NATIONAL COALITIONS

In addition to supporting NGOs in the reporting process, the Secretariat also works to strengthen national child rights coalitions to monitor and advocate for the full implementation of the CRC. Child Rights Connect provides training to NGOs on building or strengthening national coalitions during national or regional workshops. In addition, it organises NGO forums during the pre-sessions to provide NGOs with an opportunity to share their experiences in reporting and following up the Committee’s recommendations. It also informs them of new opportunities with other relevant UN-mechanisms such as the other treaty bodies and the Human Rights Council.

A list of national coalitions has been compiled by Child Rights Connect. If your national coalition is not on the list or the information about your national coalition is not correct, please notify the Secretariat of Child Rights Connect so that the information may be updated accordingly.

A tool for assisting NGOs to form and sustain child rights coalitions: Networking for Children’s Rights: A Guide for NGOs has been prepared by Child Rights Connect. It contains ideas on how to promote coalition building, methods of child rights advocacy and examples of how NGOs can use the monitoring mechanisms, particularly the reporting process of the Committee on the Rights of the Child.

A survey of national child rights coalitions worldwide looked at issues of membership, areas of the CRC where coalitions are working, the methods and scope of their work, the level of activity and examines information on outreach and capacity. A Profile of National Child Rights Coalitions: Findings of Child Rights Connect for the CRC Survey of National Child rights Coalitions.

Child Rights Connect also looked at how national coalitions have used the concluding observations of the Committee to monitor the implementation of the CRC at national level. Nine case studies and lessons learned are presented in The Use of Concluding Observations for Monitoring the Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Child Rights Connect also provides training and technical support to national coalitions on coalition building, the preparation of NGO reports for the Committee and on the use of the concluding observations at national level.