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INTERNATIONAL
UN HUMAN RIGHTS STANDARDS:
THEIR RELEVANCE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CHILDREN’S
STRATEGY
FOR NORTHERN IRELAND
October 2003
Sara Boyce
Children’s Human Rights Advisor
Children’s Law Centre/Save the Children
Introduction
Children and young people, as human beings, are entitled to
the full range of human rights protections. While these rights
are primarily laid down in the UN Convention on the Rights
of the Child (CRC) they are not limited to this Convention
and its Optional Protocols. Children and young people’s
rights are also defined and protected by many other human
rights instruments and mechanisms established by international
and regional human rights institutions. These include the
six UN human rights treaties ratified by the UK government
to date plus a number of non-binding standards.
This short briefing paper examines the relevance of other
UN human right instruments and standards apart from the UN
Convention on the Rights of the Child, for the development
of the Children’s Strategy, including the obligations
they place on government with respect to children’s
rights protections in Northern Ireland. (the UN Convention
on the Rights of the Child is dealt with at length in a separate
briefing paper which should be read in be read in conjunction
with this paper).
The paper provides information on six of the seven main UN
human rights treaties as well as on a number of non-binding
standards in relation to youth justice. It identifies how
these treaties and standards complement, reinforce and enhance
the provisions of the CRC. The relevant articles in each treaty
with regard to children’s rights are identified, their
links with articles from the CRC highlighted and the most
recent, relevant recommendations (called concluding observations)
from the UN treaty monitoring body summarised.
These articles and standards, which the UK government is legally
bound by, provide the minimum internationally agreed standards
or benchmarks in relation to a wide range of civil, political,
social, economic, cultural and familial rights that children
and young people are entitled to. The concluding observations
issued by the various treaty monitoring bodies highlight the
gaps in implementation of certain rights and set out the basis
for a plan of action to address these gaps. Taken together
with the CRC the treaty articles, standards, general comments
and concluding observations provide a comprehensive child
rights framework for the development of the Children’s
Strategy.
The paper also includes a table which cross-references the
individual articles of the CRC with the relevant provisions
of the other main human rights treaties as well as a chart
detailing reporting schedules and lead government departments,
both in Northern Ireland and in Westminster, in respect of
government’s reporting responsibilities.
Human Rights Treaties
The UK government has ratified the following six key human
rights treaties:
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(ICCPR)
• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights ( ICESCR)
• International Convention on the Rights of the Child
( CRC)
International Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination
Against Women
(CEDAW)
• International Convention on the Elimination of all
forms of Racial Discrimination ( CERD)
• International Convention Against Torture and other
Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment ( CAT)
Some of these treaties cover a whole set of rights, some focus
on particular types of violations while others focus on particular
groups to be protected. In the main they reinforce or elaborate
on the children’s rights provisions contained within
the CRC. As with the CRC these treaties are binding in international
law and by ratifying them the UK government committed itself
to be bound by their provisions.
While none of the treaties, apart from the UN Convention on
the Rights of the Child, is child specific, all of the treaties
apply equally to children and young people and many of their
provisions impose significant obligations on government to
respect, protect and fulfil children and young people’s
human rights. These obligations include obligations to respect,
to protect and to fulfil children and young people’s
individual human rights as embodied in the treaties. At a
practical level this means that government must:
• Raise awareness across all levels of government, the
judiciary and civic society, that all of the main UN human
rights treaties and the human rights contained therein, in
addition to those in the CRC, also apply to or have an impact
on children and young people.
• Raise awareness among children and young people and
those working with or on their behalf that they are entitled
to the full range of human rights contained in all the human
rights treaties.
• Engage in comprehensive data collection on the implementation
of these treaties with regard to children and young people.
• Include a child rights perspective in all of it’s
reporting to the various UN treaty monitoring bodies.
• Ensure that the rights contained in the treaties are
afforded to children and young people through all relevant
legislation and policies across all relevant government departments.
