The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child adopted a new General Comment (number 7)
on "Implementing Child Rights in Early Childhood", during its session in September
2005.

This General Comment arose out of the Committee's experiences of reviewing States
parties' reports, where in many cases very little information has been offered about
early childhood.

In 2004, the Committee devoted its Day of General Discussion to this theme, which
led to the decision to prepare a General Comment on this important topic, with
financial support from the Bernard van Leer Foundation.

General Comment 7 includes sections on the features of early childhood that inform
the implementation of rights, on the application of the four general principles to
young children, on parental responsibilities and assistance from States parties, on
comprehensive policies and programmes for early childhood and on young children in
need of special protection.

General Comments are seen by the Committee as important interpretive tools in
relation to the Convention, for use by States parties, NGOs and all with
responsibilities towards young children. [Source: CRIN]

For more information, contact:
Committee on the Rights of the Child
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
8-14 Avenue de la Paix, CH 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Tel: + 41 22 917 9000; Fax: + 41 22 917 9022
Website: http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/crc