CRIN - Child Rights Information Network

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On 20 November 2009, the international community will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) by the United Nations General Assembly.

To mark this anniversary, the Committee of the Rights of the Child and the Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR) and other partners (including the NGO Group for the CRC and UNICEF) will organise a two-day event.

The celebration will focus on the theme “Dignity, Development and Dialogue,” and will provide an important opportunity to bring together States parties, United Nations bodies and other intergovernmental organisations, national human rights institutions, international and national non-governmental organisations, children’s and youth groups, academics and all others interested in the CRC.

In preparation for the event, NGOs and children are invited to submit written contributions on the nine themes of the workshops, namely:

Theme I: Dignity

Sub-theme 1: Children: rights-holders versus commodity

Sub-theme 3: Discrimination against children

Theme II: Development

Sub-theme 1: States parties’ obligations: realising economic, social and cultural rights. Are child rights a luxury during an economic crisis?

Sub-theme 2: Evolving capacities as an enabling principle in practice

Theme III: Dialogue

Sub-theme 1: A new democratic dynamic: child participation in the public sphere

Sub-theme 2: Children’s voices in the family: overcoming resistance

For more information on the nine themes, please consult the concept note (available on http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/crc/docs/20th/outlineCRC20th.doc). Please send submissions to the Office of the High Commissioner before 4 September 2009. The Committee requests that written contributions be limited to a maximum of seven pages. Although documents may be submitted in English, French or Spanish, they will not be translated into the other languages.

Written contributions should be sent electronically to CRC20Anniversary@ohchr.org. Please note that only written contributions received in electronic form (preferably Word or PDF) will be circulated. Additional information will be available shortly at http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/crc/20thAnnivCRC.htm.

Registration

For organisational purposes and due to limited space, all participants are asked to fill out a registration form, which can be downloaded from the OHCHR website: (http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/crc/20thAnnivCRC.htm).

Please send it back to the Secretariat by e-mail (CRC20Anniversary@ohchr.org) before 4 September 2009.

Due to limited space, please note that organisations are strongly encouraged to limit participation in this event to a maximum of two representatives. Please do not make any travel arrangements until you have received a final confirmation by email. Once you receive the confirmation, we recommend that you book your accommodation as soon as possible, as there is a big telecom meeting in Geneva during that week.

As this is a public meeting, there is neither a registration fee, nor does the Committee send out individual invitations. The United Nations is not able to provide assistance with visa, travel or accommodation arrangements. Participants are responsible for all expenses and arrangements related to their participation in the event.

The event will take place in Geneva on Thursday, 8 and Friday, 9 October 2009, in the Centre International de Conférences de Genève (CICG) (rue de Varembé 17, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland).

*Written Contributions*

Please note: You can also make your papers available at the event, in the Centre international de Conférences de Genève