Non-binding standards (or “soft law”)
These are principles and standards that many States have agreed
and are articulated in declarations, principles, standard
rules and guidelines. While they have no binding legal effect
on States they nevertheless are derived from international
law and represent a broad consensus on the part of the international
community, and as such, have a strong moral force. They also
have a guidance value. In relation to children’s rights
and the Children’s Strategy the most relevant non-binding
standards are the standard rules dealing with juvenile justice
and include the UN Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived
of their Liberty (1990), the UN Guidelines for the Prevention
of Juvenile Delinquency (“The Riyadh Guidelines”)
(1990), the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration
of Juvenile Justice (“The Beijing Rules”) (1985).
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
The ICCPR entered into force in 1976. It covers a broad range
of civil and political rights including non-discrimination,
freedom from torture, right to a fair trial and the right
to a family life and privacy. It also contains provisions
that are dedicated to children.
Article 24 is a provision on children. It is linked to Article
3 of the CRC. Paragraph 1 guarantees to every child without
discrimination the right to such measures of protection as
are required by their status as a minor, on the part of his/her
family, society and the state. It is an explicit recognition
that the Covenant must be applied to children in a special
way in accordance with the child’s status as a ‘minor’.
Issues of citizenship of the child are often discussed under
this article. The Human Rights Committee, which monitors states’
implementation of the Covenant, issued a General Comment in
1989 on Article 24.
Article 23 recognises the family as the natural and fundamental
unit of society and as entitled to protection by society and
the state. It is also linked to Article 3 of the CRC. Children’s
issues are likely to arise in relation to divorce, child custody,
visiting rights, and in these cases the interests of the child
will receive particular attention. A General Comment on Article
23 was issued in 1990 ( General Comment No 19).
Other provisions that indirectly or directly concern children
are Articles 6, 14, 17,18 and 27.
Right to life and death penalty -Article 6 provides for the
right to life and paragraph 5 says the death penalty shall
not be imposed on persons under 18 years of age. This is related
to Article 6 of the CRC on the right to life, survival and
development.
Rights in the justice system- Article 10 (3) requires that
juveniles be separated from adults on remand and be accorded
treatment according to their age and legal status. This mirrors
aspects of Article 37 of the CRC on children deprived of their
liberty.
Article 14 deals with justice and paragraph 1 provides an
express exception to the right to a hearing in public when
it is in the interests of juveniles and where it concerns
the guardianship of children. This article is related to Article
40 of the CRC on the rights of children in conflict with the
law.
Article 14 (3) (f) provides that criminal proceedings should
take account of a juvenile’s age and the “desirability
of promoting their rehabilitation”. This reflects some
the wording of Article 40 of the CRC around “the desirability
of promoting the child’s reintegration and the child
assuming a constructive role in society”.
Rights of children from minorities- Article 27 which deals
with rights for ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities
mirrors exactly the wording of Article 30 save for the replacement
of ‘persons’ with the words ‘a child’.
Concluding Observations 2001
While none of the Committee’s concluding observations
deals explicitly with breaches of children’s rights,
a number of them have relevance for the protection of children
and young people’s rights in Northern Ireland. In particular:
Sectarian Harrassment
The Committee expressed concern that incidents of violence
and intimidation on the basis of religious affiliation in
Northern Ireland were still continuing to occur. It recommended
that in addition to extending criminal legislation to cover
offences motivated by religious hatred, the UK government
should also take other steps to ensure that all persons are
protected from discrimination on account of their religious
beliefs. This recommendation has obvious relevance for a number
of provisions in the CRC, including Article 2 on non-discrimination,
Article 6 on the right to life and Article 19 on protection
from abuse and neglect.
Asylum Seekers
The Committee expressed concern that asylum seekers have been
detained in various facilities and in particular they considered
it unacceptable that asylum-seekers have been detained in
prisons. The Committee made a clear recommendation that the
UK government should end its detention of asylum seekers in
prisons and that it should closely examine its system of processing
asylum-seekers in order to ensure that each asylum seeker’s
rights under the Convention receive full protection, being
limited only to the extent necessary and on the grounds provided
for in the Covenant.
