March 30, 2024. At a historic moment where the world faces unprecedented challenges, including armed conflicts, climate change and food insecurity, among others, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child announced the cancellation of its pre-session of the April in Geneva, due to lack of financial liquidity.
It is unacceptable that this audit work is not carried out because there are Member States that still do not comply with their financial commitments. By the end of 2023, only 70% of expected contributions had been received by the UN, the worst liquidity crisis in almost a decade, which has had a direct and profound effect on its ability to successfully operate and carry out its crucial mandates in defense of human rights, now more pressing due to the expansion of war on several continents.
We join the urgent call expressed by the Committee on the Rights of the Child and its deep concern about the impact that this financial crisis has on its ability to maintain dialogue with interested and vital actors, including children, society organizations civil and UN agencies. Such interactions are essential to carry out the review of compliance with the obligations of the States parties in the promotion and protection of human rights. Any delay in these talks harms the protection of children around the world, as well as increasing the cumulative delay in the Committee’s work, already exacerbated by the pandemic.
For every country, for every society, for every leader, girls and boys must be a priority. Member States have the obligation, under international law and ethics, to renew their commitment to all children and act with the urgency that these unprecedented times require.
Jorge Cardona
Former Member of the UN CRC
Yanghee Lee
Former Vice Chair of the UN CRC
Norberto Liwski
Former Vice Chair of the UN CRC,
Marta Maurás
Former Vice Chair of the UN CRC,
Rosa María Ortiz
Former Member of the UN CRC and former Commissioner and Rapporteur on Children’s Rights of the IACHR
Sara Oviedo
Former Vice Chair of the UN CRC,
José Ángel Rodríguez
Former Member of the UN CRC
Marta Santos Pais
Former Member of the UN CRC and former Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Violence against Children
Jean Zermatten
Former Vice Chair of the UN CRC
Amal Al-Dossari
Former Vice Chair of the UN CRC
Renate Winter
Former Chair of the UN CRC
María Herzog
Former Member of the UN CRC
Clarence Nelson
Former Vice Chair of the UN CRC
Gehad Madi
Former Member of the UN CRC
Nevena Vukovich Sahovic
Former Member of the UN CRC
Esmeralda Arosemena
Former Commissioner and Rapporteur on Children’s Rights of the IACHR
Orest Nowosad
Former Chief of the Groups in Focus Section, Human Rights Treaties Division of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
