UN Geneva - Multimedia Newsroom : OHCHR / CRC: Press conference following 95th session

Good afternoon, everyone.

Thank you for being with us today for

the UN Child Rights Committee's press conference.

Today, the committee is going to present their findings on six countries,

including Bulgaria, Congo, Lithuania, Russia, Federation,

Senegal and South Africa.

Joining us today we have Miss Anne Skelton, chair of the committee,

and

Mr

bred Gibson

Good Branson

and Mr Jaffe

from the committee.

And without further delay, I'll pass on the floor to Ms Skelton.

Thank you very much, Vivian.

the Committee on the Rights of the Child wrapped up its 95th session

at the end of last week.

And as you have heard, we've reviewed a number of countries during this time Congo,

Bulgaria, Senegal, Russia,

uh, Lithuania and South Africa.

Uh, those concluding observations will be made available on our website today. Um,

and of course, there's a lot of detail in them.

But what we're hoping to do now is to just give you the highlights

of what we have been covering.

But I should also just tell you that besides, uh, the review of state parties,

the committee also of course,

has an optional protocol on a communications procedure,

which means that we can receive individual

communications or complaints,

and we dealt with 10 cases on that during the session as well,

one of which dealt with a case against Paraguay.

And this was a case in which there had been immense

delays for a child whose mother was trying to establish,

maintenance payments.

But because of all the delays, this went on for years and years and years and the

he found that, uh, Paraguay had violated the rights of the child. In that instance,

another interesting case was one against Spain,

which dealt with the education of Children in

Melilla,

the enclave, uh, in in Spain.

Uh, and this is a child of a Moroccan nationality, uh, living in Spain,

but entitled under Spanish law to be able to access education.

Um, however, because she was somewhere over the age of compulsory education,

uh, the authorities felt that they were not obliged to find a place for her.

However, the committee found

that just because there's a compulsory age of education,

that doesn't mean

that the child is not entitled to education beyond that age

and so found a violation of the child's right in this instance.

So, um I think with regard to, uh,

one other really important thing that happened during this session,

and that is that we decided on the theme for our next general comment.

Uh,

our last general comment was on Children's rights and

the environment with a special focus on climate change.

But our new general comment that we are starting to work on as from now is on access

to justice and remedies. Children's rights

to access to justice and remedies.

So we are going to be putting out a

call for contributions. A concept note that explains our general approach.

And we're looking forward to participation and engagement

with civil society and with states to get their feedback on this.

So that brings me to the end of the overview. And, Vivian, I'll hand back to you.

Thank you so and then we can start our presentation today for the Country Review.

First of all, we have Mr G

Branson on Russia and Bulgaria.

Thank you, madam. Very welcome to

the reporters at our present there. It's a great pleasure to see you.

I will first

go over Bulgaria

now you may perhaps know that there is

a certain structure in our recommendations to states.

We generally

appraise states for the thing that they are doing well

and then we focus on the shortcomings and where improvements should be made.

And

normally we identify six priority areas in each states that

urgent measures are needed for

with regard to

Bulgaria. These issues were non-discrimination

freedom of the child from all forms of violence.

Children deprived family, environment,

education, asylum seeking refugee and migrant Children

and child justice.

Now, with regard to the first one and on non discrimination,

that was, um

particularly with regard to

Children, disadvantaged situation, especially Roma Children

and Children living in poverty and Children with disabilities and Children,

residential care, asylum seeking and refugee Children.

These were the groups identified that measures needed to be taken

in order to improve their conditions.

Then it was

the cluster on violence.

There have been progress made in many respects in Bulgaria,

but what was we were basically concerned in the case of Bulgaria, as in so many cases,

it was particularly the sort of intervention in cases of violence and the

lack of child friendly intervention

procedures

result

in re traumatization of Children and particularly

with regard to the justice system,

lack of measures of multi sectoral and comprehensive interventions and

support to Children

that are or have been

victims of violence.

The family part.

We particularly we are happy with many of the developments in Bulgaria.