This recommendation has explicit relevance to the situation
of asylum-seeking children in Northern Ireland where, not
only are their parents detained in prisons thus breaching
the child’s right to family life, but where on occasion
children themselves have also been detained in Maghaberry
Prison.
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
(ICESCR)
The ICESCR entered into force in 1976. It covers a broad range
of economic, social and cultural rights including family rights,
adequate standard of living, health care rights, education
rights and employment rights. The majority of the rights covered
by this Covenant are closely related to children’s rights
issues. As with the ICCPR its provisions apply equally to
adults and children.
Protection of the family - Article 10 on the protection of
the family recognises the family as the fundamental unit of
society and goes on to require that the widest possible protection
should be accorded to the family. It requires under Article
10 (3), similar to the ICCPR, that special measures of protection
and assistance should be taken on behalf of all children and
young persons without discrimination but also that children
and young persons should be protected from economic and social
exploitation. This non-discrimination clause reflects Article
2 of the CRC.
Protection from economic exploitation-Article 10 also states
that employment of children in harmful or dangerous work which
is likely to hamper their normal development should be punishable
by law and that the state should set age limits below which
the paid employment of child labour should be prohibited and
punishable by law. This is related to Article 32 of the CRC.
Right to Health -Article 12 deals with the right to health
and recognises the right of everyone to “the enjoyment
of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental
health”. Among the steps to be taken by states to achieve
the full realisation of this right is provision for the reduction
of the still-birth rate and of infant mortality and for the
healthy development of the child. (Article 12 .2.a). This
is linked to Articles 6 and 24 of the CRC which deals with
the child’s right to health and access to health care
services.
Right to education -Articles 13 and 14 address the right to
education and recognise the right to free, compulsory primary
education for all, the right to secondary education in its
different forms, including technical and vocational secondary
education and the right to equality of access to higher education.
These articles are similar to Article 28 of the CRC.
While there aren’t any General Comments that deal explicitly
with children’s rights, one that deals indirectly with
them is General Comment No 5 (1994) on Persons with Disabilities.
It recognises that children with disabilities are especially
vulnerable to exploitation, abuse and neglect and are, in
accordance with article 10 (3) of the Covenant (reinforced
by the corresponding provisions of the Convention on the Rights
of the Child), entitled to special protection. There are also
General Comments on the rights to: health, education, water,
adequate housing and food that are extremely relevant to children.
Concluding Observations on the UK report to the ICESCR Committee
in 2002
Quite a number of the Committee’s concluding observations
have direct relevance for the protection of children and young
people’s rights in Northern Ireland.
Human Rights Education
The Committee expressed concern that the human rights education
provided by the state to schoolchildren, the judiciary, government
officials, civil servants and other actors responsible for
the implementation of the covenant doesn’t give “adequate
attention to economic, social and cultural rights” and
recommended this be redressed (Paragraphs 13 and 30).
Discrimination
The Committee was concerned about the persistent de facto
discrimination in relation to some marginalised and vulnerable
groups in society, especially ethnic minorities and persons
with disabilities. It urged the state to take more effective
steps to combat this and recommended the enactment of comprehensive
legislation on equality and non-discrimination. (Paragraphs
14 and 31). This recommendation is similar to that made by
the Committee on the Rights of the Child on discrimination
against particular groups of children (Paragraphs 22 and 23)
Minimum Wage
The Committee recommended that the minimum wage protection
be extended to workers under 18 years of age and that the
scheme be applied in a non-discriminatory manner to persons
between 18 and 22 years of age. (Paragraph 33). This recommendation
is more directive than that made by the Committee on the Rights
of the Child which recommended simply that the government
reconsider its policies in the light of the principle of non-discrimination.
(Paragraphs 55 and 56)
Physical Punishment
The Committee recommended that the physical punishment of
children in families be prohibited, and in doing so, noted
that this recommendation was in line with the 1995 recommendation
from the Committee on the Rights of the Child (a recommendation
made again by the Committee on the Rights of the Child in
2002).
Poverty
The Committee reiterated its concern about persistent levels
of poverty, especially in certain parts of the UK such as
Northern Ireland. It urged the government to continue to address
the problem of poverty and social exclusion as a matter of
high priority with special focus on the needs of marginalised
groups and particular regions such as NI
(Paragraphs 18 and 37). This recommendation reinforces that
made by the Committee on the Rights of the Child on child
poverty ( Paragraphs 45 and 46).
Integrated Education
The Committee reiterated its concern from 1997 that the educational
structures in Northern Ireland continues to be heavily segregated
on the basis of religion, despite the increased demand for
integrated schools. It recommended that the government consider
appropriate measures in Northern Ireland to facilitate the
establishment of additional integrated schools in areas where
significant numbers of parents have indicated their desire
to have their children enrolled in such schools. (Paragraphs
23 and 42). This recommendation mirrors that made by the Committee
on the Rights of the Child on the need for further measures
to facilitate the establishment of additional integrated schools
( Paragraph 47 and 48 (g)).
Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
(CEDAW)
CEDAW entered into force in the UK in 1986. It covers discrimination
against women in the civil and political, social, economic
and cultural and family life spheres. It was adopted in 1979
and is sometimes described as an international bill of rights
for women. Several articles in CEDAW specifically refer to
children and the girl child. Children’s rights issues
are considered by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
Against Women to the extent that they are mentioned by the
articles in the Convention. The Committee in its concluding
observations will sometimes take up particular issues related
to children, such as illiteracy, child mortality and morbidity
or prostitution and sexual exploitation.
Traditional practices-Article 5 on customary practices refers
to a recognition of the common responsibility of men and women
in the upbringing and development of their children, echoing
the provisions of Article 18 of the CRC. This article also
makes reference to the best interests of the child as “the
primordial consideration in all cases” relating to parental
upbringing and development of their children.
Right to nationality-Article 9 which guarantees women equal
rights with men to transmit their nationality to their child
is linked to Article 7 of the CRC which provides for the child’s
right “to acquire a nationality and, as far as possible,
the right to know and be cared for by his or her parents”.
Girls right to education-Article 10 which protects against
discrimination of women in education and opportunities is
closely linked with the provisions Article 28 of the CRC,
read with Article 2 of the CRC on non-discrimination. It expressly
refers to school curricula and girls access to the same curricula,
examinations, teaching staff with qualifications of the same
standard and school premises and equipment of the same quality.
Marriage-Article 16 on the family and on the elimination of
discrimination against women, expressly protecting from early
marriage ( which the CRC does not) relates to a few Articles
in the CRC, including Article 18 on equal parental responsibilities,
Article 21 on adoption and Article 3 on the best interests
of the child.
Trafficking and sexual exploitation -Other articles also concern
children, for example Article 6 on trafficking in women and
exploitation of prostitution of women, the wording of which
is closely related to Article 34 on the abduction, sale or
trafficking of children and to the Optional Protocol to the
CRC on the sale of children, child prostitution and child
pornography.
Concluding Observations on the UK report to the CEDAW Committee
in 1999
Teenage Pregnancy
The Committee was seriously concerned at both the extremely
high level of teenage pregnancy and the high rates of sexually
transmitted diseases across the UK( Paragraph 309) It recommended
that teenage conception and pregnancy be addressed by a multiplicity
of measures, including a greater focus on male responsibility
and a review of the primary school curriculum with a view
to introducing age-appropriate sex education. In addition
it recommended the allocated of resources for prevention and
treatment programmes for sexually transmitted diseases directed
at adolescents within a holistic approach to sexual and reproductive
health (Paragraph 310). These recommendations echo those made
by the Committee on the Rights of the Child on these issues
( Paragraph 44(a).
Detention of young women
In its consideration of how the criminal justice system complies
with the provisions of CEDAW, the Committee specifically highlighted
the fact that young female offenders are held in adult prisons
in Northern Ireland. The UK government maintains its reservation
to Article 37 which provides for the separation of children
and adults in prison, despite repeated recommendations from
the Committee on the Rights of the Child that it withdraw
this reservation and take immediate steps to separate children
from adults in prisons (paragraphs 7 and 62 (e)).
