Ireland and the UN Convention

The Irish government signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) on 30 September 1990 and ratified it on 28 September 1992. By ratifying the UNCRC, the Irish State committed itself to promote, protect and fulfil the rights of children as outlined in the articles of the UNCRC.

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, a body of 18 internationally elected independent experts on children’s rights, monitors progress towards implementing these rights. As a 'State Party' to the UNCRC, Ireland is required to submit periodic reports describing progress towards implementing the UNCRC in Ireland. Submissions are also received from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and independent human rights bodies.

Following a plenary hearing, the UN Committee issues its Concluding Observations and Recommendations.

Accordingly, after the Irish Government submitted the First National Report of Ireland, the Alliance prepared, and in May 1997 submitted, its own analysis of the state of children's rights in Ireland, Small Voices: Vital Rights.

The formal examination of the First National Report of Ireland took place in Geneva on 12 and 13 January 1998. Following this plenary hearing, the UN Committee issued its Concluding Observations and Recommendations for Ireland.

The Alliance published its second shadow report, From Rhetoric to Rights,in March 2006, and submitted it to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in June 2006. The Alliance also worked with children living in Ireland to produce a report, entitled 'Our Voices, Our Realities: A Report to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child'.

The formal examination of the Second National Report of Ireland took place in Geneva on 20 September 2006. The UN Committee issued its Concluding Observations and Recommendations for Ireland on 29 September 2006. The Key Recommendations made by the UN Committee are available here.

The State was due to submit its next formal report to the UN Committee in April 2009 but we are still awaiting this.