Every report we find, newest first.

National review calls for urgent action to protect vulnerable unborn babies and infants

A national child safeguarding review has called for urgent action to better protect vulnerable unborn babies and infants, following the tragic death of baby Victoria Marten.

Research: Protecting all vulnerable babies better

National safeguarding practice review into the death of baby Victoria Marten.

Report the death or serious harm of a child or care leaver

How local authorities should report incidents to the Department for Education, Ofsted and Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel.

📋CRC Committee Session and Pre-session confirmed! New deadlines for NGO alternative reports !

Dear Colleagues, We are pleased to announce that the next session and pre-session of the CRC Committee are now confirmed! 101 Session (01 Sept- 28 Sept) During the 101 session the following States will be reviewed: Burkina Faso Kazakhstan Lesotho Slovenia Tajikistan Timor-Leste United Republic of Tanzania Uganda – not confirmed yet! The new deadline for NGOs and children to submit additional submissions is 1st August! Attention: use the new submissions platform for alternative reports! 103 Pre-Sessional Working Group (PSWG) (29 September – 2 October): The 103rd PSWG is also confirmed! During the PSWG, the Committee will meet with stakeholders and adopt Lists of Issues (LOIs) under the Traditional Reporting Procedure for the following States parties: South Sudan (OPAC) Belize China (including Hong Kong and Macau) Will meet with stakeholders under the Simplified Reporting Procedure (SRP) for: Sierra Leone New Alternative reports deadline for all these countries is 1 August 2026! Attention: use the new submissions platform for alternative reports! Find here guidance for the submission of Alternative reports for South Sudan, Belize and China and guidance for the submission of Written inputs to State report under the SRP for Sierra Leone. The Committee will also adopt LOIPRs under the Simplified Reporting Procedure for: Australia Barbados Lebanon Trinidad and Tobago The deadline for CSOs to submit alternative reports is 1 August 2026! Attention: use the new submissions platform for alternative reports! Countries postponed due to UN liquidity crisis! Earlier scheduling changes include: The following countries initially scheduled for the 103 PSWG have been postponed to the next pre-session: Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Romania (OPSC, OPAC) and Tunisia (OPSC).

Intern 1

Strategic Vision for Promoting and Protecting the Rights of CHRDs: Latin America Regional Dialogues

