Article
42. States Parties undertake to make the principles
and provisions of the Convention widely known, by appropriate and active means,
to adults and children alike.
Article
43. 1. For the purpose of examining the
progress made by States Parties in achieving the realization of the obligations
undertaken in the present Convention, there shall be established a Committee on
the Rights of the Child, which shall carry out the functions hereinafter
provided.
2. The Committee shall consist of ten experts of high moral standing
and recognized competence in the field covered by this Convention. The members
of the Committee shall be elected by States Parties from among their nationals
and shall serve in their personal capacity, consideration being given to
equitable geographical distribution, as well as to the principal legal systems.
3. The members of the Committee shall be elected by secret ballot
from a list of persons nominated by States Parties. Each State Party may
nominate one person from among its own nationals.
4. The initial election to the Committee shall be held no later than
six months after the date of the entry into force of the present Convention and
thereafter every second year. At least four months before the date of each
election, the Secretary-General of the United Nations shall address a letter to
States Parties inviting them to submit their nominations within two months. The
Secretary-General shall subsequently prepare a list in alphabetical order of all
persons thus nominated, indicating States Parties which have nominated them, and
shall submit it to the States Parties to the present Convention.
5. The elections shall be held at meetings of States Parties
convened by the Secretary-General at United Nations Headquarters. At those
meetings, for which two thirds of States Parties shall constitute a quorum, the
persons elected to the Committee shall be those who obtain the largest number of
votes and an absolute majority of the votes of the representatives of States
Parties present and voting.
6. The members of the Committee shall be elected for a term of four
years. They shall be eligible for re-election if renominated. The term of five
of the members elected at the first election shall expire at the end of two
years; immediately after the first election, the names of these five members
shall be chosen by lot by the Chairman of the meeting.
7. If a member of the Committee dies or resigns or declares that for
any other cause he or she can no longer perform the duties of the Committee, the
State Party which nominated the member shall appoint another expert from among
its nationals to serve for the remainder of the term, subject to the approval of
the Committee.
8. The Committee shall establish its own rules of procedure.
9. The Committee shall elect its officers for a period of two years.
10. The meetings of the Committee shall normally be held at United
Nations Headquarters or at any other convenient place as determined by the
Committee. The Committee shall normally meet annually. The duration of the
meetings of the Committee shall be determined, and reviewed, if necessary, by a
meeting of the States Parties to the present Convention, subject to the approval
of the General Assembly.
11. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall provide the
necessary staff and facilities for the effective performance of the functions of
the Committee under the present Convention.
12. With the approval of the General Assembly, the members of the
Committee established under the present Convention shall receive emoluments from
United Nations resources on such terms and conditions as the Assembly may
decide.
Article
44. 1. States Parties undertake to submit to the
Committee, through the Secretary-General of the United Nations, reports on the
measures they have adopted which give effect to the rights recognized herein and
on the progress made on the enjoyment of those rights:
a) Within two years of the entry into force of the Convention for
the State Party concerned;
b) Thereafter every five years.
2. Reports made under the present article shall indicate factors and
difficulties, if any, affecting the degree of fulfilment of the obligations
under the present Convention. Reports shall also contain sufficient information
to provide the Committee with a comprehensive understanding of the
implementation of the Convention in the country concerned.
3. A State Party which has submitted a comprehensive initial report
to the Committee need not, in its subsequent reports submitted in accordance
with paragraph 1 b) of the present article, repeat basic information
previously provided.
4. The Committee may request from States Parties further information
relevant to the implementation of the Convention.
5. The Committee shall submit to the General Assembly, through the
Economic and Social Council, every two years, reports on its activities.
6. States Parties shall make their reports widely available to the
public in their own countries.
Article
45. In order to foster the effective implementation of the
Convention and to encourage international co-operation in the field covered by
the Convention:
a) The specialized agencies, the United Nations Children’s Fund,
and other United Nations organs shall be entitled to be represented at the
consideration of the implementation of such provisions of the present Convention
as fall within the scope of their mandate. The Committee may invite the
specialized agencies, the United Nations Children’s Fund and other competent
bodies as it may consider appropriate to provide expert advice on the
implementation of the Convention in areas falling within the scope of their
respective mandates. The Committee may invite the specialized agencies, the
United Nations Children’s Fund, and other United Nations organs to submit
reports on the implementation of the Convention in areas falling within the
scope of their activities;
b) The Committee shall transmit, as it may consider appropriate,
to the specialized agencies, the United Nations Children’s Fund and other
competent bodies, any reports from States Parties that contain a request, or
indicate a need, for technical advice or assistance, along with the Committee’s
observations and suggestions, if any, on these requests or indications;
c) The Committee may recommend to the General Assembly to request
the Secretary-General to undertake on its behalf studies on specific issues
relating to the rights of the child;
d) The Committee may make suggestions and general recommendations
based on information received pursuant to articles 44 and 45 of the present
Convention. Such suggestions and general recommendations shall be transmitted to
any State Party concerned and reported to the General Assembly, together with
comments, if any, from States Parties.
Article
46. The present Convention shall be open for
signature by all States.
Article
47. The present Convention is subject to
ratification. Instruments of ratification shall be deposited with the
Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Article
48. The present Convention shall remain open for
accession by any State. The instruments of accession shall be deposited with the
Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Article
49. 1. The present Convention shall enter
into force on the thirtieth day following the date of deposit with the
Secretary-General of the United Nations of the twentieth instrument of
ratification or accession.
2. For each State ratifying or acceding to the Convention after the
deposit of the twentieth instrument of ratification or accession, the Convention
shall enter into force on the thirtieth day after the deposit by such State of
its instrument of ratification or accession.
Article
50. 1. Any State Party may propose an
amendment and file it with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The
Secretary-General shall thereupon communicate the proposed amendment to States
Parties, with a request that they indicate whether they favour a conference of
States Parties for the purpose of considering and voting upon the proposals. In
the event that, within four months from the date of such communication, at least
one third of the States Parties favour such a conference, the Secretary-General
shall convene the conference under the auspices of the United Nations. Any
amendment adopted by a majority of States Parties present and voting at the
conference shall be submitted to the General Assembly for approval.
2. An amendment adopted in accordance with paragraph 1 of the
present article shall enter into force when it has been approved by the General
Assembly of the United Nations and accepted by a two-thirds majority of States
Parties.
3. When an amendment enters into force, it shall be binding on those
States Parties which have accepted it, other States Parties still being bound by
the provisions of the present Convention and any earlier amendments which they
have accepted.
Article
51. 1. The Secretary-General of the United Nations
shall receive and circulate to all States the text of reservations made by
States at the time of ratification or accession.
2. A reservation incompatible with the object and purpose of the
present Convention shall not be permitted.
3. Reservations may be withdrawn at any time by notification to that
effect addressed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who shall then
inform all States. Such notification shall take effect on the date on which it
is received by the Secretary-General.
Article
52. A State Party may denounce the present
Convention by written notification to the Secretary-General of the United
Nations. Denunciation becomes effective one year after the date of receipt of
the notification by the Secretary-General.
Article
53. The Secretary-General of the United Nations is
designated as the depositary of the present Convention.
Article
54. The original of the present Convention, of which the
Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish texts are equally
authentic, shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.