What do they do and

how do they do it?

Presentation

History, structure and governance

Main areas of work

Achievements

Challenges

Lessons learnt

The NGO Group for the CRC

Vision: A world in which children’s rights, as defined by the

CRC, are universally recognised and realised.

Mission: Facilitate the promotion, implementation and

monitoring of the CRC.

Global network of 71 national and international NGOs

Works with national and international NGOs in 150 countries,

including over 100 national coalitions

Partner in the work of the Committee

History

20 NGOs joined forces in 1983 to coordinate their

actions to draft the CRC

Unprecedented impact on the final text of an

international human rights treaty

Decided to create a more formal structure to promote

ratification and reporting

Structure and governance

General Assembly(member organisations)

Executive Committee(7-10 members)

Secretariat(5 staff)

Thematic working

groups

Children without parental care

Communications procedure for the CRC

Human Rights Council

Indigenous children

Sexual exploitation of children

Violence against children

Main areas of work

Support the work of the Committee on the Rights of the Child

Strengthen capacity and/or facilitate NGO participation in the reporting process

Develop legal instruments on child rights

Produce practical tools to advocate and monitor child rights

Mainstream child rights in the broader UN Human Rights system

Facilitate NGO participation in reporting process

According to need, train NGOs in forming coalitions

and writing alternative reports

Ensure NGOs participate effectively in the full

reporting process (pre-session and session)

Pay for NGOs to attend the Committee’s meetings

Practical tools to advocate and monitor child rights

Website: www.childrightsnet.org

Guidelines to reporting on CRC

& its Optional Protocols

Fact sheets on elections, DGD

and General Comments

Alternative report database with

CRIN

Guidelines for children to report

(coming soon)

Country reports

Achievements

Leading expertise in the work of the Committee and the

monitoring of the CRC and its Optional Protocols

Contributes to the drafting of treaties such as the CRC, its

Optional Protocols and regional standards.

Ensures NGO input into international child rights events,

days of general discussion and general comments.

Contribute to the development of the Committee’s working

methods

Achievements

Model for alternative reporting for UN treaty bodies

Committee receives credible, representative and

comprehensive information from national NGOs and children

National NGOs (increasingly children) have direct access to

the Committee responsible for the CRC

Committee’s dialogue with states and recommendations take

into account NGO information

Challenges

Managing the network structure

Keeping members focused on common goals and

avoiding conflict of interest

Raising funds for ‘abstract activities’

Follow-up to Committee’s recommendations

Lessons Learnt

Have an independent coordinating body that follows and

influences the work of the Committee

Facilitate the access of national NGOs/coalitions

Work closely with Committee secretariat, UNICEF and

Committee members and other key partners

Create practical tools for NGOs to engage effectively in

the work of the Committee

Develop methods to follow-up Committee

recommendations

Thank you for listening!