UNITED NATIONS |
CRC | |
|
Convention on the Rights of the Child
|
Distr. GENERAL
CRC/SP/33 22 November 2002
ENGLISH Original: ENGLISH/FRENCH/ SPANISH |
MEETING OF STATES PARTIES
Ninth Meeting
New York, 10 February 2003
Item 5 of the provisional agenda
1. In conformity with article 43 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the 9th meeting of the States parties to the Convention will be convened by the Secretary‑General at United Nations headquarters on Monday, 10 February 2003, for the purpose of electing five members of the Committee on the Rights of the Child from a list of persons nominated by States parties, to replace those whose terms are due to expire on 28 February 2003 (see annex I). The names of the other five members who will continue to serve on the Committee until 28 February 2005 appear in annex II.
2. In accordance with the procedure set out in article 43, paragraph 4, of the Convention, the Secretary-General, in a note verbale dated 2 September 2002 invited the States parties to submit their nominations for the election of five members of the Committee within two months, i.e. by 2 November 2003. This document includes all nominations submitted before the established date.
3. In compliance with the provisions of article 43, paragraph 4, of the Convention, the Secretary-General has the honour to list below, in alphabetical order, the names of the persons nominated for election to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, indicating the States parties which have nominated them. Biographical data of the persons nominated, as furnished by the States parties concerned, are contained in annex III to the present document.
GE.02-45962 (E) 041202 101202
Name of candidate |
Nominated by |
Joyce ALUOCH |
Kenya |
Rusudan BERIDZE |
Georgia |
Lois L. BRUTHUS |
Liberia |
Galina CHIRINCIUC |
Moldova |
Jakob Egbert DOEK |
Netherlands |
Thérèse-Françoise ENGAMBE |
Congo |
Kamel FILALI |
Algeria |
Attiat Mustafa Abdul HALIM |
Sudan |
Silvia IZQUIERDO |
Uruguay |
Ertan KAHRAMANOGLU |
Turkey |
Judith KARP |
Israel |
Ewa Miroslawa KATNA |
Poland |
Mazen KHADRA |
Syrian Arab Republic |
Moushira KHATTAB |
Egypt |
Hatem KOTRANE |
Tunisia |
Lothar Friedrich KRAPPMANN |
Germany |
Yanghee LEE |
Republic of Korea |
Norberto LIWSKI |
Argentina |
Awa N'Deye OUEDRAOGO |
Burkina Faso |
Ann Therese NDONG-JATTA |
Gambia |
Rosa Maria ORTIZ |
Paraguay |
Awich POLLAR |
Uganda |
Lucy SMITH |
Norway |
Nathan STIRLING |
Australia |
Marjorie TAYLOR |
Jamaica |
Velina TODOROVA |
Bulgaria |
Nevena VUCKOVIC-SAHOVIC |
Yugoslavia |
Name of member |
Country of nationality |
Mr. Jacob Egbert DOEK |
Netherlands |
Mrs. Moushira KHATTAB |
Egypt |
Mrs. Judith KARP |
Israel |
Mrs. Awa N'Deye OUEDRAOGO |
Burkina Faso |
Mrs. Elisabeth TIGERSTEDT-TÄHTELÄ |
Finland |
Name of member |
Country of nationality |
Mr. Ibrahim Abdul Aziz AL-SHEDDI |
Saudi Arabia |
Ms. Ghalia Mohd Bin Hamad AL-THANI |
Qatar |
Ms. Saisuree CHUTIKUL |
Thailand |
Mr. Luigi CITARELLA |
Italy |
Mrs. Marilia SARDENBERG Zelner Gonçalves |
Brazil |
Joyce ALUOCH (Kenya)
Date and place of birth: 22 October 1947, Kisumu, Kenya
Working languages: English, Kiswahili
Justice, High Court, Head of the Family Division
Determining the rights of children in matrimonial disputes and succession, implementing the provisions of the New Children Act and training judges and magistrates in the provisions of the Act and OVC principles
Chairperson, Kenya Women Judges Association, which is responsible for training judicial officers in international human rights law
Member, Judicial Service Commission, which recommends appointment of judicial officers
Member, Governing Council of the National Research Centre in Kenya which is responsible for conducting research in crime, including juvenile delinquency, Regional Coordinator for African Women Judges for purposes of collaboration and comparison of issues affecting women and children in Africa
Chairperson, Committee on establishment of Family Division which is responsible for overseeing the work in family law matters
LLB Degree, University of Nairobi; Diploma in Legal Studies, Kenya School of Law; Higher School Certificate obtained from Lumuru Girls' School; "O" Level School Certificate from Butere Girls' School
First Chairperson of Committee of African Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, responsible for formulating rules of practice and procedure and implementing the African Charter. One of the five judges of the International Tribunal for Children's Rights who articulate the rights of war-affected children and make appropriate recommendations for action by various organizations. Board Member Olave Baden-Powell Society, which raises funds worldwide for activities of Girl Guides which include training and HIV/AIDS prevention programme