(La traducción al español se encuentra más abajo) On 19 May 2026, the first session of the Latin America Regional Dialogues on the Strategic Vision for Promoting and Protecting the Rights of Child Human Rights Defenders (CHRDs) brought together 108 participants from across Latin America and beyond. The regional dialogue is coordinated by Plataforma Tres Voces and the Learning for Well-being Foundation, with support from Child Rights Connect and Save the Children, as part of the implementation of the Strategic Vision for Child Human Rights Defenders—a framework co-designed by children, adolescents, and civil society organizations. The dialogue series aims to strengthen a regional, intergenerational community of learning and action that connects children and young people, civil society, and other stakeholders to advance the recognition, protection, and rights of CHRDs. The first session convened children and young people, child- and youth-led organizations, civil society organizations, UN representatives, multilateral organizations, universities, public institutions, and international human rights mechanisms to explore a central question: What does it mean in practice to promote and protect the rights of Child Human Rights Defenders? The consultation explored existing initiatives, identified regional priorities, and discussed practical actions to ensure that children and adolescents who defend human rights are recognized, protected, and meaningfully included in decision-making processes. The dialogue featured reflections from Andrea Bolaños Vargas, the newly appointed UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders, who emphasized the importance of recognizing children and adolescents as human rights defenders with distinct rights, risks, and protection needs. Rosaria Correa, Member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, also contributed to the discussion, reinforcing the importance of strengthening children’s rights, participation, and protection. Key findings A participatory regional mapping exercise demonstrated the diversity of initiatives already underway and highlighted a vibrant ecosystem supporting children’s participation, leadership, and human rights across the region. The discussion and mapping revealed that: Many organizations are already supporting CHRDs, even if they do not explicitly use this term to describe their work. Children’s meaningful participation emerged as the strongest cross-cutting theme, with initiatives promoting leadership, civic engagement, and influence in public decision-making. Common areas of work include education, violence prevention, peacebuilding, gender equality, combating discrimination, youth leadership, and public policy advocacy. Emerging priorities include mental health and wellbeing, digital protection, the inclusion of children and adolescents with disabilities, environmental rights, and the impact of shrinking civic space on children’s participation. A child defender emphasized the need for meaningful—not merely consultative—participation in decisions affecting children and adolescents. She also highlighted challenges such as adult centrism, fragmented initiatives, digital violence, and the emotional exhaustion experienced by many adolescent defenders. The mapping also showed that organizations frequently combine learning, advocacy, communication, participation, and protection, demonstrating that the Strategic Vision’s Four Pillars are closely interconnected in practice. Across the four pillars: Pillar 1 – Learning and Capacity Building was the most represented, with initiatives focused on leadership development, human rights education, participation, advocacy skills, and pedagogical tools. Pillar 3 – Documentation, Research and Advocacy also featured strongly, reflecting significant efforts to generate evidence and influence public policy and institutional decision-making. Pillar 4 – Change of Narratives included many initiatives led or co-created by children and adolescents themselves. Pillar 2 – Protection was the least represented. While protection was widely recognized as a priority, relatively few organizations identified dedicated protection mechanisms specifically designed for CHRDs. One of the child defenders attending the Dialogue, highlighted the importance of ensuring that children and young people participate in spaces for dialogue and emphasized the role of Pillar 4 in changing narratives and raising awareness about educational inequalities. Looking ahead The first dialogue confirmed that the region already has a strong foundation for advancing the Strategic Vision, while highlighting opportunities to broaden participation by engaging more organizations and countries across Latin America and the Caribbean. The regional mapping of initiatives will continue to grow through contributions from participating organizations, strengthening the collective evidence base and fostering future collaboration. Upcoming dialogue sessions will build on the priorities identified during the first meeting, exploring practical pathways to operationalise the Strategic Vision through youth-led partnerships, regional solidarity initiatives, joint advocacy, and commitments driven by children and young people themselves. Please find below the posts related to this event: Meeting summary: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wk90djMU1hix6Ac2-IPaXgVEta6hajCT/view LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7467613961434058752 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Visión Estratégica para la Promoción y Protección de los Derechos de las niñas, niños y adolescentes defensores de los derechos humanos (NNA DDH): Diálogos Regionales en América Latina El 19 de mayo de 2026, la primera sesión de los Diálogos Regionales de América Latina sobre la Visión Estratégica para la Promoción y Protección de los Derechos de las niñas, niños y adolescentes defensores de los derechos humanos (NNA DDH) reunió a 108 participantes de América Latina y otras regiones. Los