Background

On 10 July 2024, the Human Rights Council adopted resolution 56/5, in which it decided to establish an open-ended intergovernmental working group of the Human Rights Council with the mandate of exploring the possibility of, elaborating and submitting to the Human Rights Council a draft optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child with the aim to:

1. Explicitly recognize that the right to education includes early childhood care and education;
2. Explicitly state that, with a view to achieving the right to education, States shall:
   1. Make public pre-primary education available free to all, beginning with at least one year;
   2. Make public secondary education available free to all;
3. Recall that States shall promote and encourage international cooperation in matters relating to education;
4. Consider a provision that would allow for States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child to incorporate all reporting on their obligations under the optional protocol into their reports submitted under article 44 of the Convention, eliminating the need for an initial or other separate reports.

Key questions and types of input/comments sought

In order to inform the preparations of the first session of the Working Group, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has prepared a call for submissions for stakeholders.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights invites all interested States, civil society organizations, international and regional organizations, national human rights institutions, academics and others, to provide written inputs to the following questions.
Respondents are requested to limit their comments to a maximum of 5 pages. Additional supporting materials, such as reports, academic studies, and other types of background materials may be annexed to the submission.

1) What are the main barriers to public pre-primary education available free to all in law, policy, and practice in your country and what is their impact on the rights of the child? Please consider the specific situation of marginalized children and those in vulnerable situations in your response.

2) What are the main barriers to public secondary education available free to all in law, policy, and practice in your country and what is their impact on the rights of the child? Please consider the specific situation of marginalized children and those in vulnerable situations in your response.

3) What are examples of innovative and sustainable financial mechanisms to support the full and effective implementation of public pre-primary and secondary education available free to all children in your country?

4) What steps is the Government taking to remove barriers and make public pre-primary and secondary education available free to all, including through the allocation of adequate resources and cross-sectoral and international cooperation? Please provide examples of specific laws and regulations, measures, policies, and programmes.

Children’s engagement! 

• Call for submissions from children
  English | French | Spanish
• Toolkit for children’s consultations:
  • Information sheet for children (English, French, Spanish)
  • Toolkit (English, French, Spanish )
  • Annex: reporting form (English, French, Spanish)

Deadline for children’s submissions and submissions from children’s consultations: 8 June 2025.
Children’s submissions and submissions from children’s consultations will not be published.

Civil society call for nominations

Read the civil society call for nominations for children to participate in the first session of the Open-ended intergovernmental working group on an optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

You can also access the nomination form.

How inputs will be used?

Submissions will be made publicly available, in full and as received, on the OHCHR website, unless otherwise requested.