Committee on the Rights of the Child Convention on the Rights of the Child – the Committee is made up of 18 experts elected for four-year Mandate and composition: terms (article 43). The mandate also covers the compliance of State parties Committee’s with the (OPSC) and the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children Optional Protocol on (OPAC). Children in Armed Conflict States are required to submit an initial report two years after becoming Periodic reports: a party to the and then every five years thereafter (article 44). The Committee also CROC considers reports of State parties to the and the Initial reports are due under OPSC OPAC. these protocols within two years of becoming a State party and measures to give effect to the protocols should then be included in periodic reports under the (but it should CROC be noted that both protocols are open to States that have signed but not ratified the CROC and in this case reports are due every five years) (see article 12 of the and article 8 OPSC of the OPAC). periodic reports under the and both the and CROC OPSC OPAC Australia’s – – are prepared by the Attorney-General’s Department and are available on the website (). Department’s the Committee can consider individual complaints of Individual communications: violations of the and the two optional protocols where a State has also become a CROC party to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a (OPIC). Communications can be lodged by individuals or by Communications Procedure a group (article 3). Admissibility requirements are detailed in article 7. Australia is not a party to the OPIC and is not contemplating becoming a party at this stage. State parties to the can recognise the competence of the State complaints: OPIC Committee to receive communications from another State party alleging violations the (as well as the and the if the State is also a party to these CROC OPAC OPSC instruments) (article 12). The State making the complaint must also have accepted the competence of the Committee under article 12. article 13 of the confers on the Committee the ability to initiate Inquiry procedure: OPIC an inquiry into grave or systematic violations of the (or the and the CROC OPAC OPSC where the State is a party to those treaties). A State party can declare that it does not
Committee on the Rights of the Child – Convention on the Rights of the Child Mandate and composition: the Committee is made up of 18 experts elected for four-year terms (article 43). The Committee’s mandate also covers the compliance of State parties with the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children (OPSC) and the Optional Protocol on Children in Armed Conflict (OPAC). Periodic reports: States are required to submit an initial report two years after becoming a party to the CROC and then every five years thereafter (article 44). The Committee also considers reports of State parties to the OPSC and the OPAC. Initial reports are due under these protocols within two years of becoming a State party and measures to give effect to the protocols should then be included in periodic reports under the CROC (but it should be noted that both protocols are open to States that have signed but not ratified the CROC and in this case reports are due every five years) (see article 12 of the OPSC and article 8 of the OPAC). Australia’s periodic reports under the CROC – and both the OPSC and OPAC – are prepared by the Attorney-General’s Department and are available on the Department’s website (). Individual communications: the Committee can consider individual complaints of violations of the CROC and the two optional protocols where a State has also become a party to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a Communications Procedure (OPIC). Communications can be lodged by individuals or by a group (article 3). Admissibility requirements are detailed in article 7. Australia is not a party to the OPIC and is not contemplating becoming a party at this stage. State complaints: State parties to the OPIC can recognise the competence of the Committee to receive communications from another State party alleging violations the CROC (as well as the OPAC and the OPSC if the State is also a party to these instruments) (article 12). The State making the complaint must also have accepted the competence of the Committee under article 12. Inquiry procedure: article 13 of the OPIC confers on the Committee the ability to initiate an inquiry into grave or systematic violations of the CROC (or the OPAC and the OPSC where the State is a party to those treaties). A State party can declare that it does not