Diálogos Regionales están coordinados por Plataforma Tres Voces y la Learning for Well-being Foundation, con el apoyo de Child Rights Connect y Save the Children, como parte de la implementación de la Visión Estratégica para las Niñas, Niños y Adolescentes Defensores de los Derechos Humanos- un instrumento co-diseñado por niñas, niños, adolescentes y organizaciones de la sociedad civil. La serie de diálogos tiene como objetivo fortalecer una comunidad regional, intergeneracional, de aprendizaje y acción que conecte a niñas, niños y jóvenes, organizaciones de la sociedad civil y otros actores clave para avanzar en el reconocimiento, la protección y la garantía de los derechos de las NNA DDH. La primera sesión reunió a niñas, niños y jóvenes; organizaciones lideradas por niñas, niños y jóvenes; organizaciones de la sociedad civil; representantes de las Naciones Unidas; organizaciones multilaterales; universidades; instituciones públicas y mecanismos internacionales de derechos humanos para explorar una pregunta central: ¿Qué significa en la práctica promover y proteger los derechos de las niñas, niños y adolescentes defensores de los derechos humanos? La consulta exploró las iniciativas existentes, identificó prioridades regionales y discutió acciones prácticas para garantizar que las niñas, niños y adolescentes que defienden los derechos humanos sean reconocidos, protegidos e incluidos de manera significativa en los procesos de toma de decisiones. El diálogo contó con las reflexiones de Andrea Bolaños Vargas, la recién nombrada Relatora Especial de las Naciones Unidas sobre la Situación de los Defensores de Derechos Humanos, quien destacó la importancia de reconocer a niñas, niños y adolescentes como personas defensoras de derechos humanos con derechos, riesgos y necesidades de protección específicas. Rosaria Correa, integrante del Comité de los Derechos del Niño de las Naciones Unidas, también contribuyó a la discusión, reforzando la importancia de fortalecer los derechos, la participación y la protección de niñas y niños. Principales hallazgos Un ejercicio participativo de mapeo regional demostró la diversidad de iniciativas ya existentes y destacó un ecosistema dinámico que apoya la participación, el liderazgo y los derechos humanos de niñas, niños y adolescentes en la región. La discusión y el mapeo revelaron que: Muchas organizaciones ya apoyan a los NNA DDH, incluso si no utilizan explícitamente este término para describir su trabajo. La participación significativa de niñas, niños y adolescentes surgió como el tema transversal más destacado, con iniciativas que promueven el liderazgo, la participación cívica y la influencia en la toma de decisiones públicas. Las áreas comunes de trabajo incluyen la educación, la prevención de la violencia, la construcción de paz, la igualdad de género, la lucha contra la discriminación, el liderazgo juvenil y la incidencia en políticas públicas. Entre las prioridades emergentes se encuentran la salud mental y el bienestar, la protección digital, la inclusión de niñas, niños y adolescentes con discapacidad, los derechos ambientales y el impacto de la reducción del espacio cívico en la participación infantil y adolescente. Una niña defensora enfatizó la necesidad de garantizar una participación significativa —y no meramente consultiva— de niñas, niños y adolescentes en las decisiones que les afectan. Asimismo, destacó desafíos como el adultocentrismo, la falta de articulación entre iniciativas, la violencia digital y el agotamiento emocional que enfrentan muchas personas adolescentes defensoras. El mapeo también mostró que las organizaciones combinan frecuentemente el aprendizaje, la incidencia, la comunicación, la participación y la protección, demostrando que los cuatro pilares de la Visión Estratégica están estrechamente interconectados en la práctica. En relación con los cuatro pilares: Pilar 1 – Aprendizaje y fortalecimiento de capacidades fue el más representado, con iniciativas centradas en el desarrollo del liderazgo, la educación en derechos humanos, la participación, las capacidades de incidencia y las herramientas pedagógicas. Pilar 3 – Documentación, investigación e incidencia también tuvo una fuerte presencia, reflejando importantes esfuerzos para generar evidencia e influir en políticas públicas y procesos de toma de decisiones institucionales. Pilar 4 – Cambio de narrativas incluyó numerosas iniciativas lideradas o co-creadas por las propias niñas, niños y adolescentes. Pilar 2 – Protección fue el menos representado. Si bien la protección fue ampliamente reconocida como una prioridad, relativamente pocas organizaciones identificaron mecanismos de protección específicos diseñados para las NNA DDH. Un niño defensor destacó la importancia de garantizar que niñas, niños y jóvenes participen en espacios de diálogo, y subrayó el papel del Pilar 4 en la transformación de narrativas y la sensibilización sobre las desigualdades educativas. Próximos pasos El primer diálogo confirmó que la región ya cuenta con una base sólida para avanzar en la Visión Estratégica, al tiempo que destacó oportunidades para ampliar la participación mediante la incorporación de más organizaciones y países de América Latina y el Caribe. El mapeo regional de iniciativas continuará creciendo mediante las contribuciones de las organizaciones participantes, fortaleciendo la base colectiva de evidencia y promoviendo futuras colaboraciones. Las próximas sesiones de diálogo se basarán en las prioridades identificadas durante el primer encuentro, explorando caminos prácticos para operacionalizar la Visión Estratégica mediante alianzas lideradas por jóvenes, iniciativas de solidaridad regional, acciones conjuntas de incidencia y compromisos impulsados por las propias niñas, niños y jóvenes. A continuación, encontrará las publicaciones relacionadas con este evento: Mémorias: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wk90djMU1hix6Ac2-IPaXgVEta6hajCT/view LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7467613961434058752

