General Documents Not Relating To Specific States - Annual and Sessional Reports - CRC

I. ORGANIZATIONAL AND OTHER MATTERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 - 15 3

C. Membership and attendance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 - 9 3

D. Agenda. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 4

E. Pre-sessional working group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 - 13 5

F. Organization of work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 5

G. Future regular meetings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 5

CONVENTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 - 221 6

A. Submission of reports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 - 19 6

B. Consideration of reports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 - 221 6

A. Methods of work of the Committee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 - 228 38

the Committee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 - 236 39

competent bodies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237 - 241 41

V. ADOPTION OF THE REPORT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259 49

Rights of the Child as at 11 October 1996. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

II. Membership of the Committee on the Rights of the Child. . . . . . . . . . . . 56

as at 11 October 1996. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Rights of the Child as at 11 October 1996. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

at the Committee's fourteenth and fifteenth sessions. . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Committee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

1. As at 11 October 1996, the closing date of the thirteenth session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, there were 187 States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Convention was adopted by the General Assembly in resolution 44/25 of 20 November 1989 and opened for signature and ratification or accession in New York on 26 January 1990. It entered into force on 2 September 1990, in accordance with the provisions of its article 49. A list of States that have signed, ratified or acceded to the Convention is contained in annex I to the present report.

2. The texts of the declarations, reservations or objections made by States parties with respect to the Convention are reproduced in document CRC/C/2/Rev.5.

3. The Committee on the Rights of the Child held its thirteenth session at the United Nations Office in Geneva from 23 September to 11 October 1996. The Committee held 29 meetings (315th-343rd). An account of the Committee's deliberations at its thirteenth session is contained in the relevant summary records (CRC/C/SR.315, 317-319, 321-323, 326-338 and 343). At the opening of the session, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr. José Ayala Lasso, addressed the Committee, and informed it of recent developments relevant to the protection and promotion of the rights of the child.

4. All the members of the Committee attended the thirteenth session. A list of the members, together with an indication of the duration of their terms of office, is provided in annex II to the present report.

5. The following United Nations bodies were represented at the session: United Nations Children's Fund, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

6. The following specialized agencies were also represented at the session: International Labour Organization, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, World Health Organization.

7. Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross and of the Institut Henri Dunant also attended the session.

8. A representative of the Hong Kong Legislative Council also attended the session.

9. Representatives of the following non-governmental organizations were also in attendance at the session:

International Abolitionist Federation, International Movement ATD Fourth World, Zonta International.

Caritas Internationalis, Defence for Children International, International Catholic Child Bureau, International Federation of Women in Legal Careers, International Federation Terre des Hommes, International Service for Human Rights.

Epoch Worldwide, Fundación Hernandiana, Hong Kong Committee on Children's Rights, International Inner Wheel, Network for the Convention on the Rights of the Child, NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child, One World Productions.

10. At its 315th meeting, on 23 September 1996, the Committee adopted the following provisional agenda.

3. Submission of reports by States parties in accordance with article 44 of the Convention.

7. Cooperation with other United Nations bodies, specialized agencies and other competent bodies.

11. In accordance with a decision of the Committee at its first session, a pre-sessional working group met in Geneva from 10 to 14 June 1996. Mrs. Hoda Badran, Mrs. Flora Eufemio, Mrs. Judith Karp, Mr. Yuri Kolosov and Miss Sandra Mason participated in the working group. Representatives of the United Nations Children's Fund, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Labour Organization and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization also participated in the meetings of the working group. A representative of the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as representatives from various national and international non-governmental organizations, attended the session.

12. The purpose of the pre-sessional working group is to facilitate the Committee's work under articles 44 and 45 of the Convention, primarily by reviewing State party reports and identifying in advance the main questions that would need to be discussed with the representatives of the reporting States. It also provides an opportunity to consider questions relating to technical assistance and international cooperation.

13. The pre-sessional working group held eight meetings, at which it examined lists of issues put before it by members of the Committee relating to the initial reports of five countries: Ethiopia, Morocco, Myanmar, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Dependent

Territories (Hong Kong) and Uruguay. The lists of issues were transmitted to the Permanent Missions of the States concerned with a note requesting written answers to the issues raised in the list, if possible before 12 August 1996.

14. The Committee considered the organization of work at its 315th meeting, on 23 September 1996. The Committee had before it the draft programme of work for the thirteenth session, prepared by the Secretary-General in consultation with the Chairperson of the Committee, and the report of the Committee on its twelfth session (CRC/C/54).

15. The Committee noted that its fourteenth session would take place from 6 to 24 January 1997 and its pre-sessional working group would meet from 14 to 18 October 1996.

(a) Notes by the Secretary-General on initial reports by States parties due in 1992 (CRC/C/3), 1993 (CRC/C/8/Rev.3), 1994 (CRC/C/11/Rev.3), 1995 (CRC/C/28), 1996 (CRC/C/41) and 1997 (CRC/C/51);

(b) Note by the Secretary-General on the States parties to the Convention and the status of submission of reports (CRC/C/56);

(c) Note by the Secretary-General on the follow-up to the consideration of initial reports by States parties to the Convention (CRC/C/27/Rev.6);

(d) Note by the Secretary-General on areas in which the need for technical advice and advisory services have been identified in the light of the observations adopted by the Committee (CRC/C/40/Rev.4).

The Committee was informed that, in addition to the six reports that were scheduled for consideration by the Committee at its present session (see para. 21 below) and those which had been received prior to the Committee's twelfth session (see CRC/C/54, para. 16), the Secretary-General had received the initial reports of Austria (CRC/C/11/Add.14), Barbados (CRC/C/3/Add.45), Ecuador (CRC/C/3/Add.44), Fiji (CRC/C/28/Add.7), Hungary (CRC/C/8/Add.34), Iraq (CRC/C/41/Add.3), Kuwait (CRC/C/8/Add.35), Luxembourg (CRC/C/41/Add.2) and Thailand (CRC/C/11/Add.13). The status of submission of reports by States parties under article 44 of the Convention is given in annex III.

17. A list of initial reports considered by the Committee, as of 11 October 1996, as well as a provisional list of initial reports scheduled for consideration at the Committee's fourteenth and fifteenth sessions are contained respectively in annexes IV and V to the present report.

18. As at 11 October 1996, the Committee had received 95 initial reports. A total of 62 reports have been examined by the Committee.

19. By notes verbales dated 4 June 1996, 20 June 1996, 23 July 1996, 9 August 1996, 26 September 1996 and 2 October 1996, the Permanent Missions of Yugoslavia, Belarus, Chile, Norway, Holy See, Cyprus and Italy to the United Nations Office in Geneva indicated the various measures adopted in those States parties as a follow-up to the recommendations addressed to them during the examination of their initial reports.

20. At its thirteenth session, the Committee examined initial reports submitted by six States parties under article 44 of the Convention. It devoted 17 of its 29 meetings to the consideration of reports (see CRC/C/SR.317-319, 321-323, 325-327, 329-334 and 337-338).

21. The following reports, listed in the order in which they were received by the Secretary-General, were before the Committee at its

Mauritius (CRC/C/3/Add.36), Morocco (CRC/C/28/Add.1), Uruguay (CRC/C/3/Add.37) and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Dependent Territories: Hong Kong) (CRC/C/11/Add.9).

22. In accordance with rule 68 of the provisional rules of procedure of the Committee, representatives of all the reporting States were invited to attend the meetings of the Committee at which their reports were examined.

23. The following sections, arranged on a country-by-country basis according to the sequence followed by the Committee in its consideration of the reports, contain concluding observations reflecting the main points of discussion and indicating, where necessary, issues that require specific follow-up.

24. More detailed information is contained in the reports submitted by the States parties and in the summary records of the relevant meetings of the Committee.

25. The Committee considered the initial report of Morocco (CRC/C/28/Add.1) at its 317th, 318th and 319th meetings, held on 24 and 25 September 1996 (see CRC/C/SR.317-319) and at its 343rd meeting, held on 11 October 1996, adopted the following concluding observations.

26. The Committee welcomes the submission of the report, which contains information on the legal framework within which the Convention is implemented and on other measures adopted since the ratification of the Convention by Morocco. The Committee appreciates the written information provided by the Government in reply to the questions set out in the list of issues (CRC/C/Q.Mor.1) as well as the additional information provided by the State party in the course of the dialogue with the Committee, during which the representatives of the State party indicated in a self-critical manner not only the policy and programme directions, but also the difficulties encountered in implementing the Convention.

27. The Committee notes the establishment in 1993 of the Ministry for Human Rights to deal with children’s rights issues. The Committee also notes the establishment in 1994, of the National Congress on the Rights of the Child which has been recently declared a permanent institution, and the creation of the post of High Commissioner for Disabled Persons in 1994. The Committee

recognizes the will of the Government to engage in a process of law reform in relation to children’s issues and is encouraged by the drafting of a new Labour Code. The Committee also notes with appreciation the adoption, following the World Summit for Children, of the National Plan of Action for the Survival, Protection and Development of Children in 1992. Finally, the Committee welcomes the Government’s initiative to broadcast a number of special programmes on Children’s International Radio and Television Day.

28. The Committee notes that severe economic and social problems have had a negative impact on the situation of children. The high level of external debt and the requirements of structural adjustment programmes which have resulted in budgetary reallocations to the detriment of social services, as well as unemployment and poverty, have affected the enjoyment of children's rights. The Committee also notes that there are still traditional practices and customs which impede the full enjoyment of certain rights of the child.

29. The Committee is concerned about the fact that the Convention has not yet been duly published in the “Official Gazette”.

30. The Committee is also concerned that insufficient measures have been taken to ensure that the principles and provisions of the Convention are widely known to children and adults.

31. The Committee is concerned at the reservation made to article 14 of the Convention by the State party, which may affect the implementation of the rights guaranteed in this article and may raise questions about the compatibility of the reservation with the object and purpose of the Convention.

32. The Committee is concerned at the insufficient coordination between various ministries, as well as between the central and local authorities, in the implementation of policies for the promotion and protection of the rights of the child.

33. Insufficient attention has been paid to the collection of systematic and comprehensive data and the identification of appropriate indicators and monitoring mechanisms in all areas covered by the Convention. Disaggregated data and appropriate indicators seem to be lacking to assess the situation of children, especially those who are victims of abuse, ill-treatment or child labour or are involved with the administration of juvenile justice, as well as the girl child, children of single-parent families and those born out of wedlock, children in rural areas, abandoned, institutionalized and disabled children, and children who, in order to survive, are living and/or working in the streets.

34. With regard to the implementation of article 4 of the Convention, the Committee notes with concern the inadequacy of measures taken to ensure the implementation of children's economic, social and cultural rights to the maximum extent of available resources. The Committee is particularly concerned at the insufficient measures and programmes for the protection of the rights of the most vulnerable children, especially girls, children living in rural areas, children who are victims of abuse, children of single parents,

children born out of wedlock, abandoned children, disabled children, and children who are, in order to survive, forced to live and/or work in the streets.

35. The State party has not yet taken fully into account in its legislation and policies the general principles of the Convention: non-discrimination (art. 2), the best interests of the child (art. 3), the right to life, survival and development (art. 6) and respect for the views of the child (art. 12).

36. The Committee is also concerned at the lack of conformity with the spirit and principles of the Convention of legislative provisions with respect to the legal definition of the child. The early marriageable age, the minimum age for employment and the age of criminal responsibility are matters of concern.

37. The Committee expresses its deep concern at the persistence of discriminatory attitudes towards girls, including the practice of early marriage, which hamper the enjoyment of their basic rights. The lower marriageable age for girls than for boys raises serious questions as to its compatibility with the Convention, in particular article 2.

38. In the light of article 30, the Committee is concerned at the lack of measures taken to provide school education in all the existing languages and dialects.

39. The Committee is concerned that appropriate measures have not yet been taken to prevent and combat ill-treatment of children within the family and at the lack of information on this matter. The problems of the exploitation of child labour, in particular the use of young girls as domestic workers, and child prostitution also require special attention.

40. The situation in relation to the administration of juvenile justice and in particular its compatibility with articles 37 and 40 of the Convention, as well as other relevant United Nations standards such as the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (the Beijing Rules), the United Nations Guidelines for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency (the Riyadh Guidelines) and the United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty, is a matter of concern to the Committee. The Committee is, inter alia, concerned that children aged between 16 and 18 years are treated as adults and that children deprived of their liberty are not separated from adults.

41. The Committee urgently recommends that the State party publish the Convention in the “Official Gazette”.

42. The Committee is of the opinion that greater efforts are required to make the provisions and principles of the Convention widely known and understood by adults and children alike, in accordance with article 42 of the

further a systematic approach to increasing public awareness of the participatory rights of children, in the light of article 12 of the Convention.

43. The Committee recommends that periodic training and retraining programmes on the rights of the child be organized for professional groups working with or for children, including teachers, law enforcement officials, social workers and judges, and that human rights and children's rights be included in their training curricula. In this respect, the Committee encourages the authorities to pursue their cooperation with the High Commissioner/Centre for Human Rights.

44. The Committee recommends that the Government of Morocco consider reviewing the reservation entered upon ratification of the Convention with a view to withdrawing it, in the spirit of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action adopted in June 1993, in which the World Conference on Human Rights urged States to withdraw reservations to the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

45. The Committee recommends that the State party take further steps to strengthen coordination between the different governmental mechanisms involved in human rights and children's rights, at both central and local levels, and to ensure closer cooperation with non-governmental organizations.

46. The Committee also recommends that the State party undertake to gather all necessary data and statistics on the situation of children in the various areas covered by the Convention, including on children belonging to the most vulnerable groups. Efforts should be made to ensure implementation of policies and measures for the promotion and protection of the rights of the child, both at central and local levels, in cooperation with United Nations bodies and specialized agencies, including UNICEF and ILO. It is also suggested that a multidisciplinary monitoring system be established to assess the progress achieved and difficulties encountered in the realization of the rights recognized by the Convention at the central and local levels, and in particular to monitor regularly the effects of economic change on children.

