| United Nations | A/51/424 |
General Assembly
Distr. GENERAL
27 September 1996
ORIGINAL:
ENGLISH
A/51/424
General Assembly
Fifty-first session
Agenda item 106
PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN
Status of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Report of the Secretary-General
1. The General Assembly, by its resolution 44/25 of 20 November 1989,
adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Convention was opened
for signature in New York on 26 January 1990 and entered into force on
2 September 1990, the thirtieth day after the deposit with the Secretary-
General of the twentieth instrument of ratification or accession.
2. By its resolution 49/211 of 23 December 1994, the General Assembly urged
all States that had not done so to sign, ratify or accede to the Convention as
a matter of priority, with a view to reaching universal ratification by 1995;
emphasized the importance of the full implementation by States parties of the
provisions of the Convention; approved the recommendation to increase to three
the number of annual sessions of the Committee as from 1995, as well as the
number of sessions of the pre-sessional working group; and requested the
Secretary-General to submit to the Assembly at its fifty-first session a
report on the status of the Convention.
3. By its resolution 50/153 of 21 December 1995, the General Assembly
called upon States parties to ensure that the education of the child shall be
carried out in accordance with article 29 of the Convention, and also called
upon States parties, in accordance with their obligations under article 42, to
make the principles and provisions of the Convention widely known to adults
and children alike.
4. The Commission on Human Rights, at its fifty-second session, adopted
resolution 1996/85 of 24 April 1996, in which it took note with appreciation
of the constructive role of the Committee on the Rights of the Child in
creating awareness of the principles and provisions of the Convention and in
providing recommendations to States parties on its implementation; requested
bodies and organs of the United Nations and encouraged States parties,
intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, the media and the
community at large to intensify their efforts to disseminate information on
the Convention, promote understanding of it and assist States parties in its
implementation; and recommended that special rapporteurs, special
representatives and working groups of the Commission and its Subcommission on
Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities take into account
the work of the Committee on the Rights of the Child; requested the working
groups on draft optional protocols to the Convention respectively on the
involvement of children in armed conflicts and on the sale of children, child
prostitution and child pornography to meet each for a period of two weeks, or
less if possible, prior to the fifty-third session of the Commission to pursue
their mandates; urged Governments to continue actively to seek comprehensive
solutions to the problems of street children; urged all States to eliminate
all forms of discrimination against the girl child; urged Governments to pay
particular attention to the situation of refugee and internally displaced
children; and requested the Secretary-General to submit a report on the status
of the Convention to the Commission at its fifty-third session.
5. As at 15 August 1996, the Convention had been ratified or acceded to by
187 States. In addition, two States had signed the Convention. The list of
States that have signed, ratified or acceded to the Convention, as well as the
dates of their signature, ratification or accession, is contained in the annex
to the present report.
6. The fifth meeting of the States parties to the Convention was convened
by the Secretary-General at United Nations Headquarters on 21 February 1995
for the purpose of electing five members of the Committee to replace those
whose terms were due to expire. The following experts were elected or
re-elected for the period 1995-1999:
Mrs. Akila Belembaogo (Burkina Faso)
Mr. Thomas Hammarberg (Sweden)
Mrs. Judith Karp (Israel)
Mr. Youri Kolosov (Russian Federation)
Ms. Sandra Prunella Mason (Barbados).
7. On 12 December 1995, the Conference of States Parties to the Convention
adopted an amendment to article 43 increasing to 18 experts the membership of
the Committee. This amendment, which was further approved by the General
Assembly in its resolution 50/155 of 21 December 1995, will enter into force
once it has been accepted by a two-thirds majority of States parties.
8. The Committee on the Rights of the Child held its seventh, eighth,
ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth sessions at the United Nations Office at
Geneva from 26 September to 14 October 1994, 9 to 27 January 1995, 22 May to
9 June 1995, 30 October to 17 November 1995, 8 to 26 January 1996 and 20 May
to 7 June 1996 respectively. In accordance with article 44, paragraph 5, of
the Convention, the Committee submitted its biennial report, covering the
activities of the Committee at its sixth to eleventh sessions, to the General
Assembly at its fifty-first session. 1/
Note
1/ Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-first Session,
Supplement No. 41 (A/51/41).