Intern 1

Joint CSO statement – 38th Annual Meeting of Chairpersons of Human Rights Treaty Bodies

38th Annual Meeting of Chairpersons of Human Rights Treaty Bodies Joint CSO statement 15 June 2026 This statement was delivered on behalf of TB-Net, Amnesty International, ISHR, APT and IRCT on the occasion of the 38th meeting of Chairpersons (15-19 June 2026). We express our strong support for the treaty bodies and Secretariat staff as they continue to operate under constraints at a time of profound crisis of the UN. We are deeply concerned about the impact of the crisis on the functioning of the treaty body system and on opportunities for stakeholder engagement. We recognise the efforts made by treaty bodies to mitigate these challenges through online intersessional work, virtual stakeholder meetings, and other accommodation measures, allowing them to continue discharging their mandates. Given the urgency of the current situation, we will first outline a number of immediate measures that we hope can be implemented in the short term to help ensure the system remains operational and accessible. We will then provide comments on reform proposals, followed by observations on funding necessary for the effective functioning of the treaty body system. 1. Suggested immediate measures We share the following concerns: The cancellation of sessions, pre-sessions, stakeholder meetings and hybrid modalities over the past two years has significantly reduced opportunities for civil society participation. We particularly regret the cancellation of NGO meetings in some instances, including formal NGO spaces as well as in the framework of pre-sessional working groups. We welcome the analysis provided in the document “Exceptional working methods and NGO/civil society participation in treaty body sessions”, which provides data which align with the negative impacts identified by TB-Net over the past two years. Meaningful civil society participation is critical to inform State reviews and other processes led by treaty bodies, as identified in the referred document. We would like to know whether these impacts, as identified in the document, will be raised at the Meeting with States parties, to involve them in the identification of solutions? The late confirmation of sessions and reviews continues to create serious obstacles for civil society participation. Short-notice scheduling and last-minute cancellations/postponements affect visa applications, increase travel costs, jeopardize funding opportunities, and limits CSOs’ ability to prepare meaningful submissions. While we recognize the uncertainty created by the current financial situation, greater predictability is essential. We also note with concern divergences in the implementation of previously agreed efficiency measures, in particular the simplified reporting procedure (SRP). The agreement to make SRP the default option risks being weakened as some treaty bodies opt out. This risks undermining an important system-wide efficiency reform. Funding shortfalls and cash conservations measures by UNOG have attempted to withdraw funding of essential accessibility services – including international sign interpretation and captioning – for the March 2026 sessions of the Human Rights Council and of the CRPD Committee. Only after public complaints by civil society and letters to UN high level authorities, funding was ensured 20 days before the date foreseen for the sessions. Meanwhile, full support to a deaf CRPD Committee member remains pending and the funding for national sign language during States reviews -discontinued in 2024- remain pending and not covered to ensure accessibility during CRPD Committee sessions. Beyond disability specific bodies or sessions, other treaty bodies foresee no budgetary resources and thus have no accessibility measures at all for people with disabilities. The crisis has also fallen heavily on the bodies that act in countries. The SPT was able to carry out only four visits in 2025, from among 96 states parties to the OPCAT. For the SPT a postponed or cancelled visit is not a deferred document but protection that does not reach people deprived of their liberty, and it cannot be recovered through intersessional or online means. Recommendations: Treaty bodies and OHCHR should guarantee the preservation of CSO engagement opportunities during the liquidity crisis and ensure that, where in-person meetings cannot be held, alternative modalities are systematically provided rather than cancelled. All treaty bodies should commit to publishing, at the earliest possible stage, a year-round indicative schedule of State reviews, drawing on the practices of CEDAW and CRPD, even where details remain tentative, provided it is stated that the schedule is an estimate and may be subject to change. To this aim, we encourage OHCHR to support the establishment of a consistent, year-round solution, applicable across all treaty bodies. Treaty bodies with the support from OHCHR should take the necessary steps to ensure harmonisation across key areas, including the simplified reporting procedure as the default reporting method, the handling of reprisals, and the implementation of the Addis Ababa guidelines as well as ensuring formal civil society spaces before all treaty bodies. 2. Comments on the proposals for reform We welcome the “OHCHR working paper on enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of the UN human rights treaty system”. We are supportive of reforms that strengthen the system in terms of impact, predictability, and accessibility, including for CSOs, NHRIs and NPMs. We further note that the reform proposals are framed primarily around the bodies that review State party reports. We encourage the Chairs and OHCHR to ensure that the distinct mandates of the CED and SPT, are expressly considered, so that measures designed for the reporting cycle neither divert resources from nor inadvertently constrain mandates exercised through visits and other forms of engagement. A predictable review calendar, based on the agreed 8-year cycle, is essential to the effective functioning of the treaty body system. Putting in place the predictable calendar would enable much needed clarity for all stakeholders as well as providing predictability for a forward-looking allocation of resources. However, we are concerned that, under current meeting-time constraints, establishing