The Committee on the Rights of the Child – Does Size matter?

Abstract

The Convention on the Rights of the Child celebrated its 30th birthday in November 2019. All Member States to the United Nations but one, have ratified the Convention during the thirty years of its existence. Three Optional Protocols were added to the Convention. In order to monitor progress, a treaty body was created, the Committee on the Rights of the Child, based in Geneva. This treaty body is regularly evaluating the reports of States Parties. The Committee published concluding observations regarding each State Party on the basis of the country report as well as the constructive dialogue with the Committee in order to assist Member States in implementing the Convention holistically. Another instrument that the Committee has used extensively concerns the issuing of General Comments on specific provisions of the Convention and/or specific children’s rights issues. Under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a communications procedure, the Committee has the competence to receive individual communications coming from children or persons acting on their behalf.