Such a monitoring system should enable the State party to shape appropriate policies and to combat prevailing social disparities and traditional prejudices. The Committee also encourages the State party to consider the establishment of an independent mechanism, such as an ombudsperson for the rights of the child.

47. With respect to article 4 of the Convention, and in the light of the current difficult economic situation, the Committee emphasizes the importance of the allocation of resources to the maximum extent possible for the implementation of economic, social and cultural rights of the child at both central and local levels, in accordance with the principles of the Convention, in particular those relating to non-discrimination and the best interests of the child (arts. 2 and 3).

48. The Committee recommends that appropriate political and legislative measures be undertaken to bring legislation into conformity with the Convention and other relevant international norms. In particular, the Committee, recommends the reform of the penal and labour codes. It strongly encourages the Government of Morocco to ratify ILO Convention No. 138 on the minimum age for admission to employment and for that purpose to consider seeking further technical cooperation from ILO.

49. The Committee recommends that awareness campaigns concerning the rights of the girl child be pursued in both rural and urban areas. It also urges the State party to implement a comprehensive national policy to promote and protect those rights. It further recommends that in the light of articles 2 and 3 of the Convention, the marriageable age be raised and made equal for girls and boys.

50. The Committee recommends that special protective measures be implemented in relation to children living in rural areas, children who are victims of abuse, children of single-parent families, children born out of wedlock, abandoned, institutionalized and disabled children, children involved with the juvenile justice system, particularly when deprived of their liberty, children involved in child labour and children who, in order to survive, are forced to live and/or work in the streets.

51. The Committee encourages the Government of Morocco to take all measures to prevent and combat ill-treatment of children, including child abuse within the family, corporal punishment, child labour and the sexual exploitation of children. It recommends that comprehensive studies be initiated with regard to those important issues to make possible a better understanding of those phenomena and facilitate the elaboration of policies and programmes to combat them effectively. In this perspective, the Government should pursue its efforts in close cooperation with community leaders and with non-governmental organizations, with a view to promoting change in persisting negative attitudes towards children belonging to the most vulnerable groups.

52. The Committee recommends that the State party envisage undertaking a comprehensive reform of the system of juvenile justice in the spirit of the Convention, in particular articles 37, 39 and 40, and of other United Nations standards in this field, such as the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (the Beijing Rules), the United Nations Guidelines for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency (the Riyadh Guidelines) and the United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty. Particular attention should be paid to considering deprivation of liberty only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest possible period of time, to the protection of the rights of children deprived of their liberty, to due process of law and to the full independence and impartiality of the judiciary. Training programmes on the relevant international standards should be organized for all those professionals involved with the system of juvenile justice. The Committee would like to suggest that the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco consider seeking international assistance in this area of the administration of juvenile justice from the High Commissioner/Centre for Human Rights and the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Division of the United Nations (Vienna).

53. Finally, the Committee recommends that, in accordance with article 44, paragraph 6 of the Convention, the initial report presented by Morocco be made widely available to the public at large and that consideration be given to publication of the report, along with the relevant summary records and the concluding observations adopted thereon by the Committee. Such a document should be widely distributed in order to generate debate and awareness of the

Convention, its implementation and monitoring within the Government, the Parliament and the general public, including concerned non-governmental organizations.

54. The Committee considered the initial report of Nigeria (CRC/C/8/Add.26) at its 321st to 323rd meetings (See CRC/C/SR.321-323) held on 26 and 27 September 1996 and, at the 343rd meeting, held on 11 October 1996, adopted the following observations.

55. The Committee expresses its appreciation to the State party for sending a high-level delegation to discuss the report. The Committee notes that the report, although following the thematic structure for reporting set out in the general guidelines, was incomplete in its appreciation of the situation of children throughout the country. The Committee wishes to emphasize that the purpose of reporting is to indicate not only the measures adopted but also the progress made since the entry into force of the Convention and priorities identified for action, as well as the difficulties encountered in guaranteeing the rights provided for in the Convention.

56. The Committee welcomes the establishment of the National Human Rights Commission. The Committee also takes note of the establishment in 1994 of the National Child Rights Implementation Committee, inter alia to ensure the popularization of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the OAU

Charter on the Rights and Welfare of Children; to review continuously the state of implementation of the Convention; to develop specific programmes and projects that will enhance the status of the Nigerian child; to collect and collate data on the implementation of the rights of the child; and to prepare and submit reports on the implementation of children's rights for the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity.

57. The Committee notes that the Government of Nigeria has prepared a national plan of action in response to the recommendations and goals enunciated in the Declaration and Plan of Action adopted by the World Summit for Children in September 1990.

58. The Committee appreciates the importance attached by the State party to improving the status and situation of women and the positive role this can play in contributing to the measures required to address the problems facing children in general and the girl child, in particular.

59. The Committee recognizes that the situation in Nigeria is characterized by particular economic and socio-cultural complexities. It notes that Nigeria is the most populated African country and that it is multi-ethnic in composition with over 250 ethnic groups which have diverse cultures and

languages. It is additionally noted that the persistence of certain harmful traditional practices and customs has had a negative bearing on the enjoyment of the rights guaranteed under the Convention.

60. The Committee expresses its deep concern that the rights of the child as provided for in the Convention have yet to be invested with effective legal status in Nigeria as the draft children's decree remains to be finalized and adopted. The Committee, while noting the very positive development represented by the drafting and revision of a children's decree, expresses its regret that a copy of the draft decree in its entirety was not made available to the Committee. The lack of such enabling legislation raises serious doubts as to the priority previously given to the rights of the child in Nigeria. The Committee raises these points in the light of the conclusion it reached from examining the State party’s report and its dialogue with the delegation that certain legislation currently in force in Nigeria in relation to the rights of the child is not in conformity with various articles of the Convention, including article 1.

61. The Committee is concerned about the compatibility of customary law and laws passed at the regional and local levels and their application with the principles and provisions of the Convention.

62. The Committee notes with concern the apparent absence of adequate mechanisms for the determination of appropriate indicators, as well as for the collection of statistical data and other information on the status of children for use as bases for designing programmes to implement the Convention.

63. With respect to the implementation of various principles and provisions of the Convention, in particular those set out in its articles 3 and 4, the Committee is concerned that the impact of economic policy, as at present designed and pursued, may have led the Government to resort, on a more regular basis than it would wish, to temporary ad hoc funding measures to cover significant shortfalls in income for the realization of particular programmatic objectives. The Committee is concerned about the gap between the country's gross national product and the insufficiency of resources being made available for the implementation of the rights of the child, in particular in the areas of primary health care, primary education and other social services, as well as the protection of the most disadvantaged groups of children. Equally, the Committee remains concerned about the effectiveness of measures at present in place to give priority to projects for the implementation of the rights of the child, as well as to reduce any disparities between and within regions as regards the availability of resources for the realization of such projects.

64. The Committee is concerned that considerable progress is still required towards ensuring that all adults and children are aware of the rights of the child as contained in the Convention. Additionally, the Committee is concerned at the lack of training and education about the Convention for individuals working with or for children, such as police officers, chiefs of

police, staff in institutions where children are detained, leaders at the community and ward levels and other government officials, as well as judges, lawyers, teachers, health workers and social workers.

65. The Committee is also concerned that the general principles of the Convention, as laid down in its articles 2, 3, 6 and 12, are not being applied and duly integrated into the implementation of all articles of the Convention. Concern is expressed at the status and situation of girl children and the insufficiency of measures to prevent and combat discrimination practised against them. Of equal concern to the Committee is the apparent absence of pro-active measures to combat discrimination against disabled children, children belonging to ethnic minorities and children born out of wedlock.

66. In the light of the provisions of article 3 of the Convention, the Committee is of the view that the Government has not yet fully developed a procedure to ensure that the "best interests of the child" guide the decision-making process. Consideration of the impact of various policy options on the enjoyment of the rights of the child should form an integral part of this process.

67. It is also the view of the Committee that traditional attitudes concerning the role children should play in the family, school, the community and society in general may be frustrating efforts to achieve the fuller participation of children, as envisaged in articles 12 and 13 of the Convention.

68. The Committee is concerned about the persistence of early marriage, child betrothals, discrimination in inheritance, widowhood practices and other harmful traditional practices. These practices are incompatible with the principles and provisions of the Convention. More particularly, the continuation of the practice of female genital mutilation is of deep concern to the Committee; although measures are being taken to address this practice, the Committee is of the view that they are insufficient. The problems of violence against children and the physical abuse of children in the family, in schools, in the community and in society are also of major concern to the Committee.

69. The Committee views the trend of rising child mortality rates as a matter of deep concern. Despite the Government's stated policy of supporting primary health care programmes over those providing curative health care, the Committee views the access to quality health-care services as unsatisfactory. Equally, the effectiveness of measures undertaken to avoid regional variations in the provision of health-care services and medical supplies remains a cause of concern to the Committee. The Committee is also concerned about the problems encountered in providing access to safe water.

70. In view of the considerable incidence of poverty in the country and the insufficiency of the minimum wage in meeting basic needs, the Committee views the absence of social support to families, including single-parent families, especially female-headed households, as a matter of serious concern.

71. The State party's recognition of the importance of promoting education for all as a tool to improve the situation of children, especially girl children, is welcomed. However, the Committee remains concerned about the effectiveness of measures being taken to harmonize policy priorities in this area with adequate budgetary allocations.

72. The Committee expresses its regret that insufficient measures are being taken to address the problems of child abuse, including sexual abuse, and the sale and trafficking of children, child prostitution and child pornography.

73. It is the view of the Committee that current legislation with regard to the administration of juvenile justice and the institutionalization of children does not appear to conform to the principles and provisions of the Convention. In this regard, the provisions of national legislation which permit sentencing to capital punishment are incompatible with the provisions of article 37 (a) of the Convention.

74. The Committee is also concerned that the provisions of national legislation by which a child may be detained "at Her Majesty's Pleasure" may permit the indiscriminate sentencing of children for indeterminate periods. Furthermore, the Committee is worried about the provisions of national legislation which provide for the detention of children assessed to be "beyond parental control". The possibility that abandoned children or children living and/or working on the street would have such measures applied against them is of special concern to the Committee. It is the view of the Committee that these legislative measures do not appear to be compatible with the provisions of article 37 (b) of the Convention, which lays down that the arrest, detention or imprisonment of a child shall only be used as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time. Equally, the Committee is concerned about the application in practice of the provisions of section 3 of the Children and Persons Law may lead to the arbitrary detention of children, which is incompatible with the provisions and principles of the Convention.

75. The Committee notes with serious concern the low age of criminal responsibility for children in Nigeria, at present seven years of age, and that children even under the age of seven may be brought before the courts. The Committee is also very much concerned about the adequacy of safeguards for all children brought before the courts, required under article 40 of the Convention.

76. Moreover, the Committee is seriously concerned about the conditions in places of detention for children, especially with regard to children's access to their parents, the medical services and educational programmes offered and the services in place to facilitate the recovery and rehabilitation of children. It is equally concerned about the inappropriateness and ineffectiveness of measures for the supervision and monitoring of the situation of children in detention, including for dealing with children's complaints of abuse or ill-treatment, and the lack of measures to ensure that these complaints are addressed in a serious and expeditious manner.

77. Furthermore, the Committee is deeply alarmed that the necessary safeguards against the excessive use of force by law enforcement officials or anyone else acting in this capacity are undermined by the provisions of section 73 of the Criminal Code. This may give rise to the violation of children's rights, including their right to life, and leads to impunity for the perpetrators of such violations. Therefore, it is the view of the Committee that the above-mentioned provisions of the Nigerian Criminal Code are incompatible with the principles and provisions of the Convention.

78. The Committee is of the view that insufficient measures have been taken for the implementation of article 32 of the Convention to prevent and combat the economic exploitation of children.

79. The Committee recommends that the Government consider, on an urgent basis, the adoption of the children’s decree, drafted in conformity with the principles and provisions of the Convention. The Committee welcomes the willingness of the delegation of the State party to provide the Committee with information regarding progress in relation to the draft children’s decree and to submit to the Committee, as soon as possible, a copy of the full text of the draft decree.

80. The Committee also recommends that the State party, in undertaking a comprehensive review of the national legal framework and its conformity with the principles and provisions of the Convention account, should also take into account the compatibility of the system of customary law and regional and local laws with the articles of the Convention.

81. The Committee strongly recommends that the Government consider the possibility of undertaking a review of the effectiveness of measures being taken to implement the provisions of article 4 of the Convention in respect of the allocation of resources to the maximum extent possible for the implementation of the economic, social and cultural rights of the child. It is further suggested that such a review should be undertaken in the light of the priorities for the implementation of the Convention identified during the discussion of the report of Nigeria.

82. The Committee appreciates the willingness of the State party to undertake further measures to ensure that effective mechanisms are put in place for the implementation and monitoring of the Convention at all levels of government including the ward level, through the mandate given to the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development. The Committee notes that the task of cooperating and coordinating with other mechanisms at different levels with regard to the monitoring of the implementation of the rights of the child is a challenging one and expresses the hope that further discussions within government circles and throughout the various levels of government on how best to achieve the priority objectives be undertaken on an urgent basis.

83. The Committee shares the view of the State party that effective education and awareness raising among all children concerning their rights should be undertaken and that an evaluation of the extent of awareness of the rights of the child among children and adults should be carried out. The Committee would like to suggest that such an awareness-raising programme should be extended to all adults and professionals working with or for children.

84. The Committee recommends that priority be given to the development of mechanisms for collecting statistical data and indicators disaggregated by gender, and rural/urban and ethnic origin as the bases for designing programmes for children.

