National Authority for the Convention on the Rights of the Child

Although in this report we’re taking a brief look at the custodian authority on the Convention on the Rights of the Child, but it is important to explain that in Iran the protection of children does not have an outside (Convention on the Rights of the Child) origin alone, but the religious teachings of Islam, the third chapter of the Constitution, and the Twenty Year Perspective Document, also highlight the protection of children’s rights.

Through the ratification of the Parliament, in 1993 the Islamic Republic of Iran joined the International Convention on the Rights of the Child. From that year till 2009, representing the Government, the Foreign Affairs Ministry monitored the implementation of the Convention matters and prepared and submitted periodic reports.

From December 2009, with the ratification of the Government, the Justice Ministry was appointed as the National Authority on the Convention on the Rights of the Child. With the approval of the authority’s guidelines, its coordination council and secretariat was set up and began its work. The coordination council is a body which has formed to create coordination and monitor relevant executive bodies in conducting matters and measures that are the subject of the guidelines of the National Authority on the Rights of the Child Convention, and is made up of governmental bodies and all nongovernmental organizations and institutions which have been formed in accordance to laws and regulations and are active on children’s rights matters. The head of this authority is the Justice Minister.

Just as other children’s rights national bodies in the world, this national authority has some duties, which are:

- Present advisory opinions on regulations, procedures and programmes related to children’s rights.
- Creation of interdepartmental coordination and facilitation to this aim
- Recommendations on amendment of existing laws and regulations.
- Study and assess the situation of the observation of human rights in society.
- Prepare reports with the cooperation of other relevant bodies and submitting the report to relevant authorities.
- Do studies on children’s rights.
- Continued and all sided information dissemination and raising awareness on subjects related to children’s rights and scientific exchanges with scientific and research centres.

Also preparation of comprehensive child and juvenile rights programmes and implementing them is also a part of the activities of this National Authority on the Rights of the Child. This programme is a national document and a comprehensive joint programme between governmental bodies and the partnership of national authority member bodies, which in 2016 was compiled for a ten year period. This programme has 11 strategies some of which are: promotion of the situation of children’s fundamental rights, promotion of family relationships and alternative care, children’s health and welfare, expansion of friends of the child culture, strengthen education, raising, sports, cultural and historic activities for children, expansion of special care activities, improvement of managerial structure and system development of laws and regulations etc.
Design and launching of a children and juveniles’ comprehensive data ban and cooperation and interaction with governmental, judicial, police, legislative and monitoring bodies and also NGOs active on children’s issues and experts and activists in the field are some of the other functions of this National Authority on the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

We believe that for the protection of children’s rights to turn into a general norm there is a need for dialogue and also for the elimination of discrimination against children the ideal interests of children must be taken into consideration in education. There are many NGOs in Iran that are active on children’s rights. Let us hope that with the cooperation and assistance of relevant NGOs, steps are taken for bettering children’s conditions furthermore.

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