United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child: Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography. Periodic Report of the United States of America and U.S. Response to Recommendations in Committee Concluding Observations of June 25, 2008

摘要

The Government of the United States of America welcomes the opportunity to report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child on measures giving effect to its undertakings under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography (Optional Protocol), pursuant to Article 12(2) thereof and 47 of the Committee's Concluding Observations of June 25, 2008, following the U.S. oral presentation. U.N. Doc. CRC/C/OPSC/USA/CO/1 (Committee's Concluding Observations). The United States submitted its Initial Report to the Committee on May 10, 2007. U.N. Doc. CRC/C/OPSC/USA/1 (Initial Report). The United States provided additional information as requested by the Committee on May 13, 2008 (U.N. Doc. CRC/C/OPSC/USA/Q/1/Add.1) (2008 Written Replies) and May 23, 2008 (U.N. Doc. CRC/C/OPSC/USA/Q/1/Add.2), and made its oral presentation to the Committee on May 22, 2008. Accordingly, the purpose of this periodic report is to supplement and update relevant information, in keeping with the Committeees Revised Guidelines Regarding Initial Reports, U.N. Doc. CRC/C/OPSC/2. This submission to the Committee consists of two parts. Part I provides the U.S. Periodic Report. Part II responds to recommendations included in the Committeees Concluding Observations. The United States has sought to respond to the Committeees requests for information as fully as possible in this submission. In this regard, the United States notes the discussion of its reservation and understandings to the Optional Protocol in 7, 20, 29, and 50 of the U.S. Initial Report. The United States became party to the Optional Protocol pursuant to Article 13(2), which provides that the Optional Protocol 'is subject to ratification . . . by any State that is a party to the (Convention on the Rights of the Child (Convention)) or has signed it.' Although the United States signed the Convention in February 1995, it has not proceeded to ratify it. Therefore, the United States stated in its instrument of ratification of the Optional Protocol that it 'understands that the United States assumes no obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child by becoming a party to the Protocol.' Neither provisions of the Convention nor interpretations of the Convention in the Committeees general comments affect the U.S. reporting requirement, and the United States takes no position in this report on Convention provisions and general comments referred to in the Guidelines and its annex. In the spirit of cooperation, the United States has provided as much information as possible on other issues raised, not limited to those that directly relate to U.S. obligations arising under the Optional Protocol. The United States is reviewing several human rights treaties to which it is not party, and the Administration is committed to reviewing the Convention on the Rights of the Child to determine whether it can pursue ratification.