85. It is the Committee's view that further efforts must be undertaken to ensure that the general principles of the Convention, in particular “the best interests of the child” and the participation of children, not only guide policy discussions and formulation, and decision-making, but also are integrated into the development and implementation of all projects and programmes.

86. The Committee wishes to emphasize that the general lack of financial resources cannot be used as a justification for neglecting to establish social security programmes and social safety nets to protect the most vulnerable groups of children. Accordingly, it is the opinion of the Committee that a serious review should be undertaken to determine the consistency of the economic and social policies being developed with the State party's obligations under the Convention, in particular articles 26 and 27, especially with respect to the establishment or improvement of social security programmes and other social protection.

87. The Committee recommends that as a high priority further measures be undertaken to prevent and combat discrimination, especially on the grounds of gender and ethnic origin, and differential access to services between the rural and urban population.

88. While acknowledging the State party's commitment to evaluating the effectiveness of policy implementation for disabled children, the Committee recommends that such policy should be reviewed to ensure that it reflects the general principles of the Convention, particularly as regards preventing and combating discrimination against disabled children.

89. The Committee shares the view of the State party that major efforts are required to address harmful practices such as early marriage, betrothals of children, female genital mutilation and abuse of children in the family. The Committee recommends that all legislation should be reviewed to ensure its compatibility with the eradication of such violations of children's rights and that campaigns be developed and pursued with the involvement of all sectors of society with a view to changing attitudes in the country as to the non-acceptance of harmful practices. As far as female genital mutilation is concerned, all action necessary to eradicate this violation of children's rights must be taken on a priority basis. Public awareness and information campaigns must support education and advice on other family matters, including equal parental responsibilities and family planning in order to foster good family practices in line with the principles and provisions of the Convention.

90. The Committee recommends that improvement of access to and the quality of primary health care services be urgently undertaken. Major efforts to ensure the equal distribution of health services and medical supplies between and within regions are required immediately.

91. The Committee encourages the State party in its efforts to harmonize the informal and formal education systems, particularly with respect to the application of a national curriculum within all schools. Further steps should be taken to develop guidelines for the participation of all children in the life of the school in conformity with the principles and provisions of the Convention. The Committee encourages the Government to implement measures to improve school enrolment and school retention, especially for girls. A system for the regular evaluation of the effectiveness of these and other educational measures must be ensured. Measures must also be taken to ensure that discipline in school is administered in conformity with the provisions of article 28, paragraph 2 of the Convention. In addition, the Committee recommends that, in the light of the provisions of article 29 of the Convention and the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education, the State party incorporate education on the rights of the child in school curricula, paying special attention to promoting tolerance among all peoples and groups. The State party may wish to consider requesting further international cooperation for the implementation of the measures identified for the application of the provisions of articles 28 and 29 of the Convention.

92. The Committee recommends that national legislation be brought into conformity with the provisions of articles 37, 39 and 40 of the Convention. National legislation must comply with the principle that capital punishment cannot be applied to children under the age of 18. The Committee also recommends that article 73 of the Criminal Code be abrogated and section 3 of the Children and Young Persons Law be reviewed as to its conformity with the Convention. The Committee welcomes the information provided by the State party that the new draft children's decree will set the age limit for criminal responsibility at 18. However, in view of the clarification provided regarding the system to be set in place, the Committee wishes to emphasize that the legal safeguards provided for in the relevant principles and provisions of the Convention, including those of article 40, must be provided to all children, whether the deprivation of their liberty results from the application of a welfare or a criminal procedure.

93. It is also the view of the Committee that the best interests of the child should prevail in proceedings concerning child victims of parental abuse, especially in deciding whether parents have the right to represent their child in such cases. Finally, the Committee wishes to emphasize that the Convention requires that detention be a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time. The institutionalization and detention of children must be avoided as much as possible and alternatives to such practices must be developed and implemented. The Committee recommends that measures be taken to establish an independent system for monitoring the situation of children in detention, whether in prisons or welfare institutions.

94. In view of the various concerns raised by the Committee with respect to the implementation of article 32 of the Convention, it wishes to highlight the importance of the State party ensuring that all children have access to health care, that education be made compulsory as a measure to prevent the economic exploitation of children and that further measures should be undertaken to combat exploitation, such as that of child domestic workers, including legislative measures to ensure the effective protection of the child against the performance of any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child's education, or to be harmful to the child's health or full and harmonious development.

95. In the light of articles 34 and 35 of the Convention, the Committee encourages the State party in its efforts to follow up at both the national and regional levels on the measures required to prevent and combat the sexual exploitation of children.

96. The Committee recommends that further measures be taken with a view to ensuring the physical and psychological recovery and rehabilitation of the child victims of abuse, neglect, ill-treatment, violence or exploitation, in accordance with article 39 of the Convention.

97. The Committee recommends that the State party make widely available to the public its report, the records of the discussion of that report in the Committee and the concluding observations adopted by the Committee.

98. The Committee considered the initial report of Uruguay (CRC/C/3/Add.37) at its 325th to 327th meetings (see CRC/C/SR.325-327) held on 30 September and 1 October 1996 and, at the 343rd meeting, held on 11 October 1996, adopted the following concluding observations.

99. The Committee expresses its appreciation to the State party for the written answers to the list of questions and for engaging, through a delegation involved in the policies concerning children's rights, in an open dialogue on the implementation of the Convention. The Committee notes, however, that the report was not prepared in accordance with the Committee's guidelines for the preparation of initial reports and that it mainly reflects the existing legal framework and does not contain sufficient information on other measures taken to implement effectively the rights set forth in the Convention.

100. The Committee notes with satisfaction the declaration made by the State party with regard to article 38 of the Convention to the effect that, under the Uruguayan law, children under 18 years of age cannot take part in hostilities in the event of an armed conflict.

101. The Committee notes with appreciation the strengthening of democratic institutions in Uruguay, including safeguards such as habeas corpus and amparo (remedy procedure available to citizens in case of violations of their rights), in the process of democratization of the country.

102. The Committee notes with satisfaction that important measures taken in the social area have resulted in good indicators in the areas of health and education.

103. The Committee is concerned at the insufficient measures adopted to harmonize national legislation with the principles and provisions of the Convention, in spite of the fact that international treaties ratified by Uruguay are considered to have a status equal to that of ordinary laws. The Committee is also concerned that new laws have not been enacted to address areas covered by the Convention, including laws on intercountry adoption, the prohibition of child-trafficking and the prohibition of torture. The Committee is also concerned that the Children's Code adopted in 1934, which contains a number of provisions contrary to the Convention, has not yet been revised or amended. It also regrets that a number of legal provisions contrary to the Convention are still in force, including in the areas of administration of juvenile justice, minimum age of access to employment and minimum age for marriage.

104. The Committee, while recognizing the efforts undertaken by the authorities in the collection of data, is concerned at the insufficient measures adopted to collect disaggregated data on the situation of all children, particularly those belonging to the most disadvantaged groups, including black children, disabled children, street children, children placed in institutions, including institutions of a penal nature, ill-treated and abused children or children from economically disadvantaged groups, which constitutes a major obstacle to the effective and full implementation of the provisions of the Convention.

105. The Committee is also concerned at the insufficient measures adopted to ensure effective coordination between different governmental departments competent in the areas covered by the Convention, as well as between central and local authorities.

106. The Committee expresses its concern at the insufficient budget allocation for social expenditures, in particular in favour of children belonging to the most disadvantaged groups of the population. The Committee also notes with concern the trend towards the perpetuation of poverty amongst marginalized groups of children, with almost 40 per cent of children under five years of age living in 20 per cent of the poorest households and 4 per cent of children in this age group suffering from severe malnutrition, while social and economic discrepancies persist as regards access to education and health services.

107. The Committee is concerned at the insufficient measures taken to reflect in legislation and practice the general principles of the Convention, namely non-discrimination, the best interests of the child and respect for his/her views.

108. In this regard, the Committee is particularly concerned at the persisting discrimination against children born out of wedlock, including in regard to the enjoyment of their civil rights. It notes that the procedure for the determination of their name paves the way for their stigmatization and the impossibility of having access to their origins, and that when born to a mother or father who is a minor, these children cannot be recognized by that parent.

109. The Committee is concerned about the high rate of early pregnancy, which has negative effects on the health of the mothers and the babies, and on the mothers’ enjoyment of their right to education, hampering the school attendance of the girls concerned and causing high numbers of school drop-outs.

110. The Committee is deeply concerned about the increasing incidence of abuse and violence within the family and the inadequacy of measures to prevent and combat such abuse and violence, and to rehabilitate the child victims.

111. The Committee expresses its concern at the prevalence in the country of the doctrine of “children in an irregular situation” which paves the way for the stigmatization and frequent institutionalization and deprivation of liberty of children on the basis of their economic and socially disadvantaged situation. The Committee regrets that the implementation of the provisions and principles of the Convention relating to the administration of juvenile justice has been given insufficient attention, both in legislation and in practice. In this regard, the Committee is concerned at the insufficient measures adopted to ensure, inter alia, that deprivation of liberty is only used as a measure of last resort, that children deprived of liberty are treated with humanity and in a manner which takes into account the needs of persons of their age, as well as that the rights to maintain contact with their families and to due process of law are ensured in conformity with article 40 of the Convention. Moreover, the Committee is concerned at the high number of institutionalized children and that insufficient measures have been taken to ensure effective alternatives to institutional care, and to promote their social reintegration.

112. The Committee notes with concern that child labour remains a problem in Uruguay and that measures taken to prevent it are insufficient. The Committee also notes with concern that the minimum age for employment in Uruguayan law is lower than the minimum age provided for in applicable international conventions, although Uruguay has ratified ILO Convention No. 138.

113. The Committee notes with concern the insufficient measures taken to ensure that the provisions and principles of the Convention are made widely known to adults and children alike, in accordance with article 42 of the Convention. Moreover, insufficient attention has been paid to the training of professionals working with and for children, including teachers, health workers, social workers, lawyers, police officers, chiefs of police, staff in institutions where children are detained and officials of the central and local administrations, in order to change prevailing attitudes.

114. The Committee recommends that, in the context of the legal reform being undertaken by Uruguay in the field of children's rights, national legislation be made fully compatible with the provisions and principles of the Convention, including non-discrimination, the best interests of the child, the child's participation and respect for his/her views. Such reform should in particular address the concerns raised by the Committee during its discussion with the State party, particularly in the areas where the national legislation is not in conformity with the Convention.

115. The Committee also recommends that further measures be taken to gather systematic quantitative and qualitative data, disaggregated, inter alia, by age, gender, colour, rural/urban and social origin, on all areas covered by the Convention and in relation to all groups of children, particularly the most disadvantaged groups. In this regard, it suggests that further cooperation be ensured with UNICEF with a view to assessing and evaluating progress achieved, identifying difficulties and setting priorities for future action.

116. The Committee suggests that steps be taken to ensure effective coordination between the existing institutions involved in the protection and promotion of children's rights at the central and local levels, and that the establishment of an independent monitoring body (Ombudsman) competent in children's rights be given further consideration by the Government.

117. The Committee recommends that the State party, in the light of articles 2, 3 and 4 of the Convention, undertake all appropriate measures to the maximum extent of its available resources to ensure that sufficient budgetary allocation is provided to services for children, particularly in the areas of education and health, and that particular attention is paid to the protection of children belonging to vulnerable and marginalized groups. In this regard, the Committee suggests that the “child-impact” of such decisions be assessed on an ongoing basis.

118. The Committee suggests that measures be adopted by the State party to provide appropriate assistance to the family in the performance of its child-rearing responsibilities, with a view, inter alia, to preventing domestic violence and abuse, abandonment and institutionalization of children, and to promoting research in these areas.

119. With regard to the high rate of early pregnancy prevailing in Uruguay, the Committee recommends that measures be adopted to provide appropriate family education and services for young people within the school and health programmes implemented in the country.

120. The Committee also suggests that appropriate alternatives to institutional care be developed, with the best interests of the child as the primary consideration, as well as the promotion of his or her harmonious development and preparation for responsible participation in society. In cases where the placement of children in institutions is necessary, measures should be adopted to ensure periodic review of the treatment provided to the child and all other circumstances relevant to his or her placement.

121. The Committee recommends that a system of administration of juvenile justice be established in the framework of the principles and provisions of the Convention, in particular its articles 37, 39 and 40, as well as other United Nations standards in this field, such as the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (the Beijing Rules), the United Nations Guidelines for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency (the Riyadh Guidelines) and the United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of Their Liberty. In this connection, the Committee

recommends that the State party consider seeking international assistance in this area from the High Commissioner/Centre for Human Rights and the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Division of the United Nations.

122. The Committee recommends that legislative and preventive measures be taken to address the issue of child labour and, in particular, to raise the minimum age for access to employment, in conformity with the Convention and with ILO Convention No. 138, as well as to create awareness of the importance of education and vocational training to provide the child with needed skills and knowledge. The Committee suggests that the Government of Uruguay consider requesting further technical assistance from ILO in these matters.

123. In the light of article 42 of the Convention, the Committee recommends that training programmes on the rights of the child be conducted for professionals working for or with children, including teachers, health workers, social workers, lawyers, police officers, chiefs of police, staff in institutions where children are detained and officials of the central and local administrations. Measures should also be adopted to incorporate children’s rights in school curricula at all levels. The Committee believes that information campaigns on children’s rights will contribute to ensuring visibility to children within Uruguayan society and to changing negative attitudes towards children. Such campaigns should aim at eradicating discriminatory attitudes towards children, especially those belonging to vulnerable and marginalized groups, and enhancing respect for their fundamental rights. In this regard, the Committee underlines the importance of the general principles of the Convention, namely the best interests of the child, the child’s participation and respect of his or her views, respect of the principle of non-discrimination and the right to life, survival and development to the maximum extent, which should guide and inspire all training and information programmes in this area.

