Geneva: The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child concluded its 99th session today, issuing final assessments on the child rights situations in Brazil, Indonesia, Iraq, Norway, Qatar, and Romania. These assessments included Brazil’s implementation of the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution, and child pornography.
The Committee’s concluding observations will be publicly available on the UN Human Rights Office website on Thursday, 5 June.
During the closing session, Committee Chair Sophie Kiladze acknowledged improvements in some countries but stressed that the overall global situation of children remains deeply concerning. She noted that more than three decades after the Convention’s adoption, millions of children around the world continue to suffer from conflict, poverty, and lack of access to basic services such as education, healthcare, and digital technology.
Kiladze voiced particular concern over the devastating impact of armed conflicts on children, many of whom have lost parents or are living in increasingly dire conditions in refugee camps. “We would need hours to even begin to describe the suffering these children endure,” she said.
Highlighting operational challenges, Kiladze warned that the UN’s ongoing liquidity crisis is seriously jeopardizing the Committee’s work. The budget shortfall led to the cancellation of the Committee’s planned pre-sessional working group, and future sessions remain uncertain. She urged the UN Secretary-General and Member States to safeguard the work of all treaty bodies, including the Child Rights Committee.
During the session, the Committee also reviewed individual complaints under the Optional Protocol on a communications procedure. Eight cases were addressed, focusing on issues like migrant children’s rights, education access during the COVID-19 pandemic, and parental contact. The Committee found one case against Switzerland did not violate the Convention, declared three others inadmissible (one against Italy and two against Switzerland), and discontinued four more (involving Finland and Switzerland) after the matters were resolved.
The Committee is also handling four ongoing inquiries under article 13 of the Optional Protocol.
Beyond casework, members debated updates to their rules and working methods and continued discussions on strengthening treaty bodies amidst the UN’s financial challenges. They also advanced work on General Comment No. 27, which will focus on children’s right to access justice and effective remedies.
A significant part of the session was dedicated to emerging global issues, notably the intersection of artificial intelligence and children’s rights. The Committee reviewed a draft joint statement on the topic, co-sponsored by nine international organizations, including UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union.
In addition, the Committee adopted its session report and welcomed newly elected Chair Sophie Kiladze (Georgia), as well as Vice-Chairs Cephas Lumina (Zambia), Thuwayba Al Barwani (Oman), Philip D. Jaffe (Switzerland), and Mary Beloff (Argentina). Four new members—Timothy P.T. Ekesa (Kenya), Mariana Ianachevici (Moldova), Juliana Scerri Ferrante (Malta), and Zeinebou Taleb Moussa (Mauritania)—took their oaths. Mr. Lumina also returned to the Committee, having previously served from 2017 to 2021.