But

our concerns basically that the de

institutionalisation process has not been fast enough

and we highlighted the basic rule that

the state party should ensure that poverty,

disability or migration status should never be

the sole cause for placing a child in institution

education was also

one of the urgent measures that we

highlighted in, particularly in relation to quality of education at all levels,

the content of school curriculum

and inequalities in terms of access to education and educational

outcome, and finally,

the limited access to quality early education.

Now, with regard to asylum seeking Children,

we recommend that the state party

strengthen the quality of the asylum seeking

process, revises their

methods for age determination

and finally

regarding the justice system which was the

final

cluster in which we recommended that

the state needed to take urgent measure to

and that we

regarded in particular to settle by

diversion from criminal proceedings and ensuring

that it actively promotes non judicial measures such as diversion,

mediation and social psycho

support.

Now, this was, uh,

Bulgaria. And I will then,

go over Russia.

Now

I should say that the recommendations are normally about 45 paras

and sub

pas

lots of subpar.

So we are talking about approximately 200 maybe 300

concerns and recommendations. So obviously one needs to

only

one is only touching the highlights

with regard to Russia. We were concerned about independent monitoring,

collaboration with civil society,

freedom of sex expression and access to information,

sexual exploitation and sexual abuse, education,

violation of Children's rights under the Convention in Ukraine

and violations of Children in Crimea and the city of

Sevastopol

Um

that are temporary under the Russian

occupation.

Now, if I go very quickly over these items

first with regard to independent monitoring, we expressed our concern

about the lack of co ordination and monitoring

and in particularly the

allegations of war crimes perpetrated by

the Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights.

This was highlighted

with regard to

collaboration with the civil society.

There were numerous concerns and recommendations,

including

that

the state party should repeal

its legislation declaring human rights organisations

and individuals, persons

as foreign agents

and

UM

including also where recommendation to repeal decisions.

Declaring the LGBTI movement as extremist and repeal laws

that restrict the work of human rights defendants funders.

The

next topic was the issue of violence

and

there We were also concerned with the sort

of lack of intervention in child abuse cases

and lack of child friendly measures and child friendly procedures to deal with

child abuse,

lack of multi

sectoral and comprehensive interventions

which led to secondary victimisation.

And we

sort of highlighted, for example,

the case from the European Court of Human Rights a couple of years ago,

which

demonstrated the the

the sort of primitive nature of these intervention systems.

Now, in terms of the,

um, education and leisure,

um, we

were particularly concerned with the

politicisation and militarization of schools.

And

we recommended to the state that it should ensure that education is aimed at

preparation for the child for responsible life

and free society and spirit of understanding,

peace, tolerance,

equality of sexes and friendship.

We

addressed the attempts to rewrite school curriculum and textbooks to

reflect the political and military agenda of the government,

and there are more recommendations there

that were addressed.

And

finally I will

go with the major aspects of the violations we believe that the Russian Federation

has committed with regard to the convention and the

attack on Ukraine, the war in Ukraine

and

there we highlighted the killings and injuries of hundreds of Children as

a result of indiscriminate attacks on the state party with explosive weapons.

We highlighted the issue of forcible transfer,

enforceable deported Children

by the state from Ukraine.

We highlighted the

measures that Russia has taken,

including the presidential decree from January 24th,

providing Russian citizenship to forcibly transfer or deport the Children

under the simplified procedure.

And we highlighted the

fact that there are evidence that suggests that

Children are deprived of the Ukrainian nationality in

violation of the rights of the child.

There were reports of sexual violence against Children

perpetrated during the state party occupation in Ukraine,

arbitrary detention,

ill treatment and torture Children by the

Russian authorities in the occupied Ukrainian territory,

attacks on hospitals, schools and educational establishment,

and enforcing Russian curricula and military

training in schools in Ukraine territory.

And the

committee men makes them

corresponding

recommendations or measures to the state party

and

This also is a specific section on

the

Crimea region

and the

Sevastopol,

where we recommend the

the State Party to

carry out effective or thorough impartial investigation into all

reported cases of arbitrary detention

and prosecution,

intimidation and harassment,

and threats and

Reprisals against Children.