1. The Right of Children under the New Children Act of Kenya, 2001.
2. Children as Victims of War and Crime.
3. Does the present Kenyan Constitution Secure the Rights of Children?
4. Numerous judgements prepared and delivered on guardianship, maintenance, adoption of children, etc.
Rusudan BERIDZE (Georgia)
Date and place of birth: 20 August 1939, Ozurgeti, Georgia
Working languages: English, Russian, German
Deputy Secretary of the National Security Council of Georgia on Human Rights Issues; Chairperson of the State Commission on the Elaboration of State Policy on the Advancement of Women
1997-present Deputy Secretary of the National Security Council of Georgia on
Human Rights Issues
1992-1995 Vice-Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia
1964-2002 Professor of Tbilisi State University
1961 Tbilisi State University/Mathematician/20 scientific researches
Rights of the Child:
Coordinator of preparation by Georgia of national reports on the implementation of main United Nations documents (nine reports), among them two reports concerning the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Six times - Head of the Georgian State delegation to various committees
Gender equality in the Council of Europe, 2002, magazine Women and Elections, Tbilisi
Publications in Georgian papers on human rights issues (in 2002 - seven articles)
Lois BRUTHUS (Liberia)
Date of birth: 27 December 1952
Place of birth: Monrovia, Liberia
Nationality: Liberian
Profession: Lawyer
High school: St. Teresa's Convent, Monrovia, Liberia
High School Diploma, 1969
University: University of Liberia, Monrovia, Liberia
Bachelor of Arts, Political Science and Government, 1973
Advanced degree: The Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, University of Liberia,
Monrovia, Liberia
Bachelor of Law, 1976
Advanced The Hague Academy of International Law, The Hague, the Netherlands
professional Certificate in Public International Law - Summer Courses in 1977
education:
Won second prize in the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court competition, held in Washington, D.C., in April 1976
Underwent practical training in general international law at the Office of General Legal Affairs, United Nations Headquarters, 1978
Legal Counsel, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 1977-1979
Senior Legal Counsel, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 1979-1990
Senior Demobilization Interviewer, United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL), 8 March 1994-February 1996
Acting Camp Supervisor, UNOMIL Demobilization Office, Schiefflin, Margibi County, Liberia, March 1966-5 April 1966
Humanitarian Officer, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA), May-October 1996
Site Supervisor, UNOMIL, OCHA, Disarmament and Demobilization, November 1996‑February 1997
Child Fighter Coordinator, OCHA, March-April 1997
Project Coordinator, The Children Assistance Programme (CAP), April 1997-May 1998
Present position:
Director-General, Organization for Children and Adolescent Mothers (OCAM), June 1998
Represented Liberia at the technical workshop and symposium on the prevention of recruitment of children into the armed forces and demobilization and social reintegration of child soldiers in Africa organized by UNICEF in cooperation with the NGO Group on the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Served as a consultant for the Family and Community Reintegration Workshop sponsored by UNICEF in Freetown, Sierra Leone, 13-23 June 1998
Conceived, initiated and supervised the Camp Site Children Outreach Programme which catered for 72 children in difficult circumstances at Camp Schiefflin, Margibi County, August 1994-April 1996
Carried out humanitarian assessment in Todee, Margibi County, and at the Baptist Seminary in April 1996
Served as stand-in for a Humanitarian Officer where I carried out assessment of Monrovia following the 6 April crisis. See "The Monrovia Report", May 1996
Carried out a collaborative OCHA-UNOPS survey on regular and irregular shelters of internally displaced persons with respect to population verification and needs assessment, July 1996
Served as Demobilization Site Coordinator/OCHA for two demobilization sites at the Barclay Training Centre, Randall Street, Monrovia and Kakata, Margibi County, Liberia, 22 November 1996-31 January 1997
Served as lead researcher for sections of the baseline survey on the challenges and opportunities for fulfilling the rights of the child in war-torn Liberia, commissioned jointly by the Government of Liberia and UNICEF, July-December 1999
Currently developing methodology for research on the situation of teenage pregnancy in Liberia
Actively supervising and implementing under the United States Girls Scholarship Programme (Education for Development and Democracy Initiative) for a total of 170 young disadvantaged adolescent girls in 38 academic institutions in rural and urban Liberia
Galina CHIRINCIUC (Moldova)
Date and place of birth: |
12 April 1953, Sirota, Orhei District, Republic of Moldova | |
Working languages: |
English, French, Russian | |
Current position/function: |
Married, one daughter, Deputy Minister of Justice of the Republic of Moldova | |
Main professional activities: | ||
1977-1978 |
Legal expert | |
1978-1987 |
Legal adviser, Ministry of Justice | |
1987-1992 |
State notary | |
1990-1994 |
Chief of sector, Parliamentary legal division | |
1994-1995 |
Chief of Legal Division, Ministry of Privatisation | |
1995-1996 |
Legal adviser, UNIVERSALBANK | |
1999-2000 |
Chief of Public Relations Sector, Presidential Administration | |
2000-present |
Deputy Minister of Justice of the Republic of Moldova | |
Educational background: | ||
1968-1972 |
Orhei College of Education | |
1972-1978 |
Faculty of Law, Moldova State University | |
1991-1993 |
Faculty of Public Administration, National College of Political and Administrative Studies, Bucharest | |
2001-present |
Doctoral studies, Romanian Academy Institute of Legal Research | |
Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the treaty body concerned: | ||
Member of the National Committee on the Protection of the Rights of the Child | ||
Member of the National Committee on Adoption | ||
Member of the Coordinating Committee for the preparation and execution of the National Human Rights Action Plan | ||
Member of the National Committee on the Rights of Women | ||
Member of the National Committee to Combat Trafficking in Humans |
Jakob Egbert DOEK (Netherlands)
Date of birth: |
1 May 1942 |
Nationality |
Dutch |
Current positions: |
|
Since 1985 |
Professor of Law, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (civil law, family and juvenile law |
Since 1998 |
Professor of Law (extraordinary), juvenile law, University of Leiden |
Since 1999 |
Member of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child |
Since May 2001 |
Chairperson of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child |
Since 2001 |
Deputy judge at Amsterdam Court of Appeal |
Main professional activities: | |
1969-1973 |
Ministry of Justice, Child Protection Department and Legislation Department |
1973-1978 |
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Faculty of Law; Assistant Professor and lecturer in juvenile law and child protection |
1978-1985 |
Part-time Professor of Law, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (juvenile and family law) and part-time children's judge, first in Alkmaar and since September 1982 in The Hague |
1985-2001 |
Deputy children's judge at The Hague District Court |
1988-1992 |
Dean of the Faculty of Law, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam |
Education: |
|
1955-1961 |
Christelijk Lyceum Emmen (grammar school) |
1969-1967 |
Law Faculty, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam |
PhD thesis |
Vijftig jaar ondertoezichtstelling (fifty years of supervision orders), Zwolle, 1972 |
1993 |
Visiting Scholar, Georgetown University Law School, Washington DC |
1993 |
Visiting Scholar, University of Michigan School of Law |
1999 |
Visiting Professor at the Northwestern University School of Law, Chicago |
Past activities: |
|
Secretary of the National Committee for the Reform of the Law Protecting Juveniles (1969‑1971) and of the committee that made recommendations to the Dutch Government on the introduction of child abuse counsellors to whom cases of child abuse and neglect can be reported | |
Board member of a number of Dutch child protection agencies and/or projects, and member of the editorial board of a Dutch child-protection journal | |
Co-founder of the Dutch Society for Family and Juvenile Law | |
Member of various committees advising the Government on the structure and development of the system of child abuse counsellors (for the reporting of cases of child abuse and neglect) in the Netherlands (1975-1991) | |
Member of the editorial board and co-author of about 7 different loose-leaf publications on family law, civil procedure, juvenile criminal law and child protection | |
Author of over 200 articles in various professional journals, including book reviews and commentaries to various court decisions. A number of articles have been translated into French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish and Korean | |
