Convention on the Rights of the Child
Part II
States Parties undertake to make the principles and provisions of the
Convention widely known, by appropriate and active means, to adults and
children alike.
1. For the purpose of examining the progress made by States Parties in
achieving the realization of the obligations undertaken in the present
Convention, there shall be established a Committee on the Rights of the Child,
which shall carry out the functions hereinafter provided.
2. The Committee shall consist of ten experts of high moral standing and
recognized competence in the field covered by this Convention. The members of
the Committee shall be elected by States Parties from among their nationals and
shall serve in their personal capacity, consideration being given to equitable
geographical distribution, as well as to the principal legal systems.
3. The members of the Committee shall be elected by secret ballot from a
list of persons nominated by States Parties. Each State Party may nominate one
person from among its own nationals.
4. The initial election to the Committee shall be held no later than six
months after the date of the entry into force of the present Convention and
thereafter every second year. At least four months before the date of each
election, the Secretary-General of the United Nations shall address a letter to
States Parties inviting them to submit their nominations within two months. The
Secretary-General shall subsequently prepare a list in alphabetical order of
all persons thus nominated, indicating States Parties which have nominated
them and shall submit it to the States Parties to the present Convention.
5. The elections shall be held at meetings of States Parties convened by the
Secretary-General at United Nations Headquarters. At those meetings, for which
two thirds of States Parties shall constitute a quorum, the persons elected to
the Committee shall be those who obtain the largest number of votes and an
absolute majority of the votes of the representatives of States Parties present
and voting.
6. The members of the Committee shall be elected for a term of four years.
They shall be eligible for re-election if renominated. The term of five of the
members elected at the first election shall expire at the end of two years;
immediately after the first election, the names of these five members shall be
chosen by lot by the Chairman of the meeting.
7. If a member of the Committee dies or resigns or declares that for any
other cause he or she can no longer perform the duties of the Committee, the
State Party which nominated the member shall appoint another expert from among
its nationals to serve for the remainder of the term, subject to the approval
of the Committee.
8. The Committee shall establish its own rules of procedure.
9. The Committee shall elect its officers for a period of two years.
10. The meetings of the Committee shall normally be held at United Nations
Headquarters or at any other convenient place as determined by the Committee.
The Committee shall normally meet annually. The duration of the meetings of the
Committee shall be determined and reviewed, if necessary, by a meeting of the
States Parties to the present Convention, subject to the approval of the
General Assembly.
11. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall provide the necessary
staff and facilities for the effective performance of the functions of the
Committee under the present Convention.
12. With the approval of the General Assembly, the members of the Committee
established under the present Convention shall receive emoluments from United
Nations resources on such terms and conditions as the Assembly may decide.
1. States Parties undertake to submit to the Committee, through the
Secretary-General of the United Nations, reports on the measures they have
adopted which give effect to the rights recognized herein and on the progress
made on the enjoyment of those rights:
(a) Within two years of the entry into force of the Convention for the State
Party concerned;
(b) Thereafter every five years.
2. Reports made under the present article shall indicate factors and
difficulties, if any, affecting the degree of fulfilment of the obligations
under the present Convention. Reports shall also contain sufficient information
to provide the Committee with a comprehensive understanding of the
implementation of the Convention in the country concerned.
3. A State Party which has submitted a comprehensive initial report to the
Committee need not, in its subsequent reports submitted in accordance with
paragraph 1 (b) of the present article, repeat basic information previously
provided.
4. The Committee may request from States Parties further information
relevant to the implementation of the Convention.
5. The Committee shall submit to the General Assembly, through the Economic
and Social Council, every two years, reports on its activities.
6. States Parties shall make their reports widely available to the public in
their own countries.
In order to foster the effective implementation of the Convention and to
encourage international co-operation in the field covered by the Convention:
(a) The specialized agencies, the United Nations Children's Fund and other
United Nations organs shall be entitled to be represented at the consideration
of the implementation of such provisions of the present Convention as fall
within the scope of their mandate. The Committee may invite the specialized
agencies, the United Nations Children's Fund and other competent bodies as it
may consider appropriate to provide expert advice on the implementation of the
Convention in areas falling within the scope of their respective mandates. The
Committee may invite the specialized agencies, the United Nations Children's
Fund and other United Nations organs to submit reports on the implementation
of the Convention in areas falling within the scope of their activities;
(b) The Committee shall transmit, as it may consider appropriate, to the
specialized agencies, the United Nations Children's Fund and other competent
bodies, any reports from States Parties that contain a request, or indicate a
need, for technical advice or assistance, along with the Committee's
observations and suggestions, if any, on these requests or indications;
(c) The Committee may recommend to the General Assembly to request the
Secretary-General to undertake on its behalf studies on specific issues
relating to the rights of the child;
(d) The Committee may make suggestions and general recommendations based on
information received pursuant to articles 44 and 45 of the present Convention.
Such suggestions and general recommendations shall be transmitted to any State
Party concerned and reported to the General Assembly, together with comments,
if any, from States Parties.