Secondly, the rights

to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression

and opinion association thought,

and conscience and religion can be exercised by all Children in the Crimea

and finally to adopt and implement measures

to ensure the availability of education at

all levels in the mother tongue of ethnic groups and indigenous peoples in Crimea

and ensure the availability of education in the Ukrainian language.

So these are the sort of

highlights of the recommendations or the topics

of the government of the committee's

recommendations to the Russian Federation. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr Gu

Branson. Now may I have Mr Jeffer to talk about South Africa and Senegal? Thank you.

Yes. Hello, everyone.

Um so first to South Africa,

which is an important country regionally and internationally,

which has made great strides

regarding Children's rights and to simplify my presentation,

I'll just highlight three buckets of issues that were flagged

under different forms in our concluding observations.

First, we think that Children should be more visible within the,

um, framework or national framework

that is being prepared, uh, for the coming years.

Another aspect of visibility is

by, um, contrarian sort of perspective,

the lack of data on crucial issues that can be significantly improved.

Also, the lack of, um,

participation and, um,

volume of, uh, budget dedicated to Children.

we also highlighted a range of issues that don't ask for a lot of major developments

very high level, uh, and prevalence of child poverty.

Um, which

obviously cascade into so many different problems.

Uh, throughout the life course of Children, health, mental health, family,

environment

and much more.

We also highlighted violence against Children, uh, in all settings,

despite clear, uh, legal prohibitions in most instances

and in particular, gender-based violence.

Also, uh,

a concern about Children living in institutional care

and the lack of monitoring of these facilities.

Uh, we also on a positive side, noted that South Africa has,

uh, great models regarding child participation.

But this requires, uh, that these practises be enhanced

in, uh, all provinces and at a national level,

uh, skipping to Senegal. Um,

we um, examined, uh, Senegal, But also two optional protocols. Uh,

um, on, uh, Children involvement in armed conflict, and, uh, Children in

the sale of Children, child

prostitution and child pornography.

I won't say much about that, but, um, first of all, let me couch my remarks, Um,

in the context of the current political turbulence underway in Senegal, and

the committee hopes that the effects

of this, uh turbulence

will be minimal on, uh, the the lives of Children who,

as we noted in our concluding observations, already have a lot to contend with.

So front and centre is the committee's concern. And I have to say puzzlement

that, uh,

the revision of Senegal's Children's code has been in revision for 10 years,

and there seems to be no indication that there's an end in sight.

And we pushed the state party to

address this, uh, for, uh, urgently.

Another significant concern is the lack of data on a whole range of issues. And

beyond that, the lack of coordinations where there is data

and, uh, in particular,

we the committee flagged the issue of violence against Children in all its forms,

which is

I would qualify. We qualify

um, not necessarily in the concluding observations, but here as endemic.

Uh,

the reports are very concerning regarding violence against Children

in Quranic schools and so-called tally Bay Children.

Another concern is the high number of girls subject to female genital mutilation,

Um, as well as early enforced marriages. And I'll end with that.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr Jeffer.

Now I'm passing on the call to Ms Skelton again on the other two countries. Thank you.

Thank you, Vivian.

I'll begin with the Congo, and, uh,

pick up on just a very similar point to the one that my colleague Philip Jaffe made.

I think the high line issue for for

Congo was also these harmful cultural practises that,

uh,

are persistent.

Even though there's been law reform on the ground, not much changes.

So we see that there is still child marriage,

and it's a commonly accepted practise.

Um, and, uh, it's not fully banned by law.

Female genital mutilation.

Um, among some West African communities living in Congo,

um is still happening.

And, um,

there is also physical marking for tribe identification on Children's bodies,

including branding,

and there are body modifications and

imposed dietary restrictions on pregnant girls.

So pregnant girls are not allowed to eat certain things.

So obviously, the committee

honed in on this and said, Look,

we really need you to now come up with not just the legal responses to this,

but what are you doing

to change this on the ground? How are you going to persuade

the public to really make these changes in society?

