A/HRC/RES/33/7
entitled “New trends in migration: demographic aspects” and the Declaration of the Highlevel Dialogue on International Migration and Development, adopted on 3 October 2013,
Taking note of the progress report of the Human Rights Council Advisory
Committee on the global issue of unaccompanied migrant children and adolescents and
human rights, in which the Committee presented an analysis of the situation of children
with high vulnerability,1
Taking note also of the work of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of
migrants, especially the reports in which the mandate holder addressed the human rights of
migrant children and adolescents, and inviting States to give due consideration to the
recommendations contained therein, and of the work of the Committee on the Rights of the
Child with regard to the treatment of unaccompanied and separated children outside their
country of origin, including in its general comment No 6 (2005) on the topic, and the
general discussion held by the Committee in 2012 on the rights of all children in the context
of international migration,
Acknowledging the contribution of the International Convention on the Protection of
the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families to the international
system for the protection of migrants,
Welcoming the convening of the high-level plenary meeting on addressing large
movements of refugees and migrants, held in New York on 19 September 2016,
Taking note of the report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights on the situation of migrants in transit,2 in which the Office analysed the
human rights situation of migrants in transit, highlighted human rights concerns and made
recommendations aimed at addressing critical protection gaps for migrants in transit,
including unaccompanied children and adolescents, and women and girls,
Expressing serious concern about the situation of migrants, in particular children
and adolescents, who are forced to flee or decide to leave their homelands owing to
multiple causes and who are unaccompanied or separated from their families, and face a
variety of risks on the migratory route, and calling upon States of origin, transit and
destination to work together to find effective and sustainable solutions within a framework
of solidarity and regional and international cooperation,
Concerned at the fact that the protection and assistance needs of many
unaccompanied migrant children, often including their most basic needs, have not yet been
met,
Deeply concerned at the fact that migrant children and adolescents who are in
vulnerable situations when attempting to cross international borders without the required
travel documents may be exposed to serious human rights violations and abuses that can
threaten their physical, emotional and psychological health and well-being, and may also be
exposed to crimes and human rights abuses, including theft, kidnapping, extortion, physical
abuse, smuggling and trafficking in persons, including forced labour, and sexual
exploitation and abuse, during their journeys,
Welcoming the adoption by the General Assembly of the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development,3 in which migration is included for the first time in the global
development framework, acknowledging that the implementation of the 2030 Agenda could
have a positive impact in addressing some of the root causes of migration and hence reduce
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2
3
2
A/HRC/33/53.
A/HRC/31/35.
General Assembly resolution 70/1.