Child-family separation must be prevented

02.12.21

UN Geneva, Human Rights Council – Ahead of the next session’s annual day on the rights of the child, MMM joined a group of Child Rights Connect members to develop a joint position paper on the rights of the child and family reunification. We advocated for a strong focus on prevention of separation.

The next annual full-day meeting of the rights of the child, due to take place at the March 2022 session of the Human Rights Council, will be on “the rights of the child and family reunification”.

As per usual practice, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has been requested to prepare a report on this theme, in close cooperation with all relevant stakeholders, with a view to providing information for the annual meeting and the corresponding resolution.

Child Rights Connect formed a Task Force, composed of member organizations and UNICEF, and led the work to draft a joint position paper with key recommendations to inform the OHCHR report, the annual day on the rights of the child, and the resolution.

As a member of the Taskforce, MMM stressed the importance of preventing family separation: according to a child’s right to family life, which is articulated in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, governments should take all appropriate measures to prevent any separation of a child from his or her parents. Such measures should address the drivers of separation and include providing services like counseling, parenting education and any other form of support to parents.

In particular, poverty should never be a justification to remove a child from his or her family.

At MMM, we hope that these particular points will form part of the Resolution on “the rights of the child and family reunification”, which should be adopted at the 49th session of the Human Rights Council in March 2022.

Download the joint position paper

Child Rights Connect also calls for other organisations to sign on to the position paper and add their voice to the call for a strong resolution  – the support form is available here.

 

Most read articles

Mothers, unpaid care work and global crises – connecting the dots

02.07.24

UN New York / HLPF - Register now to join us online at this year’s High Level Political Forum side-event.

Lire plus

Investing in mothers key for inter-generational change

13.02.24

UN New York, CSocD62 - MMM's intervention to the Commission on Social Development reiterates that investing in mothers through recognition, education, protection and adequate support is a smart invest

Lire plus

Let’s change the narrative: Invest in Mothers

11.03.24

UN New York, CSW68 - Join us for a discussion on changing the narrative in support of mothers - an online parallel event to the 68th UN Commission on the

Lire plus
See all the articlesof the category

Latest News from MMM and its Network

Be Family launch event: placing work-life balance at the heart of workplace policies

05.12.24

Make Mothers Matter co-presented the official launch of Be Family in Paris, a movement aimed at bridging the gap between personal and professional life for working parents. This first event, which took place in

Read more

Child and Family Support in Europe : ensuring families receive the best possible care

05.12.24

We were delighted to coorganise, together with the European Parents Association (EPA), the "Quality Assurance in Child and Family Support in Europe: Policy Lessons for Evidence-Informed Decision Making" initiat

Read more

Invest in early childhood care and education for peace and tolerance

02.12.24

Responding to a call for input for a UN Report, MMM highlights how the early years of the child constitute a crucial period to act and foster peace and tolerance for all, and what needs to be done to support ea

Read more

Girls’ education in Côte d’Ivoire: cornerstone of development and the empowerment of mothers

15.11.24

Make Mothers Matter (MMM) visited Côte d’Ivoire to mark International Day of the Girl Child on 14 October 2024. Our UNESCO advocacy team leader, Brigitte Marais, took part in the celebration of this signific

Read more

MMM team leaders on the ground with our grass roots organisations

14.11.24

It’s not often we get to go into the field but when we do, it brings us immense joy to connect with our associate members in person and witness their amazing work, often against the odds.

Read more

Care is a common good that must be nurtured and valued

04.11.24

Our Executive Director Afaf Abounouadar was in Geneva recently for the commemoration of the International Day of Care and Support organised by UN Women, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Offic

Read more