124. The Committee recommends that, in accordance with article 44, paragraph 6, of the Convention, the State party widely publicize its report, the summary records of the discussion and the concluding observations adopted by the Committee and that it give consideration to the organization of a parliamentary debate on the implementation of the Convention.

125. The Committee considered the initial report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Dependent Territories (Hong Kong) (CRC/C/11/Add.9) at its 329th to 331st meetings held on 2 and 3 October 1996 (see CRC/C/SR.329-331) and, at its 343rd meeting, held on 11 October 1996, adopted the following observations.

126. The Committee expresses its appreciation to the State party for the timely submission of both its report and written responses to the Committee's

list of issues. The Committee welcomes the information provided by the delegation in its introductory statement and for the cooperative spirit which characterized the dialogue in the Committee.

127. The Committee notes the special situation facing Hong Kong as a territory over which there will be a change of sovereignty when it reverts to the People's Republic of China on 1 July 1997. The Committee also notes that matters relating to the continued application of the Convention to Hong Kong, including reporting arrangements, are the subject of discussion between the Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of China through the Joint Liaison Group.

128. Note is taken of the enactment of the Parent and Child Ordinance in 1993 which removes legal disadvantages that previously applied to illegitimate children. The Committee also welcomes the adoption of the Disability Discrimination Ordinance aimed at promoting the integration of persons with a disability into the community.

129. The Committee welcomes the various measures being taken by the Government to address the danger of guardians leaving children unattended at home.

130. Information provided on the operation by the Social Welfare Department of a telephone hotline to receive, inter alia, reports on child abuse cases is noted with appreciation. The Committee also takes note of the measures taken to promote awareness of common adolescent health problems and the telephone hotline service of the Central Health Education Unit of the Department of Health, which has been set up to deal with calls relating to this issue. The recruitment of secondary school students as Health Ambassadors in training programmes on common adolescent health matters is also noted with great interest. Equally, the launching of the new Student Health Service, a programme designed to cater for the health needs of schoolchildren aged between 6 and 18, is warmly welcomed, as is the establishment of the Health Care and Promotion Fund, which is designed to step up efforts for health promotion and disease prevention.

131. The Committee notes with appreciation the initiatives taken to make hospitals more baby and child friendly, including the measures being taken to improve pediatric ward facilities in hospitals and also to provide play areas for children in pediatric wards and areas for parents to stay with their children in hospital. The Committee also welcomes the improvements to the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme, particularly with respect to benefits available in implementation of articles 26 and 27 of the Convention.

132. The Committee welcomes the information presented by the delegation concerning the five research projects on children's rights currently being undertaken by universities and funded by the Government.

133. The Committee encourages the establishment of an independent body to consider complaints against the police in Hong Kong.

134. With the extension of the Convention to Hong Kong in September 1994 further reservations to the Convention applicable to the territory of Hong Kong were deposited by the Government of the United Kingdom. It is a matter of regret to the Committee that the State party has not yet decided to withdraw its reservations, particularly as they relate to the issues of working hours for children, of juvenile justice and of refugees.

135. The Committee welcomes the adoption of the Bill of Human Rights Ordinance, it notes however, that this Bill is unentrenched. The Committee, while acknowledging that the Bill contains provisions recognizing the two major human rights Covenants, the articles of which also apply to children, considers it regrettable that the Bill contains no specific reference to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In the light of this, and given the positive steps taken by the Government to adopt the Equal Opportunities Act and establish the Equal Opportunities Commission, it is also a matter of regret to the Committee that a similar strategy as pursued for gender equality has not been adopted for the rights of the child. In view of the Government's commitment to review legislation and policy regularly in the light of the principles and provisions of the Convention, the Committee is concerned that sufficient priority does not appear to have been given in the reviewing process to the possibility of establishing an independent monitoring body on the rights of the child and of pursuing an integrated and holistic approach to the adoption of legislation on the rights of the child.

136. While noting the positive steps taken to establish various mechanisms for the execution of policy and programmes for the implementation of the provisions of the Convention, the Committee remains concerned about the adequacy of coordination activities between concerned governmental institutions to ensure that the rights of the child are given priority.

137. The Committee is concerned that insufficient measures have been taken to ensure the fullest implementation of the general principles of the Convention, in particular those contained in articles 3 and 12, especially in the choice, formulation and application of policy measures to promote and protect the rights of the child. In this regard it is noted that a system for integrating a child impact analysis into policy formulation and decision making has not yet been put into place. It is also the view of the Committee that the persistence of certain attitudes relating to perception of the role children should play in the family, school and society may be delaying the full acceptance of the implementation of the provisions of articles 12 and 13 of the Convention in Hong Kong.

138. As regards the situation of illegal immigrant children from China and the issues it raises with respect to the question of families split between Hong Kong and China, the Committee is concerned that the increase in permits arranged for these children and their families, from 105 to 150, is manifestly insufficient to meet the needs of the estimated 60,000 children currently in China who may have the right of abode in Hong Kong after 1 July 1997.

139. Despite the measures taken to address the problems of child abuse, neglect and the number of accidents affecting children, these issues continue to give cause for concern. Equally, adolescent mental health issues, including the problem of youth suicide, is a matter of serious concern to the Committee.

140. The Committee is concerned about the apparent insufficiency of measures to encourage breast-feeding. The Committee notes that powdered milk for babies continues to be freely distributed in hospitals, contrary to international guidelines on this matter. Equally, the extent to which the statutory provisions relating to, inter alia, maternity leave and conditions of employment for nursing mothers are compatible with the principles and provisions of the Convention remains a matter of concern to the Committee.

141. The Committee is of the view that insufficient attention appears to have been given to the implementation of article 29 of the Convention, particularly in respect of according human rights education the necessary status within school curricula.

142. The broad question of the treatment of Vietnamese children in detention centres in Hong Kong deeply concerns the Committee. It is the observation of the Committee that these children have been and continue to be the victim of a policy designed to discourage further refugees from coming into the area. While it is granted that the situation is a complex one, the policy of the continued detention of these children is incompatible with the Convention.

143. In addition, the Committee is of the view that the low age of criminal responsibility is not in conformity with the principles and provisions of the Convention and regrets the decision not to raise the age of criminal responsibility.

144. The implementation of the principles and provisions of the Convention requires that priority be given to children's issues, particularly in the light of the principle of the "best interests of the child" and of the fact that Governments have, in international forums, agreed to the principle of "First call for children", including in the final document adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights. It is recommended, therefore, that in the formulation of policy options and proposals there should be an accompanying assessment of its impact on children so that decision makers can be better advised when formulating policy as to its effect on the rights of the child. It is also suggested that steps be taken to reflect and duly take into account in national legislation the holistic and comprehensive approach to the implementation of the rights of the child recommended by the Committee. The Committee recommends the establishment of an independent mechanism specifically to monitor the implementation of government policy in relation to the rights of the child. It is noted that an independent mechanism could also play an important role in informing the public and legislature of the action being taken for the rights of the child. The Committee also recommends that children's rights be fully integrated into the discussions on issues concerning the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong and be accorded high priority in the dialogue on these and related matters in the Joint Liaison Group.

145. The Committee encourages efforts to involve civil society and non-governmental organizations more closely in the monitoring and implementation of the Convention, including with respect to the development of a comprehensive strategy for children in Hong Kong.

146. As part of the ongoing efforts to promote and protect the rights of the child, particularly in relation to the implementation of article 4 of the Convention, the Committee recommends that a further assessment be undertaken of the effectiveness of the present system of institutional coordination of policies and programmes on the rights of the child, especially with regard to child abuse. Moreover, the Committee would like to suggest that the collection and analysis of statistical data by age group be guided by the provisions of article 1 of the Convention. The Committee further suggests that consideration be given to undertaking or encouraging research on the development and use of indicators to monitor the progress of the implementation of all the principles and provisions of the Convention.

147. In connection with the ongoing efforts to raise awareness of human rights and children's rights among the population of Hong Kong, the Committee suggests that consideration be given to taking further measures to inform the general public about the Convention on the Rights of the Child and to incorporate education about human rights and children's rights in training programmes for professionals. The Committee encourages the incorporation of questions on the awareness and understanding of the public of the Convention and its principles and provisions in future civic awareness surveys.

148. The Committee would like to suggest that further consideration be given to evaluating the effectiveness of measures to raise awareness for the prevention and combating of discrimination and promoting tolerance, particularly with respect to discrimination on the grounds of gender, ethnic origin, discrimination against disabled children and children born out of wedlock.

149. With respect to the implementation of article 12 of the Convention, the Committee encourages the undertaking of a study, from the perspective of children as bearers of rights, on the subject of children's participation in the family, school and society with a view to the formulation of recommendations on this matter.

150. The Committee recommends that further measures need to be taken to address the issue of illegal immigrant children from China, especially with respect to the difficulties arising from families split between Hong Kong and China. It is the Committee's view that, in the light of the best interests of the child, action should be taken on an urgent basis to reduce the waiting period for family reunification, to raise the quota of permits and to consider other measures to deal with the problems that will arise in the future.

151. The Committee wishes to acknowledge once again the important efforts taken to deal with the question of child abuse. Notwithstanding this, the Committee is of the view that the prevention of this violation of children's rights requires further attitudinal changes in society, not only as regards the non-acceptance of corporal punishment and physical and psychological abuse but also greater respect for the inherent dignity of the child.

152. Despite the recent increase in the number of social workers employed for child abuse cases, it is the view of the Committee that the case load of each professional may still be too high and the question of taking additional action to address such matters deserves further study. The Committee encourages the efforts made to accord high priority to and pursue more intensely the establishment of day-care centres in the community, including as a measure to prevent children being left unattended at home. In addition, the Committee encourages the initiative taken to ensure within future reviews of the Family Life Education Programme an assessment of its effectiveness in preventing child abuse.

153. With respect to improving the situation of disabled children, the Committee encourages the efforts being undertaken to integrate disabled children into regular schools, including through investment in structural changes to schools and support to the training of teachers to assist them in adjusting and adapting their teaching methods to the needs of disabled children.

154. The Committee recommends that a review be undertaken of the effectiveness of measures in place to support the policy of promoting and encouraging breast-feeding. It is recommended that the question of the free distribution of powdered milk for babies in hospitals, as well as the compatibility of conditions of employment with the obligation laid down in the Convention to encourage breast-feeding, should form an integral part of such a review.

155. The Committee suggests that a review be undertaken of the possible links between school pressures and adolescent health problems in view of the concerns raised on these issues during its discussion of the report. The Committee also suggests that the reasons for suicide among youth and the effectiveness of programmes for the prevention of suicide among children deserve further study.

156. The Committee recommends the incorporation of human rights education, including education about the Convention on the Rights of the Child, as a core curriculum subject in all schools. The Committee notes that this would require that sufficient time be allocated to this subject in the school timetable. The Committee also wishes to suggest that an evaluation of human rights awareness raising and education be undertaken in the future to determine its effectiveness in equipping children with tools for life and in encouraging their decision-making and ability to think analytically from the perspective of human rights. The Committee also wishes to recommend that greater priority be accorded to the participation of children in school life, in the spirit of article 12 of the Convention, including in discussions about disciplinary measures and curricula development. Ways and means of ensuring the fuller implementation of article 31 of the Convention also appear to deserve further study.

157. With regard to the situation of Vietnamese children in detention, the Committee recommends that an evaluation of present and previous policy on this matter be undertaken, to ensure that any errors made are not repeated in the future. The Committee recommends that for the remaining children in detention a solution to their situation must be found in the light of the principles and provisions of the Convention. It is the view of the Committee, therefore, that measures must be taken immediately to ensure a marked improvement in their conditions of detention and that other measures to protect these children in the future must be put in place.

158. The Committee recommends that a review of legislation in relation to the issue of the age of criminal responsibility be undertaken with a view to raising this age in the light of the principles and provisions of the Convention.

159. The Committee recommends wide public distribution and dissemination of the State party report, the summary records of the discussion in the Committee and the present concluding observations.

160. The Committee recommends that the Government prepare a progress report on the measures taken to give effect to the suggestions and recommendations contained in the present concluding observations by the end of May 1997.

161. The Committee considered the initial report of Mauritius (CRC/C/3/Add.36) at its 332nd, 333rd, and 334th meetings, held on 3 and 4 October 1996 (see CRC/C/SR.332-334), and, at its 343rd meeting, held on 11 October 1996, adopted the following concluding observations.

162. The Committee expresses its appreciation of the report submitted by the Government of Mauritius, as well as of the extensive additional information provided in its written responses to the list of issues (CRC/C.12/WP.6). The

Committee is encouraged by the frank tone of the discussion, in which the high-level delegation of the State party recognized the need for improvement in certain areas concerning children.

163. The Committee welcomes the oral and written commitment of the Government of Mauritius to withdrawing its reservation to article 22 of the Convention.

164. The Committee takes note of the establishment in 1990 by Act of Parliament, of the National Children's Council, set up under the aegis of the Ministry of Women's Rights, Child Development and Family Welfare, and welcomes the recent establishment of an interministerial committee on child prostitution.

165. The Committee notes with satisfaction the efforts made by the Government of Mauritius in the field of law reform and especially the adoption, in pursuance of the implementation of the Convention, of the Child Protection Act in November 1994.

166. The Committee welcomes the ratification by the State party of ILO Convention No. 138 on the minimum age for admission to employment (1973).

167. The Committee welcomes the willingness expressed by the delegation to establish an ombudsperson for the rights of the child or another equivalent independent mechanism.

168. The Committee also notes with appreciation that the Government of Mauritius has prepared and implemented the National Programme of Action for the Survival, Development and Protection of Children in response to the recommendations and goals enunciated in the Declaration and Plan of Action adopted by the World Summit for Children in September 1990.

169. The Committee is aware of the geographical particularities of Mauritius. The Committee also notes that the population of the State party is mainly composed of immigrants from various continents, with different ethnic origins and cultural backgrounds.