the eight-year cycle would not be possible in practice without accompanying structural reforms, including digitalisation and further harmonisation, undermining one of the central objectives of the reform process: ensuring predictability and timeliness in State reviews. We provide the following reflections on specific proposals: 1) Clustered treaty body dialogue model We are open to the exploration of new modalities for State dialogue and to exploring some kind of clustering. We see value in efforts to enhance coherence, efficiency, and predictability across the treaty body system. But we believe it is critical to make sure that discussions around clustering are guided by the following principles: While clustering may allow for more consistency and complementarity within the treaty body system (reducing duplication and inconsistencies), treaty specificity, cohesion and consistency within each Committee should be secured as well as the preservation of geographical diversity, gender balance, and thematic expertise in the composition of panels, ensuring representation from diverse legal, social, cultural, and regional backgrounds. Any clustering arrangements should not result in a reduction of civil society access to, or participation in, the treaty body system. We suggest that any move towards clustered dialogue models be informed by consultations with all stakeholders, including CSOs, and be introduced gradually, with a pilot phase and clear evaluation criteria before any system-wide implementation. In this regard, we look forward to receiving further information on the various options under consideration, including their operationalisation, resource requirements, and associated costs. 2) Decentralised / regionalised approaches We support further exploration of regionalised modalities for treaty body work, provided that such approaches are guided by predictability, accessibility, inclusivity, independence, and safety. Lessons learned from past experiences should be carefully assessed, including what has and has not worked in decentralised formats, considering the added value of Geneva as an international hub, including in relation to safety and access for experts, civil society organisations, NHRIs, NPMs, rights holders and victims / survivors. The assumption that mere geographical closeness enhances participation cannot be taken for granted and each country’s situation considered. Any process to design and implement the regionalization of treaty body work, particularly regarding core functions such as State reviews, should be informed by meaningful and inclusive civil society participation. Civil society plays a vital role in ensuring the effectiveness, legitimacy, and accountability of treaty body processes. Key considerations include: Ensure that the universal character of treaty bodies is preserved, including through diverse and geographically balanced treaty body membership in any regionalised modalities. Preserve the unity, coherence, and consistency of treaty body jurisprudence, working methods, and practices. Maintain a strong centralised coordination and support structure from the OHCHR Secretariat to ensure consistency and effective implementation of any regionalised modalities. Guarantee meaningful, safe, and inclusive participation of civil society and other stakeholders, including through both in-person and hybrid engagement opportunities. That is, ensure that regionalization enhances, rather than limits, access to treaty body processes for rights holders, civil society organisations, NHRIs, and NPMs and other stakeholders. And ensures that risks of reprisals, targeting and surveillance of rights holders is prevented. Ensure accessibility and equitable participation, including by addressing availability of visas through agreements with host countries, reasonable travel costs, and the specific access needs of persons with disabilities, including support to CRPD Committee members and provision of reasonable accommodation to civil society participants. Ensure predictability and transparency regarding the planning, scheduling, and conduct of treaty body activities carried out under regionalized arrangements. Based on these considerations, we support piloting more regional or decentralised initiatives. 3) Digitalisation of treaty body processes We support proposals to simplify State reporting through an integrated, multilingual online submission platform. We understand this could reduce administrative burdens, costs, and translation requirements, and improve efficiency in the reporting process. However, we emphasise the importance of transparency and accessibility of such platforms. In particular, we consider that: all submissions and updates should should be publicly accessible; changes or updates to State submissions should be clearly trackable; clear deadlines should ensure that civil society and other stakeholders have sufficient time to review and respond to information submitted by States. We support strengthening transparency in the election of treaty body members through improved online application systems. 3. Funding and enabling conditions We stress that treaty body reforms must be matched by adequate and sustainable financing, in line with States’ obligations under the treaties they have ratified. In closing we want to highlight some key recommendations: States should ensure that the treaty body system is adequately and predictably funded through the UN regular budget. States should provide a clear mandate for dedicated funding for hybrid modalities to support meaningful participation of stakeholders, including civil society organisations. States should identify and mobilise the allocation of resources essential to establish digitalisation tools, including accessible submission platforms and case management systems, as part of treaty body strengthening. States should also ensure that funding expressly protects the country visits functions of specific bodies within the system, which are least able to be delivered remotely. We end by highlighting that the treaty body system is being steadily weakened by the financial and operational crisis. Urgent measures are needed, which includes States reaffirming political and financial support for the system. We also look forward to hearing any updates on how the discussed reform objectives, short and long term, will be funded? We thank you.

