UN Human Rights Treaties

UNITED NATIONS Economic and Social Council Distr. LIMITED E/CN.4/1989/L.102 8 March 1989 Original: ENGLISH COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Forty-fifth session Agenda item 13 QUESTION OF A CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD Administrative and programme budget implications of the draft resolution contained in document E/CN.4/1989/L.88 Statement submitted by the Secretary-General in accordance with rule 28 of the rules of procedure of the functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council A. Requests contained in the draft resolution 1. By operative paragraph 4 of the draft resolution E/CN.4/1989/L.88, the Commission on Human Rights would recommend for adoption by the Economic and Social Council a draft resolution recalling General Assembly resolutions related to the question of a convention on the rights of the child and, in particular, resolution 43/112 of 8 December 1988 in which the Assembly requested the Commission to submit a draft convention on the rights of the child, through the Economic and Social Council, to the General Assembly at its forty-fourth session. B. Relationship of requests to programme of work 2. The activities proposed in the draft resolution would fall under chapter 6, section II, "Programme: Centre for Human Rights", subprogramme 1, "Implementation of international standards, instruments and procedures", the objectives of and strategy for which are outlined in paragraphs 6.20 to 6.24 of the medium-term plan for the period 1984-1989 (A/37/6 and Corr.l) as extended through 1991. GE.89-11663/2202A E/CN.4/1989/L.102 page 2 3. The activities are particularly relevant to section 23 (Human rights) of the proposed programme budget for the biennium 1990-1991, programme element 1.1: "Implementing regular supervisory procedures", of subprogramme 1, which constitutes the highest priority element in the human rights programme. C. Activities by which the requests would be implemented 4. Should the recommendations contained in the draft resolution be adopted, the following activities would have to be envisaged upon the entry into force of the convention in accordance with article 49; (a) meeting of States parties to the convention: first meeting six months after entry into force, thereafter every two years; (b) sessions of the committee on the rights of the child: normally the committee will meet annually; (c) processing of reports submitted to the committee. (a) Meeting of the States parties to the convention 5. The first meeting of the States parties to elect members of the committee on the rights of the child would be convened by the Secretary-General at United Nations Headquarters for one day (two meetings) in 1991. In accordance with article 43 of the convention, subsequent meetings of the States parties would be convened by the Secretary-General at biennial intervals. (b) Sessions of the Committee on the Rights of the Child 6. In accordance with article 43, the committee on the rights of the child would meet annually. The Secretary-General, subject to the entry into force of the convention and the election of committee members, would convene the first regular session of the committee at the United Nations Office at Geneva for a period of three weeks during the first half of 1991. The committee at its first regular session would be expected, inter alia, to consider and adopt its rules of procedures in accordance with article 43 of the convention, draft approved guidelines for the submission of reports and take decisions on matters relating to the organization of its future work and preparation of its annual report to the General Assembly. 7. Article 43, paragraph 11, of the draft convention, if accepted by the General Assembly, would provide for members of the committee to receive emoluments from United Nations resources on such terms and conditions as the Assembly might decide. (c) Processing of reports submitted to the committee and substantive servicing of meetings of States parties and sessions of the committee on the rights of the child 8. Under article 44 of the convention, States Parties would undertake to submit reports through the Secretary-General of the United Nations, within two years of the entry into force of the convention and thereafter every five years. Article 45 would also provide, subject to the decision of the committee, for other reports to be submitted to the committee. E/CN.4/1989/L.102 page 3 9. Under article 44, the committee would submit a report on its activities every two years to the General Assembly through the Economic and Social Council. 10. Under the terms of article 43, "The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall provide the necessary staff and facilities for the effective performance of the functions of the Committee under the present Convention". Without prejudice to decisions which may be taken regarding emoluments - the appropriate financial implications being submitted in connection with any specific proposals - or with regard to the manner of financing the operation of the convention, the Secretary-General estimates that the following expenses would be incurred in connection with the implementation of the convention as described above. D. Modifications required in the proposed programme of work 11. Three new outputs would have to be added to the text of section 23 (Human rights) of the proposed programme budget for the biennium 1990-1991, as follows: Subprogramme 1. Implementation of international standards, instruments and procedures 1.1. Implementing regular supervisory procedures Output; (xxix) Substantive servicing of one meeting of States parties to the convention on the rights of the child; (xxx) Substantive servicing of two sessions of the committee on the rights of the child; (xxxi) Preparation of one report of the committee on the rights of the child to be submitted to the General Assembly. E. Additional requirements at full cost 12. It is envisaged that the Secretary-General would convene the first regular session of the committee on the rights of the child at the United Nations Office at Geneva, for a period of three weeks during the first half of 1991. (US dollars) (a) Travel and subsistence of experts Travel and subsistence of 10 members of the committee (calculated on a notional basis) for one session of three-weeks' duration 55 000 E/CN.4/1989/L.102 page 4 (b) Conference services requirements 13. With regard to the requirements for meeting services and documentation which will arise for the first meeting of States parties to the convention to be held in New York in 1991 and the first session of the committee on the rights of the child to be held in Geneva in the first half of 1991, the following costs have been estimated: (US dollars) (i) Meeting of States parties 108 800 (ii) Committee on the rights of the child 1 058 400 1 167 200 (c) Staffing requirements 14. The extra staffing resources that would be required will depend upon the programme of work adopted by the committee and the extent to which the committee would require substantive and technical assistance from the staff of the Centre for Human Rights. It is estimated, however, that initially at least two professionals and one General Service staff member would be required to deal with the preparatory work and servicing of meetings of the States parties to the convention and the sessions of the committee on the rights of the child. The extra staff costs are estimated as follows (calculated on a yearly basis): (US dollars) Twelve work-months at P-4 level 98 200 Twelve work-months at P-2 level 66 600 Twelve work-months at General Service level 55 100 219 900 15. The requirements listed above include $274,900 under section 23 (Human rights) and conference servicing requirements under section 29, (Conference Services) estimated at $1,167,200 for 1991.