Meeting of States parties

Seventeenth meeting

New York, 29 June 2018

Item 5 of the provisional agenda

Election of nine members of the Committee on the Rights of the Child in accordance with article 43 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child as amended (see General Assembly resolution 50/155)

Election of nine members of the Committee to replace those whose terms are due to expire on 28 February 2019

Note by the Secretary-General *

1.In conformity with article 43 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the seventeenth meeting of the States parties to the Convention is to be held at United Nations Headquarters on Friday, 29 June 2018 for the purpose of electing nine members of the Committee on the Rights of the Child from a list of persons nominated by States parties (see table), to replace those whose terms are due to expire on 28 February 2019 (annex I). The nine members who will continue to serve on the Committee until 28 February 2021 are listed in annex II.

2.In accordance with the procedure set out in article 43 (4) of the Convention, the Secretary-General, in a note verbale dated 28 February 2018, invited the States parties to submit their nominations for the election of nine members of the Committee by 30 April 2018. All the curricula vitae received by that date are included in the present document. Addenda to the present note will be issued for nominations received after the deadline.

3.In compliance with the provisions of article 43 (4) of the Convention, the Secretary-General has the honour to list below, in alphabetical order, the names of the persons nominated for election to the Committee, and the States parties that nominated them. Biographical data of the persons nominated, as furnished by the States parties concerned, are contained in annex III.

Persons nominated by States parties

Name of candidate	Nominated by
Mr. Ayed Abu Eqtaish	State of Palestine
Ms. Ella Dazo Agbo	Côte d’Ivoire
Ms. Suzanne Aho-Assouma	Togo
Mr. Muhammad Imman Ali	Bangladesh
Ms. Hynd Ayoubi Idrissi	Morocco
Mr. Bernard Gastaud	Monaco
Mr. Philip D. Jaffé	Switzerland
Mr. Dalibor Jílek	Czechia
Mr. Lucien Kayaba Téné Kere	Burkina Faso
Mr. Gehad Madi	Egypt
Ms. Faith Marshall-Harris	Barbados
Ms. Anne Musiwa	Zimbabwe
Ms. Anta Ndiaye	Senegal
Mr. Clarence Nelson	Samoa
Mr. Ali Riza Önay	Turkey
Ms. Aïssatou Alassane Molaye Sidikou	Niger

4.In compliance with paragraph 12 of General Assembly resolution 68/268, information regarding the current composition of the Committee, reflecting the balance in terms of geographical distribution and gender representation, professional background and different legal systems, as well as the tenure of current members, is contained in annexes I and II to the present document and in the biographical data of current members, which can be found on the web page of the Committee (www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CRC/Pages/Membership.aspx).

5.In paragraph 13 of its resolution 68/268, the General Assembly encouraged States parties, in the election of treaty body experts, to give due consideration, as stipulated in the relevant human rights instruments, to equitable geographical distribution, the representation of the different forms of civilization and the principal legal systems, balanced gender representation and the participation of experts with disabilities in the membership of the human rights treaty bodies.

Annex I

Members of the Committee whose terms expire on 28 February 2019

Member	Country of nationality	Member since
Ms. Suzanne Aho-Assouma	Togo	2015
Ms. Hynd Ayoubi Idrissi	Morocco	2015
Mr. Jorge Cardona Llorens	Spain	2011
Mr. Bernard Gastaud	Monaco	2011
Mr. Hatem Kotrane	Tunisia	2003
Mr. Gehad Madi	Egypt	2011
Mr. Clarence Nelson	Samoa	2015
Mr. José Angel Rodríguez Reyes	Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)	2015
Ms. Kirsten Sandberg	Norway	2011

Annex II

Members of the Committee whose terms expire on 28 February 2021

Member	Country of nationality	Member since
Ms. Amal Salman Aldoseri	Bahrain	2013
Ms. Olga A. Khazova	Russian Federation	2013
Mr. Cephas Lumina	Zambia	2017
Mr. Benyam Dawit Mezmur	Ethiopia	2013
Ms. Mikiko Otani	Japan	2017
Mr. Luis Ernesto Pedernera Reyna	Uruguay	2017
Ms. Ann Marie Skelton	South Africa	2017
Ms. Velina Todorova	Bulgaria	2017
Ms. Renate Winter	Austria	2013

Annex III *

Ayed Abu Eqtaish (State of Palestine)

Date and place of birth: 12 December 1967, Ramallah, State of Palestine

Working languages: English, Arabic

Current position/function:

Accountability Program Director, Defense for Children International-Palestine Section (DCIP).

Main professional activities:

Mr. Abu Eqtaish runs a team of 17 advocacy, communications, legal, and research professionals, in monitoring and documenting children’s rights violations, advocacy responses to hold perpetrators accountable and change policies, and offering free legal aid services to children in distress. He serves as spokesperson for national, regional, and international media, leads international speaking tours, and regularly gives keynote speeches at conferences and events worldwide. He has also served in an advisory role during the drafting of the Juvenile Protection Law and amendments to the Palestinian Child Law.

An expert in children’s rights, Mr. Abu Eqtaish trains Palestinian teachers, lawyers, police, and counsellors to ensure awareness and proper application of new laws and policy changes. An advocate for child participation, Mr. Abu Eqtaish also trains children in identifying violations of their rights, documenting them, and implement advocacy campaigns to improve their own protective environments.

Mr. Abu Eqtaish represents DCIP, the lead monitoring and reporting organization on children in Israeli military detention, in the UNICEF-led Working Group on Grave Violations against Palestinian children, a UN country-level effort to strengthen monitoring and reporting activities related to grave violations against children included in Security Council resolution 1612. He often testifies and engages United Nations human rights mechanisms, including the Security Council, Human Rights Council, human rights treaty bodies, and all relevant thematic and country-specific special procedures.

Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the treaty body concerned:

Mr. Abu Eqtaish coordinated and led a group of civil society organizations in the drafting of the alternative report on Israel to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. He has participated in the civil society consultation with regards the State of Palestine’s report to the UNCRC, while leading several civil society organizations in drafting the alternative report on the State of Palestine to the UNCRC.

Mr. Abu Eqtaish drafted and lobbied the Palestinian parties and factions to sign the honour code: No to child recruitment, which the national and Islamic forces have signed in May 2010.

With over 20 years of experience in the field of children’s rights, Mr. Abu Eqtaish appears regularly in national, regional, and international media as a commentator on the situation of Palestinian children rights and issues related to the protective environment for children across the Middle East.

Mr. Abu Eqtaish lectured regularly at national universities on the situation of Palestinian children under domestic and international laws.

Educational background:

Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) in Children’s Rights, University of Fribourg, Switzerland (thesis on the impunity of children in the Palestinian tribal justice system)

Post Graduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development, Maastricht School of Management, Netherlands

Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Applied Sociology, Bethlehem University, Palestine

List of most recent publications in the field:

1.“No Way to Treat a Child: Palestinian Children in the Israeli Military Detention System”, Defense for Children International — Palestine Section (Editor) — 2016.

2.“Operation Protective Edge: A War Waged on Gaza ’ s Children”, Defense for Children International — Palestine Section (Editor) — 2015.

3.“Growing up between Israeli Settlements and Soldiers”, Defense for Children International — Palestine Section (Editor) — 2014.

4.“Country Profile of the Occupied Palestinian Territory”, Save the Children Sweden (Editor) — 2011.

5.“Sustained Occupation, Suspended Dreams”, Defense for Children International — Palestine Section (Co-Author) — 2006.

6.“Surviving the Present, Facing the Future”, Defense for Children International — Palestine Section (Co-Author) — 2004.

7.“Children of the Second Intifada”, Defense for Children International — Palestine Section (Co-Author) — 2003.

Ella Dazo Agbo (Côte d’Ivoire)

[Original: French]

Date and place of birth: 7 January 1982 in Dabou, Côte d’Ivoire

Nationality: Ivorian

Working language: French

Current position/function:

Special education teacher and head of the Child Protection and Social Reintegration Unit of the Regional Directorate of the Ministry for Women, Child Protection and Solidarity in Bouaké in Gbêké Region. This unit coordinates the activities that are organized in both institutional and non-institutional settings for children in this region of Côte d’Ivoire by private institutions (local and international organizations) and public entities that care for children. It is responsible for promoting preventive measures and ensuring that children in vulnerable situations and child victims of abuse, violence and exploitation receive the necessary care.

Main professional activities, in particular related to children ’ s rights:

Field:

Child protection

Social reintegration: in our ongoing efforts to achieve this for children in vulnerable situations, we work closely with all child protection actors, who are brought together by a local platform.

Child labour and trafficking: we take measures to combat child labour in the local area, focusing for example on talibé children and children working in gravel pits.

Sexual exploitation: since Bouaké was at the centre of the sociopolitical crisis, which caused widespread poverty, children in this area are exposed to these practices.

Children and justice: we work closely with the justice system, namely the Bouaké Court, in cases where children are placed temporarily in institutions or foster families, and in the context of preventive activities, such as awareness-raising, and measures to combat impunity in cases of violence, which are priorities under our national child protection policy.

Educational background:

July 2012: State certified in special education with honours, from the National Social Training Institute of Côte d’Ivoire.

December 2010: Graduate in discrimination, health and human rights from the University of Geneva, with a dissertation entitled “Le travail des enfants : le cas des jeunes filles domestiques à Abidjan” (Child labour: a case study on girl domestic workers in Abidjan).

September 2006: Master’s degree in legal, administrative and political sciences (law) from the University of Abidjan Cocody.

July 2000: Baccalauréat, série A2 (secondary school leaving certificate, section A2 (arts)) from the Plateau Protestant (Methodist) secondary school.

Relevant expertise on children ’ s rights:

Child labour, especially girl domestic workers in Abidjan. I conducted a study on this issue for my dissertation for the University of Geneva while I was working as a volunteer for the International Catholic Child Bureau (BICE) on a project for the provision of legal and psychosocial assistance for girl domestic workers.

The social reintegration of children in vulnerable situations, which often requires temporary placement in an institution. I deal with this issue regularly when following up on cases of violence against children in the local area, since I coordinate the activities of child protection workers on a daily basis. Well before taking up my current post, I worked on this issue at the Amigo Doumé Centre.

List of most recent publications in the field of children ’ s rights:

Dissertation entitled “Le travail des enfants: le cas des jeunes filles domestiques à Abidjan” (Child labour: a case study on girl domestic workers in Abidjan), in order to obtain a certificate from the University of Geneva.

Dissertation entitled “L ’ alphabétisation fonctionnelle, une étape vers l ’ insertion socio-professionnelle de jeunes P.R.O (Programme de Réinsertion des jeunes en fin de formation du Centre AMIGO-DOUME)” (Functional literacy, a step towards the integration of young people into society and the world of work (under the programme for the reintegration of young persons on completion of their training at the Amigo Doumé Centre).

