[5] The committee is made up of 18 members from different countries and legal systems who are of 'high moral standing' and experts in the field of human rights.

[6]) are required to submit initial and periodic reports on the national situation of children's rights to the committee for examination.

The Committee can open an inquiry if it receives a reliable information indicating grave or systematic violations by a State party of child rights.

[16] In February 2014 the committee, after interviewing two top officials of the Catholic Church, published observations[17] described as "a scathing indictment of the Vatican’s handling of child sexual abuse cases involving clerics, releasing a report that included criticism of church teachings on homosexuality, gender equality and abortion".

Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Holy See's permanent observer at the UN, said that he suspected pro-gay-rights NGOs had influenced the committee and "reinforced an ideological line" in the UN.