First informal consultation on mainstreaming on child’s right to identity in existing treaty body recommendations and human rights council resolutions
Hosted by the Identity Rights Working Group and Global Alliance to End Statelessness, leading identity focused organisations working with representatives of multiple UN treaty bodies and Permanent Missions met to co-create initiatives that will pool resources and expertise. High level participation included CEDAW committee vice-chair; CMW committee member and ACERWC Chairperson; CRC committee vice-chair; Permanent missions of Morocco, Romania and Switzerland; Apatride Network; ATD Fourth World; Child Identity Protection (CHIP); European Network on Statelessness; Council of Europe; Global Survivors Fund; International Commission on Civil Status (ICCS); Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion; International Federation of Social Workers. Child and Youth Rights Unit, OHCR; UNHCR; and UNICEF.
Together, they shared strategies, challenges, and emerging good practices across three interconnected dimensions of children’s identity rights (birth registration, nationality and family relations). At a time where there are less resources and the UN system is undergoing reforms; it is essential to identify innovative ways to leverage common resources and build synergies, building on what already exists.
Primary objectives
- Discuss how to pool resources to promote the widest dissemination and implementation of international norms on child’s right to identity in existing recommendations and resolutions
- Explore opportunities for increased integration of children’s identity rights in ongoing human rights procedures and mechanisms, including resolutions, general days of discussion and comments etc.
Meeting outcomes
There was broad agreement that given the current resource constraints faced by all, further collaborative activities would be helpful and worthwhile exploring a joint General Comment pooling expertise and resources of the treaty bodies under the helm of the CRC Committee. A follow-up meeting on 28 September is already planned to optimise collaboration, pool expertise and resources.
Further information
