HIGHLIGHTS OF RESULTS
HIGHLIGHTS OF RESULTS
Mechanisms (M)
CHILDREN ADVISE THE COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
Increasing implementation of the outcomes of the international
human rights mechanisms
Mechanisms in numbers
TREATY BODIES
140
State Party reports reviewed by human
rights treaty bodies in 2018
6
State Parties visited by the
Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture
135
State Party reports and
12 common core
documents submitted
5 371
General Comments
elaborated by the
treaty bodies
individual
complaints
registered
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL AND UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEW
85
42
resolutions
adopted
25
Member States reviewed for
the implementation of UPR
recommendations
Participation of
6
delegates from
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) supported to
attend HRC sessions by the Voluntary Trust Fund to support the participation of Least Developed Countries and SIDS in the work of the HRC
SPECIAL PROCEDURES
44 thematic and
12 country-specific Special
Procedures mandates
119
1
Member States and
non-Member Observer
State extended a standing
invitation to thematic special procedures
16 UN HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2018
59
84
22 42
out of
Member States reviewed by UPR,
supported by the UN Voluntary
Fund for participation in the UPR
REPORTING AND FOLLOW-UP ON
RECOMMENDATIONS ISSUED BY THE HUMAN
RIGHTS MECHANISMS
Governments hosted
visits by Special
Procedures
mandates
40
newly established and/or strengthened National Mechanisms for
Reporting and Follow-up
For its Day of General Discussion, which
was held on 28 September 2018, the
Committee on the Rights of the Child, in
cooperation with Child Rights Connect,
broke from tradition by asking a group of
child human rights defenders to participate in a public discussion on “protecting
and empowering children as human rights
defenders.” More than 400 participants,
including 60 who were children, gathered
together in Geneva. A total of 800 viewers
in 66 countries followed the discussion via
live webcasting.
Preparation for the Discussion was a yearlong process. The Committee selected
the theme in September 2017, a Children’s
Advisory Team was then formed and, under
the coordination of Child Rights Connect,
the Child Advisers designed sessions that
were then co-moderated by one adult
and one child. The sessions featured interactive discussions during which key
speakers shared their personal experiences of working with and/or for child human
rights defenders. The Child Advisers also
asked attendees to participate in a survey
about their own knowledge of child human
rights defenders. Most of the preparatory work was undertaken virtually, with the
help of translation apps, as the 21 Child
Advisers came from 19 countries across
five continents.
To ensure that the Day of General
Discussion was a collective and ongoing
effort, Child Rights Connect collaborated
with Queens University Belfast to lead a
worldwide consultation with 2,700 children. This partnership supported NGOs
to organize “Day of General Discussion
Hubs” to raise awareness about the protection and empowerment of child human
rights defenders.
© Child Rights Connect
Impact stories related to the event have
emerged from all over the world. For
example, the event enabled the Child
Rights Information Centre in the Republic
of Moldova and the Children Advocacy
Network in Pakistan to strengthen the
participation of children in their respective
efforts, by including the topic in advocacy
campaigns and supporting child human
rights defenders to identify opportunities
for empowerment and engagement. Also in
the Republic of Moldova, two young human
rights defenders met with the UN Special
Rapporteur on the situation of human rights
defenders during his visit in July 2018. For
the Inter-American Institute of Children and
Adolescents, the event inspired the adoption of a declaration on recognizing and
empowering the work of children and youth
as human rights defenders.
The impact of the event has also been
evident within the Committee, which now
has fresh inspiration for engaging with
children in its work. It hopes that this experience will inspire other entities to ensure
the participation of children in their work
through long-term, child-friendly and
meaningful engagement.
For the Child Advisers, the experience
was unforgettable. They hope that this
new global movement will lead to greater
empowerment and protection of child human rights defenders and to the safe and
meaningful participation of children in all
decisions that affect them.
Child Advisers said:
“I defend child rights and I love this work
because I see the abuses children are
suffering from in my society. I see how
much they can’t express their views and
are unable to get their opinions across. I
really want to help them. My message to
all children is that it is up to them to defend
child rights. We all work hand in hand to
make the peace and hope we want for the
world a reality.” Haya, 16, Syria.
“Last time I checked, I wasn’t the President.
But I know I have power – the power of my
voice!” Ariadna, 15, Republic of Moldova.
UN HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2018 17