Concluding Observations Committee on the Rights of the Child CRC/C/IRN/CO/3-4 para
16
Full recommendation:
The Committee recommends that the State party provide the National Body on the Convention on
the Rights of the Child with a clear mandate and sufficient authority to coordinate all activities
related to the implementation of the Convention at cross-sectoral, national, regional and local
levels, that it strengthens its capacity and that it ensure that its relevant working groups are
provided with the necessary human, technical and financial resources.
Assessment using Impact Iran human rights indicators
On 16 April 2012, the President's cabinet established the National Body on the Convention on
the Rights of the Child (NBCRC).1 The NBCRC is generally charged with promotion of the
Convention on the Rights of the Child.2 The establishment of a national body to monitor
implementation of the Convention is a positive step. However, the NBCRC is not an independent
body and is overseen by the Ministry of Justice.3 Its duties include evaluating respect for rights
of children at a national level, reviewing draft legislation and regulations, reviewing government
reports on child rights, monitoring reported violations of the rights of the child, and conducting
public outreach related to child rights. However, the powers of the NBCRC, as described in
interviews by its leadership, are primarily advisory and geared towards coordination between
government agencies.4 It is not clear what influence the body could have on the government to
change laws and policies that are incompatible with Iran's obligations under the Convention, the
amount of funding it receives or the activities it undertakes on a yearly basis. UNICEF sources5
demonstrate that the NBCRC has been cooperative in advancing children’s rights in Iran, yet
there is a relative lack of other relevant sources that give a more comprehensive impression of
this body’s work.
Recommendation Status:
This recommendation has been PARTIALLY implemented.
1
Bylaw for the National Body on the Convention on the Rights of the Child (10 January 2012)
Ibid., art. 2
3
Ibid., arts. 1 and 4.
4
Iranian Labor New Agency (“ILNA”), Interview with the Secretary of National Body on the Rights of the Child (30 July 2014).
5
UNICEF Iran
2
1