Geneva > UK Questioned over Intersex Genital Mutilations by UN Committee on the Rights of the Child – Gov Non-Answer + Denial

UN-CRC 72nd Session @ Palais Wilson, Geneva 23.05.2016, 14:57h CET: Getting ready …

>>> That’s why the UK will be reprimanded for IGM Practices by UN-CRC

This week it’s the turn of the UK to be questioned over Intersex Genital Mutilations at the 72nd Session of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) on Mon 23 May 15–18h CET [UK: 2-5pm] + Tue 24 May 10–13h CET [UK: 9am-noon]  >>> soon archived here!
StopIGM.org was reporting live from the 72nd session at Palais Wilson in Geneva, expecting tough questions also for the UK, and both the UK and Nepal to be reprimanded by June 3rd.

Session 2, Tue 24.05.2016, 10-13h CET

09:52: UK delegation and webcast crew arriving …

10:02h: Session and webcast are on, Kirsten Sandberg with follow-up questions, amongst other on LGBT children, access to abortion, adolescents, benefit caps …

10:07h: CRC co-rapporteur Wanderlino Nogueira Neto now on, asking for specifications regarding LGBTI children, gypsy children, children with disabilitis, refugee children, children from minority groups, do they have access to school and then work? Treatment of samll children whose mothers are in prison? (Cyber) bullying of LGBTI children and of minority groups?

10:13h: CRC co-rapporteur Hatem Kotrane follows up on list of issues regarding migrant children and juvenile justice …

10:22h: Head of UK delegation Paul Kissack has the floor, answering on gypsy and traveller children …

10:26h: UK delegate Rebecca Clare Egan (Child Safeguarding Unit, Home Office) now on re: violence … tasers mostly not fired, just used to end critical situations … stop and search in the interest of children … ASBOs (Anti Social Behaviour Orders) to support children … gov protects children from abuse and domestic abuse, wants to stop violence before it happens … tackles sexual abuse, convictions increased … UK world leader in fight against forced marriage …

10:35h: Northern Ireland delegate Trevor David Hughes answers on local situation … plastic and rubber bullets not in use …

10:39h: Delegate Graham Archer on corporal punishment: parents giving children a smack to change behaviour is OK, will stay legal, no law change …

10:41h: Delegate Ann Gross on health, children centres, improved parenting provisions, increase of children in public care … voice of the child at the heart of the care system … placement moves always in the best interest of the child …

10:57h: Delegate Graham Archer on adoption and social work, children can be very critical, gov introduced major programme to improve fontline social workers …

11:00h: First round of UK answers finished … UK obviously not in a hurry to answer on intersex mutilations …

11:03h: CRC co-rapporteur Kirsten Sandberg fowllowing up on “right to smack children” …

11:04h: CRC co-rapporteur Olga Khazova follows up on removal of children …

11:06h: Head of UK delegation insists smacking children is acceptable, moving on to health …

11:09h: UK delegate Flora Taylor Goldhill (Director for Children, Families and Communities, Department of Health) on transition to adult services … data on health will be better next year … better mental health crises services before ned of legislation … no-one in crisis will be turned away … use of ritalin and anti-depressants, prescribed where drug treatment is appropriate according to guidance, based on comprehensive evaluation and diagnoses … guidance now being revised, to be updated by January 2018 … anti-depressants not only used for depression, but also for eating disorders, OCD etc. … breast feeding promoted in England, NI …

11:27h: UK delegate Flora Taylor Goldhill (Director for Children, Families and Communities, Department of Health, ctd.) on “transgender health and […] intersex children”  – yet another evasive Gov non-answer + denial, as per usual lumping together + confusing trans, LBGT, identity and intersex, while at the same time categorically ignoring the daily mutilations facilitated and paid for by the NHS 🙁
– a stark reminder why at the end of the day only legislators will make a difference … Unofficial Transcription:

«I now want to move on to the issues raised about transgender health and I will also pick up the question that Miss Sandberg raised yesterday about intersex children. As with society more generally, more needs to be done to change the culture within the wider NHS, so that all health care professionals are aware of the specific needs of transgender, non-binary and intersex people.

NHS England has established a clinical reference group for gender identity services comprising experts from different specialities and patient representatives to advise NHS England on clinical issues. The chair of NHS Englands clinical reference groups has worked with the general medical counsel to develop guidance for doctors on the care and treatment of transgender people. This was published on 18th of March 2015.

In Northern Ireland, the RCGP guidelines for the care of trans patients in primary care was published in 2015. For nursing, public health England and the Royal College of Nursing have developed two tool kids for nurses and health practitioners to support the mental health and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans young people.

On intersex children: NHS England are responsible for specialised commissioning which covers this area. They wish to work with stakeholders to improve the services for these children and their families. NHS England are clear that the management of intersex conditions should optimise overall quality of life and that gender assignment interventions in newborns with intersex conditions should be avoided before expert evaluation.

Where babies and children could be described as intersex decisions about when and how to make medical interventions should be taken by clinicians in consultation with the parents of the child, and where possible and the child is older, seeking the views of the child himself or herself or themselves.

NHS England have recognised the need to engage service users and their families on this issue. The commissioning of specialised services by NHS England is heavily informed by expert and stakeholder advise via the clinical reference group that I mentioned. They use their specific knowledge and expertise to advise NHS England on the best way that specialised services should be provided.

NHS England welcomes the involvement of interested people in the work of the clinical reference group and is keen to work with all stakeholders including charities, patient groups, staff from service providers, and commercial organisations. NHS England has recently consulted on the proposals for the future configuration of clinical reference groups, and in spring of 2016 [?] it will publish details of which specialised services fall within each clinical reference groups remit. This will include details of the clinical reference group for specialist gynaecology services for children and young people.»

