COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD CONCLUDES EIGHTIETH SESSION

The Committee on the Rights of the Child this afternoon concluded its eightieth session after adopting its concluding observations and recommendations on the reports of Bahrain, Belgium, Guinea, Italy, Japan and Syria under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the report of the Czech Republic under the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.

Renate Winter, Committee Chairperson, in her concluding remarks, summarized the activities of the Committee during the session, which was held from 14 January to 1 February 2019. She reminded that as of today, there were 196 States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child; 168 States had ratified or acceded to the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict; 175 States had ratified or acceded to the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography; and 42 States had ratified or acceded to the Optional Protocol on a communication procedure.

During the session, the Committee had reviewed the reports of Bahrain, Belgium, Guinea, Italy, Japan and Syria under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the report of the Czech Republic under the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. Ms. Winter said the concluding observations and recommendations of the Committee on the seven reports would be available on the webpage of the Committee on Thursday, 7 February.

The Chair said the Committee had also reviewed four cases received in relation to the Optional Protocol on a communications procedure. It had continued its work regarding the 2020 review of treaty bodies. She thanked the four Committee Experts who would be leaving the Committee.

Bernard Gastaud, Committee Rapporteur, presented the report on the intersessional activities of the Committee Experts, and the Committee then adopted the report of the session.

Meeting summaries of all public meetings held during the eightieth session can be found here.

The Committee will hold its eighty-first session at the Palais Wilson in Geneva from 13 to 31 May 2019, during which it will review the reports of Botswana, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Malta, Singapore and Tonga under the Convention, and the report of Sri Lanka under the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.


For use of information media; not an official record

CRC19/010E