National CRC Monitoring Mechanism

Convention on the Rights of the Child

The State reporting cycle in Germany (2019–)

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (the "UN Committee") will be examining the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN CRC) in Germany for the fourth time in a process starting in 2019.

Three State reports have been reviewed since Germany ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1992, most recently a combined 3rd and 4th report in January 2014. Initial reports on the 1st and 2nd Optional Protocols have also been submitted and reviewed. In their Concluding Observations on each report, the experts on the UN Committee identified issues with the implementation of the UN CRC in Germany, suggested improvements, identified criticisms and made recommendations. These recommendations have far-reaching implications for implementing the UN CRC in Germany. The German government, federal Länder and local authorities were and continue to be called on to do their duty in implementing the UN CRC within their respective areas of responsibility.

The documents relating to the latest State reports for the Federal Republic of Germany can be found below. You can find documents on completed procedures in the Archive of the State reporting cycle in Germany, which also holds German-language versions or translations of the documents insofar as these are available to us.

Information on the State reporting cycle available in German

To make the UN Committee’s working methods and the reporting obligations under Article 44 of the UN CRC easier to understand and more widely known, the National CRC Monitoring Mechanism at the German Institute for Human Rights has produced written information and an explanatory video on the reporting procedure (in the column on the right-hand side), both of which describe the process and illustrate the reporting cycle. In particular, the written information references more in-depth documentation and further details and explains how civil society organisations and children’s self-organisations can participate in the procedure.

Judith Feige (2017): Kinderrechte in Deutschland unter der Lupe. Das Berichtsverfahren zur Umsetzung der UN-Kinderrechtskonvention (Children’s rights in Germany under the microscope. The reporting procedure for implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child)

Documents on the combined 5th and 6th State reports (2019–)

The combined Fifth and Sixth State Reports of the Federal Republic of Germany on the Convention on the Rights of the Child were presented to the Federal Cabinet on 13 February 2019 by Federal Family Minister Dr Franziska Giffey. The Cabinet adopted the reports, which furnishes information’s on the key developments in strengthening children’s rights in Germany since 2014. The German government officially submitted the reports to the United Nations in Geneva on 4 April 2019. A child-friendly version of the report on the UN CRC was published at the same time.

Documents and Links

Our report

The onset of the coronavirus pandemic was accompanied by significant setbacks in the realisation of the rights of the child in Germany; the initial failure to consider the opinions and views of children and young people under…

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Realising the Convention’s requirements will require a resolute policy on children’s rights that does not stop at incorporating children’s rights into the Basic Law but also establishes structures that will strengthen the…

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Alle Publikationen

Explanatory film UN-CRC State reporting cycle (English subtitles)

Vimeo: Explanatory film UN-CRC State reporting cycle with English subtitles (German)

Infographic on the State reporting cycle

The eight phases of the State reporting procedure for the UN CRC are illustrated in the chart below, which you are welcome to use for presentations, lectures or seminars. It can be downloaded here as barrier-free PDF

The State Reporting Cycle to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (PDF, 56,3 KB)

The phases of the State reporting cycle

Overview of the cycle

Overview of the eight phases. Click to continue to view the eight phases in detail, the current stage is marked with a green circle. Phase 8 is currently active.

Phase 1: Government submits State report to UN Committee
The combined 5th and 6th State Reports of the Federal Republic of Germany on the Convention on the Rights of the Child were officially submitted to the UN Committee on 4 April 2019. A child-friendly version of the reports on the UN CRC was published at the same time (only in German).

Phase 2: Civil society/NHRI submit parallel reports
The National CRC Monitoring Mechanism officially delivered its parallel report on the UN CRC to the UN Committee in October 2019. The National Coalition and other civil society organisations also presented their own reports. The submission deadline for parallel reports had been extended until the 1st of November 2020.

Phase 3: Pre-Sessional working group of UN Committee and civil society/NHRI
The confidential meeting between civil society organisations, specialised UN agencies, the National CRC Monitoring Mechanism at the German Institute for Human Rights and children’s self-organisations took place as part of the 88th session of the UN Committee from 8th to 12th of February 2021, in Geneva.

Phase 4: UN Committee sends List of Issues to the government
Based on the information from the State report and the parallel reports submitted as well as the discussions from the preparatory meeting, the UN Committee prepares a list of queries for the State party. In the current reporting cycle for Germany, this was scheduled for 2021.

Phase 5: Government provides written answers to List of Issues
The government was asked to submit its answers in writing in advance of the upcoming meeting. This happened in time in May 2022.

Phase 6, Plenary session to review the State report: UN Committee engages in "constructive dialogue" with government delegation
The discussions with the government delegation are held as part of a public meeting, which is also streamed live on the Internet. No date has yet been set for this meeting.

Phase 8 (currently active): National implementation of recommendations and follow-up
The period leading up to the examination of the next report is also known as the follow-up phase and lasts at least five years in the case of the UN CRC. The State party is asked to implement the recommendations during this time.