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Vulnerabilities of children to sale, trafficking and other forms of exploitation in situations of conflict and humanitarian crisis 2017, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- Responses to current humanitarian crises are increasingly dependent on voluntary work and, as a result, frontline workers are not always appropriately trained or able to detect such complex situations as trafficking in persons or other forms of child exploitation. A lack of confidentiality or child-friendly spaces and complaint mechanisms in places where migrants or refugees reside, including reception centres, refugee camps and informal settlements, also hampers the establishment of a bond of trust with the children that would enable them to share their concerns and the risks that they face. In addition, children’s lack of confidence in the protection system and the assistance available to them drives them to hide their exploitation from humanitarian workers. Finally, children’s experience of abuse and exploitation as well as their own statements regarding their age are met with disbelief by public services, undermining the identification process further.
- Body
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 4 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 23 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on State obligations regarding the human rights of c ... 2017, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- The Committees urge States parties to take all necessary measures to ensure that all children are immediately registered at birth and issued birth certificates, irrespective of their migration status or that of their parents. Legal and practical obstacles to birth registration should be removed, including by prohibiting data sharing between health providers or civil servants responsible for registration with immigration enforcement authorities; and not requiring parents to produce documentation regarding their migration status. Measures should also be taken to facilitate late registration of birth and to avoid financial penalties for late registration. Children who have not been registered should be ensured equal access to health care, protection, education and other social services.
- Body
- Committee on the Rights of the Child
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Infants
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 3 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 22 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the general principles regarding the human rights ... 2017, para. 14
- Paragraph text
- The Committees encourage States parties to ensure that the authorities responsible for children’s rights have a leading role, with clear decision-making power, on policies, practices and decisions that affect the rights of children in the context of international migration. Comprehensive child protection systems at the national and local levels should mainstream into their programmes the situation of all children in the context of international migration, including in countries of origin, transit, destination and return. In addition to the mandates of child protection bodies, authorities responsible for migration and other related policies that affect children’s rights should also systematically assess and address the impacts on and needs of children in the context of international migration at every stage of policymaking and implementation.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
A world fit for children 2002, para. 44.29
- Paragraph text
- [To achieve these goals, we will implement the following strategies and actions:] Give priority to programmes for family tracing and reunification, and continue to monitor the care arrangements for unaccompanied and/or separated refugee and internally displaced children.
- Body
- United Nations General Assembly
- Document type
- Resolution
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2002
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The human rights of migrants on a 2035 agenda for facilitating human mobility 2017, para. 43 (Goal 2.)
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur proposes the following goals:] Goal 2. Protect the labour and human rights of all migrant workers, regardless of their status and circumstances
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Violence against women: Twenty years of developments to combat violence against women 2014, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- One of the five priority areas of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) is ending violence against women. The efforts of UN-Women in this regard include standard setting, technical assistance, financial assistance, education, advocacy, data collection and coordination. The entity supports Member States as they set global standards for achieving gender equality and works with governments and civil society to design laws, policies, programmes and services needed to implement these standards, including in developing and implementing national action plans to end violence against women. UN-Women also participates in a number of joint programmes with partner agencies at the country level and coordinates the Secretary-General's UNiTE campaign and the COMMIT initiative. The Inventory of United Nations activities to prevent and eliminate violence against women describes the efforts of 38 United Nations entities, the International Organization for Migration and six inter-agency partnerships. UN-Women has also developed the Virtual Knowledge Centre to End Violence against Women and Girls, an online resource centre.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The first decade of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children 2014, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- Communication and engagement with stakeholders. Trafficking in persons is a critical issue for every country, affecting many different groups and cutting across multiple areas of legal and illegal activity. The range of current and potential stakeholders is accordingly very wide. The first mandate holder recognized this aspect of her work from the outset (E/CN.4/2005/71, paras. 41-47) and made consistent efforts to extend her engagement beyond Governments and international agencies to include the full range of civil society organizations working on the issue, as well as those engaged in related areas, such as the rights of migrants and violence against women. Her participatory and collaborative approach was continued and extended by the current mandate holder, who declared an intention to "reach out, listen, learn and share good practice around the world" (A/HRC/10/16, para 62). She has put this commitment into practice through regular, broad-based regional consultations aimed at securing expert input into her work while improving the understanding of the mandate amongst interlocutors.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Integration of a human rights-based approach in measures to discourage the demand that fosters all forms of exploitation of persons, especially women and children, and which leads to human trafficking 2013, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- United Nations agencies have also summarized the measures they perceived to be needed to discourage demand, noting that: Examples of measures to address the demand side are measures to broaden awareness; attention and gender-sensitive research into all forms of exploitation and forced labour and the factors that underpin its demand; to raise public awareness on products and services that are produced by exploitative and forced labour; to regulate, license and monitor private recruitment agencies; to sensitize employers not to engage victims of trafficking or forced labour in their supply chain, whether through subcontracting or directly in their production; to enforce labour standards through labour inspections and other relevant means; to support the organisation of workers; to increase the protection of the rights of migrant workers; and/or to criminalize the use of services of victims of trafficking or forced labour.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Gender