Violence against women
The Committee expressed concern at the absence of a national
strategy on the prevention and elimination of violence against
women and stated that, according to information available
to it, women in Northern Ireland are particularly affected
by violence. It recommended that a unified strategy to eliminate
violence against women be implemented to include legal, educational,
financial and social components. This observation by the Committee
on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women foreshadowed
more general concerns expressed by the Committee on the Rights
of the Child on levels of violence against children. Given
the lack of data on this issue, the Children’s Strategy
may need to initially identify gaps in information in relation
to the levels of violence against girls and young women in
particular as well as against children generally before developing
comprehensive strategies to address it.
Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination
(CERD)
CERD was adopted by the United Nations in 1965 and entered
into force in the UK in January 1969. This Convention is aimed
at eradicating racism and racial discrimination worldwide.
It covers racial discrimination, racial segregation, racist
propaganda and equal rights and urges all states to outlaw
discrimination, develop effective remedies against racism,
take action to combat prejudice and to promote tolerance and
understanding. In most cases the articles in CERD concern
children as much as they concern adults.
Article 5 is indirectly linked to children. It commits states
to prohibiting and eliminating racial discrimination in all
its forms and to guaranteeing to everyone civil and political
rights as well as some social and cultural rights, including
the right to education. This wide ranging article has relevance
for a number of articles in the CRC including Articles 2,
7, 13, 14, 19, 24, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31,32, 37 and 40.
Article 7 urges states to adopt measures against racial discrimination
particularly in the fields of teaching, education, culture
and information. This article is closely linked to Articles
28 and 29 of the CRC.
Concluding Observations on the UK report to the CERD Committee
2003
Discrimination against ethnic minorities
The recommendation with most direct relevance for ethnic minority
children and young people in Northern Ireland is one that
deals with discrimination against Travellers, Roma and Gypsies
(paragraph 22). The Committee expressed concern about discrimination
faced by these groups “which is reflected, inter alia,
in their higher child mortality rate, exclusion from schools,
shorter life expectancy than the population average, poor
housing conditions, lack of available camping sites, high
unemployment rate, and limited access to health services”.
The Committee’s recommendation that the UK government
adopt national strategies and programmes with a view to improving
the situation of Travellers, Roma and Gypsies against discrimination
by state bodies, persons or organisations, in so far as it
relates to ethnic minority children and young people, should
be considered in the development of the Children’s Strategy.
The Committee on the Rights of the Child in 2002 had expressed
similar concerns with regard to the situation of Traveller
children and recommended that the government, in consultation
with Traveller children develop “a comprehensive and
constructive plan of action to effectively target the obstacles
to the enjoyment of rights by (these) children”.
Incorporation of the Convention
As with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the rights
enshrined in CERD have not been incorporated into domestic
law and therefore cannot be used as the basis for taking a
court action to challenge a breach of these rights. The Committee
on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination noted
this and urged the UK government to review its legislation
in order to give full legal effect to the provision of the
Convention in its domestic legal order ( Paragraph 11).
Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading
Treatment or Punishment (CAT)
The Convention Against Torture entered into force in 1989.
it provides for the criminal prohibition and prevention of
torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or
punishment, as well as for remedies for victims. It doesn’t
specifically refer to children’s rights but a number
of the rights contained in the Convention concern children
as much as adults.
A number of the Convention Against Torture articles reinforce
Articles 37 ( torture and deprivation of liberty), Article
39 ( rehabilitative care) and Article 40 (the administration
of juvenile justice) of the CRC. These include:
Article 11 on the review of interrogation, custody and treatment
of those detained to prevent any cases of torture
Article 12 on the need for a prompt and impartial investigation
Article 13 on the treatment of complainants
Article 14 on the provision of redress and compensation, including
as full rehabilitation as possible
Article 16 on the prevention of other acts of cruel, inhuman
or degrading treatment or punishment
Article 3 on the non-return or extradition of persons to another
state where there are substantial grounds for believing that
they would be tortured is linked to Article 22 of the CRC
on special protection for asylum seeking children.