Selection of recent articles published in English: | |
1998 |
Child Sexual Abuse in the Netherlands, in: Child Sexual Abuse: What can Governments do? Rekha Wazir and Nico van Oudenhoven (eds.), pp. 71-88; Kluwer Law International, The Hague, 1998 |
The Nuclear Family: Who are the Parents, pp. 545-552, in: The Changing Family, John Eekelaar and Thandabantu Nhlapo (ed.); Hart Publishing, Oxford, 1998 | |
1999 |
Children of Divorced Parents: a voice to be heard, pp. 202-207, in Family-Europe - 21st Century: Vision and Institutions; Proceedings, European Family Forum, Athens, May 1998, Livanis Publishing Organization, 1999 |
2001 |
Family Law: The Netherlands. Monograph (together with Professor Gregor van de Burght), also published as part of the International Encylopaedia of Law Kluwer Law International, The Hague, 208 pp. |
2002 |
Truancy, drop-outs and delinquency: The Dutch Approach, in: Unprotected Time of Young People in Europe, Ivo Colozzi and Grazielle Giovannini (eds.), pp. 237-243 Faenza, 2002 |
Modern Juvenile Justice in Europe, in: A Century of Juvenile Justice, Margaret K. Rosenheim and others (eds.), pp. 505-528 University of Chicago Press, 2002 | |
The Vulnerable Child: from Charity to Entitlement, in: Child Abuse and Neglect. The International Journal, vol. 25 (2002), No. 6/7, pp. 605-613 | |
Thérèse-Françoise ENGAMBE (Republic of the Congo)
Date and place of birth: |
3 October 1947, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo |
Working languages: |
French, English |
Current position/function: |
Formerly Director-General for Social Action, promoted by UNICEF to Leading Advocate in the Best Interests of the Child (see The State of the World's Children 2000, p. 62), currently (since August 2000) serving as programme administrator responsible for children's and women's protection at the UNICEF Brazzaville office |
Main professional activities:
Advocacy for the application and popularization of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Strengthening national capacity for the production of national reports on the implementation and follow-up to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the commitments entered into at the World Summit for Children
Support for the action campaign "Dites oui pour les enfants"
Support for better collection and analysis of data on women and children in need of special protection
Assistance with fundraising for the execution of programmes to benefit children in difficult circumstances by making project proposals to donors
Follow-up on psychosocial care for children and women who have suffered sexual violence or been traumatized by war, for street children and for AIDS orphans
Educational background:
International higher diploma in social work, University of Aix-Marseille II, France (1992)
Degree in economic and social administration, (social development option), University of Aix‑Marseille II, France (1992)
State Social Worker's Diploma, Brazzaville Centre of Higher Education (1969)
Certificate in social studies on the socio-economic aspects of development, International Institute for Labour Studies (IILS), Geneva (1976)
Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the treaty body concerned:
Support for advocacy efforts promoting the adoption of additional protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Contribution to the acceleration of the human rights approach in national programmes and popularization of this concept among development partners
Contribution to the development of national policy on special protection for children and gender-related issues
Former chief of the advocacy project for application of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the National Action Plan for Children, from ratification in 1993 until 2000
Former activities coordinator for the International Year of the Child, between 1978 and 1980; and at the same time General Secretary of the National Children's Committee
Promoter, economic integration programmes for vulnerable populations (provisional post‑conflict plan, 2000-2002, Congo)
Enfants de la rue, enfants abandonnés in Univers de l'enfant, August 2000, pp 3-4, and many other articles in various journals and reviews
L'intégration sociale, instrument de développement en post conflits, 2001 (unpublished)
Les enfants d'abord, l'expérience congolaise dans l'application de la CDE, November 1999 (unpublished)
Pour une nouvelle vision de l'enfant, espérance du Congo, June 2002 (unpublished)
Kamel FILALI (Algeria)
Date and place of birth: |
8 February 1952, Constantine, Algeria |
Working languages: |
French, English, Arabic, Spanish |
Current position/function: |
Professor of international law, Faculty of Law, University of Constantine |
Professor of international human rights law, University of Constantine | |
Professor of international human rights law, International Institute of Human Rights, Strasbourg, France | |
Professor, National Magistrates Institute, Algiers | |
Member of the National Advisory Committee for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights |
Main professional activities:
Teaching and research in the field of international human rights law, including international systems for protection of human rights, the rights of the child and rights of women
Commercial attorney at the Supreme Court
Defence counsel for minors at the juvenile court
Helping to train trainers to protect children, especially handicapped children, within the Associative Movement
Ph D in international law and relations, University of Miami, Florida (1984)
Master of Comparative Law, University of Miami (1979)
Master of Arts (international relations), University of Miami (1982)
Expert certificate in international humanitarian law, ICRC training course (1998)
Teaching at the International Institute of Human Rights in Strasbourg, helping to set up programmes to teach about rights and freedoms in schools
Member of a workshop on human rights education in Algerian schools (run by the National Committee for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights)
Various contributions on the rights of the child
Communication on the international protection of children's rights, Ecole nationale d'administration, Algiers, September 2002
Contribution to the Algiers Seminar on terrorism: minors in emergency situations
Author of several press articles on constitutional law, human rights and democracy (1989-1999)
Attiat Mustafa Abdul HALIM (Sudan)
Date and place of birth: 25 November 1950, Khartoum, Sudan
Working languages: English and Arabic
Current position/function:
Secretary-General of the National Council for Child Welfare
Strategy and policy making for child welfare
To monitor implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child at all levels
Data collection about child welfare indicators
Report writing annually at the national level to the Committee on the Rights of the Child
Consultant paediatrician, working as a community paediatrician
Coordinating with United Nations agencies (UNICEF, UNFPA, WHO) in writing of plans of action for child welfare
Participated in many United Nations summits, conferences and meetings
Participated in meetings of League of Arab States and OAU
At national level, reviewing all international and regional documents on child welfare in preparation for signing and ratification by Sudan
MBBS Medicine, University of Khartoum
Master of Paediatrics and Child Welfare, University of Khartoum
Diploma in child development - Institute of Child Health, London
Renal paediatric training, Bristol, United Kingdom
Training in family planning, Indonesia
Participation in preparing the first and second Sudan report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child
Preparing the additional information to the Committee
Attending all preparatory meetings and participated in the special session of the General Assembly on children
Negotiation of the WFFC document
Revised the 10-year achievements of the child welfare indicators and wrote the final report
Breast milk as a unique substance
Paper on Sudanese children and the law
Concept paper on the Sudanese movement on children
Breast milk constituent from 50 Sudanese mothers
Paper on war-affected children - Sudan situation
Silvia IZQUIERDO (Uruguay)
Current Adviser, Central Department of Political Affairs, Ministry of
position/function: Foreign Affairs of Uruguay
Main professional activities:
1985-2002 - Chief, Human Rights Department, Department of Multilateral Affairs in the Uruguayan Foreign Ministry
Author of Uruguayan periodic reports to the treaty monitoring bodies
Doctor of Law and Social Sciences, University of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay
Liaison between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the children's authorities on the production of reports and other documents setting out Uruguay's position on the subject
Liaison between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Uruguayan non‑governmental organizations
Domestic implementation of international law