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Reflection on a 6-year tenure as Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography 2014, para. 109
- Paragraph text
- The transnational nature of the sale and sexual exploitation of children, owing to the development of information technologies, trafficking networks, tourism and migration, frequently involves children being transferred from one country to another and often implicates transnational criminal networks. This calls for coordinated preventive measures across countries, particularly neighbouring countries. Consequently, it is virtually impossible to address these crimes adequately without solid networks at the regional and international levels aimed at promoting coordination and cooperation. Compliance with international standards plays an important role in ensuring a common understanding of the nature of the crimes and fostering cooperation among countries. Cooperation ranges from border control and verification of travel documents to joint efforts from law enforcement authorities and joint preventive programmes, including harmonization of legislation, sharing of information and learning from good practices.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Human rights of migrants in the post-2015 development agenda 2014, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- Migrants also play an important role in the global economy. They fill labour shortages, contribute their skills, experience and expertise, send remittances home and open up new markets in destination countries. People migrate in part because there is a demand for their labour in destination countries. In many countries, the competitiveness of several economic sectors, such as agriculture, construction, hospitality, care-giving, fishing and extraction, rests on using what may be termed "cheap labour". Given that there are few legal migration channels, however, in particular for low-skilled workers, many migrants find themselves in an irregular situation, working in precarious conditions and exploited by recruiters, employers, smugglers and traffickers (see A/HRC/26/35). The International Labour Organization estimates that forced labour generates $150 billion per year. Many of the victims of forced labour are migrants who leave their country of origin owing to the unrecognized needs in the labour markets in destination countries, given that migrants are often willing to do the dirty, difficult and dangerous jobs that nationals will not, at the exploitative wages and labour conditions that unscrupulous employers will offer.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Regional study: management of the European Union external border and the impact on the human rights of migrants 2013, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- At the outset, the Special Rapporteur recalls his doubt that detention is ever an effective deterrent for irregular migration, and that in order not to violate international human rights law, detention must be must be prescribed by law and necessary, reasonable and proportional to the objectives to be achieved. However, in the context of his country visits and his research, the Special Rapporteur has observed that, within the discourse of securitization of migration and border control, the systematic detention of irregular migrants has come to be viewed as a legitimate tool in the context of European Union migration management, despite the lack of any evidence that detention serves as a deterrent. Indeed, a notable increase in the use of immigration detention as a tool for European Union border control over the past 10 years corresponds to the development of European Union migration law in this area. In some senses, the harmonization of European Union law, and in particular the passing of the Return Directive, can be said to have institutionalized detention within the European Union as a viable tool in migration management.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Outcomes and commitments on internal displacement of the World Humanitarian Summit 2016, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- The Secretary-General's Agenda for Humanity lays out innovative and creative approaches: States should invest in political solutions to end the causes of displacement and in the return, integration or resettlement of the displaced; develop national legislation, policies and capacities for the protection of displaced persons and their integration into national social safety nets, education programmes, labour markets and development plans; recognize displaced people as socioeconomic assets rather than "responsibilities" and incentivize the development of local markets and private sector activity; direct appropriate national resources and international financing towards national and local systems that address their needs and those of host communities; ensure that humanitarian and development actors, local authorities and private sector enterprises work collectively, across institutional divides and mandates and in multi-year frameworks, to end aid dependency and promote self-reliance; and adopt and implement regional and national legal and policy frameworks on internal displacement.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Governance structures for internal displacement 2015, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- In some cases displacement can be predicted to result from actions taken by Governments, which should therefore put appropriate measures in place. For example, development projects have displaced millions of people in all regions. Development-induced displacement requires careful management and consultation with the internally displaced persons and other affected communities. However, this is rarely done, resulting in violations of human rights, including forced displacement and violence. International standards must be adhered to, notably the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169) of the International Labour Organization, which requires obtaining the free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples regarding issues affecting them and their ancestral lands and territories. The basic principles and guidelines on development-based evictions and displacement (A/HRC/4/18, annex I) developed in 2007 by the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living provide valuable guidance to assist States in the development of policy and legislation to prevent forced evictions.