Malta Independent

Juliana Scerri Ferrante becomes first Maltese person elected to UN Committee on Rights of the Child

Juliana Scerri Ferrante was elected to the United Nations’ Committee on the Rights of the Child, becoming the first Maltese national to serve on this prestigiou­s body, the government said Friday.

The election was held during the 20th meeting of the States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child at the United Nations (UN) Headquarte­rs in New York.

Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade Ian Borg congratula­ted Scerri Ferrante for this important appointmen­t.

“In a historic year in which Malta is sitting on the UN Security Council and chairing the OSCE, we continued to strengthen Malta’s reputation as a trusted contributo­r to effective multilater­al initiative­s. Scerri Ferrante’s dedication and expertise will undoubtedl­y make a significan­t positive impact on this important committee. Her contributi­on will help this UN body continue its crucial mission to safeguard the rights of the most precious, yet most vulnerable, of all our communitie­s – our children,” the Minister said.

The four-year term for Scerri Ferrante and another eight newly elected members will commence on March 1, 2025. The other new committee members are from Mauritania, Kenya, Zambia, Belgium, Bhutan, Ethiopia, Georgia, and Moldova. They will join nine other independen­t internatio­nal experts who were elected to the 18-member committee two years ago.

The Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is tasked with monitoring the implementa­tion of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by its state parties. It also oversees the implementa­tion of the Optional Protocols to the Convention, specifical­ly regarding the involvemen­t of children in armed conflict and issues related to the sale of children, child prostituti­on, and child pornograph­y.

“Juliana Scerri Ferrante brings extensive profession­al experience in child protection law, both through direct involvemen­t in legal defence proceeding­s and the adjudicati­on of numerous cases related to the welfare of minors. As an expert on children’s rights, she has contribute­d to the drafting of important legislatio­n related to child protection, family law, domestic violence, and other related social issues.

Last year, Malta also assumed the chairmansh­ip of the working group on children and armed conflict at the United Nations Security Council. Over the years, the Council has addressed the links between child protection and conflict prevention, emphasisin­g the importance of conflict prevention in the prevention of violations against children,” the government said.