Concluding Observations 1999
Plastic Baton Rounds
The Committee Against Torture recommended the abolition of
the use of plastic bullet rounds as a means of riot control,
a recommendation reiterated by the Committee on the Rights
of the Child in its concluding observations in October 2002.
STANDARD RULES
UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Adminstration of Justice
(Beijing Rules).
The Rules, adopted in 1985, are reflected in Article 40 of
the CRC and reflect the principle that the treatment of young
offenders should take into account the person’s age
and the desirability of promoting his/her reintegration into
society. They are divided into six parts covering general
principles, investigation and prosecution, adjudication and
disposition, non-institutional treatment, institutional treatment
and research, policy formulation and evaluation. The emphasis
in the Beijing Rules is on the well-being of the child and
the child’s overriding right to maintain personal rights
and direct contact with his or her parents and family.
UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Protection of Juveniles
deprived of their Liberty
The principles of these Rules, which are concerned with the
treatment of juveniles in detention, have been incorporated
into the CRC. According to the Rules detention should be employed
only as a last resort and where detention is absolutely necessary,
juveniles should benefit from arrangements designed to assist
them in returning to society. The child’s right to dignity
and privacy must be protected and the need for stimulation,
sport and leisure should also be observed. Rule 4 embodies
the spirit of Article 3 of the CRC in that it states that
the juvenile justice system should uphold the rights and safety
and promote the physical and mental well-being of juveniles.
UN Guidelines for the Prevention of Juvenile Deliquency (
Riyadh Guidelines)
The focus of the Riyadh Guidelines, adopted in 1990, is on
early protection and preventive intervention, paying particular
attention to children in situations of social risk. The Guidelines
attach clear priority to the need to protect the best interests
of all children. However these Guidelines have weak status
in international law; they are not reflected in the CRC.
PROVISIONS IN OTHER UN HUMAN RIGHTS TREATIES THAT RELATE TO
THE PROVISIONS IN THE
UN CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
Convention on the Rights of the Child
(CRC) International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(ICCPR) International Covenant on Social Economic and Cultural
Rights (ICESCR) Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination
Against Women (CEDAW) Convention Against Torture
(CAT) Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial
Discrimination (CERD)
Article 2
Non-discrimination Article 2(1) Article 2 (2)
Article 10 Article 1
Article 2 Article 1
Article 2(2)
Article 5
Article 3
Best interests of the child Article 23 (4)
Article 24 Article 10 (3) Article 5 (b)
Article 16 (1d)
Article 4 Implementation of Rights Article 2 Article 2 Article
2
Article 4 Article 2
Article 4
Article 5 Article 2
Article 6
Article 5
Parental Guidance and the child’s evolving capacities
Article 14 (4) Article 10
Article 13 (3) Article 5 (b)
Article 6
Life, survival and development Article 6 (1)
Article 7
Name and nationality Article 24 (2,3) Article 9 (2) Article
5 (diii)
Article 8
Preservation of identity
Article 24 (2,3)
Convention on the Rights of the Child
(CRC) International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(ICCPR) International Covenant on Social Economic and Cultural
Rights (ICESCR) Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination
Against Women (CEDAW) Convention Against Torture
(CAT) Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial
Discrimination (CERD)
Article 9
Separation from parents Article 23 (1,4)
Article 10
Family Reunification Article 23(1)
Article 11
Illicit transfer and non-return Article 6
Article 12
The child’s opinion and participation
Article 13
Freedom of Expression Article 19 Article 5(dviii)
Article 14 Freedom of thought, conscience and religion Article
18 (1,2,3) Article 13 (3) Article 5 (dvii)
Article 15
Freedom of association Article 21, 22 (1,2) Article 8 (1a)
Article 5 (dix)
Convention on the Rights of the Child
(CRC) International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(ICCPR) International Covenant on Social Economic and Cultural
