Committee on the Rights of the Child

Sixty-second session

Summary record of the first part (public)* of the 1756th meeting

Held at the Palais Wilson, Geneva, on Monday, 14 January 2013, at 10 a.m.

Chairperson:Mr. Zermatten

Contents

Opening of the session

Statement by the Director of the Human Rights Treaties Division

Adoption of the Agenda

The meeting wa s called to order at 10.10 a.m.

Opening of the session

1.The Chairperson declared open the sixty-second session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child.

Statement by the Director of the Human Rights Treaties Division (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights)

2.Mr. Salama (Director of the Human Rights Treaties Division) recalled that the Optional Protocol on a communications procedure had been opened for signature in February 2012. He said that it had been signed by 36 States and ratified by 2 (Thailand and Gabon). It was due to enter into effect in 2013, provided it was ratified by eight other States. He noted with satisfaction that the rules of procedure of the Optional Protocol were to be adopted at the current session.

3.In 2012, following resolution 66/141 of the General Assembly, the Committee had held its first dialogue with the Third Committee of the General Assembly. At its sixty-seventh session, the General Assembly had granted the Committee permission to hold meetings in two rooms for 5 days as part of one of the three pre-sessional working groups scheduled for 2014, and again for a period of 13 days during one of the Committee’s 2015 sessions, which should enable it to make up for some of its backlog. Given the economic situation, the Committee had not been allowed to hold meetings permanently in two rooms during a single session per year. In his report on the strengthening of the human rights treaty bodies (A/66/860) that was presented in 2012, the High Commissioner had stressed the need to find a lasting solution, in the context of treaty body reform, to the problem of delays in the consideration of reports.

4.He welcomed the adoption, in October 2012, of the Guidelines on the independence and impartiality of members of the human rights treaty bodies. Recalling that the current situation required a thorough review of the working methods of several committees, he noted with satisfaction the Committee’s judicious use of new technologies, including video conferencing, which would be used during its dialogue with the Niue delegation on 22 January. He noted with interest that the Committee expected to continue its work on the general comments on various aspects of children’s rights and that it would publish a report on the 2012 day of general discussion, which would be devoted to the rights of children in the context of international migration.

5.Finally, he expressed his deep gratitude to the eight members of the Committee whose terms would expire in May 2013, namely Ms. Al-Asmar, Mr. Koompraphant, Ms. Lee, Ms. Maurás Pérez, Ms. Nores de García, Mr. Pollar, Ms. Varmah and Mr. Zermatten.

Adoption of the agenda

6. The agenda (CRC/C/62/1) was adopted.

Submission of reports by States parties

7.Ms. Rinaldi (Secretary of the Committee) said that since the Committee’s previous session, the secretariat had received 18 reports from States parties, bringing the total number of reports awaiting consideration to 110. The United Arab Emirates had submitted their second and third periodic reports under the Convention, Brazil its second to fourth reports, Poland its third and fourth reports, Nepal and Uruguay their third to fifth reports, Chile its fourth and fifth reports, and finally France and Bangladesh their fifth report. Nauru and Tonga were the only States parties that had still to submit their initial reports under the Convention. Since the previous session, Indonesia, Nigeria and Swaziland had ratified the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict, bringing the number of States that had ratified it to 150. Indonesia, the Central African Republic, Seychelles and Swaziland had ratified the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, bringing the number of States that had ratified it to 162. Five initial reports had been received under the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict (Brazil, Honduras, Madagascar, Nepal and Uruguay) and five under the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (Cambodia, Honduras, Israel, Madagascar and Uruguay). In addition, 10 States had signed the Optional Protocol on a communications procedure since the last session.

Consideration of reports submitted by States parties

8.The Chairperson read out the timetable for the consideration of reports submitted by States parties listed on page 4 of the agenda.

Cooperation with other United Nations organizations, specialized agencies and other competent bodies

9.The Chairperson invited members to consult the records of meetings, including closed meetings, scheduled for the current session under agenda items.

Methods of work of the Committee and treaty body strengthening

10.The Chairperson said that the Committee would continue its efforts to adapt the future organization of its work to the treaty body reform currently being undertaken.

Days of general discussion

11.The Chairperson said that at the sixty-fourth session of the Committee, a day of general discussion would be devoted to the media, social networks and the rights of the child.

General comments

12.The Chairperson said that the Committee would hold a retreat from 1 to 3 February 2013 to work on several general comments, in particular those relating to the best interests of the child, the right to health, the rights of the child and business and the right to leisure, play and participation in cultural life. It would continue to jointly develop with the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women its draft general comment on harmful traditional practices.

Future sessions

13.The Chairperson announced that the sixty-third session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child would be held in Geneva from 27 May to 14 June 2013.

The first part (public) of the meeting rose at 10.35 a.m.