NCJ Number
228907
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 33 Issue: 11 Dated: November 2009 Pages: 783-790
Date Published
November 2009
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This paper presents the context and a plan for drafting and supporting the implementation of a General Comment for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child Article 19.
Abstract
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was adopted without dissent by the United Nations (U.N.) General Assembly in November 1989. It is the first international instrument combining minimum and aspirational standards for civil and political rights and social, cultural, and economic rights for children, including special protection measures. The International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN) and the International Institute for Child Rights and Development (IICRD) joined forces in 2008 to develop and promote a child rights approach to child protection, submitting a joint proposal to the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child to draft a General Comment for CRC Article 19. In addition to the General Comment for Article 19, numerous implementation supports will be planned and some will be produced and piloted during the program development. Also under consideration are an implementation guide and resources; commentary; accountability models, indicators, measures and evaluation systems; a clearinghouse and resource Web site; a child-appropriate version of General Comment 19; and education/training curricula and programs. A General Comment for Article 19 is seen as having the potential to make a meaningful contribution toward securing the safety, development, and futures of children. This paper presents the need and plan for development of a General Comment for the U.N. CRC Article 19 which could transform and advance child protection through the infusion of a child rights approach. References and appendix