170. The Committee is concerned that the Convention is not an integral part of the national legislation and that national laws and regulations are not fully consistent with the principles and provisions of the Convention.

171. The Committee is concerned at the insufficient attention paid, at both national and local levels, to the need for an efficient monitoring mechanism that could provide a systematic and comprehensive compilation of data and indicators on all areas covered by the Convention and in relation to all groups of children, especially those who are victims of child abuse, ill-treatment or child labour or the administration of juvenile justice, as well as the girl child, children of single-parent families and those born out of wedlock, abandoned, institutionalized and disabled children, and children who, in order to survive, are living and/or working in the streets.

172. With regard to the implementation of article 4 of the Convention, the Committee notes with concern the inadequacy of measures taken to ensure the implementation of children's economic, social and cultural rights to the maximum extent of available resources. The Committee is particularly concerned at the insufficient measures and programmes for the protection of the rights of the most vulnerable children, especially children who are victims of abuse, children of single parents, children born out of wedlock, abandoned children, disabled children, children living in poverty and children who, in order to survive, are living and/or working in the streets. The Committee is also concerned at the lack of disaggregated data in relation to budgetary allocations for children.

173. The State party has not yet taken fully into account in its legislation and policies the general principles of the Convention: non-discrimination (art. 2), the best interests of the child (art. 3) and respect for the views of the child (art. 12).

174. The Committee is concerned about the insufficient measures taken to make the principles and provisions of the Convention widely known to adults and children alike, in conformity with article 42.

175. The Committee is concerned that the education system might not be consistent with the provisions of the Convention regarding the right to education. In this regard, the Committee is deeply concerned at the high school drop-out rates, especially at the end of the primary education level, and at the high rate of illiteracy. It is also worried about the absence of supervision of private schools. The Committee is concerned, in addition, at the difficulties encountered by disabled children in gaining access to regular primary schools.

176. The Committee is concerned that the provisions of the Penal Code relating to protection against sexual abuse, which provide no safeguard for the protection of boy victims, are inconsistent with the principles and provisions of the Convention.

177. Although the employment of children is governed by the 1975 Labour Act which prohibits the employment of children under 15, the Committee notes with deep concern that the 1990 census confirms the existence of working children, in particular on the island of Rodrigues where child labour is common.

178. The Committee is concerned by the reported increase in child abuse, including infanticide, domestic violence and child prostitution and the lack of adequate measures for the psycho-social recovery of child victims of such abuse.

179. While noting with appreciation the establishment of the National Adoption Council, the Committee is concerned about the insufficient safeguards to protect fully the rights of children in the process of international adoption.

180. The situation in relation to the administration of juvenile justice and, in particular, its lack of compatibility with articles 37, 39 and 40 of the Convention, as well as other relevant international standards, is a matter of concern to the Committee.

181. In the spirit of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights in June 1993, in which States were urged to withdraw reservations to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Committee wishes to encourage the State party to take steps to withdraw its reservation to article 22 of the Convention.

182. The Committee recommends that legislative measures be undertaken to ensure that national legislation conforms with the provisions of the Convention. The Committee encourages the State party to pursue its efforts to strengthen the institutional framework designed to promote and protect human rights in general and the rights of the child in particular.

183. The Committee recommends that the State party strengthen coordination between the various governmental mechanisms involved in children's rights, at both the national and local levels, with a view to developing a comprehensive policy on children and ensuring effective evaluation of the implementation of the Convention in the country.

184. The Committee also recommends that the State party give priority attention to the development of a system of data collection and to the identification of appropriate disaggregated indicators with a view to addressing all areas of the Convention and all groups of children in society. Such mechanisms can play a vital role in systematically monitoring the status of children and evaluating progress achieved and the difficulties hampering the realization of children's rights for all groups. They can be used as a basis for designing programmes to improve the situation of children, particularly those belonging to the most disadvantaged groups, including disabled children, children born out of wedlock, children ill-treated and abused within the family, children who are victims of sexual exploitation, and children who are forced to live and/or work in the streets in order to survive. It is further suggested that the State party request international cooperation in this regard.

185. The Committee encourages the State party to consider the establishment of an independent mechanism, such as an Ombudsperson for the rights of the child.

186. The Committee encourages the Government of Mauritius to pay particular attention to the full implementation of article 4 of the Convention and to ensure adequate distribution of resources at both central and local levels. Budget allocations for the implementation of economic, social and cultural rights should be ensured to the maximum extent of available resources and in the light of the best interests of the child.

187. The Committee recommends that the State party launch a permanent information campaign, for both children and adults, on the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Government should consider incorporating the Convention in school curricula and take appropriate measures to facilitate access by children to information produced for them. The Committee suggests that the State party develop a comprehensive training programme for professional groups such as teachers, social workers, doctors, law enforcement personnel and immigration officers. Police officers must be specially trained to deal with child abuse and neglect.

188. The Committee encourages the State party to undertake a comprehensive study on the impact of malnutrition on child development in connection with school drop-out and child labour, and to take all appropriate measures to address this problem. International cooperation could be requested to achieve this task and consideration should be given to the strengthening of cooperation with the International Labour Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). It is also recommended that the State party encourage and support the establishment of day-care centres at workplaces, to enable children of working mothers to benefit from a healthy development.

189. The Committee recommends that a global study on the quality of the education system be made. In the light of article 2 of the Convention, the Committee also recommends that the State party take all necessary measures to fight school drop-out and to prevent child labour. Measures should be taken to prevent a rise in discriminatory attitudes or prejudice towards girl children and children belonging to minority groups. It is also suggested that sexual education be included in school curricula. It recommends that comprehensive studies be initiated on these important issues to provide better understanding of these phenomena and facilitate the elaboration of policies and programmes to combat them effectively.

190. The Committee also recommends that, in order fully to protect the rights of the child in adoption procedures, the State party consider ratifying the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (1993).

191. In the light of articles 19, 34 and 35 of the Convention, the Committee encourages the State party to take all appropriate measures to prevent and combat ill-treatment of children, including child abuse within the family, corporal punishment, child labour and the sexual exploitation of children, including victims of sexual tourism. The Committee also recommends that the Penal Code be amended in the light of the Convention. Further measures should be taken with a view to ensuring the physical and psychological recovery and rehabilitation of the victims of abuse, neglect, ill-treatment, violence or exploitation, in accordance with article 39 of the Convention.

192. The Committee recommends that the State party envisage undertaking a comprehensive reform of the Juvenile Offender Act in the spirit of the Convention, in particular articles 37, 39 and 40, and of other United Nations standards in this field, such as the "Beijing Rules", the "Riyadh Guidelines" and the United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty. Particular attention should be paid to considering deprivation of liberty only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest possible period, to protecting the rights of children deprived of their liberty, to due process of law and to the full independence and impartiality of the judiciary. Training programmes on the relevant international standards should be organized for all professionals involved with the juvenile justice system. The Committee also recommends that the penal law be amended so that adults having sexual intercourse with boys under 16 be considered as a criminal act. The Committee further suggests that the State party consider seeking technical assistance for this purpose from the High Commissioner for Human Rights/Centre for Human Rights and the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Division of the United Nations.

193. Finally, in the light of article 44, paragraph 6, of the Convention, the Committee recommends that the initial report and written replies presented by Mauritius be made widely available to the public at large and that the publication of the report be considered, along with the relevant summary records and the concluding observations adopted thereon by the Committee. Such a document should be widely distributed in order to generate debate and

awareness of the Convention, its implementation and monitoring within the Government, the Parliament and the general public, including concerned non-governmental organizations.

194. The Committee considered the initial report of Slovenia (CRC/C/8/Add.25) at its 337th to 338th meetings (see CRC/C/SR.337-338), held on 9 October 1996 and, at its 343rd meeting, held on 11 October 1996, adopted the following concluding observations.

195. The Committee expresses its appreciation to the Government of Slovenia for engaging, through a multidisciplinary delegation, in an open, constructive and fruitful dialogue. It also welcomes the submission of its initial report as well as the very detailed additional information provided to the Committee in written form. The Committee is encouraged by the frank and cooperative tone of the discussion, in which the representatives of the State party indicated not only the policy and programme directions, but also the difficulties encountered in the implementation of the Convention.

196. The Committee notes with appreciation the steps taken by the Government to promote democracy and human rights in society, including through constitutional provisions. In this regard, it welcomes the introduction in the 1991 Constitution of a specific chapter on human rights and basic

freedoms, within which the rights of the child are also defined. The Committee is also encouraged by the recent adoption, in the light of the Convention, of new legislation concerning education, health and social security. It also takes note of the recent publication of the White Paper on Education (1996).

197. The Committee welcomes the recent establishment of the Commission on Child Abuse. It is also encouraged by the establishment of the Human Rights Ombudsman whose task is to safeguard human rights, including children’s rights.

198. The Committee welcomes the adoption in 1995 of the National Plan of Action for the Survival, Protection and Development of Children (NPA). It also notes that the Convention has been translated into the Slovenian language and that the State party is making efforts to disseminate materials to promote this treaty.

199. The Committee welcomes the willingness of the Government to collaborate with non-governmental organizations. It is encouraged by the openness of the State party’s authorities to involving non-governmental organizations in the process of reporting to the Committee.

200. The Committee is encouraged by the initiatives taken by the State party to promote children’s rights through the organization of events, the publication of materials and the production of television programmes. In this

regard, the Committee welcomes, inter alia, the establishment of a national children’s parliament, which has already had six sessions, and the existence of “Youth Councils and Child Mayors” meetings.

201. The Committee recognizes the difficulties faced by the State party in the present period of political transition. It also notes that the State party’s transition to a market-oriented economy has had a serious impact on the population in particular on all vulnerable groups, including children, in the form of increased unemployment and criminality.

202. The Committee also notes the problems experienced as a consequence of war in the region. Although Slovenia was only involved in direct combat for a short time, since 1991 the State party has hosted a large number of refugees, including children.

203. The Committee is of the view that the reservation made by the State party to article 9, paragraph 1, raises questions about its compatibility with the principles and provisions of the Convention, including the principle of the best interests of the child.

204. While welcoming the existence of government bodies, and the creation of new ones, that are competent to deal with the welfare of children at the national and local levels, the Committee expresses its concern that effective coordination must be established among them in order to develop a comprehensive approach to the implementation of the Convention.

205. The Committee is concerned at the lack of an integrated and systematic monitoring mechanism for all areas covered by the Convention, and in relation to all groups of children, especially those affected by the consequences of the economic transition. The Committee also encourages the State party to strengthen its existing data and statistical capacity to evaluate progress achieved and to assess the impact of policies adopted on children, in particular the most vulnerable groups of children.

206. With regard to article 2 of the Convention, the Committee notes with concern that the principle of non-discrimination is not fully implemented for disabled children.

207. The Committee is concerned that the transition to a market economy may threaten the full enjoyment by children of their rights as recognized by the Convention. It is also worried about the insufficient level of support given to single parent families.

208. The Committee is concerned that children dropping out of school during the compulsory stage of education have insufficient alternative educational programmes, such as vocational training.

209. The Committee is concerned that appropriate measures have not yet been taken to prevent and combat effectively ill-treatment of children within the family and that insufficient information exists on this matter.

210. The Committee is concerned that society is not sufficiently sensitive to the needs and situation of particularly vulnerable children, such as Roma children.

211. The Committee is concerned that in some specific cases the rights of children may not be fully taken into account in intercountry adoption procedures.

212. The situation in relation to the administration of juvenile justice and in particular its compatibility with articles 37, 39 and 40 of the Convention, as well as other relevant standards such as the Beijing Rules, the Riyadh Guidelines and the United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty, is a matter of concern to the Committee. The Committee is particularly worried about the low age set for criminal responsibility, and the length of preliminary investigation and of pre-trial detention.

213. The Committee takes note of the statement made by the delegation that the reservation on article 9, paragraph 1, made by Slovenia upon ratification of the Convention may be reviewed, with a view to its eventual withdrawal.

It wishes to encourage the State party to consider withdrawing this reservation to the Convention, and would like to be kept informed of developments on this matter.

214. The Committee recommends that the State party strengthen mechanisms to enhance the coordination of governmental policies, as well as those of central and local authorities, in the field of children's rights, with a view to eliminating possible disparities or discrimination in the implementation of the Convention and ensuring that the Convention is fully respected in all parts of Slovenia.

215. The Committee encourages the State party to pursue and further develop its policy aimed at disseminating information and at increasing awareness of the Convention. It also urges the authorities to integrate the Convention and children's rights into the training curricula of professional groups dealing with children, such as teachers, law enforcement and correctional officials, judges, social workers and health personnel, and into the school and university curricula.

216. The Committee recommends that the State party take all appropriate measures to reduce school drop-out by, inter alia, promoting vocational training and alternative educational programmes.

217. In the difficult period of transition to a market economy, the Committee encourages the State party to take all appropriate measures to maintain and strengthen the full enjoyment of the rights of children, particularly with a view to ensuring the allocation of available resources to their maximum extent for the implementation of the economic, social and cultural rights in the light of the principles of non-discrimination and the best interests of the child.

218. In the light of article 19 of the Convention, the Committee further recommends that the Government take all appropriate measures, including legislative ones, to combat ill-treatment within the family and sexual abuse of children. It suggests that the authorities gather information and initiate a comprehensive study to improve understanding of the nature and scope of the problem and set up social programmes to prevent all types of child abuse.

219. In relation to intercountry adoption, the State party is encouraged to ratify the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption of 1993.

220. In the field of juvenile justice, the Committee recommends that the State party raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility and take all appropriate measures to reduce the length of preliminary investigation and of pre-trial detention.