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Durable solutions for internally displaced persons: advancing the agenda: addressing the role of humanitarian and development actors in achieving durable solutions for internally displaced persons through peacebuilding in the aftermath of conflict 2013, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- Various ad hoc initiatives to link emergency and development assistance followed the two international conferences, including IASC Working Group deliberations that led to the establishment of a reference group on post-conflict reintegration, convened by UNDP. In 1999, UNHCR and the World Bank co-sponsored two round tables on the gap between humanitarian assistance and long-term development in post-conflict, forced displacement contexts (known as the Brookings Process). Under the leadership of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the President of the World Bank, the round tables identified opportunities to improve institutional and financial arrangements to overcome the gap and field-level partnership initiatives to tackle the problem.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Evolution, challenges and trends in internal displacement 2012, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- Further areas in need of strengthened and more focused attention include preparedness, prevention and mitigation frameworks relating to internal displacement; norms relating to appropriate compensation of or reparation to internally displaced persons; climate change and approaches for addressing displacement in slow onset disasters; and bridging of the humanitarian/development gap, which continues to be both structural and operational. The need for greater support can also be envisaged in order to strengthen the role and capacity of national human rights institutions in the protection of the rights of internally displaced persons; to assist States in addressing the administrative and structural challenges faced by central and local authorities that impede effective responses to situations of internal displacement; and to assist regional institutions and States in the development of policy and legal frameworks on internal displacement, in line with international standards. While not exhaustive, the above list is representative of some of the opportunities and challenges in addressing internal displacement in coming years.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Evolution, challenges and trends in internal displacement 2012, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- While the increased frequency and intensity of sudden onset natural hazards, for example flooding or mudslides, associated with changes in climate are very apparent and are increasingly challenging many Governments, climate change-related adaptation strategies will also need to address slow onset events, such as increased droughts, desertification, environmental degradation and rising temperatures, which undermine agricultural livelihoods and reduce food security. In this context, it will be important to monitor and understand the regional particularities of related displacement patterns and their various causes, and to develop and support climate change adaptation frameworks which comprehensively integrate internal displacement from a human rights-based approach. Increased awareness, research and monitoring mechanisms are necessary in order to understand better the possible impact of displacement caused by global megatrends, for example human mobility and population growth, and factors such as climate change, and to enable Governments to anticipate, plan and adapt their socioeconomic and development structures and strategies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The implementation of the rights of the child during adolescence 2016, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- Growing numbers of adolescent girls and boys migrate, either within or outside their country of origin, in search of improved standards of living, education or family reunification. For many, migration offers significant social and economic opportunities. However, it also poses risks, including physical harm, psychological trauma, marginalization, discrimination, xenophobia and sexual and economic exploitation and, when crossing borders, immigration raids and detention. Many adolescent migrants are denied access to education, housing, health, recreation, participation, protection and social security. Even where rights to services are protected by laws and policies, adolescents may face administrative and other obstacles in gaining access to such services, including: demands for identity documents or social security numbers; harmful and inaccurate age-determination procedures; financial and linguistic barriers; and the risk that gaining access to services will result in detention or deportation. The Committee refers States parties to its comprehensive recommendations elaborated in respect of migrant children.
- Body
- Committee on the Rights of the Child
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Rights of migrant workers in an irregular situation and members of their families 2013, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- The principle of non-refoulement, as contained in international and regional human rights and refugee law, is the prohibition on forcibly removing anyone, in any manner whatsoever, to a country or territory where they would be at real risk of persecution or serious human rights violations or abuses. In the view of the Committee, this principle covers the risk of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including inhumane and degrading conditions of detention for migrants or lack of necessary medical treatment in the country of return, as well as the risk to the right to life (arts. 9 and 10 of the Convention). It also applies to situations where individuals would not be protected from onward refoulement. The Committee is of the view that migrants and members of their families should be protected in cases where expulsions would constitute arbitrary interference with the right to family and private life. Migrants and members of their families in an irregular situation with international protection needs should also be protected against expulsion.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Gender-related dimensions of refugee status, asylum, nationality and statelessness of women 2014, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- The Convention is a significant tool in international efforts to prevent and reduce statelessness because it particularly affects women and girls with regard to nationality rights. The Convention requires full protection of women's equality in nationality matters. Nationality is the legal bond between a person and a State and is critical to ensuring full participation in society. Nationality is also essential to guaranteeing the exercise and enjoyment of other rights, including the right to enter and reside permanently in the territory of a State and to return to that State from abroad. Article 9 of the Convention is therefore essential to the enjoyment of the full range of human rights by women. While human rights are to be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of nationality status, in practice nationality is frequently a prerequisite for the enjoyment of basic human rights. Without nationality, girls and women are subject to compounded discrimination as women and as non-nationals or stateless persons.