Territorial asylum and political refuge
Typology of human rights violations
The duty to make reparation for human rights violations
Ertan KAHRAMANOĞLU (Turkey)
Date and place of birth: 27 August 1943, Ankara, Turkey
Working language: English
Current position/function:
Faculty Staff Member (Associate Professor), Başkent University Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Social Work, Ankara
Lecturing (e.g. Social Work Management, History of Social Services, Social Policy and Social Welfare Programmes, Social Security and Social Insurance, Information Technology in Social Services, Psychosocial Rehabilitation of Handicapped)
Supervision of Masters and Doctorate Theses. Research activities in the areas of social work
Working as an adviser related to social services topics
Active participation in the preparation of several laws related to social welfare (e.g. Social Services and Child Protection Act)
Active participation in the preparation of the Turkish Five Year Development Plan (e.g. Head of the Social Services Expert Committee of the 8th Five Year Development Plan)
Membership of the several NGOs in the social welfare area
BA in Social Work, Social Services Academy, Ankara (1966)
MPhil in Social Administration and Social Work, University of York, United Kingdom (1971)
PhD in Educational Administration and Economy, Hacettepe University (1990)
Certificate in Social Work, The School of Social Services Administration, University of Chicago, United States of America (1968)
Certificate in Design, Management and Evaluation of Action Programmes for the Elimination of Child Labour, ILO/IPEC, Turin, Italy (1993)
Member of the Child's Rights National Committee
Executive Committee Member, Turkish Association for the Prevention of Child abuse and Neglect
Member of the Social Services Higher Advisory Committee, Turkey
Adviser to the Social Risk Mitigation Project held by the Social Services and Child Protection Agency, Turkey
Editor of the Journal of Health and Society, published by the Health and Social Assistance Foundation, Ankara, Turkey
Child welfare and services in Turkey (in Turkish)
Children who need special care in cities (in Turkish)
Child labour in industry (in Turkish)
Child labour problem in Turkey and solutions (in Turkish)
Social work group method in the childcare institutions (in Turkish)
Therapeutic social work (in English)
Judith KARP (Israel)
Date and place of birth: 28 October 1937, Jerusalem, Israel
Working language: English
Current position/function:
Deputy Attorney-General of the State of Israel
Rapporteur of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (between 1997-1999 - Vice-Chairperson)
Committee on the Rights of the Child Representative of the United Nations Coordination Panel on Technical Advice and Assistance in Juvenile Justice
Deputy Attorney-General of the State of Israel, with special responsibilities for legislation, policy coordination and liaison within the Government and with related organizations in the fields of criminal law and the criminal and juvenile justice systems, law enforcement, human rights, children's rights, as well as other responsibilities within the purview of the Office of the Attorney-General; involvement in the legislative process of preparing the Israeli Constitution (Basic Laws), Chairperson and member of various committees dealing with law enforcement, criminal law and procedure, law of evidence, police work, modes of punishment, juvenile justice, victims of crime, drug abuse and money laundering, domestic violence, commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking, social intervention within the framework of law enforcement
1957-1961 Faculty of Law, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, LLM (summa cum laude)
1964 British Council Fellowship for Foreign Professionals
1979 International Cultural Agency Grant - United States of America
1981 Salzburg Seminar on American Law
1985 Eisenhower Exchange Fellowship - United States of America (three months)
Third meeting of the United Nations Coordination Panel on Technical Advice and Assistance in Juvenile Justice, Geneva, 12-13 September 2002
Children as Partners, expert seminar, Victoria, BC, Canada, 12-16 August 2002
First inter‑committee meeting of the United Nations human rights treaty bodies (representing the Committee on the Rights of the Child), Geneva, 26-28 June 2002
WHO review meeting on global guidelines for the prevention of child abuse and neglect, in partnership with ISPCAN, Geneva, 30-31 May 2002
General Assembly special session on children, New York, 8-10 May 2002 (representing the Committee on the Rights of the Child)
Third Steering Committee of the International Bureau for Children's Rights - Guidelines for the Protection of Child Victims and Witnesses - Vienna, 20 April 2002
Eighth European ISPCAN Conference on Protection of Child Abuse and Neglect, Istanbul, 24‑27 August 2001
Second International Child Rights Education Conference, Victoria, BC, Canada, 18‑22 August 2001
Conference of social workers organized by Community Care Line, addressing corporal punishment, London, 24 May 2001
Expert meeting on the Concept of the Evolving Capacities of the Child, organized by UNICEF, Florence, Italy, 25-27 February 2001
Expert meeting on The Aims of Education organized by Save the Children - Sweden; the drafting process of the Committee's general comment on article 29 of the Convention, Stockholm, 23-24 November 2000
"Concepts Underlying the Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child", Loyola Poverty Law Journal (1998) vol. 4, p. 113
"The Best Interest of the Child" (collected papers of the Conference on "The Best Interest of the Child in the European Union", the Swedish Parliament, Stockholm, 28-29 May 1997)
"Legislating Criminal Procedure in View of the New Basic Laws", Bar Ilan Law Studies (1996), vol. 13, No. 1, p. 275 (Hebrew)
"Restitution of Victims by the Offenders", Israel Law Review (1996), vol. 30, Nos. 3‑4, p. 331
"Questions on Human Dignity within the Framework of the Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty", Mishpatim (1995), vol. 25, Nos. 1-3, p. 129 (Hebrew)
Ewa Miroslawa KATNA (Poland)
Date and place of birth: 30 June 1949, Warsaw
Working languages: Polish, Russian, English
Current position/function:
Deputy of the Sejm (Chamber of Polish Parliament of the Republic of Poland)
Member of the Social Policy and Family Sejm Committee
Chairman of the Children and Youth Sejm Committee
President of the Children's Rights Protection Committee
Member of the Board of Directors of the Nobody's Children Foundation
Parliamentary work in the field of social, family, children, women and handicapped issues
Coordination of the national NGO
Consultation and mediation in the field of family conflicts
Lectures on children's rights and abused children for psychologists, educators, social workers, policemen
Preparing the programmes of seminars concerning interdisciplinary help for abused children
Expert in the field of children's rights and the rules of child upbringing in Polish media
Master of Arts, Psychology, Warsaw University (specialization: forensic psychology, clinical psychology, juvenile delinquency)
Certificate of the Convention on the Rights of the Child conferred by Swedish NGO Rädda Barnen
Consultations for parents and specialists in the field of diagnostics and help for physically, emotionally and sexually abused children
Interviews, lectures, publications for children and adults popularizing children's rights
Meetings with children, youth, students in order to increase knowledge about children's rights and protection against abuse
"Abused child" - instructional materials (Polish)
"Pupils have the right to cry" Polityka magazine (Polish)
Periodical articles in the women's magazines
"The child in the world of advertisement" - educational brochure (Polish)
Mazen KHADRA (Syrian Arab Republic)
Date and place of birth: 6 May 1964, Damascus
Working languages: Arabic, English
Current position/function:
Director of Primary Health Care Directorate - Ministry of Health
National Coordinator of Reproductive Health and Family Planning Programme
National Coordinator of Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses
Supervisor of Immunization and Child Health
Supervising Information Office - Ministry of Health
Planning, supervising and evaluating all primary health-care activities and services on the national level, especially mother and child-related programmes under the concept of providing integrated care
Implementing information, education and communication activities with different sectors in order to apply the primary health-care concept which is considered the key activity for achieving health for all, with great emphasis on community-based initiatives. Activating a health districts system as a comprehensive concept for health and as a main part of the development process
Specialization in Dermatology - Ministry of Health (1996)
Diploma in Health Information (1992)
Medical Doctor (MD) - Damascus University - Damascus (1989)
Representative of Ministry of Health in committees dealing with childhood
Participating in preparing the national childhood plans in Syria