221. Finally, in the light of article 44, paragraph 6, of the Convention, the Committee recommends that the initial report and written replies presented by Slovenia be made widely available to the public at large and that the publication of the report be considered, along with the relevant summary records and the concluding observations adopted thereon by the Committee. Such a document should be widely distributed in order to generate debate and awareness of the Convention, its implementation and monitoring within the Government, the Parliament and the general public, including concerned

222. At the thirteenth session the Committee concluded its work on guidelines regarding the form and contents of periodic reports to be submitted by States parties in the light of article 44, paragraph 1 (b) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, on the basis of previous discussion and preparatory work undertaken by the Committee since its tenth session. In finalizing the new guidelines, the Committee had in mind the need for a dynamic approach to the situation of children, and the catalytic role played by the concluding observations adopted following the consideration of the initial reports submitted by States parties. It also stressed the importance of data and information collection, as well as the development of appropriate indicators in order to monitor progress, difficulties encountered and benchmarks established for future action in the various areas covered by the Convention. The guidelines were adopted by the Committee at its 343rd meeting.

223. The Committee recalled the unprecedented number of States parties to the Convention, almost universally ratified, and welcomed this expression of political commitment to promote and protect the fundamental rights of children. It was particularly encouraged by the willingness expressed by States parties to the Convention to use the reporting system on its implementation as an on-going process designed to improve the situation of children. In that regard, it particularly welcomed the various measures adopted by States parties as follow-up to the recommendations addressed to them during the examination of their initial reports.

224. The Committee noted with satisfaction the close and effective cooperation developed with United Nations bodies, specialized agencies and other competent bodies, including non-governmental organizations, to foster international solidarity with a view to promoting the realization of children's rights, in particular in the light of articles 4 and 45 of the Convention. The support given by these bodies to the implementation of the Convention, and the steps taken by them to review and monitor periodically the situation and human rights of children, as recommended by the World Conference on Human Rights, was particularly welcomed.

225. The Committee expressed its serious concern at its heavy workload and at the increasing risks of a backlog building up in the consideration of States parties reports and in the effective fulfilment of its monitoring functions. It reaffirmed its commitment to deal without delay with State party reports in order not to dash the expectations created around the rights of the child. Similarly, it recalled its previous request to the Secretary-General, made at its fourth session, to strengthen support to the Committee and to provide it with a minimum of two additional Professional and one additional General Service posts. The Committee recalled the decisions previously taken by the High Commissioner for Human Rights to develop a plan of action to strengthen substantive support for the Committee's work and to help provide resources, when necessary, for the implementation of its recommendations, including by the establishment of a substantive and multidisciplinary support team which

would conduct its activities under the Committee's guidance. The implementation of the plan of action had, however, unfortunately not yet started.

226. The Committee was informed about the current process of restructuring the Centre for Human Rights and of its major impact on the servicing of the Committee. It expressed its deep concern at the negative effects of such an internal process on its methods of work and on its capacity to carry out its functions in an expeditious and effective manner, including in view of the decreasing number of staff members affected to the Committee.

227. In the view of the Committee, that situation might contribute to compromising the decisive efforts made until now and have a negative impact on the enjoyment by all children of their fundamental rights.

228. For all those reasons, and in view of its previous request for the strengthening of support to the Committee, made at its fourth session it expressed its willingness to be involved in future consultations with the Secretariat to ensure the optimal use of available resources and the effective performance of its functions, in the light of article 43, paragraph 11 of the Convention. Moreover, the Committee decided to encourage the High Commissioner for Human Rights to implement his plan of action as soon as possible and to consider ways in which such a plan might be taken into due consideration in the current process of restructuring.

229. At its first session, the Committee had requested the Secretariat to report, at the beginning of each session, on the action taken pursuant to decisions adopted by the Committee at its previous session. Accordingly, at the 315th meeting, the High Commissioner for Human Rights informed the Committee about recent activities of the United Nations human rights programme relevant to the rights of the child. Those developments included activities relating to the plan of action of the High Commissioner for Human Rights for the strengthening of the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the restructuring of the High Commissioner/Centre for Human Rights, the Seventh Meeting of Persons Chairing the Human Rights Treaty Bodies and recent developments in other human rights organs and treaty bodies. Mention was made of the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), held in Istanbul from 3 to 14 June 1996, of the World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, held in Stockholm from 27 to 31 August 1996, and of Ms. Gra¢a Machel's final report on the impact of armed conflict on Children. The Committee was also provided with an informal note prepared by the Secretariat containing a summary of action taken at the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities at its forty-eighth session on issues relevant to the rights of the child.

230. At the 320th meeting, the Chairperson, Mrs. Akila Belembaogo, informed the Committee about the main decisions taken and recommendations made by the Seventh Meeting of Persons Chairing the Human Rights Treaty Bodies, which had met in Geneva from 16 to 20 September 1996 (see A/51/482).

231. Mrs. Marilia Sardenberg, who had represented the Committee at the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), provided the Committee with an account of the Conference and stressed the importance of the Committee's participation in the implementation and follow-up of the Habitat Agenda, which aims at the full realization of the right to adequate housing.

Mini-Summit on the Anti-War Agenda, held in Yaounde, Cameroon, in July 1996, on the eve of the convening of the Organization of African Unity Assembly of Heads of State and Government, with the participation of African children, victims of armed conflicts. The enrolment of children in armed conflicts, the reinsertion in society of children victims of armed conflicts and the problem of landmines had been at the heart of the debate.

233. Mrs. Judith Karp mentioned her participation in a workshop on indigenous peoples and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, organized by the United Nations Children's Fund on Vancouver Island in July 1996. She underlined the need to spread awareness about the principles and provisions of the Convention among indigenous peoples and to strengthen the understanding of common denominators between the Convention and the cultural values of indigenous groups.

234. Mrs. Flora C. Eufemio informed the Committee about her participation in the Asian Summit on Media and the Rights of the Child and the important recommendations made there, which were very timely for the thematic debate on “The child and the media”.

235. Mrs. Judith Karp, Mr. Thomas Hammarberg and Ms. Sandra Mason who, along with Mrs. Marta Santos Pais, had represented the Committee at the World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, provided the Committee with an account of the event, including reports on their participation in various panels (on armed conflicts, prevention and psychological rehabilitation, on values, on the media, on the legal framework to protect children's rights, on the exploiter, etc.). The very large coverage and attention it had received in the media, were considered as positive elements which had contributed to raising awareness and sensitizing Governments concerning the need for further measures to combat that phenomenon in the general framework of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In the Stockholm Declaration and Agenda for Action the World Congress had emphasized the necessity of building up a strong partnership between Governments, international organizations and all sectors of society, as well as the essential role of the Committee in monitoring the implementation of the recommendations of the Congress. The Committee stressed the importance of ensuring effective follow-up to the final documents adopted by the Congress as a means of strengthening the realization of the fundamental rights of children, particularly against sexual exploitation.

236. The Committee was informed by Mrs. Santos Pais about Ms. Gra¢a Machel's study on the impact of armed conflict on children, undertaken following a request of the Committee. The study had been finalized and was to be presented before the General Assembly at its current session on 11 November 1996. The four main areas identified by the Committee at its first general discussion, namely the adequacy of international standards, the prevention of the involvement of children in armed conflicts, their effective protection, as well as their physical and psychological recovery and social reintegration were addressed in the study, and were the subject of specific recommendations by Ms. Machel.

237. During the session, the Committee held an informal meeting with Ms. Carol Bellamy, Executive-Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). During this exchange of views, ways and means to enhance the existing cooperation and partnership built around the Convention were discussed.

238. Similarly, the Chairperson and one of the Vice-Chairpersons, Mrs. Marilia Sardenberg, had an informal exchange of views with the Deputy Director General of the International Labour Organization, Mr. Tapiola, and discussed new means for reinforcing the present fruitful cooperation between the International Labour Organization and the Committee for the implementation of the Convention.

239. At the 328th meeting, the Committee held an exchange of views with a representative of Interpol in the framework of its ongoing cooperation with that organization.

240. The Committee was informed about the recent activities of the Standing Working Party on Offences against Minors of Interpol, which had been actively involved in the organization of the World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children. At its eighth session, which had taken place in Stockholm during the World Congress, the Standing Committee had decided to establish within Interpol a database on perpetrators of crimes against children and to finalize a practical manual for police officers dealing with paedophilia and other offences against minors. In the framework of existing activities, mention was made of the general database constituted by information gathered through a wide range of police cooperation in 176 countries, as well as the system of individual files on suspected offenders. The representative of Interpol also informed the Committee that an international conference addressing, in particular, police forces in South America would be convened in March 1997 in Buenos Aires, and expressed the hope that relevant United Nations organs, including the Committee, would participate in the conference.

241. Members of the Committee reaffirmed the relevance of close cooperation between the Committee and Interpol and the importance attached by the Committee to issues such as the training of law enforcement officials in

children's rights, awareness raising activities to strengthen the prevention of crimes against minors and the development of data in order better to identify and apprehend perpetrators.

242. In the light of rule 75 of its provisional rules of procedures, the Committee on the Rights of the Child has decided periodically to devote one day of general discussion to a specific article of the Convention or to a theme in the area of the rights of the child in order to enhance understanding of the content and implications of the Convention.

243. At its eleventh session, the Committee decided to devote its next day of general discussion to the issue of “The child and the media”, to be held on 7 October 1996.

244. In an outline prepared to guide the general discussion, the Committee expressed the view that, as with human rights in general, the press and other media had essential functions in promoting and protecting the fundamental rights of the child and in helping to implement in practice the principles and standards of the Convention. The Committee also expressed the view that the media could play a pivotal role in monitoring the realization of the rights of the child. Special reference was made to the “image” of the child given by the media, which could either create and convey respect for children and young people or spread prejudice and stereotypes which might have a negative influence on public opinion and politicians. Reference was also made to protection by the media of the privacy of the child in reporting, for instance, involvement in criminal activities, sexual abuse or family problems and to the protection of children against information that might have a harmful impact on them, primarily programmes containing brutal violence and pornography. Finally, reference was made to the role of the media in offering children the possibility to express themselves.

245. The Committee identified three main areas to be considered during the day of general discussion:

1. What can be done to develop the possibilities for children to participate actively in the media?

2. What can be done to protect children from harmful influences through the media?

3. What can be done to encourage the media to contribute to improving the image of the child through their reporting?

246. As for previous thematic discussions, the Committee had invited, in the light of article 45 of the Convention, representatives of United Nations organs, bodies and specialized agencies, and other competent bodies, including non-governmental organizations, media representatives, research and academic organizations, and children to contribute to the discussion and provide expert advice on the topics identified.

247. Several organizations submitted documents and contributions on the theme. The list of these documents and contributions is to be found in annex VI to the present report.

248. Representatives of the following organizations and bodies participated in the day of general discussion: High Commissioner/Centre for Human Rights, United Nations Information Service, United Nations Children’s Fund, the International Labour Organization, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, United Nations Non-Governmental Organizations Liaison Office, International Committee of the Red Cross, National Youth Bureau of the Office of the Prime Minister of Thailand, Permanent Mission of Albania to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Permanent Mission of Hungary to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Association internationale des Magistrats de la Jeunesse, ATD Fourth World, Alianza Civica Mexico, Bahai International Community, British Broadcasting Corporation, Bureau International Catholique de l’Enfance, Caritas Internationalis, Centre international du film pour l'enfance et la jeunesse, Childnet International, Child Rights International Research Institute, Children’s Rights Development Unit (UK), Children’s Rights Office (London), Consultant on Health and Social Aspects, Defence for Children International, International Abolitionst Federation, International School of Geneva, International Federation of Journalists, International Federation of Social Workers, International Inner Wheel, International Save the Children Alliance, Just Think Foundation, Lutheran World Federation, Network for the Convention on the Rights of the Child (Japan), NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Romanian National Committee for UNICEF, Save the Children-UK, SOS Torture, Women International League for Peace and Freedom, Women’s World Summit Foundation, World Council of Churches, World Federation of Methodist Women, Young Media Partners, Zonta International. Ms. Dulce P. Estrella-Gust also participated.

249. The following persons made statements during the introductory part of the day: Ms. Akila Belembaogo, Chairperson of the Committee on the Rights of the Child; Mr. José Ayala-Lasso, High Commissioner for Human Rights; Mr. Thomas Hammarberg, Vice-Chairman of the Committee on the Rights of the Child and rapporteur for the day of general discussion; Mr. Paul Ignatieff, Director, UNICEF Geneva Office; Mr. Neil Boothby, Senior Coordinator for Refugee Children, UNHCR; Mr. Carlos Arnaldo, Chief, Free Flow of Information and Communication Research, UNESCO; Ms. Angela Penrose, Save the Children-UK, on behalf of International Save the Children Alliance; Ms. Gunilla von Hall, a journalist with Svenska agbladet; and Ms. Bettina Peeters, Deputy

250. After the introductory statements in plenary session, the participants were divided into three panels to discuss the various issues identified. Panel I on “Child participation in the media”, was chaired by Ms. Marilia Sardenberg, Vice Chairperson of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, and the Rapporteur was Ms. June Kane from UNICEF; Panel II on “Protection of the child against harmful influences through the media” was chaired by Mr. Youri Kolosov, a member of the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Rapporteur was Mr. Carlos Arnaldo from UNESCO; Panel III on “Respect for the integrity of the child in media reporting”, was chaired by Ms. Sandra Mason, a member of the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Rapporteur was Ms. Bettina Peeters from the International Federation of Journalists.

251. After the discussions in the three panels, a general debate was held, in which, together with members of the Committee, the representatives of a number of United Nations organs, bodies, specialized agencies and non-governmental organizations participated. The day of general discussion was concluded by the statements made by Ms. Thérèse Gastaut, Director of the United Nations Information Service, Ms. Bettina Peeters and Mr. Thomas Hammarberg, who presented the preliminary conclusions of the discussion in his capacity as Rapporteur of the day.