Suzanne Aho-Assouma (Togo)

[Original: French]

Date and place of birth: 12 August 1952 in Saigon, Viet Nam

Nationality: Togolese

Working language: French

Current position/function:

Deputy Mayor of Lomé, the capital city

Vice-Chair of the Committee on the Rights of the Child

Member of the working group on the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a communications procedure

Member of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child

Main professional activities, in particular related to children ’ s rights:

1977–1979: Head of the Division for the Protection and Promotion of Young People of the Directorate General of Social Affairs

1979–1993: Head of the Social Unit of the Lomé Court, which established a service to deal with juvenile delinquency, children and young people in street situations, children of divorced or divorcing couples, adoption and activities in civil prisons

1993–2002: Directorate for the Protection and Promotion of the Family and member of the National Committee for Children

2002: Director General of Child Protection

2002–2003: Minister of Health, Social Affairs, the Advancement of Women and the Protection of Children

2003–2006: Minister of Health

2006–2009: Adviser to the Ministry of the Civil Service

Chair of the Committee for the Enrolment of Girls in School

Educational background:

Primary education in Dahomey (present-day Benin), Brazzaville (Congo) and Paris

Secondary education in Benin (Notre Dame des Apôtres), Togo (Collège Nyékonakpoè (lower secondary school)) and France (Jeanne d’Arc school in Argentat, Corrèze); brevet d ’ études du premier cycle (certificate of completion of lower secondary education) gained in 1970 in Corrèze, France, and baccalauréat, série A4, philo (secondary school leaving certificate, section A4 (philosophy)) gained in 1973 in Corrèze, France

Diplôme des assistants sociaux (certificate in social work) from the National Social Training Institute in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

Relevant expertise on children ’ s rights:

Children in conflict with the law: prevention, assistance and follow-up at the Lomé Court

Implementation of adoption procedures

Child victims of sexual abuse and violence

Child victims of trafficking, sale and prostitution

Awareness campaigns on the importance of birth certificates and the process of birth registration, including late registration procedures

List of most recent publications in the field of children ’ s rights:

De la protection des enfants mineurs dans la législation togolaise (On the protection afforded to children under Togolese law)

La procédure d ’ adoption au Togo (The adoption procedure in Togo)

Le calvaire des petites bonnes au Togo (The plight of young maids in Togo)

La Convention relative aux droits de l ’ enfant racontée aux enfants par les enfants (The Convention on the Rights of the Child as explained to children by children)

A documentary film on the trokosi system, under which girls are handed over as slaves to fetish priests

Muhammad Imman Ali (Bangladesh)

Date and place of birth: 1 January 1956, Bangladesh

Place of residence: Dhaka, Bangladesh

Nationality: Bangladeshi

United Nations working languages: English, French

Current position/function:

Serving as a Judge of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh (the highest judicial body in Bangladesh) from 23 February 2011 to date. Previously served as a Judge of the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh from 22 February 2001 to 22 February 2011 and also served as the Deputy Attorney General for Bangladesh from 20 September 1998 to 21 February 2001. Practised law in both Bangladesh and the UK from 1978 to 1998.

Other main professional activities, in particular related to children ’ s rights:

(i) Chairman of the Supreme Court Special Committee on Child Rights: currently involved with the law reform activity in relation to the Children Act, Children’s Ombudsman/ Commissioner, Children Rules; (ii) Project with UNICEF: Implementation of the Children Act and development of Children Courts with use of IT; (iii) Project: “Engaging Children in Positive Activity”; working towards establishment of Teen/Peer Court. (iv) Member of IAYFJM International Committee for drafting Guidelines on Children in Contact with the Justice System; (v) Member of Expert Committee formed by UNOCT in connection with Human Rights of children accompanying Foreign Terrorist Fighters; (vi) Started working to further develop his earlier book on children law incorporating the recent legislative and judicial developments (intended to be published in 2019).

Educational background:

1981LL.M.University of Leicester, UK

1977–78Bar FinalsCollege of Law, London

1974–77B.A. (Hons.) LawNottingham Trent University, UK

27 July 1978Barrister-at-Law of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple (Duke of Edinburgh Scholarship for Call to the Bar of England and Wales)

Relevant expertise on children ’ s rights:

(i) Resource person at the World Congress on Juvenile Justice held in Geneva (26–30 January 2015); (ii) Lecture delivered at Cornell University, USA on Child Marriage (30 September, 2013), Avon Global Centre); (iii) Presented the Key Note Papers on the formulation of legislation regarding Justice for Children, Human Trafficking, and Domestic Violence; (iv) Presented papers or presentations at seminars/workshops organized by the Save the Children UK, UNICEF, BNWLA, Ministry of Social Welfare, Aparajeyo Bangladesh, IOM and Legal Education Training Institute (LETI); (v) Regularly lecture at the Judicial Administration Training Institute (Bangladesh) (training judges of the subordinate judiciary) on Child Rights, Probation and Sentencing; (vi) Trainer of Trainers for the Judiciary of the Maldives on Child Rights legislation (September 2017). (vii) In 2014 — received the “Juvenile Justice without Borders International Award” awarded by International Juvenile Justice Observatory (IJJO), Brussels.

List of most recent publications in the field of children ’ s rights:

(i) Towards a Justice Delivery System for Children in Bangladesh, Published by UNICEF, Dhaka,2010; (ii) Justice for Children in Bangladesh: A Brief Commentary on the Children Act 2013, Published by Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) and Penal Reform International (PRI), 2013; (iii) Justice for Children in Bangladesh — An Analysis of Recent Cases, edited and compiled by Najrana Imaan (the book contains twelve judgements relating to justice for children delivered by Justice Ali, and a chapter on the newly enacted Children Act 2013). (iv) Articles published internationally and locally: Are Judges Experts in Assessing Age?; Fundamental Rights of Children; Judicial Activism to Combat Violence Against Women and Children; Child Justice System in Bangladesh; Children in Contact with the Law in Bangladesh; Principles and Practice of Children Justice System; Sentenced Without a Hearing; Business: Women’s and Children’s Rights; The Rights of the Young; Child Marriage in Bangladesh: A Harmful Traditional Practice.

Hynd Ayoubi Idrissi (Morocco)

[Original: French]

Date and place of birth: 17 May 1964

Nationality: Moroccan

Working languages: French, Arabic, English

Current position/function:

Teacher of law at Mohammed V University in Rabat

Member of the High Council of the Judiciary

Founding member of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair in Women’s Rights

Main professional activities, in particular related to children ’ s rights:

Establishing and coordinating the master’s course on children’s rights, Faculty of Legal, Economic and Social Sciences, Mohammed V University at Souissi, Rabat.

Responsible for the following teaching modules: protection measures specifically aimed at children; the philosophical basis of children’s rights; juvenile justice.

Supervising doctoral theses on “La protection pénale des Droits de l ’ Enfant” (The protection of children’s rights under criminal law), “Les enfants dans les conflits armés” (Children in armed conflicts) and “La violence à l ’ encontre des femmes et des enfants” (Violence against women and children), and master’s dissertations.

Teaching classes in family law, human rights and international human rights law.

Studying and supporting the implementation of children’s rights (establishment of a redress mechanism within the National Human Rights Council); training members of the Royal Gendarmerie on issues such as combating violence against women and children.

Educational background:

Doctorat en droits de l ’ homme (doctorate in human rights), doctoral thesis “Protection des droits de l ’ enfant au Maroc : constances et défis” (Protection of children’s rights in Morocco: patterns and challenges), 1998, Pierre-Mendès-France University, Grenoble, France.

Relevant expertise on children ’ s rights:

General areas of implementation, especially the status of the Convention; mechanisms for monitoring the implementation of the Convention; national strategies; budgeting; dissemination and training (member of the working group on the Sustainable Development Goals, member of the working group on the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a communications procedure, author of a study on setting up a redress mechanism for children).

Violence against children (conducted a study on sexual violence against children in Morocco).

Children and the family environment (over 20 years’ experience in teaching family law and research in this field).

List of most recent publications in the field of children ’ s rights:

“La Kafala au Maroc et dans le monde musulman” (Kafalah in Morocco and in the Islamic World), international symposium, Rome, October 2017

“Investir dans les Droits de l ’ Enfant” (Investing in children’s rights), Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Paris, November 2017

“Enfants en situation de handicap dans le contexte de migration” (Children with disabilities in the context of migration), Sion, Switzerland, 26 September 2017

“La Kafala (recueil légal des enfants) en droit marocain” (Kafalah (foster placement) in Moroccan law), Monaco, 23 November 2015

“Influence de la doctrine sur les dé cisions des hautes juridictions : cas de la filiation et de la dissolution du mariage” (The influence of doctrine on high court decisions: a case study on descent and divorce), Rabat, December 2015

Bernard Gastaud (Monaco)

[Original: French]

Date and place of birth: 10 January 1946, Principality of Monaco

Nationality: Monegasque

Working languages:

French (mother tongue), English (written and spoken), Spanish (basic written and spoken), i.e. the three languages of the Committee on the Rights of the Child

Current position/function:

Consultant on children’s rights at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Monaco

Organizer of high-level symposiums on children’s rights held in Monaco in 2013, 2015 and 2018

Observer to the World Association of Children’s Friends (AMADE)

Conciliator at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Court of Conciliation and Arbitration

Main professional activities, in particular related to children ’ s rights:

Member of the Committee on the Rights of the Child since 2011. Co-rapporteur for dialogues with numerous States parties. Speaker at various symposiums, conferences, seminars, side events and workshops during the second term: Strasbourg (2015), Geneva (2015), London (2015), Brussels (2016), Mexico City (2016), Sao Paulo (2017), Geneva (2017), Berlin (2017) and Stockholm (2018). Each event involved preparing and delivering a presentation on children’s rights and the provisions of the Convention.

Coordinator of the working group set up within the Committee to draft general comment No. 21 (2017) on children in street situations. Member of working groups that drafted other general comments.

Member of the Bureau of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, as the Rapporteur.

Educational background:

Diplôme d ’ Études Supérieures de maîtrise en lettres (Master of Arts), Nice, France

Diplôme d ’ Études Supérieures de droit public (postgraduate degree in public law), Nice, France

Doctorat d ’ État en droit public (State doctorate in public law), Nice, France

Relevant expertise on children ’ s rights:

Experience in the following areas relating to children’s rights and the provisions of the Convention: general measures for the implementation of the Convention, civil rights and public freedoms, education and leisure, juvenile justice, child labour and children in street situations.

Philip D. Jaffé (Switzerland)

Date and Place of Birth: October 9, 1958 — Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago)

Nationality: Switzerland

UN Working languages: French and English (native mastery), Spanish (good command)

Current position/function:

Full Professor, Director of the Center for Children’s Rights Studies, Univ. of Geneva, Switzerland (since 2008)

Main professional activities:

Overall management responsibilities for the University of Geneva’s Center for Children’s Rights Studies, its circa 20 FTE staff members and 200+ students

Directing and teaching in the wide offer of degree (French speaking Master in Children ’ s Rights) and continuing education programs in English such as the Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) Children ’ s Human Rights: An interdisciplinary introduction (over 10’000 active participants), yearly editions of the Summer School Children at the heart of human rights, a Spanish online Certificate of advanced studies on Juvenile Justice, etc.

Conducting and participating in multiple research programs, organizing national and international conferences on various aspects of children’s rights (sexual abuse, migration, bullying, addiction, corporal punishment, juvenile justice, sustainable development goals, alternative care, adoption …)

Educational Background:

Primary and secondary schools: Nairobi (Kenya), Geneva and Lausanne (Switzerland)

Diploma in Psychology (1983) — Univ. of Fribourg and Univ. of Geneva, Switzerland

Doctor of Clinical Psychology with distinction (1988), Ferkauf Graduate School, New York, USA

Advanced postgraduate training in clinical and forensic psychology (McLean Hospital, Harvard Univ., Boston; Bridgewater State Hospital, Massachusetts, USA).

Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the treaty body concerned:

Convinced that academics should act as science practitioners, conducted numerous clinical and training consultancies: International Institute for the Rights of the Child, International Organization for Migration, Médecins sans frontières, Terre des hommes, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Council of Europe, with missions to Albania, Indonesia, Iraq, Egypt, Burkina Faso, Algeria, Lebanon, South Africa, Senegal, Nepal, Russia, Hungary, etc.

Board Member of the Swiss Center for Expertise in Human Rights, the International Institute for the Rights of Child, and Pro Juventute (Switzerland’s foremost civil organization for child welfare)

Member group of experts drafting the 2010 Council of Europe Child-Friendly Justice Guidelines

Court-appointed expert in numerous civil and penal judicial cases involving children and families

Frequent print, radio and TV presence on issues pertaining to children’s rights and protection issues

List of most recent publications in the field:

Ph. Jaffé is the author of 150+ publications and has conducted 400+ conferences and workshops (both general public and scholarly) on children’s rights in general, participation of children, juvenile justice, child abuse, children with disabilities, alternative care, children on the move, children deprived of liberty, bullying, court evaluations involving children, the right to play, adolescent consent to medical treatment, sustainable development goals, corporal punishment, history of childhood, etc.

A full list of publications is available on the website: www.jaffe.ch

Dalibor Jílek (Czechia)

Date and place of birth: 2 July 1953, Brno, Czech Republic

Place of residence: Brno

Nationality: Czech Republic

United Nations working languages: English, Russian

Current position/function:

Professor, Institute of International and European Law, Pan-European University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic (since 2004).

Professor, Department of International and European Law, Faculty of Law, Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic (since 2017).

Other main professional activities, in particular related to children ’ s rights:

2008–2015Professor, Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Brno, Czech Republic.

2003–2008Professor, Faculty of Law, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.

2002–2017Member, European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, Council of Europe, Strasbourg, France.

2006–2010/

1998–2002Member, Advisory Committee, Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, Council of Europe, Strasbourg, France.

2010–presentExpert, Human Dimension, Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Vienna, Austria

1994–presentMember, Permanent Court of Arbitration, The Hague, The Netherlands

Educational background:

2003Professor (Public International Law)

1995Associate Professor (Public International Law), Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic

1986 Candidate of Legal Science (CSc.), Faculty of Law, University of J.E. Purkyně, Brno, Czech Republic

1979Doctor juris (JUDr.), Faculty of Law, University of J.E. Purkyně, Brno, Czech Republic

1977Master’s degree, Faculty of Law, University of J. E. Purkyně, Brno, Czech Republic

Relevant expertise on children ’ s rights:

PF 003 — Partnership fund: Implementation of the best practise experience in education of children’s rights in Switzerland into protection of children’s rights in the Czech Republic, (2010–2011)

PF 098 — Partnership fund: Children´s rights in school practice (2013–2014)

VEGA 1/0491/13 — The concepts of segregation and discrimination in international law and their content in relation to the right of the child to education (2013–2014)

PF 204 — Partnership fund: Child friendly justice. Child and media (2015–2016)

EEA Grants — Awareness of vulnerable children about their situation, rights and possibilities of protection (2017)

List of most recent publications in the field of children ’ s rights:

Education and Respect to Human Rights. In: Jílek, D. and Čechová I. (Eds.). Current Issues of Children´s Rights Protection. Informing Children on Their Rights. Brno: Czech-British Non-Profit Organisation, 2017, pp. 19–69 (pp. 302)

Education and Punishment in Juvenile Justice. In: Jílek, D. and Čechová I. (Eds.). Society Friendly to Children in Difficulty. Brno: Czech-British Non-Profit Organisation, 2016, pp. 14–46 (pp. 203)

Segregation, Educational Opportunities and Obligations of States. Prague: Wolters Kluwer, 2015. Jílek, D., Větrovský, J. and Šmigová, K., pp. 68–147 (pp. 200)

How to Understand the Best Interests of the Child. In: Jílek, D. and Pořízek, P. (Eds.). Residence of Non-Citizens: Selected Legal Issues. Prague: Wolters Kluwer, 2014, pp. 303–332 (pp. 394)

The Universal Right of the Child to Education. In: Coll. Roads to School Respecting and Fulfilling the Rights of the Child. Brno-Boskovice: Czech-British Non-Profit Organisation, 2013, pp. 18–84

The Right of the Child to Liberty and the Administrative Detention of the Child in the Immigration Situation. Czech Yearbook of Public and Private International Law. Vol. 3, 2012, pp. 15–40

The Invisible Dialogue on the Rights of the Child: Ellen Key and Janusz Korczak. Czech Yearbook of Public and Private International Law. Vol. 2, 2011, pp. 85–93

Lucien Kayaba Téné Kere (Burkina Faso)

[Original: French]

Date and place of birth: 13 December 1976 in Tenkodogo

Nationality: Burkina Faso

Working languages: French, English

Current position/function:

Technical director responsible for care placement, adoption and sponsorship. Trained as an early education inspector.

Main professional activities:

Organizational, material and financial capacity-building and coordinating and developing partnerships and consultation with entities and institutions responsible for the supervision and protection of children and adolescents. Coordinating the work of the technical secretariat of the central authority that deals with adoption and the civil aspects of international child abduction.

Educational background:

Further training leading to a qualification in information, education and communication (IEC) and behaviour change communication, gender, human rights and reproductive health from Ouaga 2 University.

