GENEVA (6 October 2014) – This year marks the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the most widely accepted international human rights treaty in history and it sets out the rights of all children, regardless of their migration status. Over the past 25 years, the CRC has been an important tool for protecting and improving the lives of migrant children around the world.
To celebrate the CRC and to highlight that child and family immigration detention is never appropriate, the IDC encourages our members and partners to follow all of the CRC@25 events. In particular, we’re highlighting a number of events and links/resources here for IDC members to get involved.
UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting
In May, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) passed a resolution to organize a “High-Level Meeting on the 25th Anniversary of the Adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child”. This High-Level Meeting will be held on 20 November 2014 at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
The event will consist of a morning opening session as well as an interactive panel discussion in the afternoon that will:
1) take stock of the progress that has been achieved for children since 1989;
2) identify main challenges in realizing the rights of the child including discrimination and inequalities in the progress made; and
3) look to the future from different perspectives, including children, governments and civil society, and consider the best ways to address these challenges as the international community moves into the next 25 years of the CRC.
International Conference: 25 years CRC (Leiden University)
Leiden Law School at Leiden University (The Netherlands) is holding an International Conference celebrating 25 years of the CRC. The Conference will be held from 17-19 November 2014 and is part of a whole week of festivities from Monday 17 November until Thursday 20 November 2014 organized by Leiden University, the City of Leiden, UNICEF The Netherlands and the Dutch NGO Coalition on Children’s Rights.
The conference aims to bring together children’s rights academics, professionals and students from the four corners of the globe, for a two-day programme full of discussion and reflection on the past and future impact of the CRC on topical issues of the children’s rights agenda. For more information and to access the Conference program, please visit: http://law.leiden.edu/organisation/private-law/child-law/25yearscrc/
International Day of Action: the Global Campaign to End Child Detention
The International Detention Coalition is a proud supporter of the Global Campaign to End Child Detention, who is organising an International Day of Action with over 20 activities taking place around the world to commemorate CRC 25. Despite clear recommendations from the CRC for states to expeditiously cease the detention of children, it continues to happen. Join one of the events or take part in digital promotion calling for an end to child detention on this important day for child rights.
Follow the conversation on Twitter! #CRC25
You can follow all of the conversation around the 25th Anniversary of the CRC on Twitter using the hashtag #CRC25.
Resources:
UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC Committee)
Child Rights Connect (list of CRC@25 events)
Child Rights International Network (CRIN)
Global Campaign to End Child Immigration Detention