United Nations

CRC/C/62/1

Convention on the Rights of the Child

Distr.: General

15 November 2012

Original: English

Committee on the Rights of the Child Sixty- second session

14 January–1 February 2013

Item 1 of the provisional agenda

Adoption of the agenda

Provisional agenda and annotations

Note by the Secretary-General

1.The sixty-second session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child will be held at the United Nations Office at Geneva from 14 January to 1 February 2013. The first meeting of the session will be convened on Monday 14 January at 10 a.m.

2.In accordance with rule 6 of the rules of procedure and in consultation with the Chairperson of the Committee, the Secretary-General has prepared the attached provisional agenda for the sixty-second session. Annotations to the provisional agenda are also attached.

3.Pursuant to rule 39 of the rules of procedure, the meetings of the Committee shall be held in public, unless otherwise decided by the Committee.

4.The attention of States parties is drawn, in particular, to the annotations to item 4 which lists the reports that will be before the Committee at its sixty-second session.

5.A pre-sessional working group, established in accordance with rule 67 of the rules of procedure, met at the United Nations Office at Geneva from 8 to 12 October 2012 .

Provisional agenda

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 and treaty-body strengthening.

7.Days of general discussion.

8.General comments.

9.Future sessions.

10.Other matters.

Annotations to the provisional agenda

1.Adoption of the agenda

In accordance with rule 9 of the 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.

2.Organizational matters

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.

3.Submission of reports by States parties

Reports received

In addition to the reports which are scheduled for consideration by the Committee at its sixty-second session (see the timetable for consideration of reports under item 4 below), and reports included in the provisional agenda for the sixty-first session (CRC/C/61/1), the Secretary-General has received the following reports under the Convention and its Optional Protocols.

Convention on the Rights of the Child

State party Due in Symbol

Bangladesh2012CRC/C/BGD/5

Chile2012CRC/C/CHL/4-5

France2012CRC/C/FRA/5

Nepal2010CRC/C/NPL/3-5

Poland2008CRC/C/POL/3-4

Sweden2011CRC/C/SWE/5

United Arab Emirates2009CRC/C/ARE/2-3

Uruguay2011CRC/C/URY/3-5

Optional Protocol to the Convention on the involvement of children in armed conflict

State party Due in Symbol

Nepal2009CRC/C/OPAC/NPL/1

Uruguay2005CRC/C/OPAC/URY/1

Optional Protocol to the Convention on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography

State party Due in Symbol

Cambodia2004CRC/C/OPSC/KHM/1

Israel2010CRC/C/OPSC/ISR/1

Uruguay2005CRC/C/OPSC/URY/1

Overdue reports

Under rule 71 of the rules of procedure, the Secretary-General is required to notify the Committee at each session of all cases of non-submission of reports. The full list of initial and periodic reports due under the Convention and the initial and periodic reports due under the Optional Protocols can be found in the document on the status of submission of reports (CRC/C/62/2). This document also indicates exceptional measures granted by the Committee to States parties that are encountering problems in complying with the strict time frame for submission of reports established by the Convention in article 44, paragraph 1, or the consideration of whose reports has been delayed.

4.Consideration of reports of States parties

A tentative timetable for consideration of reports at the sixty-second 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

Date

Time

Agenda item

State party

Tuesday, 15 January

10 a.m.

3 p.m.

4

4

Guyana CRC

Guyana CRC (continued)

Wednesday, 16 January

10 a.m.

3 p.m.

4

4

United States of America OPSC/OPAC

United States of AmericaOPSC/OPAC(continued)

Thursday, 17 January

10 a.m.

3 p.m.

4

4

Malta CRC

Malta CRC (continued)

Friday, 18 January

10 a.m.

3 p.m.

4

4

Guinea CRC

Guinea CRC (continued)

Monday, 21 January

10 a.m.

3 p.m.

4

4

Burkina OPSC/OPAC

Burkina OPSC/OPAC (continued)

Tuesday, 22 January

10 a.m.

3 p.m.

4

4

Niue CRC

Philippines OPSC

Wednesday, 23 January

10 a.m.

3 p.m.

4

4

Slovakia OPSC/OPAC

Slovakia OPSC/OPAC (continued)

In accordance with rule 72 of the rules of procedure, representatives of the States parties shall be invited to attend the meetings of the Committee when their reports are examined. Representatives should be able to answer questions put to them by the Committee and make statements on reports already submitted by their States, and may also submit further information.

In accordance with rule 72 of the Committee’s rules of procedure, the Secretary-General has notified the States parties concerned of the opening date, duration and place of the sixty-second session of the Committee, at which their respective reports will be examined, and has invited them to send representatives to attend these meetings of the Committee.

5.Cooperation with other United Nations bodies, specialized agencies and other competent bodies

Under this item, the Committee will pursue its discussion on how its cooperation with various relevant bodies could be further strengthened to enhance the promotion and protection of the rights of the child.

6.Methods of work of the Committee and treaty-body strengthening

Under this item, the Committee will 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. In particular, the Committee will continue its work on the development of the rules of procedure regarding the implementation of the newly adopted Optional Protocol to the Convention on a communications procedure. Additionally, the Committee will continue its discussion on issues related to its methods of work, including the format and content of the Committee’s concluding observations, following recommendations from its June 2012 retreat in Sion, Switzerland. The Committee will also discuss the work done by its newly appointed focal group on the treaty-body strengthening process. With respect to the latter, the Committee will have at its disposal the report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the strengthening of the United Nations human rights treaty bodies (A/66/860).

7.Days of general discussion

Under this item, the Committee decided at its sixty-first session that the theme of the 2013day of general discussion will be“Media, social networks and the rights of the child”.The day of general discussion will be held during the sixty-fourth session at Palais des Nations, Geneva, on 27 September 2013.

8.General comments

Under this item, the Committee will continue to draft general comments based on the various principles and provisions of the Convention, more specifically on article 3, the principle of the best interests of the child; article 31, the right to play; article 24, the right to health; and on business and children’s rights; as well as continue work on the draft joint general comment on harmful practices which is being developed with the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.

9.Future sessions

Under this item, the Committee will be informed of any developments relating to the schedule of its future sessions.

10.Other matters

Under this item, members will discuss any other matters relating to the work of the Committee as considered necessary. In particular, the Committee will discuss the treaty body strengthening process.