The situation of children’s rights in Luxembourg presented to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child

In March 2020, the Luxembourg government submitted its ^5th and ^6thperiodic report on the situation of children’s rights in Luxembourg, covering the last 10 years. This report is being examined in detail by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and will be discussed and debated with the government during a meeting called a “session”, which will probably take place in May 2021.[1]

At the same time, civil society, human rights institutions and national child rights defenders were also given the opportunity to submit an alternative report to the CRC with additional comments on the report provided by the state.

In Luxembourg, the Human Rights Advisory Commission (CCHR), theOmbudsman fir Kanner a Jugendlecher (OKaJU), UNICEF Luxembourg et ECPAT Luxembourg decided to produce an alternative report each, communicating a set of urgent issues to be addressed to improve the respect of children’s rights in Luxembourg, as well as recommendations encouraging the follow-up or reinforcement of certain measures.

The ECPAT Luxembourg report is available by following this link: Alternative report – ECPAT Luxembourg

All of these remarks were then reviewed by the Committee at a pre-session in February 2021, and will be presented to the government during the official “Session” of the CRC. The process will conclude with recommendations or “Concluding Observations” drawn up by the CRC to help the Luxembourg government improve the situation of children’s rights.

Main concerns addressed to the Committee on the Rights of the Child

To name a few, the four agencies and NGOs involved in children’s rights advocacy have paid particular attention to current issues by focusing on clear and effective child protection procedures, as distinct from those for children in conflict with the law

First, they pointed to the lack of a coordinated national strategy on children’s rights. Among other things, they discussed the need to strengthen security and external control of childcare facilities; to make further efforts to ensure the participation of all children in all decisions that affect them; to strengthen the rights of young people in judicial placements; to ensure full respect for the rights of children with disabilities; to establish a special status for unaccompanied minors; to reconsider the rights of the families of applicants for international protection; and to develop a concept for the mental health care of young people. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) These and other issues are explained in more detail in each organization’s shadow report, which is available online on the organizations’ websites.

[1] Liens vers la page officielle du Comité des droits de l’enfant et la 88^ème préséance (pre-sessional working group).