XUNICEF as Experts in CRC , Geneva

[Sree Gururaja]

dear friends,

in the past 30 years, it is a pity that we can count only six xunicef members who have served as experts in the Committee for Child Rights, Geneva, of whom(Marta Santos Pais and Akila Belambago) were members prior to their appointment in UNICEF.. I think for now there is Marta Mauras.

I have participated in three CRC sessions- once as  Representative, Guyana and twice as member of NGO alliance, India. In  two of those sessions, two xunicef colleagues   Agnes Aidoo and Hiranthe Wijemane  representing Africa and Asia, respectively were serving as experts. The work is tedious, no doubt,  judging by the documentation for each country and duration of the sessions. But certainly as area for advocacy by  UNICEF and Natcoms at every level.. there are so many knowledgeable and experienced xunicef and this resource base , in my opinion,  is underutilized and ignored  by governments.

one obstacle, at least in India is that such matters are "secretively" managed by the government's bureaucrats who are generalists and wary of experts/ specialists. The process is that countries have to send in their nominations to the OCHR, to be elected as experts/members of CRC.

views?