reports before 15 November 2003. In these letters, the Committee reiterated its position that it would consider during 2004 the situation of child rights in the concerned State party, even in the absence of the initial report.
8.At its thirty-third session the Committee decided to send a letter to all States parties whose initial reports were due in 1994, requesting them to submit that report within one year. The Committee informed States parties in the same letter that, should they not report within one year, the Committee would consider the situation of child rights in the State in the absence of the initial report.
9.The States parties whose second periodic reports were due by 15 July 2003 but have not yet been received are listed below:
State party |
Date due |
Benin |
1 September 1997 |
Bhutan |
1 September 1997 |
Ghana |
1 September 1997 |
Guinea |
1 September 1997 |
Holy See |
1 September 1997 |
Kenya |
1 September 1997 |
Mauritius |
1 September 1997 |
Saint Kitts and Nevis |
1 September 1997 |
Senegal |
1 September 1997 |
Sierra Leone |
1 September 1997 |
Gambia |
6 September 1997 |
Uganda |
15 September 1997 |
Guinea-Bissau |
18 September 1997 |
Seychelles |
6 October 1997 |
Zimbabwe |
10 October 1997 |
Venezuela |
12 October 1997 |
Mali |
19 October 1997 |
Democratic Republic of the Congo |
19 October 1997 |
Brazil |
23 October 1997 |
Malta |
29 October 1997 |
Namibia |
29 October 1997 |
Niger |
29 October 1997 |
Chad |
31 October 1997 |
Barbados |
7 November 1997 |
Burundi |
17 November 1997 |
Grenada |
4 December 1997 |
Uruguay |
19 December 1997 |
Angola |
3 January 1998 |
Djibouti |
4 January 1998 |
Australia |
15 January 1998 |
Malawi |
31 January 1998 |
Serbia and Montenegro |
1 February 1998 |
Guyana |
12 February 1998 |
Côte d’Ivoire |
5 March 1998 |
Maldives |
12 March 1998 |
Bahamas |
21 March 1998 |
Dominica |
11 April 1998 |
Nigeria |
18 May 1998 |
Lao People’s Democratic Republic |
6 June 1998 |
Sao Tome and Principe |
12 June 1998 |
Mauritania |
14 June 1998 |
Bulgaria |
2 July 1998 |
United Republic of Tanzania |
9 July 1998 |
Dominican Republic |
10 July 1998 |
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia |
16 September 1998 |
Cuba |
19 September 1998 |
Israel |
1 November 1998 |
Hungary |
5 November 1998 |
Estonia |
19 November 1998 |
Kuwait |
19 November 1998 |
San Marino |
24 December 1998 |
Trinidad and Tobago |
3 January 1999 |
Zambia |
4 January 1999 |
Lithuania |
28 February 1999 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina |
5 March 1999 |
Bahrain |
14 March 1999 |
Albania |
27 March 1999 |
Lesotho |
8 April 1999 |
Thailand |
25 April 1999 |
Latvia |
13 May 1999 |
Central African Republic |
23 May 1999 |
Cape Verde |
3 July 1999 |
Equatorial Guinea |
14 July 1999 |
Azerbaijan |
11 September 1999 |
Ireland |
27 October 1999 |
Cambodia |
13 November 1999 |
Slovakia |
31 December 1999 |
Cameroon |
9 February 2000 |
Republic of Moldova |
24 February 2000 |
Papua New Guinea |
31 March 2000 |
Suriname |
31 March 2000 |
Algeria |
15 May 2000 |
Micronesia (Federated States of) |
3 June 2000 |
Greece |
9 June 2000 |
Liberia |
3 July 2000 |
Saint Lucia |
15 July 2000 |
Monaco |
20 July 2000 |
Comoros |
21 July 2000 |
Armenia |
5 August 2000 |
Vanuatu |
5 August 2000 |
Fiji |
11 September 2000 |
Turkmenistan |
19 October 2000 |
Gabon |
10 March 2001 |
Luxembourg |
5 April 2001 |
Afghanistan |
26 April 2001 |
Mozambique |
25 May 2001 |
Iraq |
14 July 2001 |
Uzbekistan |
28 July 2001 |
Nauru |
25 August 2001 |
Eritrea |
1 September 2001 |
Kazakhstan |
10 September 2001 |
Samoa |
28 December 2001 |
10.Under this item, the Committee will have before it notes by the Secretary-General concerning the list of States whose initial reports under article 44 of the Convention were respectively due in 1992 (CRC/C/3), 1993 (CRC/C/8), 1994 (CRC/C/11), 1995 (CRC/C/28), 1996 (CRC/C/41), 1997 (CRC/C/51), 1998 (CRC/C/61) and 1999 (CRC/C/78) (no initial reports were due in 2000). The Committee will also have before it a note by the Secretary-General containing the list of States whose second periodic reports were due in 1997 (CRC/C/65), 1998 (CRC/C/70), 1999 (CRC/C/83), 2000 (CRC/C/93) or 2001 (CRC/C/104) or 2002 (CRC/C/117).
