34. Since 2013, the NCC has recommended that the Australian Government ratify the Optional Protocol to the CRC on a Communications Protocol (the third Optional Protocol).20 Ratification of the third Optional Protocol would provide new protections for children, and a similar level of accountability for children’s rights as exist for rights under other UN Conventions. Recommendation 8: The Australian Government ratifies the Optional Protocol to the CRC on a Communications Protocol. Recommendation 9: The Commonwealth Ombudsman, as the co-ordinating National Preventative Mechanism in Australia, establishes a children’s subgroup to ensure those with expertise and experience of working with children can provide specialist advice, information and recommendations. 2.5 Allocation of resources 35. Australia does not have budgeting processes that specifically track the allocation of resources to all children. 36. In 2017, the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory (NT Royal Commission) pointed out that: Knowing where expenditure is directed is a basic requirement for assessing community needs and planning service delivery in a coordinated and resource-efficient manner.21 37. The NT Royal Commission recommended a review and audit of Commonwealth expenditure in the Northern Territory in the area of family and children’s services relevant to the prevention of harm to children, with the review addressing co-ordination of programs, funding agreements and selection of service providers, service outputs and evaluations.22 38. In response to this recommendation, the Australian Government supported a review of Commonwealth and Northern Territory governments’ expenditure pending further consideration of implementation details.23 39. The acceptance of this recommendation by the Australian Government shows that it understands the importance of tracking the allocation of resources for children. 2.6 Data collection 40. Since commencing her term in 2013, the NCC has raised as a critical issue the lack of available data on children disaggregated by age, location, socio7