Trained as an early education inspector at the National Institute for Training in Social Work (Senior Social Work Administrators’ Training College) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Relevant expertise on children ’ s rights:

Coordination of activities relating to the protection and promotion of children’s rights; adoption and international child abduction in Burkina Faso.

List of publications:

“La prise en compte de l ’ éducation préscolaire dans les P lans Communaux de Développement : Cas des communes Urbaines de Tenkodogo et de Koupéla (Burkina Faso)” (Incorporating preschool education into communal development plans: a case study on the urban communes of Tenkodogo and Koupéla in Burkina Faso).

Gehad Madi (Egypt)

Date and Place of Birth: 13 November 1951, Egypt

Place of Residence: Cairo, Egypt

Nationality: Egyptian

Working Languages: English and Arabic (Good command of German language).

Educational Background:

B.A in German Language and Literature, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt, 1975.

LLB in Law, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt, 1986.

Professional and Administrative Experience:

Member of the UN committee on the Rights of the Child, March 2011- to date.

Member of the Board of Trustees of Sir Magdy Yacoub Heart and Research Foundation in Aswan, Upper Egypt, since 2014, where heart operations are conducted for underprivileged children free of charge.

Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps Department, 2008–2011: Responsible for recruitments, postings of diplomatic staff abroad and evaluating the performance of the different departments of the ministry as well as the diplomatic missions and diplomatic staff.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 2004–2008.

Deputy Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs, 2002–2004:

In this capacity, I oversaw matters pertaining to the implementation of Egypt’s international human rights obligations, including in the field of the rights of the child.

This period witnessed the launching of a national campaign to amend the 1996 Child Law, which culminated in the approval by parliament, in 2008, of a large number of important legislative reforms, including criminalization of FGM and raising the minimum marriage age for girls to 18 years.

I participated in initiating and establishing Egypt’s National Council for Human Rights (2003) as an independent body to promote and protect human rights.

I served as the national coordinator for human rights activities of the relevant governmental departments and as a Governmental Program coordinator for issues related to the rights of the child.

I chaired the Committee responsible for assessing obligations regarding the withdrawal process of Egypt’s reservation on articles 20 and 21 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

I headed the Egyptian delegation in drafting and adopting the Arab Charter for Human Rights.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the Republic of India, 1998–2002.

Deputy Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for International Legal Affairs and International Treaties, 1997–1998.

Egypt, as one of the first countries to ratify the CRC, witnessed a number of significant developments, during this tenure, including the ratification of the two Optional Protocols on Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, and Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, as well as the ILO Convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour.

Deputy Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director of International Conference Department, 1996–1997.

Minister Plenipotentiary (Deputy Head of Mission) at the Embassy of Egypt in London, 1992–1996.

Counsellor at the Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, responsible for Human Rights, International Legal Affairs and International Organizations, 1991–1992: in this capacity, I represented Egypt in many meetings of the International Law Commission and UN Committee on Human Rights.

Counselor and Legal advisor to the mission of Egypt to the United Nations in New York, 1986–1990: During this period I participated in the drafting of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 1984–1986.

First Secretary at the Cabinet of the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, responsible of the following files: International Organizations and International Economic Affairs, 1983–1986.

Second Secretary at the International Organizations Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 1982–1983.

Third Secretary, then Second Secretary at the Embassy of Egypt in Bonn, 1978–1982.

Diplomatic Attaché at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,1976–1977.

Writings in the field of child rights:

My writings, analyses and reports in the field of human rights and child rights were presented to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to relevant government departments and to the Egyptian parliament for the purposes of formulating policies and strategies, as well as enacting legislation on human rights related issues.

As an example, I participated in the drafting of the following national documents (Related to the Human and Child Rights):

National Strategy on the Protection, Rehabilitation and Integration of Street Child (2003).

National Action Plan of the education of Girls, and 7 Local Action Plans for the 7 governorates mostly affected by the gender gap (2002).

National Survey on child labour force in Egypt.

Medals and Decoration:

Order of Merit, Egypt.

Order of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

Order of Merit, Germany.

Faith Marshall-Harris (Barbados)

Date and place of birth: October 4, 1945

Place of residence: Jacaranda, Brighton, St. George, Barbados

Nationality: Barbadian

United Nations working languages: English, French

Current position/function:

Attorney-at-Law and Legal Consultant (specialty areas — Family Law, Corporate Law); providing legal representation of children and their families, majority of them pro bono cases. Legal consultancies undertaken for Barbados Government, UNICEF, WORLD BANK, UN-Women, inter alia. (See below)

Other main professional activities, in particular related to children ’ s rights:

Facilitator of Parenting Workshops.

UNICEF Children’s Champion (2012 to present — advocacy on all matters pertaining to children. Deputy Chairman and presently Chairman of the National Committee Monitoring the Rights of the Child (from 2012) mandated to monitor implementation of Convention of Rights of the Child (CRC); advocacy, advice, recommendations on issues and policies to protect and promote Rights of the Child; facilitation of public education re CRC; liaising with Government for timely reporting to UNCRC.

Lecturing on Child Rights to various sectors of the community including doctors, nurses, teachers, social workers, parents and children.

Presented Papers on Child Rights to several sessions of the Commonwealth Judges and Magistrates Associations (globally).

Educational background:

Bachelor of Arts degree (English Honours) University of the West Indies.

Certificat d’Ecole de Langue et Civilisation Francaises (University of Fribourg).

Diplome d’Ecole de Langue et Civilisation Francaises, (University of Geneva).

Bachelor of Laws Degree (LLB), UWI.

Legal Education Certificate (LEC), Norman Manley Law School.

Relevant expertise on children ’ s rights:

Magistrate presiding over Juvenile Court (2006–2012).

