Permanent Mission of India Geneva

Press Release

Presentation of India’s Combined 3rd and 4th Periodic Report on the Convention on the Rights of the Child and Initial Reports to two Optional Protocols  

1. Indian delegation, led by Shri Shankar Aggarwal, Secretary (Women and Child Development) accompanied by officials from Ministries of Women and Child Development, Home Affairs, Health and Family Planning and External Affairs, presented India’s Combined 3rd and 4th Periodic Report on the Convention on the Rights of the Child as well as the Initial Reports on two Optional Protocols to the Convention dealing with Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography and on Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict to the UN Committee on the Rights of Child (UN- CRC) at its 66th session on 2-3 June 2014. This is the third time India presented its reports to the UN-CRC, while first and second periodic reviews under the Convention were held in 2000 and 2004 respectively.

2. India is home to 472 million children i.e 20% of the world child population. Child Rights is a lead indicator of national development at all levels of governance and reflects the priority attached by India to promote and protect the overall well-being and inclusive development of children. Outlining the recent initiatives of the Government, Secretary Aggarwal emphasized the rights based-life cycle approach to child rights adopted in the new legislations and policies like the National Policy for Children 2013, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences 2012, the Right to Education Act 2009 and the National Food Security Act 2013 which underline ‘the best interests of child’ as the overall guiding principle for their effective implementation. A copy of the statement made by Secretary (WCD) is attached here.

3.The two-day dialogue saw a comprehensive presentation of various legislative instruments, programmes and policies put in place to create an enabling environment for the full realization of the rights of every child to survival, development, protection and participation. The Committee, while highlighting persisting challenges in India’s full implementation of the provisions of the Convention and its Optional Protocols, also acknowledged the progress made by India. The Committee will make a set of recommendations for consideration of the Government of India.

June 3, 2014

Geneva