Intern 1

Children help shape new UN guidance on the right to freedom of association

In 2026, the United Nations Human Rights Committee is developing new guidance on a fundamental human right: the right to freedom of association. Find here the original draft General Comment 38 on the right to freedom of association. Recognising this as a key opportunity to advance the rights of child human rights defenders, Child Rights Connect partnered with Amnesty International to ensure that children’s voices help shape this important process. For the first time, children met directly with a member of the Human Rights Committee to share their experiences and recommendations. In April 2026, Child Rights Connect and Amnesty International launched a joint call for expressions of interest(you can also find it in Spanish and French), inviting child human rights defenders to take part in the consultation and share their experiences of joining, creating, or participating in groups, movements, and organisations, as well as their recommendations on how the right to freedom of association should be better protected and fulfilled. We warmly thank our members, partners, and Amnesty International for mobilising their networks and supporting children to participate in the consultation. More than 25 child human rights defenders aged 12 to 17 responded to the call, joining the consultation from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Colombia, Guatemala, India, Ireland, Mexico, the Republic of Moldova, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Palestine, Peru, Rwanda, Serbia, and Ukraine. The children first came together in May to get to know one another and discuss a child-friendly version of the draft General Comment No. 38. Together, they identified key gaps in the draft regarding children’s exercise of the right to freedom of association. You can access the child-friendly version in English and Spanish here. On 20 June, the children met online with Ms. Hélène Tigroudja, Vice-Chair and member of the Human Rights Committee, who represented the Committee during the consultation. The discussion provided a unique opportunity for children to speak directly with the Committee and contribute to the drafting of General Comment No. 38. To promote cooperation between UN human rights mechanisms, Gina Romero, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, also joined the consultation. This gave children the opportunity to share their views with the Special Rapporteur as she prepares her report, “Youth Activism Report: Gen-Z Activism and the Future of Civic Space”, on the exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association by young people. The consultation provided valuable insights that will help enrich the draft General Comment. Below are some of the key messages shared by the children: Freedom of association is essential for children’s development. Children described associations as safe spaces where they can express themselves, build confidence, develop leadership skills, support one another, and create positive change. They stressed that, for children, exercising the right to freedom of association is itself an essential part of their education and development. Children face multiple barriers to exercising this right. Children highlighted age discrimination, adult-centred approaches, legal and administrative barriers, and limited access to funding and other resources. They also emphasised that adults should support children’s participation and leadership, not replace it. States and schools have a key role to play. Children called on States to ensure meaningful participation, improve access to information about children’s rights, and create equal opportunities for all children to join or establish associations. They also stressed that schools and other educational institutions should actively support children’s freedom of association by creating opportunities for children to organise, participate, and lead child-led initiatives. Restrictions must be addressed. Children shared how restrictions, particularly in schools, can limit their freedom of association. They also highlighted the impact of stigma, negative stereotypes, and reprisals against children who organise, participate, or speak out. You can find the child-friendly outcome document from the consultation in English and Spanish. The children will meet again in the autumn to see how their recommendations have been reflected in final General Comment. The consultation was followed by a joint written submission, co-drafted by Child Rights Connect, the Network of Organizations for Children of Serbia (MODS), and the Union of Secondary School Students of Serbia (UNSS). The submission translates the children’s key messages into concrete drafting proposals for General Comment No. 38. You can read the Joint Submission on Draft General Comment No. 38 on Article 22 of the ICCPR (15 July 2026) here. We warmly thank Amnesty International for their collaboration in making the consultation with children possible, and MODS and UNSS for their valuable contribution in developing the joint submission.

