A/HRC/36/21 I. Introduction 1. Pursuant to its resolution 33/7, the Human Rights Council decided 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 would 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 requested 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 (see para. 5 of the resolution). Furthermore, the Council requested the High Commissioner to prepare a report on the panel discussion in the form of a summary for submission to the Council at its thirty-sixth session (see para. 6 of the resolution).1 2. The panel discussion was held during the thirty-fifth session of the Human Rights Council, on 9 June 2017. It was chaired by Joaquín Maza Martelli, President of the Human Rights Council. The opening remarks were delivered by Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 3. The panel was moderated by Peggy Hicks, Director of the Thematic Engagement, Special Procedures and Right to Development Division, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The panellists were Benyam Dawit Mezmur, Member of the Committee on the Rights of the Child; Cristiana Carletti, Associate Professor of International Law, Roma Tre University; Lucio Melandri, Senior Emergency Advisor, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF); Obiora Chinedu Okafor, Member of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee; and Gholamreza Hassanpour, a former unaccompanied migrant youth, who was assisted by Katerina Giannikopoulou, Social Worker, Greek Council for Refugees. 4. The panel aimed to allow for exchanges of views, challenges, best practices and joint efforts, by countries of origin, transit and destination, on the protection of the human rights of unaccompanied migrant children and adolescents. The discussion was an opportunity for States Members of the United Nations, international organizations, nongovernmental organizations, national human rights institutions and other relevant stakeholders to discuss issues in relation to the effective protection of the human rights of unaccompanied migrant children and adolescents, with a focus on practices that respected and promoted the principle of the best interests of the child. The discussion also provided an opportunity for the panellists and participants to consider and recommend concrete ways to include the human rights of unaccompanied migrant children and adolescents within the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration. 5. Migrant children and adolescents, in particular those who are unaccompanied or separated from their families, can be at heightened risk of human rights violations at various points in their migratory journey, in countries of origin, transit and destination. During their journey, children may be exposed to crimes and human rights abuses, including theft, kidnapping and extortion, denial of access to health, education, food, water and housing, violence and physical abuse, and forced labour, as well as sexual exploitation and abuse. In its resolution 33/7, the Human Rights Council expressed deep concern in that regard, and highlighted the fact that the protection and assistance needs of many unaccompanied migrant children, often including their most basic needs, have not yet been met. 6. The drivers for such movements are multiple and intertwined, and may include extreme poverty, lack of access to fundamental human rights such as education, health and 1 2 The full video of the panel discussion is available from http://webtv.un.org/meetings-events/humanrights-council/watch/panel-discussion-on-unaccompanied-migrant-children-12th-meeting-35thregular-session-human-rights-council/5466188996001#full-text.