ANNEX
States which have signed, ratified or acceded to the Convention
on the Rights of the Child as at 15 August 1996 (187)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date of receipt
of instrument
of ratification/ Date of entry
State Date of signature accession a/ into force
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afghanistan 27 September 1990 28 March 1994 27 April 1994
Albania 26 January 1990 27 February 1992 28 March 1992
Algeria 26 January 1990 16 April 1993 16 May 1993
Andorra 2 October 1995 2 January 1996 1 February 1996
Angola 14 February 1990 5 December 1990 4 January 1991
Antigua and Barbuda 12 March 199 15 October 1993 4 November 1993
Argentina 29 June 1990 4 December 1990 3 January 1991
Armenia 23 June 1993 a/ 22 July 1993
Australia 22 August 1990 17 December 1990 16 January 1991
Austria 26 January 1990 6 August 1992 5 September 1992
Azerbaijan 13 August 1992 a/ 12 Sept. 1992
Bahamas 30 October 1990 20 February 1991 22 March 1991
Bahrain 13 Feb. 1992 a/ 14 March 1992
Bangladesh 26 January 1990 3 August 1990 2 September 1990
Barbados 19 April 1990 9 October 1990 8 November 1990
Belarus 26 January 1990 1 October 1990 31 October 1990
Belgium 26 January 1990 16 December 1991 15 January 1992
Belize 2 March 1990 2 May 1990 2 Sept. 1990
Benin 25 April 1990 3 August 1990 2 Sept. 1990
Bhutan 4 June 1990 1 August 1990 2 Sept. 1990
Bolivia 8 March 1990 26 June 1990 2 Sept. 1990
Bosnia and
Herzegovina b/ 6 March 1992
Botswana 14 March 1995 a/ 13 April 1995
Brunei Darussalam 27 Dec. 1995 a/ 26 January 1996
Brazil 26 January 1990 24 Sept. 1990 24 October 1990
Bulgaria 31 May 1990 3 June 1991 3 July 1991
Burkina Faso 26 January 1990 31 August 1990 30 Sept. 1990
Burundi 8 May 1990 19 October 1990 18 Nov. 1990
Cambodia 22 September 1992 15 October 1992 14 Nov. 1992
Cameroon 25 September 1990 11 January 1993 10 Feb. 1993
Canada 28 May 1990 13 December 1991 12 January 1992
Cape Verde 4 June 1992 a/ 4 July 1992
Central African
Republic 30 July 1990 23 April 1992 23 May 1992
Chad 30 September 1990 2 October 1990 1 November 1990
Chile 26 January 1990 13 August 1990 12 Sept. 1990
China 29 August 1990 2 March 1992 1 April 1992
Colombia 26 January 1990 28 January 1991 27 Feb. 1991
Comoros 30 September 1990 22 June 1993 21 July 1993
Congo 14 Oct. 1993 a/ 13 Nov. 1993
Costa Rica 26 January 1990 21 August 1990 20 Sept. 1990
Co^te d'Ivoire 26 January 1990 4 February 1991 6 March 1991
Croatia b/ 8 October 1991
Cuba 26 January 1990 21 August 1991 20 Sept. 1991
Cyprus 5 October 1990 7 February 1991 9 March 1991
Czech Republic b/ 1 January 1993
Democratic People's
Republic of Korea 23 August 1990 21 Sept. 1990 21 Oct. 1990
Denmark 26 January 1990 19 July 1991 18 August 1991
Djibouti 30 September 1990 6 December 1990 5 January 1991
Dominica 26 January 1990 13 March 1991 12 April 1991
Dominican Republic 8 August 1990 11 June 1991 11 July 1991
Ecuador 26 January 1990 23 March 1990 2 Sept. 1990
Egypt 5 February 1990 6 July 1990 2 Sept. 1990
El Salvador 26 January 1990 10 July 1990 2 Sept. 1990
Equatorial Guinea 15 June 1992 a/ 15 July 1992
Eritrea 20 December 1993 3 August 1994 2 Sept. 1994
Estonia 21 Oct. 1991 a/ 20 Nov. 1991
Ethiopia 14 May 1991 a/ 13 June 1991
Fiji 2 July 1993 13 August 1993 12 Sept. 1993
Finland 26 January 1990 20 June 1991 20 July 1991
France 26 January 1990 7 August 1990 6 Sept. 1990
Gabon 26 January 1990 9 February 1994 11 March 1994
Gambia 5 February 1990 8 August 1990 7 Sept. 1990
Georgia 2 June 1994 a/ 2 July 1994
Germany 26 January 1990 6 March 1992 5 April 1992
Ghana 29 January 1990 5 February 1990 2 Sept. 1990
Greece 26 January 1990 11 May 1993 10 June 1993
Grenada 21 February 1990 5 November 1990 5 December 1990
Guatemala 26 January 1990 6 June 1990 2 Sept. 1990
Guinea 13 July 1990 a/ 2 Sept. 1990
Guinea-Bissau 26 January 1990 20 August 1990 19 Sept. 1990
Guyana 30 September 1990 14 January 1991 13 Feb. 1991
Haiti 26 January 1990 8 June 1995 8 July 1995
Holy See 20 April 1990 20 April 1990 2 Sept. 1990
Honduras 31 May 1990 10 August 1990 9 Sept. 1990
Hungary 14 March 1990 7 October 1991 6 November 1991
Iceland 26 January 1990 28 October 1992 27 Nov. 1992
India 11 Dec. 1992 a/ 11 January 1993
Indonesia 26 January 1990 5 September 1990 5 October 1990
Iran (Islamic
Republic of) 5 September 1991 13 July 1994 12 August 1994
Iraq 15 June 1994 a/ 15 July 1994
Ireland 30 September 1990 28 September 1992 28 October 1992
Israel 3 July 1990 3 October 1991 2 November 1991
Italy 26 January 1990 5 September 1991 5 October 1991
Jamaica 26 January 1990 14 May 1991 13 June 1991
Japan 21 September 1990 22 April 1994 22 May 1994
Jordan 29 August 1990 24 May 1991 23 June 1991
Kazakstan 16 February 1994 12 August 1994 11 Sept. 1994
Kenya 26 January 1990 30 July 1990 2 Sept. 1990
Kiribati 11 Dec. 1995 a/ 10 January 1996
Kuwait 7 June 1990 21 October 1991 20 Nov. 1991
Kyrgyzstan 7 October 1994 6 November 1994
Lao People's
Democratic
Republic 8 May 1991 a/ 7 June 1991
Latvia 14 April 1992 a/ 14 May 1992
Lebanon 26 January 1990 14 May 1991 13 June 1991
Lesotho 21 August 1990 10 March 1992 9 April 1992
Liechtenstein 30 September 1990 22 December 1995 21 Jan. 1996
Liberia 26 April 1990 4 June 1993 4 July 1993
Libyan Arab
Jamahiriya 15 April 1993 a/ 15 May 1993
Lithuania 31 Jan. 1992 a/ 1 March 1992
Luxembourg 21 March 1990 7 March 1994 6 April 1994
Madagascar 19 April 1990 19 March 1991 18 April 1991
Malawi 2 Jan. 1991 a/ 1 February 1991
Malaysia 17 Feb. 1995 a/ 19 March 1995
Maldives 21 August 1990 11 February 1991 13 March 1991
Mali 26 January 1990 20 Sept. 1990 20 October 1990
Malta 26 January 1990 30 September 1990 30 October 1990
Marshall Islands 14 April 1993 4 October 1993 3 November 1993
Mauritania 26 January 1990 16 May 1991 15 June 1991
Mauritius 26 July 1990 a/ 2 Sept. 1990
Mexico 26 January 1990 21 September 1990 21 October 1990
Micronesia
(Federated
States of) 5 May 1993 a/ 4 June 1993
Monaco 21 June 1993 a/ 21 July 1993
Mongolia 26 January 1990 5 July 1990 2 Sept. 1990
Morocco 26 January 1990 21 June 1993 21 July 1993
Mozambique 30 September 1990 26 April 1994 26 May 1994
Myanmar 15 July 1991 a/ 14 August 1991
Namibia 26 September 1990 30 September 1990 30 October 1990
Nauru 27 July 1994 a/ 26 August 1994
Nepal 26 January 1990 14 September 1990 14 October 1990
Netherlands 26 January 1990 6 February 1995 7 March 1995
New Zealand 1 October 1990 6 April 1993 6 May 1993
Nicaragua 6 February 1990 5 October 1990 4 November 1990
Niger 26 January 1990 30 September 1990 30 October 1990
Nigeria 26 January 1990 19 April 1991 19 May 1991
Niue 20 Dec. 1995 a/ 19 January 1996
Norway 26 January 1990 8 January 1991 7 February 1991
Pakistan 20 September 1990 12 November 1990 12 December 1990
Palau 4 August 1995 a/ 3 September 1995
Panama 26 January 1990 12 December 1990 11 January 1991
Papua New Guinea 30 September 1990 1 March 1993 31 March 1993
Paraguay 4 April 1990 25 September 1990 25 October 1990
Peru 26 January 1990 4 September 1990 4 October 1990
Philippines 26 January 1990 21 August 1990 20 Sept. 1990
Poland 26 January 1990 7 June 1991 7 July 1991
Portugal 26 January 1990 21 September 1990 21 October 1990
Qatar 8 December 1992 3 April 1995 3 May 1995
Republic of Korea 25 September 1990 20 November 1991 20 December 1991
Republic of Moldova 26 Jan. 1993 a/ 25 February 1993
Romania 26 January 1990 28 September 1990 28 October 1990
Russian Federation 26 January 1990 16 August 1990 15 Sept. 1990
Rwanda 26 January 1990 24 January 1991 23 February 1991
Saint Kitts and
Nevis 26 January 1990 24 July 1990 2 September 1990
Saint Lucia 16 June 1993 a/ 16 July 1993
Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines 20 September 1993 26 October 1993 25 November 1993
Samoa 30 September 1990 29 November 1994 29 December 1994
San Marino 25 Nov. 1991 a/ 25 December 1991
Sao Tome and
Principe 14 May 1991 a/ 13 June 1991
Saudi Arabia 26 Jan. 1996 a/ 25 February 1996
Senegal 26 January 1990 31 July 1990 2 September 1990
Seychelles 7 Sept. 1990 a/ 7 October 1990
Sierra Leone 13 February 1990 18 June 1990 2 September 1990
Singapore 5 October 1995 a/ 4 November 1995
Slovakia b/ 1 January 1993
Slovenia b/ 25 June 1991
Solomon Islands 10 April 1995 10 May 1995
South Africa 29 January 1993 16 June 1995 16 July 1995
Spain 26 January 1990 6 December 1990 5 January 1991
Sri Lanka 26 January 1990 12 July 1991 11 August
1991
Sudan 24 July 1990 3 August 1990 2 September 1990
Suriname 26 January 1990 1 March 19933 1 March 1993
Swaziland 22 August 1990 7 September 1995 6 October 1995
Sweden 26 January 1990 29 June 1990 2 September 1990
Switzerland 1 May 1991
Syrian Arab Republic 18 September 1990 15 July 1993 14 August 1993
Tajikistan 26 Oct. 1993 a/ 25 November 1993
Thailand 27 March 1992 a/ 26 April 1992
The former Yugoslav
Republic of
Macedonia b/ 17 Sept. 1991
Togo 26 January 1990 1 August 1990 2 September 1990
Tonga 6 Nov. 1995 a/ 6 December 1995
Trinidad and Tobago 30 September 1990 5 December 1991 4 January 1992
Tunisia 26 February 1990 30 January 1992 29 February 1992
Turkey 14 September 1990 4 April 1995 4 May 1995
Turkmenistan 20 Sept. 1993 a/ 19 October 1993
Tuvalu 22 Sept. 1995 a/ 21 October 1995
Uganda 17 August 1990 17 August 1990 16 Sept. 1990
Ukraine 21 February 1991 28 August 1991 27 Sept. 1991
United Kingdom of
Great Britain and
Northern Ireland 19 April 1990 16 December 1991 15 January 1992
United Republic
of Tanzania 1 June 1990 10 June 1991 10 July 1991
United States
of America 16 February 1995
Uruguay 26 January 1990 20 November 1990 20 December 1990
Uzbekistan 29 June 1994 a/ 29 July 1994
Vanuatu 30 September 1990 7 July 1993 6 August 1993
Venezuela 26 January 1990 13 September 1990 13 October 1990
Viet Nam 26 January 1990 28 February 1990 2 September 1990
Yemen 13 February 1990 1 May 1991 31 May 1991
Yugoslavia 26 January 1990 3 January 1991 2 February 1991
Zaire 20 March 1990 27 September 1990 27 October 1990
Zambia 30 September 1990 5 December 1991 5 January 1992
Zimbabwe 8 March 1990 11 September 1990 11 October 1990
Notes
a/ Accession.
b/ Succession.
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