Written Inputs to the List of Issues Prior to Reporting (LOIPR)

Three months before the adoption of the LOIPR, children’s rights defenders can submit written information. This first submission is meant to be a short and less detailed report focusing on questions for the LOIPR and not recommendations for the Concluding Observations.

At their twenty-second annual meeting, in 2011, the chairpersons of the human rights treaty bodies agreed that national human rights institutions and civil society, including NGOs, play an essential role with regard to the preparation of lists of issues prior to reporting, and their active participation in the process is encouraged.

Children who act as children’s rights defenders – because they are part of child-led organisations or groups, or act as children’s representatives – can also submit an alternative report, films, studies, photographs, drawings, or use any other means they feel appropriate to express their views. If they cannot – or do not want to – submit a product of their own, they can contribute to an alternative report drafted by adults. Whichever option they choose, their engagement must follow the 9 principles established by the Committee’s working methods on child participation.

Child Rights Connect reporting guides:

Frequently Asked Questions about the LOIPR

1. What type of inputs can children’s rights defenders submit before the LOIPR?
The written submission should include emerging trends and key issues that children’s rights defenders think should be covered in the LOIPR.

Adults’ submissions should respect this word limit: 10’000 words for comprehensive report and 3’000 for thematic reports. These limits do not apply to children’s submissions, who can also submit an alternative report, films, studies, photographs, drawings, or use any other means they feel appropriate to express their views.

2. How should the information be structured?

Under each of the issues proposed, children’s rights defenders should include a set of questions with a brief explanation of the context, and why the issue should be included in the LOIPR. The questions may or may not be related to previous Concluding Observations. Children’s rights defenders should – as far as possible – follow the Committee’s clusters of rights (see page 10 of our Guide to CRC Reporting). However, reports can also focus on cross-cutting or thematic issues.

3. What is the word limit?
The report should be submitted in WORD format and have a maximum of 10,000 words for comprehensive reports and 3’000 words for thematic reports, excluding annexes, even if it covers the CRC and OPAC and/or OPSC. These limits do not apply to children’s submissions, who can be of other formats (videos, drawings, artworks, etc.)
4. Which language can I write my written inputs to the List of Issues Prior to Reporting (LOIPR) in?
Inputs can be submitted in English, French, or Spanish – the three working languages of the Committee. However, in practice, submitting an alternative report in only one of these languages means that not all Committee members will be able to read it (the United Nations do not translate alternative reports).

It is therefore highly recommended to submit a full English version of your report (the most common working language of Committee members), as well as summaries with your key recommendations in French and Spanish (for those who cannot read English), when possible.

5. How do I submit inputs to the Committee?
You will need to upload an electronic copy on the secured online platform we provide to the Secretariat of the Committee at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

For more details on the full process, see the Committee’s webpage.

6. What is the deadline to submit written inputs to the List of Issues Prior to Reporting (LOIPR)?
  Electronic copies
February pre-session for adoption of LOIPR 1 December
June pre-session for adoption of LOIPR 1 April
October pre-session for adoption of LOIPR 1 August

 

7. I have missed the official deadline. What can I do?
You can still submit your report: our secured online platform is always open.

 

8. What happens to my written inputs once I submit it? Is it kept confidential or is it made public?
After you submit your written inputs to the List of Issues Prior to Reporting (LOIPR) through our secured online platform, the Secretariat of the Committee at OHCHR downloads it and transmits it to the Committee.

Your report is kept confidential unless you agree to have it published on the Committee’s webpage when you submit your report online by ticking the appropriate box. If you did not agree to have it published when you submitted your report but have changed your mind or would like to have another version made public, please send your report directly to crc@ohchr.org after your country pre-session.

OHCHR publishes all authorised alternative reports at once after the pre-session. If you have authorised the publication of your report and don’t see it online after the pre-session of the country concerned, please contact OHCHR directly at: crc@ohchr.org.

Reports that are submitted for publication on OHCHR’s website should not contain names, personal details, photos or any other information that might identify an individual child.

The report should include:

  • A title page
  • A table contents based on the official reporting guidelines for States (clusters of rights, see the info box).
  • The list of authors and contributors.
  • An explanatory note on the methodology followed for the drafting of the report.
  • At the end of each cluster, key issues to be included in the LOIPR.
  • The watermark “CONFIDENTIAL”, if necessary.
  • Pages numbers.

The reports should be submitted in WORD format and have a maximum of 10, 000 words for comprehensive reports, or a maximum of 3, 000 words for thematic reports, excluding annexes, even if it covers the CRC and OPAC and/or OPSC. These limits do not apply to children’s submissions, who can be of other formats (videos, drawings, artworks, etc.)

In general, footnotes should be used only to provide hyperlinks or references. If they provide more information, they are included in the word count.

The report should contain:

  • A summary explaination of the main areas of concerns, key issues, challenges and recommandations.
  • Emerging trends and highlight key issues to be included in the LOIPR, which may or may not be related to the previous concluding observations (COBs).
  • A set of questions with contextual information on the issues raised and statistical data, where relevant and available.
  • Suggested solutions and recommandations to the State (including existing recommandations to the State by other UN and regional human rights mechanisms, when relevant).

Clusters of rights:
The written inputs to the LOIPR should be organised around the clusters of rights defined by the Committee and set out in the reporting guidelines for States. These clusters should be used by civil society organisations, even if they are not preparing a comprehensive report.

  • General measures of implementation (arts. 4, 42 and 44 (6))
  • Definition of the child (art.1)
  • General principles (arts. 2–3, 6 and 12)
  • Civil rights and freedoms (arts. 7–8 and 13–17)
  • Violence against children (arts. 19, 24 (3), 28 (2), 34, 37 (a) and 39)
  • Family environment and alternative care (arts. 5, 9–11, 18 (1)–(2), 20–21, 25 and 27 (4))
  • Children with disabilities (art. 23)
  • Basic health and welfare (arts. 6, 18 (3), 24, 26, 27 (1)–(3) and 33)
  • Children’s rights and the environment (arts. 2, 3, 6, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 24 and 26–31)
  • Education, leisure and cultural activities (arts. 28–31)
  • Special protection measures (arts. 22, 30, 32–33, 35–36, 37 (b)–(d) and 38–40)

Why engage with the Reporting Cycle?

 

Children’s rights defenders, including children themselves, who engage in the reporting cycle, can:

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Confidentially, raise their concerns and suggestions about the children’s rights situation in their country to a UN body that can make recommendations to their national government
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Use their report and the reporting cycle to increase awareness about children’s rights issues in the media and the general public
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Participate in the improvement of the children’s rights situation in their country
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Establish working relations with new partners at national and international level
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