How to Prepare a Child-led Report for the Simplified Reporting Procedure: A case study from South Africa

The Committee on the Rights of the Child (the Committee) has introduced an optional Simplified Reporting Procedure (SRP) for States. This has important implications for civil society organisations since it creates new entry points for advocacy and shorter timelines to the standard procedure for reporting. One significant new element – and the first step in the SRP – is a civil society submission to the Committee for the preparation of the List of Issues Prior to Reporting (LOIPR). This List of Issues is critically important, as it forms the basis for the key priority areas that are then raised with States. The civil society submission is an opportunity to set the agenda for this List of Issues.

South Africa opted to use the Simplified Reporting Procedure in 2019 and in 2020, the South African National Child Rights Coalition (SANCRC), with support from Save the Children, consulted with children and prepared a submission for the LOIPR. This Case Study examines how this was achieved and some of the challenges and opportunities for child-focused organisations wishing to promote children’s rights under this new reporting procedure. It focusses specifically on efforts to create an enabling environment for children to make their voices heard in the LOIPR, in line with the principles and values of South Africa’s National Child Participation Framework.

This case study was developed as part of the How to Child Rights series.