The Committee on the rights of the child monitors implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by UN States parties. It is currently drafting a general comment on children’s rights and the environment with a special focus on climate change.
The Committee invited all interested stakeholders to comment on its draft general comment, before 15 February 2023. After due consideration of the inputs provided, the Committee will decide on the contents of the final version of the general comment. The current version of the General Comment can be found on the website of the Committee on the Rights of the Child.
The Global Pact Coalition submitted responded to the call for comments on the draft general comment No. 26, which highlights the intrinsic links between children’s rights and environmental rights. The GPC believes that international law should recognize the interconnectedness of human rights, children’s rights, and environmental rights in order to ensure their complete protection.
The GPC is honored to present its commentary for the Committee’s consideration and hopes that its expertise in international and environmental law may serve to substantiate the Committee’s text.
Contributions from all interested parties to the call for comments, including the Global Pact Coalition’s, can be found on the OHCHR website. You can find below the commentary, sent in French to the Committee on the Rights of the Child. You can then find the English translation, unofficial version. The GPC thanks its ambassador Kiersten Swaak for the translation.