Pioneered the circle of care where counsellors, social workers, pastors, teachers, representatives of governmental and NGOs invited to sit with the Court to advise and assist with treatment; instituting emphasis on restorative justice and rehabilitation.

Adjudicated matters pertaining to children: custody, access, maintenance.

List of most recent publications in the field of children ’ s rights:

“Factors and Trends in Juvenile Justice in Barbados (275 case studies)”; “Review of Laws of Barbados relating to Women, Children and their families — Analysis, Harmonisation and the case for Reform”; “Family Arrangements: Custody, Access, Maintenance”; “Legislative Review of the 16-18 Disconnect with Recommendations”; “The Mandatory Reporting Protocol for Child Abuse”; “Adolescent Access Systems”.

Anne Musiwa (Zimbabwe)

Date and place of birth: 2 October 1963

Place of residence: Harare

Nationality: Zimbabwe

United Nations working languages: English

Current position/function:

My current position is Deputy Director for the national coordination of child rights. My function is to coordinate the implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and all its Protocols; also the AU African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. I advocate for standardised child friendly services and environments, towards the realisation and promotion of child rights. Raise awareness and capacity building on Child Rights to the society at large. I play an advisory function on policy development and ratification of instruments that affect children. l also mobilise resources and recommend for surveys and research on prevalence of issues that deprive children of their rights.

Other main professional activities, in particular related to children ’ s rights:

Advisory role at policy level on issues of child rights within the different Government departments like, health, education and prisons. Analysis of data collected to identify gaps and make recommendations to accelerate/improve service delivery for mainstreaming child rights among all stakeholders. Monitoring and evaluation of indicators defined to assess impact of implementation towards the wellbeing and welfare of children. Support and advocate for child friendly environments which promote child survival and development in services being given to all children that is: schools, courts, juvenile prisons, hospitals, police, children’s homes, play centres. Ensure for the availability of quality accessible services for victims of child violence. Review and upgrade standard guidelines on management of survivors of child violence. Offer training on child rights based approaches to different stakeholders. Coordinate for the development and implementation of community based programme initiatives (e.g. community sensitization on issues of Child Violence visa vies Child Rights). Raise awareness and lobby for the care and well being of children (commemorations, documentaries, media etc.). Collect and analyze data on cases of child violence from relevant key stakeholders and advice accordingly. Participate in international and regional child rights meetings, including national child rights committees.

Educational background:

Professional Training on Human Rights Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law

Masters in Nursing Science with a major in Mental Health and Psychiatric Forensic Nursing with the University of Zimbabwe, Bachelor of Arts (Cur) majoring in Nursing Administration and Nursing Education with University of South Africa, Diploma in Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing with Ingutsheni Psychiatric Hospital Zimbabwe

Diploma in Midwifery with Harare Central Hospital Zimbabwe, Diploma in General Nursing with Harare Central Hospital Zimbabwe, Certificate in Systematic Counselling

Relevant expertise on children ’ s rights:

My areas of expertise under the CRC are on the following: Reporting processes to the International Treaty Body of which this Instrument holds Governments to account on child rights realisation; Health Policy and Governance, as a health expert, I am interested in how State Parties will be addressing pertinent health concerns of those States; within Health Policy and Governance I will be interested in focusing on interest groups like those with disabilities to note how effectively States will be implementing policies without leaving anyone behind; investment in child rights and human development on how much will be invested in the social sector. In general I will be interested in noting human developmental indicators as part and parcel of broader appreciation of policy implementation.

Anta Ndiaye (Senegal)

[Original: French]

Date and place of birth: 22 February 1967 in Dakar

Nationality: Senegalese

Working language: French

Current position/function:

Divisional President of the Dakar Court of Appeal. Responsible for presiding over criminal hearings of the division, preparing for trials and deliberations, and drawing up judgments and orders.

Educational background:

Judicial Training Centre, Dakar, diplôme d ’ aptitude à l ’ exercice de la fonction de magistrat (certificate of fitness to serve as a judge), class of Alioune Badara Mbengue, 1998.

University of Dakar, Maîtrise en droit, option droit des affaires (master’s degree in law, specializing in business law), July 1993; licence en droit, option droit des affaires (bachelor’s degree in law, specializing in business law), July 1992.

Blaise Diagne upper secondary school, Dakar, baccalauréat, série A3 (secondary school leaving certificate, section A3), July 1986.

Relevant expertise on children ’ s rights:

I started off as a deputy public prosecutor responsible for cases that involved children. In that capacity, I dealt with the management and protection of children who were in danger, children engaged in prostitution or the worst forms of child labour, and abandoned children. I monitored their progress in prison or in other institutions in collaboration with special education teachers. As a participant in a joint Senegalese and Belgian project aimed at strengthening the legal protection of minors and as a member of the steering committee of a project concerning a centre for children in difficult situations, I worked on draft reports relating to those projects.

List of most recent publications in the field of children ’ s rights:

I have not published anything but I am a member of the select committee that is drafting a national children’s code, under the authority of the Human Rights Directorate and with support from Spain. When I appeared before the Extraordinary African Chambers that were established to try the former President of Chad, Hissène Habré, I was responsible for issues relating to the violation of children’s rights and I had to draw up and defend a brief on the situation of children under his rule.

Clarence Nelson (Samoa)

Date and place of birth: 22 December 1955 at Apia, Samoa

Place of residence: Samoa

Nationality: Samoan

United Nations working languages: English

Current position/function:

Senior Judge of the Supreme Court of Samoa.

Justice of the Samoa Court of Appeal and Land and Titles Court (Appellate Division).

Vice-Chair of the Committee of the Rights of the Child.

Co-ordinator, OPIC Working Group and member, other Working Groups of the Committee.

Certified national and regional Trainer for Pacific Judicial Education.

