Child Focused UPR Submission by Child Rights Advocacy Coalition in Bangladesh (CRAC,B)
October 31, 2017
The Child Rights Advocacy Coalition in Bangladesh is working to assist the Government to implement the recommendations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the child focused Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the United Nations Human Rights Council at the national level. As a part of that process, Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), on behalf of the Coalition has prepared and submitted child focused UPR report to the OHCHR under the 3rd cycle of UPR. The Coalition had started the process in 2015 by doing the mid-term assessment of implementing UPR recommendations. After that, the Coalition conducted series of meeting and workshop with its members and other stakeholders including children. Based on these consultations, the Coalition prepared the draft.
As the report represents child rights situation of Bangladesh, it was needed to include insights and recommendations from all level. Thus, the Coalition had also conducted stakeholder’s sharing meeting at divisional level (Rajshahi, Barisal, Rangpur). Finally a national consultation was organized in Dhaka on 12 September 2017 where National Human Rights Commission, Bangladesh (NHRC,B), relevant government officials, children, media personnel were present. The participants shared their feedback and recommendations on the draft report. Kazi Reazul Hoque, Chairperson, NHRC was present at the consultation as the chief guest and Dr. Abul Hossain , Project Director, Multi-sectoral program on violence against women, MoWCA was present as Special Guest. On behalf of the Coalition, Tamanna Hoq Riti, ASK presented the draft report for the audience. Sharmeela Rassool, Technical Advisor, UNDP-Human Rights Programme, Abdus Sahid Mahmood, Director, BSAF, Laila Khondokar, Director, Save the Chidren attended the consultation as discussants. They provided their remarks on the report. The session was moderated by Sheepa Hafiza , Executive Director, ASK.
Full report is available here.