Many essays, brochures and pamphlets on child health
Many scenarios for different radio and TV programmes on child health
Many short films and spots on child health
Moushira KHATTAB (Egypt)
Dec. 1999 - present Secretary-General, The National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, Egypt
Personal representative of the President of Egypt on children
Expert on the Committee on the Rights of the Child
Member of the board of trustees of the Egyptian Radio and Television Union (ERTU)
Chairperson of the Committee on Family and Children (ERTU)
Member of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Pre-university Education
Board member of the Electric Utility and Consumer Protection Agency of Egypt
Board member of the Institute for Higher Studies on Childhood, University of Ein-Shams
Board member of the General Federation of Non-Governmental Organizations
Sept. 1994 to Oct. 1999 Ambassador of Egypt to the Republic of South Africa
Ambassador of Egypt to the Republic of Botswana (non-resident)
Ambassador of Egypt to the Kingdom of Lesotho (non-resident)
Jan. 1993 to Sept. 1994 Ambassador of Egypt to the Czech Republic
Ambassador of Egypt to the Slovak Republic (non-resident)
Sept. 1992 to Dec. 1992 Ambassador of Egypt to the Federation of the Czech and
Slovak Republics
Oct. 1991 to Sept. 1992 Director, Department of North African Countries, Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Egypt
1989 to 1992 Consultant on International Cooperation, The National Council for
Childhood and Motherhood, Egypt
July 1989 to Oct. 1991 Deputy Director, Department of Arab Countries, Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Egypt
Jan. 1985 to June 1989 Consul of Egypt in Melbourne, Australia
Dec. 1981 to Jan. 1985 Counsellor, Department of International Economic Relations, in
charge of relations with EU and Arab countries
Jan. 1979 to June 1981 First Secretary, then Counsellor, Egyptian Embassy, Budapest
Sept. 1977 to Sept. 1979 Member of the Cabinet of the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
Sept. 1973 to Sept. 1977 Third Secretary, promoted to Second then First Secretary,
Egyptian Embassy, Vienna; alternate representative of Egypt to
UNIDO
Jan. 1971 to June 1973 Member of the Cabinet of the Minister for Foreign Affairs
Sept. to Dec. 1968 and 1970 Served twice as member of the Egyptian delegation to the
General Assembly of the United Nations
Oct. 1966 to Sept. 1968 Studied at the Institute for Diplomatic and Consular Studies,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Egypt; graduated valedictorian
MA International Relations (1971), University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, United States
of America
BSc Political Science (1965), Faculty of Economic and Political Science, Cairo University (honours)
Diplomas for completing the following seminars:
Chaired the official delegation of Egypt to a number of international conferences, including:
Member of the Egyptian delegation to a number of international Conferences such as:
Supervised and participated in the preparation of the following studies:
Hatem KOTRANE (Tunisia)
Date and place of birth: 25 July 1954, Tunis
Working languages: English, Arabic and French
Current position/situation:
Professor-Director, Department of Private Law in the Faculty of Juridical, Political and Social Sciences, University of Tunis. Commission on Human Rights independent expert on the question of a draft optional protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Main professional activities:
1993-2000 Expert consultant for UNICEF, in particular providing support for the drafting of State reports to the Committee on the Rights of the Child in Tunisia (1994 and 1999), the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (1997) and Oman (1998); and at numerous seminars on various subjects related to the rights of the child (Beirut, 1997; Riyadh, 1997; Muscat, 1998; Tehran, 2000)
Director of the National Institute of Labour and Social Studies (INTES), University of Tunis 3, 1991-1997
Professor of private law since 1988
Senior lecturer in private law since 1984 (passed the agrégation competitive examination in private law, session of 1984)
Assistant lecturer in private law since 1982
Educational background:
Doctorate in social law, 1982, University of Paris 1, Panthéon‑Sorbonne, thesis on the subject of public order in international social law
Diplôme d'études approfondies (D.E.A.) in private international law and international commerce, 1981, University of Paris 1, Panthéon‑Sorbonne
Diplôme d'études approfondies (D.E.A.) in social law, 1978, University of Paris 1, Panthéon‑Sorbonne
Degree in private law, 1977, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Tunis
Other relevant activities:
Scientific and legal adviser of the Arab Institute of Human Rights (since 1999)
President of the Conference of Arab States on the Management of Social Transformations (MOST) programme, UNESCO, Tunis, 1996
Founding member and Vice‑President of the Tunisian Association of Social Law (1985-1995)
Consultant and arbiter (domestic and international arbitration)
General Rapporteur of the Conference of French-speaking Countries, in preparation for the
World Conference on Human Rights, Libreville (Gabon), 1993
Member of the official delegation of Tunisia to the World Conference on Human Rights,
Vienna, 1993
Member of the Higher Committee on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (since 1991)
Visiting professor at the Montesquieu University of Bordeaux IV (1989), and the University of Nice (1990), and associate professor at the University of Paris VII (1991)
Executive member of the International Society for Labour Law and Social Security (since 1987)
Most recent publications in the field:
2002 Report of the independent expert on the question of a draft optional protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (document E/CN.4/2002/57, 12 February 2002)
2002 La justiciabilité des droits culturels, report submitted to the "Diversité et droits culturels" round table organised by the International Organisation of la Francophonie in collaboration with the Arab Institute of Human Rights, Tunis, 21-23 September 2002 (forthcoming)
2001-2002 Droit des obligations: le contrat et la responsabilité civile, CPU, Tunis (in preparation)
2001-2002 Traité de droit du travail tunisien, CPU, Tunis (in preparation)
2000 Le droit tunisien du travail et les mutations internationales, in Mélanges Habib Ayadi, CPU, Tunis
1998 "La clause sociale, vue d'en bas", in Dimension sociale de la mondialisation de l'Economie", Comptrasec publication, Montesquieu University of Bordeaux IV
Professor of Sociology of Education at the Freie Universität, Berlin/Germany
Guest researcher (post-retirement) at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and Education
Principal investigator for a study of inequality among children (German Research Foundation)
Member of several advisory boards in the field of child development and education
Co-opted member (1989-2000) of the board of directors of the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and Education, Berlin. From 1975-2002 researcher with the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and Education. Chairman of the expert commission that prepared the 10th German Report on Children and Youth (published 1998). Guest lecturer at universities in India, Japan, Switzerland and the United States of America. Since 1982 Professor of Sociology of Education at the Freie Universität, Berlin
1969 Ph D in Sociology and Modern History, Freie Universität, Berlin
1961 MA in Philosophy and Theology at St. George's College, Frankfurt am Main
Active member of national and international academic associations such as the Society for Research on Child Development and the International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development. Initiator/member of and adviser to committees and groups concerned with promoting children's education, daycare and welfare
2002, Education as the means of children's and adolescents' empowerment (in Münchmeyer et al. (eds.)); 2001, Towards a culture of development (in Konrad, (ed.)); 1997, co-editor, Pre‑schools under examination. The search for a situational approach to children's education;
1995, Everyday life of primary school students (all in German)
Yanghee LEE (Republic of Korea)
Dean of School of Human Life Sciences at Sungkyunkwan University
Director of Graduate Studies of School of Human Life Sciences at Sungkyunkwan University
Director of The Institute of Human Life Sciences at Sungkyunkwan University
Professor of Department of Child Psychology and Education at Sungkyunkwan University
Korean Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (Governing Director)
Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (member)
Korean Council for Children's Right (Governing Director)
Korean Society of Developmental Psychology (member)
Committee on Child Welfare for City of Seoul
Committee on Social Welfare for City of Seoul
Korean Association of Child Studies (member)
Council for Exceptional Children (United States of America) (member)
