子どもの権利条約新議定書案が国連人権理事会で採択されました！(2011.06.17)
6月17日、ジュネーブの国連人権理事会で「子どもの権利委員会に対する個人通報制度を創設する子どもの権利条約新議定書（第３議定書）案」が採択されました。
日本政府は、この議定書の共同提案国となりました。
日本が国際人権条約案および同議定書案の共同提案国となったのは初めてことです。これは、日本の子どもの権利史上、そして人権史上において素晴らしい決断だと言えます。これまで国際舞台ではサイレントパートナーと言われがちな日本ですが、子どもの権利条約新議定書については、その策定段階から積極的に貢献、国際ＮＧＯそして各国政府からもその姿勢を高く評価されてきました。この度の決定は「日本は変わったのだ」という国際社会に対する明確なメッセージとなりました。
同議定書案は今秋の国連総会に提出され、採択される見込みです。
この機会に、「国連子どもの権利委員会に個人が申立（通報）できる制度を作ろう！」キャンペーンに参加下さっている各団体の皆様に心より感謝申し上げます。
以下、セーブ・ザ・チルドレン・インターナショナルから全世界に配信されたリリースです。
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL ADOPTS A NEW OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE CONVENTION ON
THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD ON A COMPLAINTS MECHANISM FOR VIOLATIONS OF CHILDREN'S RIGHTS
GREATEST LEGAL VICTORY FOR CHILDREN IN 22 YEARS
PRESS RELEASE
[GENEVA, Friday 17 June 2011] The UN Human Rights Council has adopted the final draft Optional Protocol on a complaints mechanism for children's rights violations. The new protocol will enable the Committee on the Rights of the Child to examine communications from children and their representatives alleging violations of their rights.
"This must be considered as the greatest legal victory for the children of the world in 22 years and is a strong sign of hope that an era of legal discrimination of children is coming to an end", said Michael French, Save the Children UN representative in Geneva. This is a unique opportunity to translate into international law States' commitments to protect and respect all children's individual rights in the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child, inter alia their right to health, education and protection.
The new Protocol sends a strong signal from the international community that children too, are rights holders and that they have the right to complain internationally when no effective remedies are available to them in their country", said Mr French, "We will continue our work to ensure that the final text is adopted by the UN General Assembly this Autumn and look forward to the start of a new ratification campaign!".
The final draft Optional Protocol will be transmitted to the UN General Assembly for its final adoption in December 2011.
Background note
The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the only core international human rights treaty that does not have a communications procedure.
A coalition of over 80 international and national NGOs, supported by more than 600 organisations in all regions, has been actively lobbying for the establishment of this new mechanism since 2006.
A complaints or "communications" procedure allows individuals, groups or their representatives, claiming that their rights have been violated by a State that is a party to a Convention, to bring a communication before the relevant UN Committee, provided that the State has accepted the procedure.
For background information on the international campaign, see http://www.crin.org/NGOGroup/childrightsissues/ComplaintsMechanism/
