UN committee on child rights examines reports of China

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) on Thursday and Friday considered the combined 3rd to 4th report of China on its implementation of the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

It also considered the initial report of China on how the country was implementing the Optional Protocol on Children Involved in Armed Conflict.

Jia Guide, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Treaty and Law of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, made his introductory remarks at the very beginning on the efforts and achievements made by the Chinese government regarding the right to life, protection of children and the development of children's cause.

He also talked about the difficulties and challenges that China is facing.

Two delegates from China's Hong Kong and Macao also briefed the committee on the implementation of the Convention in their respective region.

In the interactive dialogue that followed, the committee commended positive steps taken by China such as legislative reform and adoption of various programs aimed at improving the situation of children.

The Chinese delegation replied to over 200 questions in about 50 categories raised by the committee regarding children's education, health care, welfare and legal protection in China.

The committee will adopt its concluding observations on China's report on Oct. 4.

The Committee of the Rights of Child, which consists of 18 experts, is a body established according to this convention for the purpose of considering the implementation of the convention. The nature of concluding observations made by the Committee is advisory, not legally binding.

China ratified the convention in 1992. According to the convention, the reports on the implementation should be submitted to and considered by the committee periodically.

China's 1st and 2nd reports were considered by the committee in 1996 and 2005 respectively. This 3rd to 4th combined report has been submitted in 2010.