Citizen's Coalition for Economic Justice Committee on Children's Environment
Korean Safety Education Association (adviser)
B.S. degree in French (minor in Chinese), Georgetown University, United States of America
M.D in Early Childhood Education for the Handicapped, University of Missouri‑Columbia, United States of America
PhD in Early Childhood Education for the Handicapped (support area in Child and Family Development), University of Missouri-Columbia, United States of America
Citizen's Coalition for Economic Justice, Committee on Children's Environment
Analysis and monitoring safety of public playgrounds
Korean Safety Education Association (adviser)
Monitoring safety of play environment
Save the Children Korea (workshop co-work)
Continuous lobby work directed at Korean lawmakers
Development of a human rights education programme for young children
Indicators of Korean children's well-being (2002), Hakjee: Korea
Nature and effect of child abuse found in young children in family protective services (2001), Journal of Korean Council for Children's Rights
National Survey of Child Abuse (2000), Journal of Korean Council for Children's Rights
Indicators of children's rights: education and care (1998), Journal of Korean Council for Children's Rights
Norberto I. LIWSKI (Argentina)
Date and place of birth: 22 March 1946, Federal Capital, Argentine Republic
Working languages: Spanish and English
Current position/function:
President, National Council on Children, Adolescents and the Family, Ministry of Social Development, 2002 (Secretary of State rank)
Main professional activities:
Director, "Adolescence and Juvenile Citizenship: Rights and Contradictions" refresher programme, Faculty of Law, University of Buenos Aires, 2001‑present
Adviser to the Chamber of Deputies Commission on the Family, Children and Women, 1999‑2001
Director of Studies, Master's course on minors' affairs, Universidad Notarial Argentina, 1998‑2001
Technical team coordinator for the project "Situational diagnosis and preparation of a plan of action for children and adolescents in high‑risk situations", Puerto Quequén, Necochea, 1998
Technical team coordinator, Association of the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo, 1982‑1989
Local health systems adviser, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), 1982
Educational background:
Social Paediatrician (National Register 38660), Universidad Nacional de la Plata, Buenos Aires province, Argentina
Other main activities in the field of relevance to the treaty body concerned:
Member of the Organisation of American States (OAS) Inter‑American Children's Institute Executive Committee
President, Argentine section, Defensa de los Niños Internacional
Coordinator of the Provincial Plan on Teenagers, Schools and Social Integration, Office of the Under‑Secretary for Education, Central Department for Culture and Education, Buenos Aires province, 2001
Director of the distance‑learning course "Juvenile sectors and social and family problems", 1996
Director of the distance‑learning course "Social and youth development and participation", 1996
Sponsor, Spanish National Distance‑Learning University
Director of Studies, Master's course on minors' affairs and the family, Lomas de Zamora National University, 1990 to 1995
Most recent publications in the field:
La Protección de los Derechos Humanos hacia el Tercer Milenio, Dr. Norberto I. Liwski (compiler), CODESEDH, 2001
Educación para la Salud, Prevención de Violencia Familiar, mimeo, 2000
Investigación: Venta y Tráfico de Niños en la Argentina, a Defensa de los Niños Internacionales (DNI) publication, Office of the Secretary for Human and Family Development, Ministry of Health and Social Action, Argentine Republic, 1988
Awa N'Deye OUEDRAOGO (Burkina Faso)
Date and place of birth: 3 September 1954
Working languages: French and English
Current position/function:
Member (Vice-Chairman), Committee on the Rights of the Child
Technical Adviser, Ministry for the Promotion of Human Rights
Member of the Burkina Faso delegation to the Special Session of the General Assembly on Children
Main professional activities:
Chairman, Committee on the Rights of the Child (2000-2001)
Vice-Chairman, Committee on the Rights of the Child (2001‑present)
Member of the National Committee on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1998‑present)
Member of the UNICEF Executive Board, New York (1989-1996)
Vice-President, UNICEF Executive Board, New York (1995)
Involved in the production of the National Guide to the Rights of the Child and the strategic framework for the National Plan of Action to promote and protect the rights of the child, Ouagadougou (2000-2002)
Educational background:
Doctorate in Linguistics, University of Paris III, Sorbonne (1983)
Diploma of Advanced Studies in Linguistics, University of Paris III, Sorbonne (1980)
Certificate in child psychology, Ouagadougou (1978)
United Nations delegates' training course, New York (1990)
World Bank training course on macro/microeconomic policy
Training course on the rights of the child (1997)
Other main activities in the field of relevance to the treaty body concerned:
Present at the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Attended the World Summit for Children and the preparatory meetings (1989-1990)
Special Session of the General Assembly on Children, New York (2002)
African Conference on the Rights of the Child and Poverty, Yaoundé (2001)
World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, Durban (2001)
Second Conference on Children's Rights in Education, Victoria (2001)
Most recent publications in the field of relevance to the treaty body concerned:
Le travail des enfants (2002)
Le trafic et l'exploitation des enfants en Afrique (2001)
Les droits de l'enfant et la pauvreté (2000)
Les filles et les droits de l'enfant (2001)
La Convention relative aux droits de l'enfant: dix ans après (2001)
Ann Therese NDONG-JATTA (Gambia)
Date and place of birth: 22 June 1956
Nationality: Gambian
Marital status: Married
Current position: Secretary of State for Education
Education and training:
Bayero University, Nigeria: BA (Combined honours English and History), Certificate in Education, 1977-1980
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN MSc., (United States of America), Educational Leadership, 1983-1985
Harvard Graduate School, Certificate in Educational Policy Analysis, June-July 1996
Harvard Graduate School of Public Administration, Certificate, Executive Leadership Programme, July 1999
Master's Degree Thesis Topic: Comparative Analysis of Student Achievement in Developed Countries and Developing Countries
Work experience:
Secretary of State for Education, 1999-present
Director of Secondary and Tertiary Education, July 1997-1999
Chief Education Officer, January 1996-1999
Deputy Chief Education Officer - Planning, April 1995-1996
Principal, St. Peter's High School, April 1985-1995
Graduate teacher, St. Peter's, September 1980-1982
Unqualified teacher, St. Joseph's High School, September 1976-1977
Coordinator of the Education Sector Policy Review and Formulation of the Master Plan, 1996‑2003
Chairperson, West African Examinations Council National Committee, 1996-1999
Secretary, St. Peter's High School Board of Governors, 1986-1995
Chairperson, St. Joseph's High School Board of Governors, 1992-1995
Member, WAEC National Committee, 1988-1990
Member, National Vocational and Technical Education Council, 1986-1990
Trainer of trainers for Family Life Education, 1987-1993
Coordinator, Catholic Church National Family Planning Programme, 1986-1993
Trainer of education managers and heads of school, 1986-1991
Rosa María ORTIZ (Paraguay)
Date and place of birth: 28 September 1952, Asunción, Paraguay
Working languages: Spanish, English (understands Portuguese, Italian, French)
Current position/function:
Deputy Director of the non-governmental organization Global … Infancia. Programme coordinator for the institution (rights of the child in local government; municipal
rights-of-the-child boards; child domestic labour; child organization and attendance at school; police commitment to children's rights)
Main professional activities:
Activities to uphold and protect the rights of the child generally
Drafting of national laws and municipal bylaws; institutional adaptation of the National Police; adaptation of educational reforms as regards participation by children; action to combat trafficking in children; strengthening of legal adoption; defending and promoting children's rights in 100 municipal governments; publicity campaigns; child domestic labour; annual national gathering on the rights of the child
Educational background:
Completed the coursework on social communication at the Nuestra Señora de la Asunción Catholic University, Asunción (thesis in preparation)
Other main activities in the field of relevance to the treaty body concerned:
Represents the Coordinator for non-governmental organizations concerned with the rights of the child on the Adoption Centre Board (governing body)
List of most recent publications in the field:
Adopción internacional o tráfico de niños? (International adoption or trafficking in children?)
