DELEGATION TO THE 2ND SESSION OF THE UNI- TED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL WORKING GROUP ON THE OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD February 10th-16th, 2011 UN Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland 1 Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................... 2 The Delegation ............................................................................................................... 3 United Nations Human Rights Council .......................................................................... 7 ELSA and UN Human Rights Council ............................................................................ 7 2nd Session of the Working Group on Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child within UN Human Rights Council .............................................................. 8 Procedural Structure ................................................................................................... 8 Why to write an Optional Protocol? .......................................................................... 10 Results of the first session, 14-18 December 2010 ...................................................... 11 Results of the Second Session, 10-16 February 2011 .................................................. 12 The most debated Articles ..................................................................................... 14 Article 5 - Publicity ........................................................................................... 14 Article 6 – Individual Communications .............................................................. 16 Article 7 – Collective Communications .............................................................. 18 Article 24 - Reservations .................................................................................... 19 Personal Experiences – Being a delegate in UN .............................................................. 21 Life in UN Headquarters ........................................................................................... 21 Life in Geneva .......................................................................................................... 23 Contacts made during the session .................................................................................. 24 Contact Information of the Delegates ............................................................................ 24 Albania • Armenia • Austria • Azerbaijan • Belgium • Bosnia and Herzegovina • Bulgaria • Croatia • Czech Republic • Denmark • Estonia • Finland • France • Germany • Georgia • Greece • Hungary • Iceland • Ireland • Italy • Kazakhstan • Latvia • Lithuania • Luxembourg • Malta • Montenegro • The Netherlands • Norway • Poland • Portugal • Republic of Macedonia • Romania • Russian Federation • Serbia • Slovak Republic • Slovenia • Spain • Sweden • Switzerland • Turkey • Ukraine • United Kingdom 2 Introduction Dear reader, We are hereby glad to present you our delegation report about the 2nd Session of the Working Group on the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child within United Nations Human Rights Council, which has been held between the dates 10th-16th of February 2011 in Geneva, Switzerland. We are six Human Rights enthusiasts from Italy, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and United Kingdom. It was all our first experience as a delegate in such a prestigious international institution and we all had an amazing experience. Within this report, you will be able to find information about us, the session itself and also some practical matters about being a delegate and the city of Geneva itself. Hopefully after reading this report, you will also be encouraged about being a part of a delegation in the future. Do not forget that this is trully an unforgettable experience and a chance of a lifetime! Best regards, Elif, Ezgi, Olga, Stephanie, Federica, Yusra Albania • Armenia • Austria • Azerbaijan • Belgium • Bosnia and Herzegovina • Bulgaria • Croatia • Czech Republic • Denmark • Estonia • Finland • France • Germany • Georgia • Greece • Hungary • Iceland • Ireland • Italy • Kazakhstan • Latvia • Lithuania • Luxembourg • Malta • Montenegro • The Netherlands • Norway • Poland • Portugal • Republic of Macedonia • Romania • Russian Federation • Serbia • Slovak Republic • Slovenia • Spain • Sweden • Switzerland • Turkey • Ukraine • United Kingdom 3 The Delegation A. Elif Yıldırım (Head of Delegation, ELSA International) My name is Elif Yıldırım, a 22-year old Turkish girl and I am the current Vice President Student Trainee Exchange Programme of ELSA International. I had the honour to be appointed as the Head of The European Law Students’ Association (ELSA) Delegation to the United Nations Human Rights Council, working group on the Convention on the Rights of the Child, 2nd session which is going to take place in Geneva, Switzerland on February 2011. My main interest in Human Rights issues comes from the series of lectures I took during my Erasmus year in Krakow, Poland. As an assignment of these lectures, I also had the opportunity to research and have a presentation about “Women Rights in Turkey – Honour (Namus) Killings” which made me even more interested in the affects of culture and religion, especially on the rights of women and children. As to deepen my knowledge, I also decided to participate in the Working Group on Women Rights within my university. Because of my interest in such topics, I decided to represent ELSA in this delegation. Z. Ezgi Kılınç (ELSA International) My name is Ezgi Kılınç and I am the Vice President for Academic Activities of the International Board of ELSA for the term 2010/2011. I was appointed as the delegate to represent ELSA in the 2nd Session of the Working Group on Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child within United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva Switzerland. After several positions in the Local and National level in ELSA Turkey, I was elected for my position in the International Board in the ICM Malta in March 2010. Following the elections I moved to the Headquarters of ELSA International in Belgium from Istanbul where I was born and raised. I am 23 years old and was awarded with Bachelor of Laws by the Marmara University Law Faculty in Istanbul in 2009. I have been involved as an active member of ELSA for 5 years by now and I have to admit that ELSA Delegations are one of the biggest opportunities that ELSA provides to its members. ELSA International has been working on a Legal Research Group on the Rights of the Children in cooperation with Council of Europe Albania • Armenia • Austria • Azerbaijan • Belgium • Bosnia and Herzegovina • Bulgaria • Croatia • Czech Republic • Denmark • Estonia • Finland • France • Germany • Georgia • Greece • Hungary • Iceland • Ireland • Italy • Kazakhstan • Latvia • Lithuania • Luxembourg • Malta • Montenegro • The Netherlands • Norway • Poland • Portugal • Republic of Macedonia • Romania • Russian Federation • Serbia • Slovak Republic • Slovenia • Spain • Sweden • Switzerland • Turkey • Ukraine • United Kingdom 4 to be launched in the term 2011/2012. As a part of my tasks, I have been working on this project during my term in office, thus this specific Working Session took my interest, for the purpose of making contacts and gaining perspective on the matter. Olga Sendetska (ELSA International) My name is Olga Sendetska and I am currently occupying the position of the Treasurer of the International Board of ELSA for the term in office of 2010/2011. I was appointed as the delegate to represent ELSA in the 2nd Session of the Working Group on Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child within United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva Switzerland. After holding the positions of the Vice President for Marketing in ELSA Ukraine and President of ELSA Ukraine, I was appointed as Director for Financial Management of ELSA International in May 2010 and later on elected for the position of the Treasurer of ELSA International at the ICM in Alanya in October 2010. Following my appointment I moved to the Headquarters of ELSA International in Belgium from Tysmenytsya, a small town in Ukraine where I grew up. I am 22 years old and hold a Bachelor of Laws degree from Yaroslav the Wise National Law Academy of Ukraine in June 2010. I have been involved as an active member of ELSA for 4 years by now. When it comes to my academic interest on the topic I must say that the procedures and the work of the international institutions and Human Rights in particular have been a focus for my studies throughout the 4 years of my Bachelor degree and I have been specifically working on the topic of gender equality through papers that I have completed and defended before a commission of professors specialising in the field every year of my studies. That is why the work of the Working Group on the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child was of a great interest to me and motivated my application for this particular delegation. Stephanie Downes (ELSA New Castle, United Kingdom) As a new ELSA member for a newly established ELSA group, I was keen to become involved in the many opportunities there are on offer to members. Albania • Armenia • Austria • Azerbaijan • Belgium • Bosnia and Herzegovina • Bulgaria • Croatia • Czech Republic • Denmark • Estonia • Finland • France • Germany • Georgia • Greece • Hungary • Iceland • Ireland • Italy • Kazakhstan