Professor Aoife Nolan has been elected to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child and will serve a four-year term from 2027 to 2031.
The Committee comprises 18 independent experts responsible for monitoring the implementation by States Parties of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It also oversees compliance with the Convention’s Optional Protocols concerning the involvement of children in armed conflict and the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted more than 30 years ago, is the most widely ratified international human rights treaty and establishes the core civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of children.
Professor Nolan has more than two decades of experience in the field of children's rights, with expertise spanning legal practice, policy development, academia and research. She is recognised internationally for her work on children's rights, human rights and constitutional law.
Welcoming the appointment, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee, congratulated Professor Nolan on her election and stated that her appointment reflected Ireland's continued commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights at the international level.
Professor Nolan's election ensures Irish representation on the Committee during the 2027–2031 term and marks a significant contribution to the continued development and monitoring of international children's rights standards.