252. On the occasion of the discussion day, UNICEF organized a lunch-time interactive session which brought together young people from the International School in Geneva, representatives of the media and persons working in the field of the protection and promotion of children’s rights to discuss examples of effective partnerships between children and the media, with the objective of providing practical examples of the use of the media to promote children’s rights.

253. The discussion in Panel I (“Child participation in the media”) centred around the importance of children participating not just as commentators, but at all levels of the information process, as the only way to avoid tokenism. For that purpose it was necessary to develop adequate mechanisms to enable the child to participate at all stages of media production. It was also felt that it was essential to take into account the context in which each child lived and communicated, as well as to know to what extent and how the child's voice was already heard in each community. The participants discussed ways of influencing the various actors in helping children to make their voices heard. Such actors encompassed a broader range than the media as such and included parents and professionals working with and for children. The essential need to form partnerships and collaboration and to encourage all actors to make the links themselves between their personal concern for children and their professional capacity to make a difference was stressed in that connection. The potential positive impact of technology for children's rights was also underlined, as well as the importance of access to all kinds of media including traditional forms. The educational role of the media and the global responsibility of all groups in society in changing attitudes was mentioned. Lastly, the group considered that any guidelines produced must draw attention to the positive potential of the media and the desirability of promoting collaboration and participation.

254. Participants in Panel II (“Protection of the child against harmful influences through the media”) felt that there was a need to keep children on the media's agenda on a continuing basis and that States should be called upon to take concrete measures to encourage the mass media to disseminate information and material of social and cultural benefit to the child and in accordance with the spirit of article 29 of the Convention, as called for in article 17 (a). The clear identification of harmful influences in the media was considered essential, as well as the need to raise, through school and in other forums, children's awareness of how to handle media issues. For that purpose, it was necessary to promote education programmes on how to deal in a critical and constructive manner with the media. It was also considered that a better balance should be reached in the media between concern for protection and an accurate reflection of the real world; it was stressed that positive as well as negative aspects of the news should be covered. Reference was made to the need to protect and preserve cultural diversity and avoid cultural stereotypes. The general gender bias against girls and women was mentioned as being an important protection issue that should not be overshadowed by the issue of sexual exploitation. The need for media professionals to draft, or to amend guidelines for media in the light of the Convention on the Rights of the Child was stressed. While the implementation of these guidelines should be carried out by the media profession and industry in a spirit of selfdiscipline, this could be made more effective through empowering citizens' associations and consumer groups in their monitoring of media progammes and scheduling. Freedom of expression was to be safeguarded as a basic right enshrined in the Convention, though several felt it was necessary to resort to strong measures to limit the access of the very young to injurious media fare, specifically pornography, paedophilia and gratuitous violence. Specific reference was made to Internet, and some suggested promoting software to limit access to harmful sites. The need to develop in all countries hotlines where Internet users could transmit information on existing harmful sites in order to allow those responsible for the hotline together with other interested parties to find solutions was also stressed, as well as the need to share responsibility for screening the material between the industry, the parents, the teachers and where appropriate children themselves.

255. The debate in Panel III (“Respect for the integrity of the child in media reporting”) started with a reference to the general legal framework provided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which addressed every human being below the age of 18. It was recognized that the media played an essential role in the promotion and protection of human rights in general and that media professionals, including media editors and owners, should be particularly vigilant in trying to safeguard the integrity of the child. It was felt that there was a need for further debate and cooperation at the national, regional and local levels on integrating the principles of the Convention in media reporting and implementing the Convention through the media. The discussion focused on two main issues. The first related to the way the media should approach children as sources of information. Reference was made to the need to use special techniques taking into account the best interests of the child in interviews or simulations involving child victims of violence and abuse. It was stressed that it was useful to provide such children with an appropriate channel of expression, and that such an opportunity could contribute to raising awareness on human rights violations suffered by children. The second issue concerned the child's access to the media. In that regard, mention was made of a number of positive experiences, such as news agencies where child reporters provided information aimed at children. Reference was made to the most common stereotypes in media reporting about children, such as the "violent teen-ager" or the misrepresentation of children from specific groups. It was mentioned that such stereotypes were not only the responsibility of the media but involved the society at large.

256. On the basis of the discussions on the various issues both at the plenary and by the three panels, the following recommendations were formulated by the Rapporteur for the thematic debate:

1.Child media. A dossier should be compiled on positive practical experiences of active child participation in the media, such as “Children's Express” in the United Kingdom and the United States.

2.Child forum within Internet. The UNICEF-initiated “Voices of Youth” at the World Wide Web should be promoted and advertised as a positive facility for international discussion on important issues between young people.

3.Active child libraries. The experience of dynamic child libraries, or child departments within public libraries, should be documented and disseminated.

4.Media education. Knowledge about the media, their impact and functioning should be imparted in schools at all levels. Students should be enabled to relate to and use the media in a participatory manner, as well as to learn how to decode media messages, including in advertising. Good experiences in some countries should be made available to others.

5.State support to media for children. There is a need for budgetary support to ensure the production and dissemination of children's books, magazines and papers, music, theatre and other artistic expressions for children, as well as child oriented films and videos. Assistance through international cooperation should also support media and art for children.

6.Constructive agreements with media companies to protect children against harmful influences. Facts should be gathered about various attempts at voluntary agreements with media companies on positive measures, such as not broadcasting violent programmes during certain hours, clear presentations before programmes about their content and the development of technical devices, such as “V-chips”, to help consumers to block out certain types of programmes. Likewise, experiences with respect to the introduction of voluntary ethical standards and mechanisms to encourage respect for them should be assembled and evaluated; this should include an analysis of the effectiveness of existing codes of conduct, professional guidelines, press councils, broadcasting councils, press ombudsmen and similar bodies.

7.Comprehensive national plans of action to empower parents in the media market. Governments should initiate a national discussion on means to promote positive alternatives to the negative tendencies in the media market, to encourage media knowledge and support parents in their role as guides to their children in relation to electronic and other media. An international workshop should be organized to promote a discussion on this approach.

8.Advice on implementation of article 17 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. A study should be conducted with the purpose of developing advice to Governments on how they could encourage the development of “guidelines for the protection of the child from information and material injurious to his or her well-being”. Such a study should also serve the purpose of assisting the Committee on the Rights of the Child in drafting a general comment on article 17.

9.Specific guidelines for reporting on child abuse. To encourage further discussion in newsrooms and within the media community as a whole guidelines should be drafted by appropriate journalist bodies on how to report on abuse of children and at the same time protect the dignity of the children involved. Special emphasis should be placed on the issue of not exposing the identity of the child.

10.Material for journalist education on child rights. Material should be produced to assist journalist and media schools on child rights standards, established procedures for child rights monitoring, existing international, regional and national institutions working with children, as well as basic aspects of child development. The manual planned by the Centre for Human Rights of the United Nations as a tool for journalist education on human rights should be widely disseminated when produced.

11.Network for media watchgroups. The positive work of media watchgroups in various countries should be encouraged and “good ideas” transferred between countries. The purpose is to give media consumers a voice in the discussion on media ethics and children. A focal point for exchanges should be established.

12.Service to “child rights correspondents”. Interested journalists should be invited to sign up on a list of “child rights correspondents”. They should be provided regularly with information about important child issues and with interesting reports by others, and be seen as media advisers to the international child rights community.

257. In view of the various contributions made and the importance of the issues considered, the Committee felt that there was a need to ensure follow-up to the general discussion. It was therefore decided that a working group on the media and the Convention on the Rights of the Child should be constituted to consider further the various recommendations made. This working group should include representatives of the Committee, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund, the Department of Public Information, the International Federation of Journalists and non-governmental organizations. It was requested that that working group should consider, in particular, constructive ways of ensuring implementation of the 12 recommendations and other proposals made during the discussion. The Committee decided to authorize Mr.Thomas Hammarberg to represent it on the working group and initiate its convening. The group is expected to report to the Committee at a future session (May-June 1997).

258. The following is the draft provisional agenda for the fourteenth session of the Committee:

3. Submission of reports by States parties in accordance with article 44 of the Convention.

6. Cooperation with other United Nations bodies, specialized agencies and other competent bodies.

259. At its 343rd meeting, held on 11 October 1996, the Committee adopted the draft report on its thirteenth session.

Initial reports due in 1992
State party	Date of entry into force	Date due	Date of submission	Symbol
Bangladesh	2 September 1990	1 September 1992	15 November 1995	CRC/C/3/Add.38
Barbados	8 November 1990	7 November 1992	12 September 1996	CRC/C/3/Add.45
Belarus	31 October 1990	30 October 1992	12 February 1993	CRC/C/3/Add.14
Belize	2 September 1990	1 September 1992
Benin	2 September 1990	1 September 1992
Bhutan	2 September 1990	1 September 1992
Bolivia	2 September 1990	1 September 1992	14 September 1992	CRC/C/3/Add.2
Brazil	24 October 1990	23 October 1992
Burkina Faso	30 September 1990	29 September 1992	7 July 1993	CRC/C/3/Add.19
Burundi	18 November 1990	17 November 1992
Chad	1 November 1990	31 October 1992
Chile	12 September 1990	11 September 1992	22 June 1993	CRC/C/3/Add.18
Costa Rica	20 September 1990	20 September 1992	28 October 1992	CRC/C/3/Add.8
Democratic People's Republic of Korea	21 October 1990	20 October 1992	13 February 1996	CRC/C/3/Add.41
Ecuador	2 September 1990	1 September 1992	11 June 1996	CRC/C/3/Add.44
Initial reports due in 1992 (continued)
State party	Date of entry into force	Date due	Date of submission	Symbol
Egypt	2 September 1990	1 September 1992	23 October 1992	CRC/C/3/Add.6
El Salvador	2 September 1990	1 September 1992	3 November 1992	CRC/C/3/Add.9 & Add.28
France	6 September 1990	5 September 1992	8 April 1993	CRC/C/3/Add.15
Gambia	7 September 1990	6 September 1992
Ghana	2 September 1990	1 September 1992	20 November 1995	CRC/C/3/Add.39
Grenada	5 December 1990	4 December 1992
Guatemala	2 September 1990	1 September 1992	5 January 1995	CRC/C/3/Add.33
Guinea	2 September 1990	1 September 1992
Guinea-Bissau	19 September 1990	18 September 1992
Holy See	2 September 1990	1 September 1992	2 March 1994	CRC/C/3/Add.27
Honduras	9 September 1990	8 September 1992	11 May 1993	CRC/C/3/Add.17
Indonesia	5 October 1990	4 October 1992	17 November 1992	CRC/C/3/Add.10 & CRC/C/3/Add.26
Kenya	2 September 1990	1 September 1992
Mali	20 October 1990	19 October 1992
Malta	30 October 1990	29 October 1992
Mauritius	2 September 1990	1 September 1992	25 July 1995	CRC/C/3/Add.36
Mexico	21 October 1990	20 October 1992	15 December 1992	CRC/C/3/Add.11
Mongolia	2 September 1990	1 September 1992	20 October 1994	CRC/C/3/Add.32
Namibia	30 October 1990	29 October 1992	21 December 1992	CRC/C/3/Add.12
Initial reports due in 1992 (continued)
State party	Date of entry into force	Date due	Date of submission	Symbol
Nepal	14 October 1990	13 October 1992	10 April 1995	CRC/C/3/Add.34
Nicaragua	4 November 1990	3 November 1992	12 January 1994	CRC/C/3/Add.25
Niger	30 October 1990	29 October 1992	27 April 1994	CRC/C/3/Add.29
Pakistan	12 December 1990	11 December 1992	25 January 1993	CRC/C/3/Add.13
Paraguay	25 October 1990	24 October 1992	30 August 1993	CRC/C/3/Add.22
Peru	4 October 1990	3 October 1992	28 October 1992	CRC/C/3/Add.7 & CRC/C/3/Add.24
Philippines	20 September 1990	19 September 1992	21 September 1993	CRC/C/3/Add.23
Portugal	21 October 1990	20 October 1992	17 August 1994	CRC/C/3/Add.30
Romania	28 October 1990	27 October 1992	14 April 1993	CRC/C/3/Add.16
Russian Federation	15 September 1990	14 September 1992	16 October 1992	CRC/C/3/Add.5
Saint Kitts and Nevis	2 September 1990	1 September 1992
Senegal	2 September 1990	1 September 1992	12 September 1994	CRC/C/3/Add.31
Seychelles	7 October 1990	6 October 1992
Sierra Leone	2 September 1990	1 September 1992	10 April 1996	CRC/C/3/Add.43
Sudan	2 September 1990	1 September 1992	29 September 1992	CRC/C/3/Add.3 & CRC/C/3/Add.20
Sweden	2 September 1990	1 September 1992	7 September 1992	CRC/C/3/Add.1
Togo	2 September 1990	1 September 1992	27 February 1996	CRC/C/3/Add.42
Initial reports due in 1992 (continued)
State party	Date of entry into force	Date due	Date of submission	Symbol
Uganda	16 September 1990	15 September 1992	1 February 1996	CRC/C/3/Add.40
Uruguay	20 December 1990	19 December 1992	2 August 1995	CRC/C/3/Add.37
Venezuela	13 October 1990	12 October 1992
Viet Nam	2 September 1990	1 September 1992	30 September 1992	CRC/C/3/Add.4 & CRC/C/3/Add.21
Zaire	27 October 1990	26 October 1992
Zimbabwe	11 October 1990	10 October 1992	23 May 1995	CRC/C/3/Add.35