[ After the session when we spoke to Flora Taylor Goldhill, she first addressed intersex as a gender identity – BINGO! – and then said “it’s a new issue”. We presented a copy of the intersex NGO report to her, suggesting that if they really want to involve all interested parties they could start by consulting the organisations listed on p. 2 … ]

10:31h: 10 minutes pause …

11:45h: Session resumed, UK delegate Ann Gross on children with disabilities, major changes and improvements with single integrated health care plan … fully committed to involve childrens concerned …

11:55h: On education in NI now … report on LGBT being made … Followed by education generally in UK … no child shoud face fear of bullying, behaviour policy and sanctions everywhere required by law … 3 million £ programmes gainst LGBT bullying … school reform … Gov: not possible to fund all schools fairly …

12:12h: Follow-up questions by Amal Salman Aldoseri and Olga Khazova …

12:19: Delegate Peter James Searle: UK committed to reduce child poverty and improve life chances for disadvantaged children … considering legislation to reduce homelessness …

12:30h: Delegate Olivia Emma Kate Mcleod on welfare in Scotland … improved support and new allowances for families with low incomes …

12:32h: Delegate Jo-Anne Terese Daniel on welfare in Wales … Welsh Gov do all they can …

12:24h: Delegate Camisha Tamara Bridgeman on improvements for children in foreing and oversee commonwealth territories …

12:38h: Delegate Richard Karl Bishop on 4 cases of deaths in custody of children … restraint only as a last resort …. never used when non-paininducing alternatives available … safety and welfare of young people in custody highest priority … children in adult prisons is appropriate in exceptional circumstances … support for young witnesses in court …

12:49h: Delegate Jonathon Blair-Tidewell on under-18s and the armed forces …

12:53h: Delegate Robert Matthew Jones: Home Office working to improve data … refugee children should not be detained … no method for age assessment is perfect …

12:58h: CRC co-rapporteur Kirsten Sandberg’s closing statement … answers of UK not always correspond to reports from children …

12:00h: Head of UK delegation Paul Kissack closing remarks … UK does have positive story to tell of progress, but more must be done …

13:01h: CRC Chairperson Benyam Dawit Mezmur closing remarks and thanks, hope you will give concluding observations deserved attention …

Session 1, Mon 23.05.2016, 15-18h CET

14:53h: UK delegation has arrived, webcast crew ist getting ready …

14:03h: CRC Chairperson Benyam Dawit Mezmur opened the session, webcast is on, UK head of delegation now talking.

14:14h: CRC co-rapporteur Kirsten Sandberg now on with first round of questions, starting with lack of incorporation of convention into law, followed by best interests of the child.

15:28h: Now child suicides in prison, sexual violence, physical and chemical restraints in health care and schools …

15:29h: Harmful practices: FGM …

15:30h: … and intersex children now! Kirsten Sandberg mentions the responsability of the UK state
by directly financing IGM practices.
YAY!! 🙂 Unofficial Transcription:

«Intersex. Intersex children are born with unclear genitals, to put it that way, and there are harmful treatments done to them when they are babies or small children before they are able to consent themselves, and they have very bad effects on those involved, lifelong physical and psychological pain. And I wonder what you would do about this – in fact you directly finance it, the UK government through the public health assurances.»

15:35h: Co-rapporteur Hatem Kotrane now asking about definition of the child in UK law, children in court, obligatory (christian) religious services in school …

15:40h: Co-rapporteur Amal Salman Aldoseri on discrimination, stigma, access to legal aid, gypsies and traveller children, freedom of expression …

15:50h: Co-rapporteur Olga A. Khazova continues on non-discrimination, intolerance, raising and stop-and-search, illegitimate children …

15:57h: 15 minutes pause.

16:17h: Session resumed, UK speaker from education answering on incorporation of the convention in domestic law, and on follow-up to last CRC recommendations. Admits knowledge of the Covention in the UK “low”. Collaboration with civil society … children’s commissioners …

16:45h: Various delegation speakers from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Whales on the Bill of Rights in their region … CRC not yet incorporated in Scottish law …

17:10h: Regional UK speakers now answering on discrimination …

17:25h: … current “reforms” (i.e. reduction) of legal aid … preservation of Welsh langage …

17:32h: 2nd round of questions by co-rapporteurs now. Olga Khazova asks about affordable child care … criteria for removal of children from family … foster care … health issues …

17:49h: Co-rapporteur Amal Salman Aldoseri aks about children with disbility and mental health … transgender children … education, monitoring of access for all children in Northern Ireland … sexual health … smoking …

18:02h: CRC Chairperson Benyam Dawit Mezmur closes the session.

The replies on intersex by the UK delegation are due tomorrow during the 2nd Session, Tue 24 May 10-13h CET. To be continued …

>>> That’s why the UK will be reprimanded for IGM Practices by UN-CRC

IGM Practices in the UK: 2016 UN-CRC Report 
Human Rights Violations Of Persons With Variations Of Sex Anatomy
IGM – Most Common Forms • What is Intersex? • A Harmful Practice
>>>  Download (PDF 3.60 MB)

See also:
• 11 Verdicts by UN Treaty Bodies Condemning IGM – And Counting …
• UN Committee for the Rights of the Child (CRC) 2015: IGM = Harmful Practice
• UN Committee against Torture (CAT) 2015: IGM = Inhuman Treatment or Torture
• UN Human Rights Committee (HRCttee) to examine IGM Practices
• UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) condemns IGM
• Historic 56th Session of Committee against Torture reprimands 4 Governments over IGM
• CAT 2011: Germany must investigate IGM practices and compensate survivors!