Trabajo infantil doméstico ‑ Criaditas (Child domestic labour ‑ housemaids) (with other authors)
En la calle ‑ Street children in Asunción
Awich POLLAR (Uganda)
Age: 32
Sex: Male
Nationality: Ugandan
Education:
1995 Ntare School, Uganda Advanced Level Certificate
1995-1999 Makerere University, Bachelor of Laws
1989 Certificate in AIDS/HIV Counselling
1990 Certificate in Military Studies: Cadet, Tanzania Military Team
2000 Certificate in Parliamentary Affairs and Legal Drafting
1986 Basic Cadre Course, School of Political Education, Entebbe
1986 Advanced Cadre Course, School of Political Education, Entebbe
1987 Political Commissar Army Shop
1988 Political Commissar Kiburara Organization Unit
1989 Political Commissar 302 Brigade
1995 Political Commissar UPDF transport battalion (during first year at Makerere University)
Legal Counsel in the Movement Secretariat
The functions of the Legal Counsel are:
Joined NRM as a freedom fighter and, being a child soldier, was rehabilitated
Contested parliamentary elections twice (1996 and 2001)
Chairman, Makerere University Study Group, 1996 (which was inaugurated by
H.E. Yoweri Museveni)
Lucy SMITH (Norway)
Date and place of birth: 12 October 1934, Oslo
Working languages: Fluent in Norwegian and English; some French
Current position/functions:
Professor of Law, University of Oslo, Norway
Chairperson, Norwegian Institute of Human Rights
Vice-President, European University Association
Teaching and research at the University of Oslo, as a full-time professor, in Child Law, Human Rights Law and Law of Contracts
Lectures on the rights of the child in the other Nordic countries
Activities related to the vice-presidency of the European University Association, including board meetings, seminars, conferences and lectures, etc.
Activities connected with being member of different boards and councils in various organizations and companies, public as well as private
Cand. jur. (Norwegian Law degree), University of Oslo, 1959
Doctor juris (Doctorate in Law), University of Oslo, 1981
Adviser to UNICEF, Norway
Adviser to the Ombudsman for Children in Norway
Member of the Board and Council of Norwegian Branch of SOS Children's Villages
Member of the Board of the Red Cross Contact Telephone for Children in Norway
Member of the Advisory Board of the Institute on Family and Neighbourhood Life, Clemson University, South Carolina, United States of America
Parents and Children, 5th revised ed., Oslo 1998 (in Norwegian)
Norwegian social welfare legislation and human rights (article in Norwegian)
Human rights for children, Festschrift/article, to be published in February 2003 (in English)
Ms. Smith also submitted a separate CV containing details of her activities in the field relevant to the treaty body concerned.
Nathan STIRLING (Australia)
Date and place of birth: 16 June 1959
Working language: English
Mr. Nathan Stirling is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Open Family Australia, a 25‑year‑old not-for-profit organization providing street outreach services to children and young people. Open Family Australia places a strong emphasis on child advocacy issues, and holds special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council
Mr. Stirling has been working in the child and youth welfare area for over 20 years, first as a high school teacher and then as an outreach worker. He has been the CEO of Open Family Australia since 1992. Mr. Stirling was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 1993 and studied best practice in youth welfare in Europe and the United States of America. In 1999, he was made a Member of the Order of Australia for his management and development of youth welfare programmes. Mr. Stirling is a regular expert commentator in the Australian media on youth welfare issues and he has presented at various conferences, both in Australia and overseas, including those of the World Bank and the United Nations. Mr. Stirling is also a director on the board of Child Wise Ltd. (the representative organization of the international NGO, ECPAT, in Australia), a member of the Victoria Police Youth External Affairs Reference Group, an Associate Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management, a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Emeritus Trustee of the Committee for the Economic Development of Australia
In addition to tertiary qualifications in Education and Asian Studies, Mr. Stirling has recently completed the requirements for the Master of Management degree through the Australian Institute of Management and the Norwegian Management School BI. Mr. Stirling is a graduate of the Mt. Eliza Business School course in Association Management and an alumnus of the highly regarded leadership course conducted by Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government
Mr. Stirling's activities in the field relevant to the Committee's mandate are centred on his work with Open Family Australia as an advocate for street children and in developing programmes to assist these children. Of particular note is Open Family's development of a licensing model to promote the intellectual capital of non-for-profit organizations and build social capital within local communities by the deployment of street outreach workers. This model was a finalist in the World Banks' Development Marketplace competition in 2000 for innovative partnerships in the fight against poverty. Also of note is a new project designed to enable street children to engage actively with community leaders to create forums in which they can voice their perspective on issues and policies affecting them. In his association with Child Wise Ltd., Mr. Stirling is also involved in the work of ECPAT to prevent the commercial sexual exploitation of children
"The Power of One", Parity, Council to Homeless Persons, Melbourne (1999)
"The Business of Welfare", Committee for the Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) Bulletin (July 2000)
"A Plea for Compassion and Creativity", in The Heroin Crisis, Bookman Press, Melbourne (2000)
Mr. Stirling has also presented papers on issues affecting street children and street outreach methodology to a number of international conferences, including:
Marjorie TAYLOR (Jamaica)
Date and place of birth: 7 June 1950, Kingston, Jamaica
Working language: English
Ambassador, Special Envoy for Children's Affairs with responsibility for the following units within the Ministry of Health: The Children's Services Division, The Adoption Board, The Child Support Unit, Places of Safety, Children's Homes (Public and Private)
Responsibility for the Child Development Agency
1998-present Government Liaison with NGOs on children's affairs
1992-1997 Member of Parliament for East Kingston and Port Royal
1989-1991 Government Senator
1979-1989 Chairman, Kingston and Saint Andrew Corporation, Civic Committee
Chairman, Kingston and Saint Andrew Corporation, Building Committee
1975-1989 Special Assistant to the Prime Minister
1984-1986 University of the West Indies, Certificate in Public Administration
1977-1979 University of Technology, Diploma in Building Inspection
1969-1969 Camperdown High School
2002-2002 Vice-Chairman, Inter-American Children's Institute
1992-1999 and
2002-present Member of the UNICEF Executive Board
2000 Chairman and Coordinator of Fifth Ministerial Meeting on Children and Social Policy in the Americas
1992-1997 Minister of State with responsibility for Children's Affairs and Local Government
1989-1991 Parliamentary Secretary with responsibility for Children's Affairs and Local Government
1995 Head of delegation to the Committee on the Rights of the Child;
Chairman, Caribbean Consultations on Children and their Families;
Head of delegation, Regional Seminar against Sexual Exploitation of Children, Sweden
Coordinated the preparation and publication of The Jamaican National Plan of Action for Children, The Jamaican National Policy on Children
Preparation of Jamaica's End-of-Decade Review of the follow-up to the World Summit for Children
Velina TODOROVA (Bulgaria)
Date and place of birth: 3 May 1958, Shumen, Bulgaria
Working language: English (fluent) and Russian
State of Agency for Children Protection - Director of Department for International Cooperation and Programmes
Assistant Professor of Family Law, Law Faculty, Plovdiv University
Monitoring process under the Convention on the Rights of the Child - drafting of the initial report (1997) and the second periodic report (2001-2002); member of the governmental delegation presenting the former before the Committee (Geneva, 6‑7 January 1997)
Drafting of the Child Protection Act (1997-2000) - member of the experts group, expert to the Parliamentary Commission, NGO lobbyist
Legal expert to the UNDP/World Bank team dealing with the social assessment of the public care for children in Bulgaria (2000)