Intern 1

New Practical Guidance Helps Civil Society Advance Children’s Rights Through Public Budgeting

The How to Child Rights Series is pleased to launch How to Analyze, Track and Influence Public Budgets for Children’s Rights, a new practical guidance designed to strengthen civil society’s capacity to analyze, track, and influence public budgets through a child rights lens. This marks the conclusion of a collaborative process that included multilingual consultations, a regional peer-to-peer learning exchange, and a global launch webinar, bringing together practitioners and experts from around the world to shape and introduce the guidance. Explore the guidance: Three practical tools for civil society and much more Authored by Lubna Iskandar, the guidance is intended for civil society organizations, national coalitions, child rights practitioners, advocates, researchers, and other stakeholders working on governance, accountability, and public finance. It consists of three complementary tools: 📘Guidance landing page 📄 Tool 1 – An Introductory Guide for Civil Society: introduces the fundamentals of child rights budgeting and provides an accessible entry point for organizations beginning this work. 📄 Tool 2 – How to Conduct Public Budget Allocation and Expenditure Analysis Using a Child Rights Lens: presents practical methodologies for analyzing public budget allocations and expenditures through a child rights lens, enabling organizations to generate robust evidence for advocacy. 📄 Tool 3 – How to Develop Effective Public Budget Advocacy Strategies and Plans: supports organizations in translating budget analysis into strategic advocacy, helping them influence public decision-making and promote greater investment in children’s rights. And two webinars: 🎥 Launch Webinar 🤝 Peer-to-Peer Learning Exchange The guidance is available in English, Arabic, French, and Spanish! Together, these tools support organizations in moving from understanding public budgets to generating evidence and influencing decision-making to advance children’s rights. A collaborative and multilingual process The guidance was developed through an extensive participatory process. Between November and December 2025, Child Rights Connect, in collaboration with Save the Children and the Manara Network, organized consultation sessions in Arabic, English, French, and Spanish, engaging 169 practitioners from civil society organizations, international NGOs, UN agencies, academia, and independent experts. The process continued with a regional peer-to-peer learning exchange with experiences from across the Middle East and North Africa, where participants shared practical experiences, validated the draft guidance, and contributed recommendations that were incorporated into the final tools. 👉 You can learn more about the peer-to-peer exchange and access the webinar recording, presentation slides, and concept note here. The peer-to-peer is intended as a long-lasting resource for those in the region and beyond highlighting innovative or successful approaches that can be adapted by others. Global launch The guidance was officially launched on 23 July 2026 through a global webinar featuring opening remarks by Yasmeen Shariff, Elected Member of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC), a presentation by the guidance author Lubna Iskandar, regional reflections from practitioners across Nepal, Peru, Niger, Lebanon, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and closing remarks by Dr. Cephas Lumina, Member of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. 👉 Watch the launch webinar and access the recording, presentation slides, and concept note here. The webinar generated lively discussions, with participants exchanging ideas, asking practical questions, and exploring how the guidance can support child rights budget advocacy in different national contexts. Developed with the generous support of the Advancing Children’s Rights Research Network Palestine (Project AcoRN), the guidance responds to a growing need for practical tools that help civil society organizations engage more confidently in public budgeting processes. While public budgets are essential for translating children’s rights commitments into reality, many organizations have limited access to practical methodologies for budget analysis and advocacy. Explore the guidance. Use it. Test it. Then tell us what worked, what didn’t, and what you’d improve. Your feedback and examples will help us strengthen the guidance, showcase good practice, and make it even more useful for everyone. Share your experience with us at HowtoChildRights@childrightsconnect.org

Intern 1