United Nations General Assembly Side Event on ‘Treaty Body Reform – Lessons from
the 84th Extraordinary Outreach Session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child’
The Government of Samoa in partnership with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC)
and other partners co-sponsored a side event at the 75th session of the General Assembly which
convened virtually on Wednesday 23rd September 2020 (New York) and around 6am Samoa
time. The side event looked at ‘Treaty Body Reform – Lessons from the 84th Extraordinary
Outreach Session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC).” The extraordinary
session was held earlier this year in Apia from the 2nd to 6th of March 2020.
The Honourable Minister of Women, Community and Social Development Tuitama Dr Leao
Talalelei Tuitama presented on the Government of Samoa’s experience as host nation of the
84th CRC. This was the first time the Committee met outside of UN headquartersin Switzerland
and the United States of America. Having the Committee on the Rights of the Child in Samoa
not only increased the visibility of rights of the child and human rights in the Pacific region but
also enhanced the understanding on the work of treaty bodies on human rights in the region for
all.
Samoa at the event stressed the importance of the collaboration between government and
organisations involved in the process, and the active engagement of non-government
organisations, civil society, and children. Hosting treaty body sessions in the Pacific provided
a great opportunity for increased participation from government delegates, NGOs, and civil
society alike who otherwise would not have been able to attend due to travel and financial
constraints.
Also participating as panellists were local student representatives who had engaged in the
March CRC Session. Ms Danise Margraff, Ms Marion Fruean, Ms Audrey Lee Hang and Ms
Kaylin Bartley talked about their experience in the sessions, understanding on rights of the
child and their thoughts on how to address children’s rights issues.
Other panellists in the virtual side event included Ilze Brands, UN Assistant Secretary General
for Human Rights, Justice Vui Clarence Nelson, Member of the Committee on the Rights of
the Child, Mr Miles Young, Director for the Human Rights and Social Development Division
SPC, and H.E. Mitch Fifield, Australia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. The
side event session was moderated by Professor Philip D. Jaffe, Member of the Committee on
the Rights of the Child.
The recording of the Hon. Minister Tuitama’s statement is available at:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mrdFxMhvfZXeZ2EtmYlHFYrGKHCnvW6k/view?usp=sha
ring. Full recording of the side event is available for viewing at:
https://rrrt.spc.int/resources/publications/84-extraordinary-outreach-session-of-the-
committee-on-the-rights-of-the