And you've got to, you know,

set that minimum age for marriage at 18 for girls and boys and stick to it.

Don't have exceptions to it.

Um and it must be, uh, you know,

you've got to create awareness at the at the level of the ordinary

people about why practises such as female genital mutilation are not acceptable.

Um, so, uh, moving over to Lithuania, Lithuania,

we we found many positive developments that the country is doing quite well.

It's changed a lot of its laws and

policies, and it's made a lot of structural changes,

and it has some specialised services for Children.

Um, of course, there's always room for improvement.

But let me hone in here on what we did find to be very problematic.

And that was the treatment of asylum seeking Children,

We found that it is still both legally permitted to detain

unaccompanied and separated Children as well as it is.

It is happening in practise, including detention at the border.

And there's a lot of pushbacks happening in Lithuania,

where Children are not able to actually come in

and make their claims and make applications for asylum.

They are stopped in their tracks before they can even get that far and pushed back.

So what we said about all of this was is you've got to stop detaining Children,

child migrants.

They are not criminals.

You've got to find other solutions to this.

And we also made it clear that

every child has to be given the opportunity to make an application for asylum.

They should be provided with legal aid.

They should be given opportunities to, um, appeal decisions that are made so that,

um, you know each child gets a proper individualised

assessment or determination.

So, Vivian, as I have the floor, shall I just move straight to making my statement on

Gaza.

So as the chairperson of the committee,

I want to make this statement on behalf of the Committee on the Rights of the child.

No child should grow up in fear, pain

and hunger.

Yet today,

no child in Gaza is free

from fear,

pain and hunger.

In fact,

they'll be considered lucky if they can even survive

this war and have the chance to grow up.

According to the latest UN figures, 27,585 Palestinians have been killed

and 66,978 injured

since the seventh of October last year.

More than 7000 are estimated to be buried under rubble,

raising the total number of casualties to more than 100,000 people.

And as we all know,

many of them

are Children.

Some of them have lost their lives, but others have lost their limbs.

Their parents,

siblings

and friends.

All Children living in the Gaza Strip

have lost their childhood.

They are traumatised

and will forever live with a permanent impact on their mental health.

More than 10 Children per day, on average, have lost one or both legs

in Gaza since the conflict erupted four months ago.

According to Save the Children,

that is the figure,

and UNICEF estimates that at least 17,000 Children

are unaccompanied or separated from their parents,

and almost all of Gaza's 1.2 million Children

are in need of mental health and psychosocial support.

These Children also need attention and action from the international community.

The ruling of the International Court of Justice on the 26th of January 2024

found that South Africa's claim that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza

to be plausible

and ordered Israel

and I'm going to quote to take all measures within its power

to prevent the Commission of all acts within the scope of Article two

of the convention, including killing members of the group,

to prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to commit genocide

and to enable the provision

of humanitarian assistance.

The committee again

urgently appeals for an immediate ceasefire,

the delivery of urgent humanitarian aid

and the immediate release of all hostages,

in particular Children and their caregivers.

In

this regard,

we echo the grave concern about the fate of hostages expressed by the International

Court of Justice,

and we echo also its call for their immediate and unconditional release

in view of the colossal humanitarian needs faced by

more than 2 million people in the Gaza enclave.

The committee urges all donor states who have

suspended their funding or future funding to U NRW

to reconsider their decision immediately and

provide sufficient funds to ensure that all

urgent aid can be provided to all to each and every child.

Furthermore,

we call for massive psychosocial support to Children and families

to relieve the traumatic and long lasting impact of war,

including Israeli Children that were victims of or witnesses to the attacks

and those whose family members have been taken hostage.

We also emphasise our grave concern about the

situation of Children living in the West Bank,

including east Jerusalem, who are facing arbitrary arrests,

extrajudicial killing and violence committed by occupying forces and settlers.

We call upon the State of Israel to immediately comply

with the ruling of the International Court of Justice.

We also call on all states to take action

to end the conflict

by establishing an immediate ceasefire,

resuming peace negotiations and restoring funding to UN

R A without delay.

