Additional Submissions   

At this stage, children’s rights defenders, including those who did not submit an alternative report or did not participate in the pre-session, can send additional submissions to the Committee to comment on the State’s written replies and/or send new or updated information to the Committee before the session, for example.

Additional submissions include:

  • comments on the List of Issues;
  • responses to the questions in the List of Issues;
  • comments on the Written Replies;
  • updates in relation to the alternative report;
  • information on new developments and events;
  • any other relevant information useful for the session.

Our reporting guides:

Frequently Asked Questions About the Additional Submissions of Children’s Rights Defenders before the Session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child

1. What is the format of additional submissions?

There is no specific format for additional submissions. The most important thing is that they should be as concise as possible. Written submissions should be submitted in WORD format.

2. What is the deadline for additional submission?
  Electronic Copies
September Session 15 August
January Session 15 December
May Session 15 April
3. How do I submit an additional submission to the Committee?

All additional submissions should be submitted to the Secretariat of the Committee – the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

You need to upload each submission to this link. Child Rights Connect provides OHCHR with a secured online space where all the reports are compiled.

For more info see the Committee’s webpage.

4. I have missed the deadline. What can I do?

You can still submit your additional submissions. The online system is always open. However, you should be aware that Committee members might have at this point very little time to go through all the submissions before the dialogue with the State.

5. What if the written replies are late?

The deadline set by the Committee is not always respected by the States. Sometimes, States send the document with significant delays. In some cases, they do not send it at all. Children’s rights defenders should approach their government to remind them of their reporting obligations. If there is a considerable delay, it is worth sending your additional submission anyway, to ensure that the Committee has time to consider the information in advance of the session. You can then send short additional comments on the written replies once they are available.

6. Can my submission be kept confidential?

Yes, your submission is considered confidential unless you authorise OHCHR to publish it on the Committee’s webpage.

7. Can my submission be published?

Yes, you can publish your submission at any time. You can authorise OHCHR to publish your submission when you upload it. If you have authorised the publication and your report has not been published, you must contact 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.

Possible actions to be undertaken between the pre-session and the session

Between the pre-session and the public sessions, many things can be done, depending on each national context. These include, among others:

  • Organise meetings with the members of the government delegation and any other key governmental actor responsible for the implementation of the Committee’s recommendations;
  • Meet and coordinate with other NGOs, especially human rights NGOs, UN agencies, such as UNICEF, and National Human Rights Institutions on the follow-up strategies;
  • Ensure that the media has access to the State party report, the List of Issues, if appropriate, the alternative reports, and encourage on-going media coverage of the meeting with the Committee;
  • Look for other opportunities at international level to engage and raise your concerns to strengthen your national advocacy (other Treaty Bodies, Universal Periodic Review, special procedures);
  • Support children in engaging in the whole cycle and not just the pre-session so that they also use this experience for a stronger advocacy at national level.

Please note that the Committee does not accept country visits between the pre-session and the session.

Why engage with the Reporting Cycle?

 

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

Z
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
Z
Use their report and the reporting cycle to increase awareness about children’s rights issues in the media and the general public
Z
Participate in the improvement of the children’s rights situation in their country
Z
Establish working relations with new partners at national and international level
v Site feedback