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Children's Right to Education in Emergencies

The Committee on the Rights of the Child has decided to devote its next Day of General Discussion (DGD) to children's right to education in emergencies - articles 28 and 29 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The meeting will be held at the Palais Wilson in Geneva, Switzerland, on Friday, 19 September 2008 from 10:00-18:00.

The purpose of the Days of General Discussion is to foster a deeper understanding of the contents and implications of the Convention in relation to specific articles or topics. After the discussion the Committee adopts recommendations, taking into account the issues raised.

The right to education is set out in articles 28 and 29 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child as well as in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and a number of other international instruments. The 2008 Day of General Discussion is intended to provide States and other actors with more comprehensive guidance as to their obligations to promote and protect the right to education as outlined in articles 28 and 29.

Governments, United Nations human rights mechanisms, United Nations bodies and specialised agencies, non-governmental organisations, national human rights institutions, children and experts are represented at the event.

Participants will split into two working groups to discuss the issue:

Working Group 1: Continuation and/or reconstruction of the educational system

Working Group 2: Content and quality of education provided for children in emergency situations

NGO contributions
NGOs and children have been invited to submit written contributions on the themes mentioned above to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) as soon as possible. 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. Oral contributions from NGOs are also welcome during the day itself but should be limited to interventions in the debate rather than formal statements.

The deadline for submissions for 2008 is now passed.

NGO submissions will be posted on the CRIN website when they are received.

The registration deadline is now passed.

Please go to the CRIN website for more information and to download the NGO submissions which are now available. Information is also available on the official web site of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.
 

 

Tags: ["children's rights", "education", "Day of General Discussion", "Emergencies", "Education", "UN Convention on the Rights of the Child", "Article 28", "Article 29"]
Published Aug. 5, 2008 11:57 AM - Last modified Apr. 17, 2013 3:01 PM