Child Rights Connect 2019-2024 (2026)

CRC reports the following key achievements: -Child Human Rights Defenders (CHRD): A breakthrough mentioned is CRCs long-term work with their local member in Moldova, which has influenced the new law on childrens rights to include a specific article on CHRDs. CRC conveys also that they are key in driving greater global attention and commitment to CHRDs and child participation among States and the UN. -Childrens Advisory Team (CAT): Helped scale up the work of, and our support to CAT in making a change worldwide, and the individual and institutional impact this has had. -Helped children from across the globe shape (by supporting CRC member Terre des Hommes Germany), and influence the development of, the new General Comment on the Convention of the Rights of the Child Committee on childrens rights and the environment with a special focus on climate change (GC26). -Enabled children and other civil society actors to improve accountability to children through effectively engaging with the reporting cycle of the Convention of the Rights of the Child Committee, adding pressure on States. -Supported the progress made in mainstreaming a child rights approach (CRM) within the UN and the steps taken to bring the voices and rights of children at the Summit of the Future. -Helped improve the responsiveness of the Human Rights Council (HRC) and General Assembly (GA) to children's views and rights, with a focus on the digital environment. Furthermore, CRC informs that the major development in 2023 is that they developed, in consultation with key members (particularly Plan International and Save the Children), a new Gender Equality Policy. This was a key recommendation from the 2022 external evaluation of CRCs work. The policy commits CRC to advancing gender equality both within and outside the organization, and across all areas of its work and organization. According to CRC, while the policy does not delve into all aspects of diversity and inclusion, it seeks to advance gender equality through an intersectional lens. The policy is accompanied by mainstreaming guidelines. In terms of progress regarding the membership of the network, CRC reports that a key milestone achieved in 2023 is that the network reached 108 organizations (103 members and 5 observers). This corresponds to an increase of around 8.5% in membership compared to 2022. With now 64% of CRCs network organizations operating in the Global South, CRC mentions that it has further delivered on its priority to diversify its membership with a focus on under-represented regions. In terms of resource mobilization, this is the continued burning issue especially accentuated by Sidas intention to only enter into a cost extension (to be regarded as phased out support) as opposed to into a new multi-year agreement. CRC has though outlined an action plan focusing on e.g., relationship building, tapping into the network and mobilize members more in contributing to fund core staff and work, and better follow donor trends beyond the child rights nexus. In its report, CRC states that the prospects look positive for 2024. Since adoption of the 2024 budget, in the first quarter of 2024, CRC has secured funding from Global Affairs Canada and Fondation Hans Wilsdorf.

The overall objective of the efforts of Child Rights Connect (CRC) is to advance the global movement for children's human rights for the full implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols. CRC does this by convening and engaging with civil society and other relevant actors, by fostering cooperation, and by empowering childrens rights defenders to meaningfully participate in global advocacy for childrens rights. The expected outcomes are: -Advanced recognition, protection and empowerment of childrens human rights defenders, including through child participation at all levels. -Empowered children´s rights defenders in terms of reporting to and cooperating with the Convention on the Rights of the Child Committee in targeted states to advance sustained global engagement. -Strengthened accountability to children by building synergies between the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Treaty Bodies, the Human Rights Council, the SDGs and the youth agenda. -Advanced ratification of OPIC and its strategic use by children´s rights defenders. -More active and balanced membership of CRC.