- Body
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Gender-related dimensions of refugee status, asylum, nationality and statelessness of women 2014, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- The Committee acknowledges that, as a matter of international law, the authorities of the country of origin are primarily responsible for providing protection to the citizens, including ensuring that women enjoy their rights under the Convention, and that it is only when such protection is not available that international protection is invoked to protect the basic human rights that are seriously at risk. However, the Committee notes that the fact that a woman asylum seeker has not sought the protection of the State or made a complaint to the authorities before her departure from her country of origin should not prejudice her asylum claim, especially where violence against women is tolerated or there is a pattern of failure in responding to women's complaints of abuse. It would not be realistic to require her to have sought protection in advance of her flight. She may also lack confidence in the justice system and access to justice or fear abuse, harassment or retaliation for making such complaints.
- Body
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Roadmap for the next three years: thematic priorities of the new mandate-holder 2017, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- At the regional level, the Kampala Convention, the only legally binding regional standard on internal displacement, was adopted in October 2009. The Special Rapporteur will continue to support the African Union by promoting implementation of the Convention, including through the Conference of States Parties, and attended the historic first meeting of the Conference, held in Harare from 3 to 5 April 2017. She emphasized that its establishment was an essential next step towards promoting and monitoring implementation of the Convention. She will engage closely with African States — those visited by her predecessors, and other States — to initiate and extend dialogue and to offer technical cooperation to assist them to fulfil commitments under the Convention. She issued a press release in which she noted that States must adopt concrete measures to ensure that this innovative and comprehensive agreement translates into real gains for internally displaced persons. In view of the positive example set by the African Union, she will continue to advocate for regional standards for the protection of internally displaced persons to be adopted in other regions, as relevant.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Irregular migration and criminalization of migrants, protection of children in the migration process and the right to housing and health of migrants 2011, para. 14
- Paragraph text
- For decades, many States have responded to persistent irregular migration by intensifying border controls. These measures have often been targeted at wide geographic areas on the borders or coast of a main receiving country or region. In recent years, in an effort to further curb irregular migration and simultaneously address issues of national security, some States were seen as employing techniques in order to "externalize" border controls to countries of origin and transit, whereby utilizing bilateral agreements and/or aid in order to transform these targeted countries into a potential buffer zone to reduce migratory pressures on receiving States. The concern was that these policies, while legitimately aimed at reducing irregular migration, and often incorporated into bilateral agreements that can have positive aspects, have contributed to the criminalization of irregular migration insofar as they treat migration violations as a criminal rather than administrative offence without the proper human rights protections afforded to migrants in the process.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Rights of migrant workers in an irregular situation and members of their families 2013, para. 36a
- Paragraph text
- [In accordance with article 17, paragraph 1, of the Convention, States parties have an obligation to treat migrant workers and members of their families who are deprived of their liberty with humanity, and with respect for their inherent dignity and cultural identity. In order to respect the inherent dignity of migrant workers and members of their families who are deprived of their liberty, States parties are obliged to ensure adequate conditions in line with applicable international standards, including the provision of adequate sanitary, bathing and shower facilities; adequate food (including appropriate food for those observing religious dietary laws) and drinking water; the right to communicate with relatives and friends; access to qualified medical personnel, and adequate opportunities to practise their faith, for example. It also requires States parties to ensure that they are not subjected to any form of inhumane treatment, including sexual violence and abuse, by guards or other detainees or inmates. States parties must therefore:] Train supervisory and other staff;
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Protection of children from sale and sexual exploitation following humanitarian crisis due to natural disasters 2012, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- To partially remedy this situation, UNICEF and its partners undertake primary responsibility for the identification and registration of children. Following the typhoon emergencies in the Philippines in 2009, UNICEF partnered with the governmental Council for the Welfare of Children and established rapid registration activities to facilitate family tracing for missing, separated and unaccompanied children. In Haiti, UNICEF and its partners registered more than 5,000 children who were separated or unaccompanied following the earthquake in 2010. UNICEF worked with the Child Protection Brigade of the Haitian Police to verify the documents of 11,774 children at border crossings and the international airport; more than 2,500 irregular voyages were recorded, nearly 460 of which proved to be cases of trafficking, while close to 50 were found to be instances of forced labour. Also in Haiti, Save the Children supported the Government in the registration of separated and unaccompanied children, and those who were born after the earthquake.