Other main professional activities, in particular related to children ’ s rights:

As a sitting judge, adjudication of all disputes (civil, criminal, Constitutional or otherwise) that come before the Supreme Court, the highest trial court in Samoa.

Also trained in other forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution such as mediation.

Mentor and supporter of Samoa Victim Support Group and its activities.

Assisting in the development of the Olomanu Juvenile Facility, a separate low security facility for juvenile offenders.

Presenting at in-country and regional workshops concerning CRC and children’s rights.

Facilitating OHCHR Training of Trainers on Treaty Body Reporting for the Pacific.

Presenting at Pacific Conferences on work of CRC Committee and implementation of its COBs.

National presentations on sexual offending against children and rehabilitation programs for young offenders.

Consulting on reporting and implementation of Samoas Treaty Body Obligations particularly in relation to CRC.

Educational background:

1971 — graduated Proxime Accessit, St. Josephs College, Apia, Samoa

Awarded NZ Govt Scholarship to undertake further studies in New Zealand

1977 — Bachelor of Laws (LLB), University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand

2002 — Youth Justice Training, Suva Fiji

2009 — Certified national and regional Trainer for Pacific Judicial Development programmes.

Relevant expertise on children ’ s rights:

Mentor — Samoa Victim Support Group.

Advocate for children’s rights and protection of children especially young victims of sexual violence.

Served 5 years as Member, South Pacific Council of Youth and Children’s Courts.

Involved in creation and set-up of the Olomanu Juvenile Facility, a minimum security facility for juvenile offenders.

Established 1st Youth Court in Samoa including drafting and implementation of the Young Offenders Act 2007.

List of most recent publications in the field of children ’ s rights:

Landmark court decision in Police v . Vailopa [2009] WSSC 69 (special requirements for Police interviews of child suspects).

Support from the CRC, IAYFJM Chronicle, January 2010.

Role of the media in the Youth and Family Courts of Samoa, IAYFJM Chronicle, July 2013.

Promises to Keep: 25th Anniversary of CRC, 2014.

Ali Riza Önay (Turkey)

Date and place of birth: 20 January 1966 — Çumra/Konya/Turkey

Place of residence: Ankara/Turkey

Nationality: Turkish

United Nations working languages: English

Current position/function:

Deputy-Director General of External Relations and Services for workers abroad

Ministry of Labour and Social Security

Ankara/Turkey

Other main professional activities, in particular related to children ’ s rights:

Preparation of Country report regarding UN Convention on the Rights of Child and ILO Conventions on Child Labour.

Participation and involvement in The National meetings on the Rights of Children.

Educational background:

Primary school 1973–1977

High-school 1977–1984

University 1984–1989 (Middle East Technical University (METU), Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences, Department of Public Administration

Relevant expertise on children ’ s rights:

I participated in the Child Labour Committee works as a Deputy-Government Delegate in the 87th session of ILO conference for the preparation and adoption process of the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention No. 182.

Aïssatou Alassane Moulaye Sidikou (Niger)

[Original: French]

Date and place of birth: 26 January 1965 in Niamey

Working language: French

Current position/function:

Member of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child; responsible for contributing to the work of the Committee, which consists of promoting and protecting the rights enshrined in the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.

Executive Secretary of the Fondation Tattali Iyali (Tattali Iyali Foundation); responsible for planning and coordinating the work of this organization, whose aim is to improve the well-being of the people of the Niger, especially children.

Main professional activities:

8 December 2016–present: Executive Secretary of the Fondation Tattali Iyali, responsible for preparing annual action plans and coordinating the work of this organization.

Educational background:

2008: Diplôme d ’ Expert en Ingénierie de Développement Local, Master 2 (second year master’s degree in engineering, specializing in local development) from the International Centre for Local Development Studies, Lyon, France.

2008: Master 2 en Ingénierie des Projets de Coopération (second year master’s degree in engineering, specializing in cooperation projects), Lille University of Science and Technology, France.

1992: Diplôme de Technicien Supérieur de l ’ Action Sociale (advanced vocational training certificate in community work), National School of Public Health in Niamey, the Niger.

1987: Baccalauréat, série D (secondary school leaving certificate, section D), Tanimoune teacher training college, Tillabéri, the Niger.

Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the treaty body concerned:

May 2013–present: member of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. Responsible for contributing to the work of the Committee, which consists of promoting and protecting the rights enshrined in the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, especially by:

Monitoring the implementation and ensuring the protection of the rights enshrined in the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child

Interpreting the provisions of the Charter at the request of a State party, an institution of the African Union or any other person or institution recognized by the African Union or by any State party

Conducting interdisciplinary assessments of problems relating to the rights and protection of children in Africa

Formulating and laying down principles and rules aimed at protecting the rights and welfare of children in Africa

25 August 2011–8 December 2016: Director General of Office of Child Protection, Social Protection and Humanitarian Assistance, tasked with:

Coordinating the development and implementation of the yearly action plans of the departments under my authority

Undertaking activities, studies and research on issues relating to child protection, social protection and humanitarian assistance

Coordinating the mechanisms for monitoring the implementation of national policies on child protection, social protection and humanitarian assistance

Honours and other information:

Official token of appreciation for services rendered to the region, awarded by the Governor of Niamey Region on 2 July 2010.

Elected as a member of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child for the period May 2013–May 2018.

Certificate of Officer of the Order of Merit of the Niger, awarded by Issoufou Mahamadou, President of the Niger, Grand Master of the National Orders pursuant to decree No. 2013-526/PRN/CHAN of 10 December 2013.

Certificate of Chevalier of the Order of Merit of the Niger, awarded by Issoufou Mahamadou, President of the Niger, Grand Master of the National Orders pursuant to decree No. 2014-519/PRN/CHAN of 1 August 2014.