The state of Israel was on the list of states to be reviewed during this session,

so the Committee on the Rights of the Child was to have reviewed Israel

But unfortunately,

the Israeli government decided to postpone its participation.

The committee deeply regrets that it did not have the opportunity to review Israel.

When time is of the essence,

the rights of Children living under the

state of Israel's effective control are being

gravely violated at a level that has rarely been seen in recent recent history.

We look forward to an interactive dialogue with the state delegation from Israel,

which is now scheduled for the committee's September session.

In the meantime,

the committee will send Israel an additional list

of issues on the situation of Children in Israel

and the occupied Palestinian

territory since the seventh of October 2023.

Thank you.

Thank you, Miss

Kelton.

Now we open the floor to question

Yes. Um, Gabriela, you have the first question from Reuters.

I'm sorry.

Um, thank you very much. Um, I have a question. Probably for the chair or for Mr Gudrun

regarding Russia.

In your report, you issue a recommendation

to end immediately the enforced disappearances of Ukrainian Children from

occupied regions of of the Ukraine to Russia.

Yet the country perpetrating this does not recognise that this is even happening.

Uh, it's It's beyond the denial. Uh, how do you engage with a country

that

doesn't even deny but doesn't even recognise that this is taking place? Thank you.

It's, um yeah. Thank you. Thank you for that question. Now,

when we monitor states,

we receive information from various sources,

including civil societies, other states and

human rights institutions, et cetera, et cetera.

With regard to Russia, um,

it is true, we we received, um,

information about

forceful and, um, deportation of at least 20 thou 1000 or just under 20,000

Children

to Russia

from the Ukrainian government.

And there were also other sources that indicated that this had taken place.

Although

it was difficult to

evaluate the exact numbers of Children,

Russia denied this.

However, they, um,

um submitted the information that 700,000 Children

had

fled to Russia.

Um, to save safety, let's say,

defined it.

Now, we, um,

are in the position that we need to assess the information

and the evidence that have been presented.

And it is our conclusion that there are evidence

of forceful transfer of Children from Ukraine to Russia.

We cannot

identify the number of these Children, but we know

that there are many,

and we can.

What supports this

is the actual

measures that Russia has taken

to

simplify procedures, to acquire Russian citizenship

and to place Children in care with Russian families,

including the ombudsman for Children.

So we think there is a very valid reason to make the recommendations that we do

to Russia. This is against the,

um, many

international convention,

Um, and for the for first and foremost,

we are referring here to the Convention on the Rights of the Child

and the obligation in article 31 38 1

on,

the obligation which states in

situations of armed conflict.

I hope that explains your

I just want to make one clarification. And that is that

the the

Russian Federation delegation said that 7000 Children

had been, um,

evacuated was the the term that they used. So we were.

We found often in the dialogue that we were using

one type of terminology and they were using another.

So we were There was some talking past one another, one could say,

and another similar talking past one another was on

the issue of fostering Children or adopting Children.

So we were saying, using the word adoption,

and they were denying that it's adoption and talking about

foster fostering Children.

Um, but on the other hand,

they also acknowledge that there were a lot

of Children who were being given Russian citizenship,

which would also in itself be, um, in a sense,

meaning that these Children were losing their

their identity and being given a Russian identity.

Um, so So there was There was definitely a lot of, um,

terminology was often, uh,

being played in a way that made it difficult to have a completely

clear conversation.

Um, we have a second question from a P. Jamie, please.

Thank you very much. Um,

based on the fact that you mentioned that, uh,

the you you appear to be talking past one another

and the fact that Russia appears to be pressing a military and

political agenda in schools and is saying that they're not deportations.

How likely do you think it is that Moscow

Russian?

The Russian government will actually adhere to all

of these calls that you're making today,

um, based on their track record, both in the hearing and and elsewhere.

And what kind of pressure or encouragement? Let's say,

should be um, uh,

exerted by the international community to try to bring Russia around.

Thank you.

Let me start on this one.

I think as far as the politicisation and militarization of schools, for example,

this is something that we we've driven

home quite hard in our concluding observations.

