COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILDFiftieth session Geneva, 12-30 January 2009

provisional agenda and annotations

Note by the Secretary-General

The fiftieth session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child will be held at the United Nations Office at Geneva from 12-30 January 2009. The first meeting of the session will be convened on Monday 12 January at 10 a.m.

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

Pursuant to rule 32 of the provisional rules of procedure, the meetings of the Committee shall be held in public, unless otherwise decided by the Committee.

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

GE.08-45636A pre-sessional working group, established in accordance with rule 63 of the provisional rules of procedure, met at the United Nations Office at Geneva from 6-10 October 2008.

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. Days of general discussion.

8.General comments.

9.Future meetings.

10.Other matters.

Annotations

Item 1. Adoption of the agenda

6.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, as and 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

7.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

8.In addition to the reports which are scheduled for consideration by the Committee at its fiftieth session (see the timetable for consideration of reports under item 4 below), and reports included in the provisional agenda for the forty- ninth session, document CRC/C/49/1, 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

Angola, second and fourth 2008 CRC/C/AGO/4

Burundi, second 1997 CRC/C/BDI/2

Belgium, third and fourth 2007 CRC/C/ BEL /4

Denmark, fourth 2008 CRC/C/DNK/4

Ukraine, third and fourth 2008 CRC/C/UKR/4

Sri Lanka, third and fourth 2008 CRC/C/LKA/4

Czech Republic, third and fourth 2008 CRC/C/CZE/4

New Zealand, third and fourth 2008 CRC/C/NZL/4

Belarus, third and fourth 2007 CRC/C/BLR/4

Optional Protocol to the Convention on the involvementof children in armed conflict

State party Due in Symbol

Republic of Moldova 2006 CRC/C/ OPAC /MDA/1

Japan 2006 CRC/C/OPAC/JPN/1

Serbia 2005 CRC/C/OPAC/SRB/1

Sri Lanka 2004 CRC/C/OPAC/LKA/1

Nicaragua 2007 CRC/C/OPAC/NIC/1

Ukraine 2007 CRC/C/OPAC/UKR/1

Sudan 2007 CRC/C/OPAC/SDN/1

Bosnia and Herzegovina 2005 CRC/C/OPAC/BIH/1

Colombia 2007 CRC/C/OPAC/COL/1

Mexico 2004 CRC/C/OPAC/MEX/1

Azerbaijan 2004 C RC/C/OPAC/AZE/1

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

State party Due in Symbol

The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 2005 CRC/C/OPSC/MKD/1

Bosnia and Herzegovina 2004 CRC/C/OPSC/BIH/1

Colombia 2005 CRC/C/OPSC/COL/1

Mexico 2004 CRC/C/OPSC/MEX/1

Azerbaijan 2004 CRC/C/OPSC/AZE/1

Overdue reports

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. 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/50/2). 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.

Item 4. Consideration of reports of States parties

A tentative timetable for consideration of reports at the fiftieth 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	Report
Tuesday 13 January 2009	10 a.m.	4	Malawi
	3 p.m.	4	Malawi (cont’d.)
Wednesday 14 January 2009	10 a.m.	4	Chad
	3 p.m.	4	Chad (cont’d.)
Thursday 15 January 2009 Friday 16 January 2009	10 a.m. 3 p.m. 10 a.m.	4 4 4	The Netherlands The Netherlands (cont’d) The Netherlands (OPSC)
Tuesday 20 January 2009	10 a.m.	4	Republic of Moldova
	3 p.m.	4	Republic of Moldova (cont’d.) and OPAC
Wednesday 21 January 2009 Friday 23 January 2009	10 a.m. 3 p.m. 10 a.m. 3 p.m.	4 4 4 4	Democratic Republic of Congo Democratic Republic of Congo (cont’d) Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (cont’d)
Monday 26 January 2009	10 a.m.	4	Maldives OPAC and OPSC
Tuesday 27 January 2009	3 p.m. 10 a.m.	4 4	Maldives (cont’d.) Tunisia OPAC

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.

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 fiftieth 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.

Item 5.Cooperation with other United Nations bodies, specializedagencies and other competent bodies

Under this item, the Committee will pursue its discussion on how 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

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, including where necessary areas identified for technical assistance. In particular, the Committee will consider modalities of addressing the backlog of reports pending consideration, as well as discuss its treaty specific reporting guidelines.

Item 7. Days of general discussion

The Committee decided at its forty- ninth session that it will consider modalities for the commemoration of the 20 th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child during its fifty-second session, instead of holding its annual day of general discussion in 2009.

Item 8. General comments

Under this item, the Committee will pursue the elaboration of general comments based on the various principles and provisions of the Convention, and specifically on two drafts, one related to the rights of indigenous children and one on child participation.

Item 9. Future meetings

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

Item 10. Other matters

Under this item, members will discuss such other matters relating to the work of the Committee as may be necessary.

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