UNICEF supporting the preparation of State & Alternative Reports to Child Rights Committee in Geneva

25 Apr 2013

UNICEF supporting the preparation of State & Alternative Reports to Child Rights Committee in Geneva

TRIPOLI, 24 April 2013 – Under the leadership of the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Libyan Government is currently preparing a 3rd and 4th periodic state report on the situation of children in Libya, and the report will be submitted to the Child Rights Committee (CRC) in Geneva later this year. UNICEF is providing technical support to the Ministry in this process.

Libya ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in April 1993, and the first report to the Child Rights Committee was submitted in 1995, and the second one was prepared and submitted in 2000. The combined 3rd and 4th reports were submitted in 2009 but were never discussed officially. In the aftermath of the 2011 uprising, the Ministry of Social Affairs therefore expressed its desire to re-submit the report, reflecting a more accurate and reliable picture on the status of child rights in Libya today.

As part of the cooperation between UNICEF and the Ministry of Social Affairs, UNICEF is providing technical support to the Ministry of Social Affairs in preparing the state report, as well as to Libyan civil society in the preparing the alternative report. In this regard, a series of workshops and meetings have been convened in March and April with the representatives of different Ministries and the civil society. Today, another 2-day UNICEF workshop for civil society representatives starts, involving organizations from all across Libya to discuss the progress.

"We congratulate the Libyan Government, under the leadership of the Ministry of Social Affairs, for its commitment and dedication to submit new periodical reports to the Child Rights Committee in Geneva" said Katrin Imhof, UNICEF Libya Deputy Representative at the first government workshop taking place in late March 2013. "This sends out an important message to the Libyan public and the international community – that children matter" Imhof added.

"We guarantee that this will be a transparent and open process" said Dr Sawsan Hanish, Head of the Family Development Department of the Ministry of Social Affairs. "This is a unique opportunity to get a real sense of where we stand in terms of children's rights, and will serve as an important baseline for future monitoring of progress", Dr Hanish added.

The enthusiasm and commitment among civil society groups is also great, and organizations from various regions have decided to prepare sub-national and thematic reports in addition to the general alternative report, in order to document in-depth the situation of children in Kufra, Benghazi, and Sabha in particular – areas that have been particularly affected by past and ongoing fighting and marginalized by the previous regime.

The alternative report will focus on various thematic issues, including access to education, health services, as well as protection concerns. The alternative reports are due to the Child Rights Committee in Geneva on 01 July 2013.

About UNICEF
UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. For more information about UNICEF and its work visit: www.unicef.org

For more information about UNICEF's work in education visit:www.unicef.org/education or www.educationandtransition.org

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For further information, please contact:
Ms Yosi Echeverry Burckhardt
Reports Officer, UNICEF Libya
+218 91 93 59 765
yburckhardt@unicef.org

Or in the UNICEF Regional Office:
Simon Ingram
Regional Chief of Communication, Amman, Jordan
+962 79 590 4740
singram@unicef.org