We consider it

to be a very big risk for for the future of

these Children who are going to who are being indoctrinated.

Basically.

So, um,

with respect to your question as to well, will this make a difference? Will,

you know, will the Russian Federation actually carry out these recommendations?

I see it as a positive

event that the delegation came and that we engaged for six hours,

six hours of dialogue with them.

Um, and and this means I think at least that, uh,

the conversation has been had

and that

many of the points that were made during that dialogue are are taken home.

in the minds of people,

um, of course, it's true that in order to really, uh, ensure that

the recommendations are acted upon will also require,

uh, others trying to hold Russia accountable.

Um, and, um

and that is something that the international community

will have to continue to do using,

you know, other, um, human rights mechanisms that exist.

Um, but as far as we're concerned, we, um We deliver these recommendations, and we,

um

and we hope

that they will be taken seriously and acted upon

very briefly,

um, to to I. I completely agree. With what? The chair. Um, uh,

expressed, uh, but you also have to take into account.

that, uh, our dialogue with the State

for Russian Federation was on Web TV.

And, uh, we've I have heard, and several of my colleagues have heard that

there had been great interest on the ground

in Russia and beyond, uh, with regard to that exchange with the Russian government.

So it's just to say that the exchange

and just putting it out there

is an element that can be used. And,

um

and, uh, help, um,

push forward the recommendations that we're expressing.

But then again, as you can imagine, there are a lot of challenges that most bodies,

uh, meet uh,

with regard to the Russian government's positions.

If

you

try me

up to this, uh,

the very fact that Russia came

and engaged in a constructive dialogue in the sense that the

dialogue was, for the most part, technical

and substantive in nature.

I

think that's an achievement in itself.

Of course, we do not know what will. They will take home with them.

But it was interesting that in the very end

the head of the delegation,

he explicitly said that

they would take back

what would that suited them.

But, um,

we're not really bothered about the issues that

they thought were

not

relevant.

And it was, of course, a clear message to them that

they didn't particularly like many of the

comments that we made in the dialogue, and we sort of didn't expect that to happen.

But I, I think it's an important exercise and

worth the

try.

Thank you.

Do we have any follow up questions from the room?

If not, we can take a question from online. We have Lisa from Voice of America.

Lisa, please.

Uh, yes. Thank you, Vivian. Um, yes. Hello,

Panel. I would, uh

uh hm. Let's see.

Uh, how large? Uh uh, could you be specific about the recommendations that you gave?

I mean to highlight the most important ones. Like

have you have you told Russia to

retransfer send back the Children that they have

forcibly transferred to Russia back to their homes.

Uh,

if you could highlight some of the most important recommendations and, uh,

apparently I gather from you that, uh, they have, uh,

essentially said that they wouldn't follow them. So you do you have any sanctions? A

question was asked as to what sort of pressure there was on Russia.

Perhaps there is none.

Uh, And how large was the delegation?

The dialogue that you had with the Russia on,

uh, on the web Was that only in regard to this particular issue or also

other issues, or did Ma most of the,

uh, examination occur face to face? Um,

yeah. And then maybe a follow up on that. Thank you.

Now, all our dialogue was face to face. There was nothing

online.

And, uh, with regard to the question on our

recommendations, I can safely say that they were,

uh, very concrete.

And on the topic you specifically asked about,

Um

um

that was among the

topics I mentioned in my

introduction.

And I can read out exactly the the the power

that relates to your specific questions. about the transferred

forcibly transferred Children.

We asked to provide information about the precise number of Children

taken from Ukraine

and about the whereabouts of each child.

So as parents or other legal representatives

can track them,

including through identification of such Children

and registration of their parentage,

and ensure that Children are returned to their

families and communities as soon as possible.

So this was a specific recommendation on on the what you asked about. But there are,

as I said earlier, a number of others, and they are all very concrete.

I hope this

answers your concern

if I can just add, um, on the size of the delegation, it was a a large delegation.

There were four deputy ministers in the,

uh, delegation,

Um, and just to clarify, uh, everybody was in the room.