Academic - teaching Children's Rights courses in three law faculties in the country; member of the International Society of Family Law; delivered papers at international conferences in Prague (1997), Onati (1998), Budapest (2001), Copenhagen/Oslo (2002)
2001, July FL/Children's Rights, Oxford University, United Kingdom. Academic adviser - Mr. John Eekelaar, member of the British Academy
1997, 1 semester International Human Rights Law, Department of Law, University of Nottingham
1997, November International Human Rights Law, The Hague, Netherlands
1996, April-May Socio-Legal Protection of Children, University of West London
1989 Ph D
1981 Law Faculty, Sofia University
Expert to the Council of Europe (2002): Working Group on Children, Democracy and Participation in Society of the Forum for Children and Families (1996-1997); Health and Social Policy Division, Coordinated Research Programme "The Crisis of the Welfare State: How to Respect and Guarantee the Social Rights of Individuals whilst Controlling the Costs", two field visits/reports to the Czech and Slovak Republics
NGO activists: project manager for the Bulgarian Association of Women in Legal Professions of two small and one large project, Bulgarian-British Children Initiative, Phare‑Democracy 97/6038 and Regional programme on the establishing of a South-East European Child Rights Network (SEECRAN); member of the Executive Committee, two field visits to Albania and Serbia and two country reports. 1999: expert to the Bulgarian Gender Research Foundation/UNDP on the Bulgarian country report: on follow-up to United Nations conference and summits. 2001: member of the Expert Group to the Commission on European Family Law. 2000: expert for the International Helsinki Federation on the status of women's rights in Bulgaria
The Bulgarian Child Protection Act: The Start of Child Welfare Reform, in The International Survey of Family Law, Andrew Bainham (ed.), Jordan Publishers, 2002
The Child Protection Act and the development of the legal capacity of the child, Savremenno pravo, 6/2000r
Bulgarian Children Act - Battlefield for Adult Policies or a Genuine Commitment to Children, in Mavis Maclean (ed.), Making Law for Families, Hart Publishing, 2000
The draft for child protection and the public attitudes towards the policy for children in Bulgaria, The International Journal of Children Rights, 8, Kluwer Law International, 2000
Family Law in Bulgaria: Legal Norms and Social Norms, International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family, Oxford University Press, vol. 14, No. 2, 2000
Child Abuse - the Bulgarian Case, in Overcoming Child Abuse: A Window on a World Problem, Michael Freeman (ed.), Ashgate, Dartmouth (United Kingdom), 2000
Foster Family - The concept and the status according to the draft Family Law Code, Pravna Misal, 4/1999
Decision of the European Court for Human Rights on the case 27496/1995 and its impact on the Bulgarian Family Law, Human Rights, 4/1998
Parents, children and child protection under the Bulgarian law, Social Work in Europe,
vol. 3, 3/19996
Grounds for public intervention in the child-parent relationship, Pravna Misal, 3/1996
Do we need a modern law for social protection of children?, Obstestveno vaspitanie, 3/1995
and 22 others
Nevena VUČKOVIĆ-ŠAHOVIĆ (Yugoslavia)
Date and place of birth: 2 August 1955, Belgrade, Yugoslavia
Working languages: English, French. Mother tongue Serbian (also speaks and
understands most of the other south-Slavic languages)
President of the Child Rights Centre - Belgrade (The Centre). The overall goal of the Centre is the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Centre's activities are focused on introducing such laws, policies and practices that enable the improvement of children's well-being, the protection of their rights and their full participation in society. Specifically, the Centre works on: raising awareness on the importance of child rights and relevant international law and practice; scientific and professional research in the domain of child rights; education of professionals, parents and children; carrying out programmes in specific areas of child rights and encouraging improvements of child rights. Through its Information, Research and Education and Child Rights Policy Development sectors, the Centre has organized over 100 seminars, training and round tables in Yugoslavia and Europe; "published several dozen books, magazines, manuals and reports, advocated for ratification of several child-related international treaties, provided reports on the situation of children in the FRY, initiated substantial reforms and policies in the area of juvenile justice and social protection of children, and carried out many other activities
Special Adviser on the rights of the child to the Yugoslav Federal Government Commission
for Cooperation with UNICEF
Adviser to the Ministry of Education on democratization of education and civic education
Founding member and member of the Governing Board of the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights; Member of the Yugoslav Branch of the International Law Association
Member of the Council for Human Rights of Centre for Anti-War Action in Belgrade
Since 1997 with the Child Rights Centre - Belgrade (originally Yugoslav Child Rights Centre), the first and the only organization in Yugoslavia devoted exclusively to the promotion and implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, as a founder and head of the organization. The scope of work includes managing, planning, evaluating and actually participating in all activities of the Centre. It also includes lots of research writing and teaching (seminars, faculties, schools)
Between 1993 and 1997, worked as an independent human rights lawyer (member of the Belgrade Bar Association)
In 1992-1993 was a senior counsellor in the Federal Ministry for Human and Minority Rights in charge of communication with international human rights governmental and non‑governmental organizations and bodies
Between 1985 and 1992 worked as senior adviser to the Serbian Government Secretariat for International Relations
Began professional career in 1979 in the Belgrade Municipal Administration, where she stayed until 1985 dealing with legal aspects of various social and educational programmes
Graduated from the Belgrade University Law School in 1978
Bar exam 1983
LLM in international law at the Belgrade University Law School - "Activities of the International Labour Organization in protection of social rights"
Ph D from the Belgrade University Law School - "The Rights of the Child and International
Law" (published in 2000)
Coordinated and prepared the alternative report on the rights of the child in FRY, in 1993
With Belgrade Centre for Human Rights organized seminars and lectures on the Convention, its procedures and the rights of the child
With the Child Rights Centre participated in numerous programmes regarding promotion, protection and relevant legislation
Lobbied for the ratification of the Optional Protocols to the Convention and in charge of developing indicators and creating child policy in FRY and South-East Europe
Prepared independent overall report on the exercise of the rights of the child in FRY (1996‑2002)
Coordinated establishment of SEECRAN (South-East European Child Rights Action Network), which enabled links and activities among more than 80 child-related organizations in the region
Participated in numerous national and international seminars, meetings, round tables and conferences relating to the Convention and child rights in general
Attended several discussion days of the Committee on the Rights of the Child and worked on the follow-up in FRY and the region
Participated in numerous training courses and seminars in the field of human rights, international law and NGO development
The Rights of the Child and International Law (The Yugoslav Child Rights Centre, 2000)
Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (The Yugoslav Child Rights Centre and UNICEF, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002; a manual for implementation, translated also into Hungarian and Albanian
The Situation of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of the Child in the FRY (Belgrade Centre for Human Rights, 1999)
Selected International Instruments on the Rights of the Child (The Yugoslav Child Rights Centre, 1999)
Juvenile Justice in International Law, with Special Reference to Juvenile Delinquents (The Yugoslav Review of International Law, 1997)
Rights of the Child - Global and Yugoslav Prospective (Belgrade Centre for Human Rights, 1997)
and many other articles, reports and reviews in Yugoslav and foreign publications, magazines and newspapers
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