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Reflection on work undertaken in first 14 years of the mandate; outline of opportunities and priorities 2014, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- The causes of homelessness and inadequate housing are multifarious, interrelated and complex. They include not only forced evictions and conflict, but also many other structural issues, such as inadequate services and infrastructure; barriers to access to credit; land speculation and zoning; displacement and migration; environmental degradation; and rapid urbanization and the development of megacities. Tackling the causes of homelessness often requires a multifaceted approach that relies on comprehensive and coordinated strategies, and is implemented in a collaborative fashion with various levels of government and relevant stakeholders. What is needed, as a starting point, is the articulation of key principles through which multiple policies and programmes can achieve a unified purpose and a coherent approach. The Special Rapporteur believes that a human rights approach to adequate housing and homelessness has much to offer in this regard and, if implemented, can be transformational, resulting in real change rather than a temporary fix.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Treatment of Unaccompanied and Separated Children Outside Their Country of Origin 2005, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- The principle of non-discrimination, in all its facets, applies in respect to all dealings with separated and unaccompanied children. In particular, it prohibits any discrimination on the basis of the status of a child as being unaccompanied or separated, or as being a refugee, asylum seeker or migrant. This principle, when properly understood, does not prevent, but may indeed call for, differentiation on the basis of different protection needs such as those deriving from age and/or gender. Measures should also be taken to address possible misperceptions and stigmatization of unaccompanied or separated children within the society. Policing or other measures concerning unaccompanied or separated children relating to public order are only permissible where such measures are based on the law; entail individual rather than collective assessment; comply with the principle of proportionality; and represent the least intrusive option. In order not to violate the prohibition on non-discrimination, such measures can, therefore, never be applied on a group or collective basis.
- Body
- Committee on the Rights of the Child
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2005
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Rights of migrant workers in an irregular situation and members of their families 2013, para. 36e
- Paragraph text
- [In accordance with article 17, paragraph 1, of the Convention, States parties have an obligation to treat migrant workers and members of their families who are deprived of their liberty with humanity, and with respect for their inherent dignity and cultural identity. In order to respect the inherent dignity of migrant workers and members of their families who are deprived of their liberty, States parties are obliged to ensure adequate conditions in line with applicable international standards, including the provision of adequate sanitary, bathing and shower facilities; adequate food (including appropriate food for those observing religious dietary laws) and drinking water; the right to communicate with relatives and friends; access to qualified medical personnel, and adequate opportunities to practise their faith, for example. It also requires States parties to ensure that they are not subjected to any form of inhumane treatment, including sexual violence and abuse, by guards or other detainees or inmates. States parties must therefore:] Bring those responsible to justice.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
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Equality in marriage and family relations 1994, para. 10
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- Migrant women who live and work temporarily in another country should be permitted the same rights as men to have their spouses, partners and children join them.
- Body
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Men
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 1994
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
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Vulnerabilities of children to sale, trafficking and other forms of exploitation in situations of conflict and humanitarian crisis 2017, para. 58
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- Another aspect of States’ failure to protect children in the context of humanitarian responses is the alarming practice of child detention owing to their irregular migration status. The Committee on the Rights of the Child and other human rights mechanisms have underscored that immigration-related detention of children can never be in their best interests and that, no matter whether they are unaccompanied or with their families, their detention constitutes a violation of their rights that, at times, may amount to “torture and ill-treatment”. The reasons invoked by States to resort to immigration-related detention of children include health and security screening, identity verification, protection and the facilitation of removal from the country. Alternatives to child detention should be sought. Children should be allowed to reside in a community-based context while their immigration status is being resolved. Good practices of such alternatives include the child-sensitive community assessment and placement model.
- Body
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
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Vulnerabilities of children to sale, trafficking and other forms of exploitation in situations of conflict and humanitarian crisis 2017, para. 18
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- The increase in conflict and humanitarian crises has led to a record level of displacement, with 24.2 million new displacements worldwide in 2016, mostly caused by weather-related disasters. Children are disproportionately affected by conflict and humanitarian crises. According to the Secretary-General, children suffered from human rights violations in situation of conflict in 14 countries in 2015, namely in Afghanistan, Colombia, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Mali, Myanmar, Nigeria, the Philippines, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen. By the end of 2015, 28 million children had been forcibly displaced by violence and conflict, of whom 17 million had been internally displaced, 1 million were asylum-seekers and 10 million were refugees. Children are overrepresented in the number of refugees worldwide, accounting for 51 per cent of the 22.5 million refugees in 2016, while they only represent a third of the world’s population.
- Body
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
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