Child Participation in Monitoring the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child1

In accordance with Articles 44 and 45 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, States parties regularly report to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, and international and national actors also contribute their findings about the situation of children’s rights. Such monitoring provides insight about implementation progress however efforts to accomplish this objective can vary. In particular, what role does child participation have in international monitoring? Despite the increasing attention given to child participation, it has not yet been widely understood in relation to monitoring. This chapter describes the experiences of children in international and national-level monitoring based on qualitative research involving children and their advocates around the world. Their contributions inform analysis and recommendations to support child participation in international monitoring.