High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk Addresses Opening of the Ninety-Second Session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child

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Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, this morning addressed the opening of the ninety-second session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, during which the Committee will review reports on the efforts of Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Ireland, Mauritius, Oman, Sweden and New Zealand to adhere to the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. 

In opening remarks, Mr. Türk said it was critical that children’s rights remained a priority and that their voices were heard and listened to.  The Committee’s jurisprudence, general comments and concluding observations on country-specific situations constituted essential guidance for the work of the Office of the High Commissioner and the United Nations system on human rights at large.  Mr. Türk said he was aware of the chronic under-funding of the treaty body system, which had contributed to significant backlogs in State party reports and individual communications, and he was committed to supporting greater funding for the treaty body system.

Mikiko Otani, Committee Chair, said peace was fundamental in protecting children’s rights.  In this regard, the expected adoption of the Secretary-General’s Guidance Note on Child Rights Mainstreaming this year was timely and welcomed.  The Committee should continue to play a leading role in promoting the child rights-based approach at all levels.  Children should be given sufficient attention and their voice should be heard in important global policy discussions affecting children, such as the Summit of the Future, the Global Digital Compact, and the COP 28.

Before adopting the session’s agenda, the Committee also heard statements from representatives of the Children’s Advisory Team, as well as from Anne Grandjean of the United Nations Children's Fund, Alex Conte of Child Rights Connect, and Allegra Franchetti, Secretary of the Committee.

The ninety-second session of the Committee is being held from 16 January to 3 February.  
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG).