Convention on the Rights of the Child: From moral imperatives to legal obligations. In search of effective remedies for child rights violations

The aim of this report is to highlight key observations, conclusions and conversations resulting from the international conference ‘Convention on the Rights of the Child: From Moral Imperatives to Legal Obligations – In search of effective remedies for child rights violations’, which took place in Geneva, 12-13 November 2009. The conference attracted more than 120 participants from more than 60 countries,
with diverse professional backgrounds, experience and expertise. The format of the conference saw participants divided, according to their regional affiliations, into African, American, European and Asian working groups where they discussed specific topics related to child rights litigation. The report is organised in three main sections. The first explains the background of the conference, and gives an overview of the conference’s methodology and programme. The second and main section is organised around the three themes of the working groups, namely: (1) Using national systems to address violations of child rights; (2) Using international and regional systems to address violations of child rights; and (3) Designing a strategic litigation strategy. Each sub-section also includes abstracts from relevant presentations delivered during the plenary sessions.