On 20th March, the United Nations Human Rights Committee will hold a discussion to prepare for a new piece of human rights guidance on the right of peaceful assembly (Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights). The guidance will give governments guidance on what they should be doing to meet their international human rights law obligations in relation to peaceful assembly.
The right to peaceful assembly is of particular importance to street children because of the significant role that public spaces play in their lives. For this reason, Consortium for Street Children, with the support of our network members Bahay Tuluyan, Chance for Childhood, Child in Need Institute (CINI), Fondation Apprentis d’Auteuil, Fondation Apprentis d’Auteuil International, Glad’s House, Save Street Children Uganda (SASCU), StreetInvest and Toybox, have submitted a joint contribution to the Human Rights Committee. The submission focuses on the issues of police round-ups, status offences and anti-social behaviour laws, and includes the voices of street children themselves. It will help the Human Rights Committee to ensure that the experiences of children in street situations are taken into account in the drafting process for the new guidance.
Click here to read our submission on street children and the right to peaceful assembly.
