HC Deb 30 October 2002 vol 391 cc807-8W
Andrew George

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many meetings officials have attended to discuss progress towards meeting the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child(a) with organisations and Government departments within the UK and (b) with organisations in other countries.[78008]

Mr. Denham

The Children and Young People's Unit has lead responsibility for monitoring the UK's implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Since March 2001, when the Unit took over responsibility from the Department of Health, officials have held the following formal meetings which include discussion of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child:

Within the UK

Quarterly meetings with the devolved administrations Bimonthly meetings of the Children and Young People's Interdepartmental Group

In other countries

Twice yearly meetings of the EU Permanent Intergovernmental Group "l'Europe de l'Enfance"

In addition, the Unit holds ad hoc bilateral meetings both at home and abroad with lead policy makers on Convention issues. For example, there was regular contact across Whitehall in the preparation for the UK's second report to the UN Committee. Information about the precise number of such meetings can only be gathered at disproportionate cost.

Andrew George

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment she has made of the UK's contribution towards achieving the goals of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child; and what representations she has received about the UK contribution. [78011]

Mr. Denham

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) does not require signatories to work towards achieving certain objectives or 'goals', nor does it give enforceable rights to individual children. Rather, it imposes obligations on the State to "respect and ensure the rights set forth in the Convention to each child within their jurisdiction". Each signatory, therefore, is responsible for implementing the UNCRC in their own country.

The UK signed the Convention on 19 April 1990 and ratified it on 16 December 1991. It came into force in the UK on 15 January 1992. To allow monitoring of implementation, the CRC requires State Parties to report to the UN on their progress against the Convention 2 years after ratification, and every 5 years subsequently.

The UK's Second Report under the CRC was submitted by the Department of Health in 1999 and, due to backlogs at the UN, was only considered by the Committee on the Rights of the Child in June this year. A UK delegation comprising senior officials from across Government attended an oral examination in Geneva on 19 September. UK NGOs also submitted a report, and gave oral evidence. The Committee published its concluding observations on 4th October and this document, as well as copies of the UK's Second Report and a summary of the UK NGO reports have been placed in both Libraries.

The Government is under no formal obligation from the UN to respond to the report, but lead Departments across Whitehall, together with the Devolved Administrations, are considering how to take the Committee's comments into account. Although there are areas where we expect to take a different view from the Committee over our obligations under the Convention, we will consider its recommendations in developing our overarching strategy for children and young people, a development which the UN Committee welcomed. We will continue to involve the voluntary sector in this work.