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and other measures” for implementation of the rights contained therein. While it is the State
which takes on obligations under the Convention, its task of implementation - of making reality
of the human rights of children - needs to engage all sectors of society and, of course, children
themselves. Ensuring that all domestic legislation is fully compatible with the Convention and
that the Convention’s principles and provisions can be directly applied and appropriately
enforced is fundamental. In addition, the Committee on the Rights of the Child has identified a
wide range of measures that are needed for effective implementation, including the development
of special structures and monitoring, training and other activities in Government, parliament and
the judiciary at all levels.2
2.
In its periodic examination of States parties’ reports under the Convention, the
Committee pays particular attention to what it has termed “general measures of implementation”.
In its concluding observations issued following examination, the Committee provides specific
recommendations relating to general measures. It expects the State party to describe action taken
in response to these recommendations in its subsequent periodic report. The Committee’s
reporting guidelines arrange the Convention’s articles in clusters,3 the first being on “general
measures of implementation” and groups article 4 with article 42 (the obligation to make the
content of the Convention widely known to children and adults; see, paragraph 66 below) and
article 44, paragraph 6 (the obligation to make reports widely available within the State; see
paragraph 71 below).
3.
In addition to these provisions, other general implementation obligations are set out in
article 2: “States Parties shall respect and ensure the rights set forth in the present Convention to
each child within their jurisdiction without discrimination of any kind …”.
4.
Also under article 3, paragraph 2, “States Parties undertake to ensure the child such
protection and care as is necessary for his or her well-being, taking into account the rights and
duties of his or her parents, legal guardians, or other individuals legally responsible for him or
her, and, to this end, shall take all appropriate legislative and administrative measures.”
5.
In international human rights law, there are articles similar to article 4 of the Convention,
setting out overall implementation obligations, such as article 2 of the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights and article 2 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights. The Human Rights Committee and the Committee on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights have issued general comments in relation to these provisions which should be
seen as complementary to the present general comment and which are referred to below.4
6.
Article 4, while reflecting States parties’ overall implementation obligation, suggests a
distinction between civil and political rights and economic, social and cultural rights in its
second sentence: “With regard to economic, social and cultural rights, States Parties shall
undertake such measures to the maximum extent of their available resources and, where needed,
within the framework of international cooperation.” There is no simple or authoritative division
of human rights in general or of Convention rights into the two categories. The Committee’s
reporting guidelines group articles 7, 8, 13-17 and 37 (a) under the heading “Civil rights and
freedoms”, but indicate by the context that these are not the only civil and political rights in the
Convention. Indeed, it is clear that many other articles, including articles 2, 3, 6 and 12 of the
Convention, contain elements which constitute civil/political rights, thus reflecting the
interdependence and indivisibility of all human rights. Enjoyment of economic, social and