Initial reports due in 1993
Angola	4 January 1991	3 January 1991
Argentina	3 January 1991	2 January 1993	17 March 1993	CRC/C/8/Add.2 & Add.17
Australia	16 January 1991	15 January 1993	8 January 1996	CRC/C/8/Add.31
Bahamas	22 March 1991	21 March 1993
Bulgaria	3 July 1991	2 July 1993	29 September 1995	CRC/C/8/Add.29
Colombia	27 February 1991	26 February 1993	14 April 1993	CRC/C/8/Add.3
Côte d'Ivoire	6 March 1991	5 March 1993
Croatia	7 November 1991	6 November 1993	8 November 1994	CRC/C/8/Add.19
Cuba	20 September 1991	19 September 1993	27 October 1995	CRC/C/8/Add.30
Cyprus	9 March 1991	8 March 1993	22 December 1994	CRC/C/8/Add.24
Denmark	18 August 1991	17 August 1993	14 September 1993	CRC/C/8/Add.8
Initial reports due in 1993 (continued)
State party	Date of entry into force	Date due	Date of submission	Symbol
Djibouti	5 January 1991	4 January 1993
Dominica	12 April 1991	11 April 1993
Dominican Republic	11 July 1991	10 July 1993
Estonia	20 November 1991	19 November 1993
Ethiopia	13 June 1991	12 June 1993	10 August 1995	CRC/C/8/Add.27
Finland	20 July 1991	19 July 1993	12 December 1994	CRC/C/8/Add.22
Guyana	13 February 1991	12 February 1993
Hungary	6 November 1991	5 November 1993	28 June 1996	CRC/C/8/Add.34
Israel	2 November 1991	1 November 1993
Italy	5 October 1991	4 October 1993	11 October 1994	CRC/C/8/Add.18
Jamaica	13 June 1991	12 June 1993	25 January 1994	CRC/C/8/Add.12
Jordan	23 June 1991	22 June 1993	25 May 1993	CRC/C/8/Add.4
Kuwait	20 November 1991	19 November 1993	23 August 1996	CRC/C/8/Add.35
Lao People's Democratic Republic	7 June 1991	6 June 1993	18 January 1996	CRC/C/8/Add.32
Lebanon	13 June 1991	12 June 1993	21 December 1994	CRC/C/8/Add.23
Madagascar	18 April 1991	17 May 1993	20 July 1993	CRC/C/8/Add.5
Malawi	1 February 1991	31 January 1993
Maldives	13 March 1991	12 March 1993	6 July 1994	CRC/C/8/Add.15
Mauritania	15 June 1991	14 June 1993
Initial reports due in 1993 (continued)
State party	Date of entry into force	Date due	Date of submission	Symbol
Myanmar	14 August 1991	13 August 1993	14 September 1995	CRC/C/8/Add.9
Nigeria	19 May 1991	18 May 1993	19 July 1995	CRC/C/8/Add.26
Norway	7 February 1991	6 February 1993	30 August 1993	CRC/C/8/Add.7
Panama	11 January 1991	10 January 1993	19 September 1995	CRC/C/8/Add.28
Poland	7 July 1991	6 July 1993	11 January 1994	CRC/C/8/Add.11
Republic of Korea	20 December 1991	19 December 1993	17 November 1994	CRC/C/8/Add.21
Rwanda	23 February 1991	22 February 1993	30 September 1992	CRC/C/8/Add.1
San Marino	25 December 1991	24 December 1993
Sao Tome and Principe	13 June 1991	12 June 1993
Slovenia	25 June 1991	24 June 1993	29 May 1995	CRC/C/8/Add.25
Spain	5 January 1991	4 January 1993	110 August 1993	CRC/C/8/Add.6
Sri Lanka	11 August 1991	10 August 1993	23 March 1994	CRC/C/8/Add.13
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia	17 September 1991	16 September 1993
Ukraine	27 September 1991	26 September 1993	8 October 1993	CRC/C/8/Add.10/ Rev.1
United Republic of Tanzania	10 July 1991	9 July 1993	29 April 1994	CRC/C/8/Add.14
Yemen	31 May 1991	30 May 1993	14 November 1994	CRC/C/8/Add.20
Yugoslavia	2 February 1991	1 February 1993	21 September 1994	CRC/C/8/Add.16

Initial reports due in 1994
State party	Date of entry into force	Date due	Date of submission	Symbol
Albania	28 March 1992	27 March 1994
Austria	5 September 1992	4 September 1994	8 October 1996	CRC/C/11/Add.14
Azerbaijan	12 September 1992	11 September 1994	9 November 1995	CRC/C/11/Add.8
Bahrain	14 March 1992	14 March 1994
Belgium	15 January 1992	14 January 1994	12 July 1994	CRC/C/11/Add.4
Bosnia and Herzegovina	6 March 1992	5 March 1994
Cambodia	14 November 1992	15 November 1994
Canada	12 January 1992	11 January 1994	17 June 1994	CRC/C/11/Add.3
Cape Verde	4 July 1992	3 July 1994
Central African Republic	23 May 1992	23 May 1994
China	1 April 1992	31 March 1994	27 March 1995	CRC/C/11/Add.7
Czech Republic	1 January 1993	31 December 1994	4 March 1996	CRC/C/11/Add.11
Equatorial Guinea	15 July 1992	14 July 1994
Germany	5 April 1992	4 May 1994	30 August 1994	CRC/C/11/Add.5
Iceland	27 November 1992	26 November 1994	30 November 1994	CRC/C/11/Add.6
Ireland	28 October 1992	27 October 1994	4 April 1996	CRC/C/11/Add.12
Latvia	14 May 1992	13 May 1994
Lesotho	9 April 1992	8 April 1994
Lithuania	1 March 1992	28 February 1994
Initial reports due in 1994 (continued)
State party	Date of entry into force	Date due	Date of submission	Symbol
Slovakia	1 January 1993	31 December 1994
Thailand	26 April 1992	25 April 1994	23 August 1996	CRC/C/11/Add.13
Trinidad and Tobago	4 January 1992	3 January 1994	16 February 1996	CRC/C/11/Add.10
Tunisia	29 February 1992	28 February 1994	16 May 1994	CRC/C/11/Add.2
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland	15 January 1992	14 January 1994	15 March 1994	CRC/C/11/Add.1 and Add.9
Zambia	5 January 1992	4 January 1994

Initial reports due in 1995
Algeria	16 May 1993	15 May 1995	16 November 1995	CRC/C/28/Add.4
Antigua and Barbuda	4 November 1993	3 November 1995
Armenia	23 July 1993	5 August 1995
Cameroon	10 February 1993	9 February 1995
Comoros	22 July 1993	21 July 1995
Congo	13 November 1993	12 November 1995
Fiji	12 September 1993	11 September 1995	12 June 1996	CRC/C/28/Add.7
Greece	10 June 1993	9 June 1995
India	11 January 1993	10 January 1995
Liberia	4 July 1993	3 July 1995
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya	15 May 1993	14 May 1995	23 May 1996	CRC/C/28/Add.6
Initial reports due in 1995 (continued)
State party	Date of entry into force	Date due	Date of submission	Symbol
Marshall Islands	3 November 1993	2 November 1995
Micronesia (Federated States of)	4 June 1993	3 June 1995	16 April 1996	CRC/C/28/Add.5
Monaco	21 July 1993	20 July 1995
Morocco	21 July 1993	20 July 1995	27 July 1995	CRC/C/28/Add.1
New Zealand	6 May 1993	5 May 1995	29 September 1995	CRC/C/28/Add.3
Papua New Guinea	31 March 1993	31 March 1995
Republic of Moldova	25 February 1993	24 February 1995
Saint Lucia	16 July 1993	15 July 1995
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	25 November 1993	24 November 1995
Suriname	31 March 1993	31 March 1995
Syrian Arab Republic	14 August 1993	13 August 1995	22 September 1995	CRC/C/28/Add.2
Tajikistan	25 November 1993	24 November 1995
Turkmenistan	20 October 1993	19 October 1995
Vanuatu	6 August 1993	5 August 1995

Initial reports due in 1996
Afghanistan	27 April 1994	26 April 1996
Gabon	11 March 1994	10 March 1996
Luxembourg	6 April 1994	5 April 1996	26 July 1996	CRC/C/41/Add.2
Initial reports due in 1996 (continued)
State party	Date of entry into force	Date due	Date of submission	Symbol
Japan	22 May 1994	21 May 1996	30 May 1996	CRC/C/41/Add.1
Mozambique	26 May 1994	25 May 1996
Georgia	2 July 1994	1 July 1996
Iraq	15 July 1994	14 July 1996	6 August 1996	CRC/C/41/Add.3
Uzbekistan	29 July 1994	28 July 1996
Iran (Islamic Republic of)	12 August 1994	11 August 1996
Nauru	26 August 1994	25 August 1996
Eritrea	2 September 1994	1 September 1996
Kazakstan	11 September 1994	10 September 1996
Kyrgyzstan	6 November 1994	5 November 1996
Samoa	29 December 1994	28 December 1996

Initial reports due in 1997
Netherlands	7 March 1995	6 March 1997
Malaysia	19 March 1995	18 March 1997
Botswana	13 April 1995	12 April 1997
Qatar	3 May 1995	2 May 1997
Turkey	4 May 1995	3 May 1997
Solomon Islands	10 May 1995	9 May 1997
Haiti	8 July 1995	7 July 1997
Initial reports due in 1997 (continued)
State party	Date of entry into force	Date due	Date of submission	Symbol
South Africa	16 July 1995	15 July 1997
Pilau	3 September 1995	3 September 1997
Swaziland	6 October 1995	5 October 1997
Tuvalu	22 October 1995	21 October 1997
Singapore	4 November 1995	3 November 1997
Tonga	6 December 1995	5 December 1997

Initial reports due in 1998
Kiribati	10 January 1996	9 January 1998
Niue	19 January 1996	18 January 1998
Liechtenstein	21 January 1996	20 January 1998
Brunei Darussalam	26 January 1996	25 January 1998
Andorra	1 February 1996	31 January 1998
Saudi Arabia	25 February 1996	24 February 1998

“Children, the United Nations Convention and the media”, Background paper for the discussion day.

“Children's Rights”, United Nations Backgrounder, January 1996 (English/French)

“Prime time for children: Media, ethics and reporting of commercial sexual exploitation”, paper submitted by the International Federation of Journalists, for UNICEF, to the World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, Stockholm, August 1996

“Interviewing children”, a training pack for journalists, written and produced by Sarah McCrum and Paul Bernal, 1994; book and tape

International Children's Day of Broadcasting, “Tune to Kids”, 15 December 1996

“Children, the media and the rights of the child”, by Carlos A. Arnaldo and John Bennett

“Children and violence”, summary of the report of the Commission on Children and Violence convened by the Gulbenkian Foundation

“How do you curb violence in the media?”, paper by Andréa Martinez, submitted to the International Symposium on Women and the Media. Access to Expression and Decision-Making, Toronto, 28 February-3 March 1996

“Violence et télévision”, par Hervé Bourges, Président du Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel (France), Programme international pour le développement de la communication - Paris, 22-26 janvier 1996

“Jeunes et média de demain, quelles problématiques? quelles perspectives?”, Groupe de recherche sur les relations enfants/média, Forum international de chercheurs, UNESCO, Paris, 21-25 avril 1997

“Non-violence, tolerance and television”; an international round table organized by UNESCO, the International Programme for the Development of Communication, and the Indian Government, New Delhi, 1 April 1994; report of the Chairman to the Intergovernmental Council of the International Programme for the Development of Communication

“Violence in Broadcasting Worldwide”, International Survey of Regulations in Broadcasting with Specific Regard to Violence, prepared for UNESCO by Broadcasting Standards Council, paper by Colin Shaw, Director, BSC

“Television Violence versus Viewer Power: the Power to Zap Away”, a synthesis of UNESCO IPDC Actions 1994-1996, by Carlos A. Arnaldo, Chief, Free Flow of Information and Communication Research, International Programme for the Development of Communication, UNESCO, Paris, 23 January 1996

Chroniques du Forum, No. 1, “Les jeunes et les médias demain”, juin 1996 (English/français)

“Education for all, achieving the goal”, final report mid-decade of the International Consultative Forum on Education for All, 16-19 June 1996, Amman, Jordan

“Télévision et enfants”, par Bernard Blin, Conseil de l'Europe, Comité directeur sur la politique sociale, projet politique de l'enfance, Strasbourg, 11 avril 1995

“Promoting the interests of children in international communications”, Nigel Williams

Children's Environments Research Group, City University of New York: “The Whole Story by Kids for Kids”

International Committee of the Red Cross/Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)/UNICEF/International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

“Tell me the right of the child to information”, NBLC, The Hague, November 1996

Sub-Group on Education, Literacy and Mass Media, “Media and children's rights”

“What can be done to develop the possibilities for children to participate actively in the media?”, by Sara MacNeill

Prix Jeunesse and Watch at the UNICEF Workshop, “The Child and the Media”, 7 October 1996. The Foundation's objective is to contribute to an improvement of worldwide television output for the young, to promote communication between nations and to increase programme exchange on an international level

Asian Declaration on the Child and the Media, Asian Summit on Rights of the Child and the Media, Manila - 2-5 July 1996

“Youth and media”, bibliography compiled by David B. Shedden, Poynter Institute for Media Studies

“Panel 3b: The role of the media”, Rapporteur's summary, World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, Stockholm, August 1996

“Networking for children's rights in the media”, by Connie Tadros, in Media Development, 1994

“Lolita lives: child imagery in the media”, by Jane Lizop, Media Adviser to the World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, in CROSSLINES Global Report, August 1996

“Prime Time for Children”, including “Recommendations for Further Action”, in CROSSLINES Global Report, August 1996

“Sex, computers and video tapes” by Eve Porter, in CROSSLINES Global Report, September 1996, vol. 4, No. 24

CRC/C/2/Rev.5 Reservations, declarations and objections relating to the Convention on the Rights of the Child

CRC/C/11/Add.9 Initial report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Dependent Territories (Hong Kong)

CRC/C/15/Add.63 Concluding observations: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Dependent Territories (Hong Kong)

CRC/C/40/Rev.4 Note by the Secretary-General on areas identified by the Committee for technical assistance

CRC/C/56 Note by the Secretary-General on the States parties to the Convention and the status of submission of reports