So it was It was not online in that sense, but it was

live on UN Web TV

the full six hours.

Thank you. And then we have another question from, um Geneva solution.

Please.

Kashmira,

we can't hear you. Can you, um unmute yourself?

Kasmira is unmuted,

but we cannot hear her.

I'm afraid we still can't hear you.

Ok, sorry. Maybe You can type your question if you can unmute yourself,

OK?

Or meanwhile,

Do we have another question from the floor from the room or from online?

Lisa, please. Go ahead.

Voice of America. Follow up.

Um uh, on a somewhat different subject,

I'd like you to elaborate a bit upon the situation of

the LGBT Q. I, uh, Children,

Uh, what were your recommendations there? I mean, what what? I?

I guess what I'd like to know is you had a lot of concerns, and I'm wondering,

in general,

were there any topics that, uh, the Russian delegation took,

uh, seriously, did you get the sense that

they would, in fact,

uh uh, implement some of the recommendations on some of the topics that they have?

I guess generally what I'd like to know is it,

uh, good to be a child

in Russia?

Oh, sorry. Um, yes. Thank you for this question.

on your question, is it good to be a child in Russia?

Well, um,

I

don't think I can answer that, nor the committee,

but we are concerned about the perception of Children in Russia.

We are concerned that they are not seen as

having

independent rights

that they are right holders.

And, uh, perhaps if there is an underlying,

uh, concept in our recommendation, it

it can be, um,

said to be embodied in this, uh,

concern

with regard to the L

BT

community.

Our

recommendation is quite clear.

Repeal decisions declaring L

LGBT movements as extremist

and repeal laws that restrict the work of human rights defenders

defending the rights of LGBT persons.

So it's very

it's not a long essay. It is very clear,

whether Russia will act on this

Well, that's a course for speculation. I do not prefer to do so

on whether Russia,

the Russian Federation might act on anything.

Um, I'm not sure whether they will act on this,

but I can tell you that what we said to

them when they were leaving is that they've introduced some lessons

called, um, lessons about important things.

And they've been teaching Children, for example,

about weapons in these lessons on important things.

But they also said, Look,

we've been teaching them about lots of different

things in these lessons of important things.

And so we said to them

that perhaps they should, uh,

have a lesson about important things that focuses on

the UN convention on the rights of the child.

And that explains what the committee has recommended to Russian

Federation with regard to the rights of the child.

Um and so we would hope that they would do that so that the, uh,

the convention becomes better known in Russia

and so that Children know what the international

community has said that Russia should be doing

in in respect of their rights,

whether or not that will be done. I don't know, but I'd like to repeat the call.

Thank you, Ms

Kelton. And then I can see Lisa still wants to have a follow up question,

please. Lisa?

Yeah, Just a quick one. I was wondering what happens next. Uh,

do they have to respond to your recommendations, and if so, when When is the, uh,

next interaction that you have with them? Thank you.

Um, look, they were given the opportunity to fact check, but over and above that

this is a cycle. So the idea is it's not an event when the country comes to Geneva to, um

to deliver their report and to be engaged in this dialogue.

It's just one point in a cycle

of monitoring we are monitoring.

And in between the visits to Geneva, which is once every five years,

the state party should be carrying out those recommendations.

Um, and of course,

it's also possible for these recommendations to be followed

up in other processes such as the U PR.

So, um, states who are following an act being active in the U PR

could use our recommendations there and reiterate them to to the government.

Um and, um, special rapporteurs might take up some of the issues.

So it's It's part of a more holistic monitoring process,

even though it's only once every five years that the

state party will come and engage with us in Geneva.

Thank you, madam Chair. And, uh, I don't see any more question.

Would you like to say a few words to wrap it up or you want to end it here?

Thank you very much for your interest in our work. I think we can leave it here.

Thank you, Vivian.

So the press conference has come to an end. Um,

the CRC next two session will be in May and September this year,

so hopefully we can see you after all those reviews.

Have a good evening. Afternoon. Thank you.

You are

OHCHR / CRC: Press conference following 95th session - 08 February 2024