Rights (ICESCR) Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination
Against Women (CEDAW) Convention Against Torture
(CAT) Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial
Discrimination (CERD)
Article 16
Right to privacy and non-interference Article 17
Article 17
Access to information Article 19 (2) Article 15 (1a)
Article 18
Parental responsibility Article 24 (1) Article 10 (1,3) Article
5 (b)
Article 11 (2c)
Article 16 (1d)
Article 19
Protection from abuse and neglect Article 23 (1,4) Article
10 (3) Article 5 (b)
Article 20
Protection of children without families Article 24 (1)
Article 21
Adoption Article 16 (1f)
Article 22
Refugee children Article 24 (1) Article 3
Convention on the Rights of the Child
(CRC) International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(ICCPR) International Covenant on Social Economic and Cultural
Rights (ICESCR) Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination
Against Women (CEDAW) Convention Against Torture
(CAT) Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial
Discrimination (CERD)
Article 23
Disabled Children
Article 24
Health and health services Article 12 Article 2 (f)
Article 5 (a)
Article 10 (h)
Article 12 (1)
Article 14 (2b) Article 5 (eiv)
Article 25
Protection of physical and mental health of children in care
Article 26
Social security and assistance Article 9 Article 11 (1e)
Article 13 (a)
Article 14 (2c) Article 5 (eiv)
Article 27
Adequate standard of living Article 11 (1) Article 11 (2c)
Article 14 (2h) Article 5 (eiii,iv)
Article 28
Education Article 13
Article 14 Article 10 (a-f) Article 5 (ev)
Article 7
Article 29
Aims of Education Article 13 (1) Article 10 (c) Article 7
Convention on the Rights of the Child
(CRC) International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(ICCPR) International Covenant on Social Economic and Cultural
Rights (ICESCR) Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination
Against Women (CEDAW) Convention Against Torture
(CAT) Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial
Discrimination (CERD)
Article 30
Children of minorities or indigenous populations Article 27
Article 15 (1a) Article 2 (2)
Article 5 (evi)
Article 31
Leisure, recreation and cultural activities Article 13 (c)
Article 14 (2f) Article 5 (evi)
Article 32
Child labour Article 8 Article 10 Article 6 Article 5 (ei)
Article 33
Drug Abuse Article 10 (3)
Article 34
Sexual Exploitation Article 8 Article 10 Article 6
Article 35
Sale, Trafficking and abduction Article 8 Article 6
Article 36
Other forms of exploitation Article 8 Article 10 (3)
Convention on the Rights of the Child
(CRC) International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(ICCPR) International Covenant on Social Economic and Cultural
Rights (ICESCR) Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination
Against Women (CEDAW) Convention Against Torture
(CAT) Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial
Discrimination (CERD)
Article 37
Torture and deprivation of liberty Article 7
Article 9
Article 10 Article 1
Article 11
Article 12
Article 13
Article 16 (1) Article 5 (a,b)
Article 39
Rehabilitative care Article 14
Name of treaty Date ratified by UK Last examination date Date
next UK report is due Lead UK Department Lead NI Department
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
1976 Oct 2001 Nov 2006 Human Rights Unit, Dept for Constitutional
Affairs Human Rights Unit in OFMDFM
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
(ICESCR) 1976 April 2002 June 2007 Foreign and Commonwealth
Office Human Rights Unit in OFMDFM
Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) 1991 Sept 2002
Jan 2006 Children's and Young People's Unit in the Department
of Education and Skills Children and Young People’s
Unit in OFMDFM
Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
1969 Aug 2003 April 2006 Race Equality Unit in the Home Office
Race Equality Unit in OFMDFM
Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
(CEDAW) 1986 June 1999 Submitted Sept 2003 Women's and Equality
Unit in Department of Trade and Industry Gender Policy Unit
in OFMDFM
Convention Against Torture (CAT) 1989 Nov 1998 Overdue, likely
to be submitted Sept 2003 Human Rights Unit, Dept for Constitutional
Affairs
Human Rights Unit in OFMDFM
and the NIO
Convention on the Protection of Migrant Workers Hasn’t
been ratified by UK N/A N/A N/A N/A
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