A/HRC/RES/33/7
forced migration and result in situations in which migration is a choice, and recognizing the
importance of international cooperation in achieving these goals,
Mindful of the fact that, in the fulfilment of their obligations to promote, protect and
respect the rights of migrants in accordance with international law, States of origin, transit
and destination can benefit from greater international cooperation,
1.
Calls upon countries of origin, transit and destination to facilitate family
reunification, as appropriate, as an important objective that promotes the welfare and the
best interests of unaccompanied migrant children and adolescents, as applicable under
national law, due process and the relevant provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the
Child and the Optional Protocols thereto, and to comply with the consular notification and
access obligations set forth in the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations so that States
may, as appropriate, provide child-friendly consular assistance, including legal assistance;
2.
Encourages States to take into account the principle of the best interests of
the child as a primary consideration and to promote, protect and respect the rights of
children, bearing in mind in particular their needs at all times, including in the process of
return to their countries of origin, and ensuring that, in any type of return, whether
voluntary or otherwise, the principle of non-refoulement is respected in accordance with
applicable international law;
3.
Reminds States that migrant children should not be subject to arbitrary arrest
or arbitrary detention, and encourages States to respect the human rights of each child and
to take into account, as a primary consideration, the best interests of the child;
4.
Calls upon all States to ensure that their immigration policies are consistent
with their obligations under international law, and to promote and protect the human rights
of all migrants without discrimination, including by taking steps to increase cooperation
and coordination at all levels to address serious human rights violations and abuses, serious
crimes, such as the smuggling and trafficking of unaccompanied migrant children, and
other abuse and exploitation;
5.
Decides to convene at its thirty-fifth session a panel discussion on the theme,
“Unaccompanied migrant children and adolescents and human rights”, the objective of
which will be to identify challenges and best practices by countries of origin, transit and
destination and possible joint efforts at all levels to protect the human rights of
unaccompanied migrant children and adolescents, and requests the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights to liaise with States and all stakeholders, including
relevant United Nations bodies, agencies, funds and programmes, treaty bodies, special
procedures of the Human Rights Council, national human rights institutions and civil
society, with a view to facilitating their participation in the panel discussion;
6.
Requests the High Commissioner to prepare a report on the panel discussion
in the form of a summary, and to submit it to the Human Rights Council at its thirty-sixth
session;
7.
Notes the request made by the Advisory Committee at its sixteenth session to
extend the time schedule envisaged to allow for better informed work by, inter alia, taking
into account the work currently under way by the Committee on the Protection of the
Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and the Committee on the
Rights of the Child, which is scheduled to be finalized at the end of 2016, and requests the
Advisory Committee to submit a final report on the global issue of unaccompanied migrant
children and adolescents and human rights to the Human Rights Council at its thirty-sixth
session;
8.
Invites the special procedures of the Human Rights Council, within their
mandates, to continue to give due consideration to the situation of unaccompanied migrant
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