UN Committee on the Rights of the Child Concluding Observations

Our key calls for change:

• Continued robust monitoring and reporting on progress (or lack of) on the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’s Concluding Observations 2023
• Welsh Government and other key duty bearers address the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’s recommendations.

Background information & introduction to our work

Dr Rhian Croke is an active member of the Wales UNCRC Monitoring Group that brings together evidence on the progress (or lack of progress) on children’s rights in Wales and submits evidence to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.

We submitted evidence on the following areas in 2022-23:

• General Measures of Implementation,
• Strip Search of Children,
• Deprivation of Liberty Orders,
• Independent Visitors
• Young Asylum Seekers
• Youth Justice

Dr Croke attended the pre-sessional hearing in Geneva on February 6th 2023, with her colleague Sean O’ Neill from Children in Wales, on behalf of the Wales UNCRC Monitoring Group and observed the UK State party examination on May 18th and 19th. This was an opportunity to push for change on children’s rights with other UK Children’s rights alliances, Children’s Commissioners, Independent Human Rights Institutions and children led organisations from across the UK.

Dr Croke was invited to present on the Wales NGO Alternative Report and her reflections on the pre-sessional hearing at Geneva, at a Wales wide webinar hosted by Children in Wales.

We are very pleased that the newly published UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’s Concluding Observations 2023, reflect the evidence we submitted. Dr Croke has written a helpful blog that explains the process and summarises the Observations.

The Welsh Government responded to the Concluding Observations in July 2023. You can find their response here and a young people’s version here.