Myanmar’s Child Rights Bill and the Right of a Child to Acquire a Nationality

The ICJ today published a legal briefing (3 pages in Burmese and 2 pages in English) on Myanmar’s Child Rights Bill, which is under consideration by the Union Parliament.

The stated objectives of the Child Rights Bill are welcomed, particularly the commitment to implement Myanmar’s obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

However, based on drafts of the Bill that the ICJ has reviewed, the organization is concerned that if passed into law as presently formulated, the Union Parliament would miss a significant opportunity to protect the rights of those children throughout Myanmar who face discrimination based on race or ethnicity, and who experience human rights violations as a result.

Because the Bill does not sufficiently protect the right of a child to acquire citizenship of Myanmar, the Bill fails to meet its stated objectives, and also fails to comply with and implement the State’s international human rights law obligations under the CRC.

The ICJ provides a recommendation for legislators to amend the Bill before it is passed into law, in order to sufficiently protect the rights of a child to acquire citizenship/nationality, and to implement the State’s obligations under the CRC.

Download the full legal briefing in English here.

Download the full legal briefing in Burmese here.