11.Under this item, the Committee will also have before it a note by the Secretary-General concerning the States parties to the Convention and the status of submission of reports (CRC/C/130), as well as a note by the Secretary-General on the follow-up to the consideration of initial reports by States parties to the Convention (CRC/C/27/Rev.11).
Item 4. Consideration of reports of States parties
12.A tentative timetable for consideration of reports at the thirty-fourth session, prepared by the Secretary-General, in consultation with the Chairperson and subject to approval by the Committee, is given below.
Tentative timetable for consideration of reports of States parties
Tuesday, 16 September |
10 a.m.-1 p.m. 3-6 p.m. |
San Marino |
CRC/C/8/Add.46 |
Wednesday, 17 September |
10 a.m.-1 p.m.3-6 p.m. |
Canada |
CRC/C/83/Add.6 |
Thursday, 18 September |
10 a.m.-1 p.m.3-6 p.m. |
New Zealand |
CRC/C/93/Add.4 |
Monday, 22 September |
10 a.m.-1 p.m.3-6 p.m. |
Pakistan |
CRC/C/65/Add.21 |
Tuesday, 23 September |
10 a.m.-1 p.m.3-6 p.m. |
Madagascar |
CRC/C/70/Add.18 |
Thursday, 25 September |
10 a.m.-1 p.m.3-6 p.m. |
Brunei Darussalam |
CRC/C/61/Add.5 |
Friday, 26 September |
10 a.m.-1 p.m.3-6 p.m. |
Singapore |
CRC/C/51/Add.8 |
Tuesday, 30 September |
10 a.m.-1 p.m.3-6 p.m. |
Bangladesh |
CRC/C/65/Add.22 |
Wednesday, 1 October |
10 a.m.-1 p.m.3-6 p.m. |
Georgia |
CRC/C/104/Add.1 |
13.In accordance with rule 68 of the provisional rules of procedure, representatives of the States parties shall be invited to attend the meetings of the Committee when their reports are examined. Such representatives should be able to answer questions put to them by the Committee and make statements on reports already submitted by their State, and may also submit further information.
14.In accordance with rule 68 of the Committee’s provisional rules of procedure, the Secretary-General has notified the States parties concerned of the opening date, duration and place of the thirty-second session of the Committee, at which their respective reports will be examined, and has invited them to send representatives to attend the meetings of the Committee at which their reports will be examined.
Item 5.Cooperation with other United Nations bodies, specialized agencies and other competent bodies
15.Under this item, the Committee may wish to pursue its discussion of ways and areas in which existing cooperation with various relevant bodies could be further strengthened to enhance the promotion and protection of the rights of the child.
Item 6. Methods of work of the Committee
16.Under this item, the Committee may wish to pursue its discussion concerning the organization of its future work, as well as the procedure to be followed in the consideration of reports by States parties and their follow-up, including where necessary areas identified for technical assistance.
17.Under this item, the Committee will have before it a note by the Secretary-General on areas identified by the Committee for technical assistance and advisory services (CRC/C/40/Rev.22). The Committee will also have before it a note by the secretariat containing a compilation of the conclusions and recommendations adopted by the Committee at its first to twenty-ninth sessions (CRC/C/19/Rev.10).
Item 7. General comments
18.Under this item, the Committee may wish to pursue the elaboration of general comments based on the various principles and provisions of the Convention.
Item 8. Future meetings
19.Under this item, the Committee will be informed of any developments relating to the schedule of its future meetings.
Item 9. Other matters
20.Under this item, members may wish to discuss such other matters relating to the work of the Committee as may be necessary.
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