Lists of Issues - CRC - Ethiopia - CRC/C/Q/ETH/2 (2000)

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD

List of issues to be taken up in connection with the consideration of
the second periodic report of Ethiopia
(CRC/C/70/Add.7)

Under this section the State party is requested to submit in written form additional and updated information, if available (before 1 December 2000):

1. With references to paragraph 28 of the Committee's previous concluding observations (CRC/C/15/Add.67) please provide specific statistical data on the allocation of budgetary resources (as a percentage of the total national budget) for the years 1997-2000 with respect to children's primary and secondary education, health care including vaccination programmes, primary health care and HIV/AIDS among children, children with disabilities, child refugees and the protection of abandoned children. Please also provide information indicating the numbers of persons aged under 18 in the State party, disaggregated by age and gender.

2. Please provide recent statistical data (including by gender, age and type of crime) covering the period between 1997 to 1999 on the:

c) nature of sanctions (community service; detention; other types of sanctions);

d) the number of juveniles detained and imprisoned, the location of their detention or imprisonment (e.g. police station, jail or other place) and the lengths of their detention or imprisonment, including pre-trial detention.

g) number of children, when deprived of liberty, maintaining contact with family and how often.

3. Please provide disaggregated statistical data indicating the numbers of internally displaced and refugee children currently within the State party, by region. Please also provide data indicating the numbers of these children who regularly attend, primary or secondary school. Please indicate, further, the numbers of unaccompanied children in the State party.

4. Please provide data, disaggregated by age and gender, related to adolescent health concerns, including: the numbers of adolescents with sexually transmitted diseases; the numbers of adolescents who are infected by HIV/AIDS; the number of teenage pregnancies; the numbers of cases of incest and violence, including sexual abuse committed against adolescents.

1. Please provide additional information on the content of, and progress in implementing, the national plan of action for women and children. With reference to paragraph 55 of the State party report, please provide the Committee with a copy of the national policy on HIV/AIDS and indicate the specific measures taken since 1998.

2. Please indicate the progress made towards establishment of an independent human rights commission, as examined at the Debre Zeit symposium (1997), and whether the commission will be able to receive complaints of human rights abuses, including from children. Please also indicate whether the national steering committee, composed of several government, UN and NGO institutions, referred to in paragraph 12 of the State report has been finalised.

3. The State party report refers (in paragraph 11) to the existence or future establishment of numerous mechanisms of relevance to implementation of the Convention, including: the Children, Youth and Family Affairs Department; the National Inter-Ministerial Committees at the Federal level; the Child rights committees at the regional, zonal and woreda levels; and a national steering committee composed of several government, UN and NGO institutions. Please provide further information explaining the different roles of these bodies, the coordination between them and of any progress or problems encountered.

4. Please provide an overall explanation of the process and mechanisms used to implement and co-ordinate the Convention at national and regional levels. Please indicate strategies and actions which the State party considers to be its utmost priority in improving implementation of the Convention.

Under this section, States parties are invited, whenever appropriate, to briefly (3 pages maximum) up-date the information provided in their report with regard to:

The following is a preliminary list of major issues that the Committee intends to take-up during the dialogue with the State party. THEY DO NOT REQUIRE WRITTEN RESPONSES. This list is not exhaustive as other issues may be raised in the course of the dialogue.

1. Measures taken to ensure that the principles of non-discrimination (article 2), the best interests of the child (article 3), the right to life, survival and development (article 6) and respect for the views of the child (article 12) are reflected in legislation, customary law, administrative procedures and decisions, decisions of public bodies and in alternative care and schools. Examples of how this is done in practice.

2. Current efforts made to improve birth registration, in particular with regard to implementation of the recommendations made by the studies of mechanisms for introducing birth registration and progress achieved, including in rural communities.

3. Implementation of the 1993 Health policy, including the re-structuring and de-centralisation of the health care system and training of personnel. Efforts underway to address the inadequacy of the current health service, as described in paragraph 48 of the State party report. Assistance to children infected with HIV/AIDS, or whose parents are infected. Measures to prevent further increases in rates of infection.

4. Disparities between different regions of the State party in terms of access to resources and to health, education and other services.

5. Main obstacles to ending harmful traditional practices including, notably, female genital mutilation.

6. Rights of children with disabilities including, inter-alia, relevant specialised medical facilities, their access to education and vocational training and respect for the principle of non-discrimination. Activities of the 4 national associations of persons with disabilities.

7. Internally displaced children and child refugees in Ethiopia and their access to education and health services, as well as assistance provided to these children and their families.

8. The juvenile justice system (children in conflict with the law) with particular attention to the following topics:

a. progress in completing the review of the Penal Code and the possible raise of the minimum age of criminal responsibility.

b. children tried by regular courts and juvenile justice training for judges. The establishment of 2 additional remand homes for children, referred to in the State party report;

i. complaints procedures to deal with issues such as ill-treatment and violations of children's rights;

k. programmes to ensure the physical and psychological recovery and social reintegration of children;

a. Measures taken to protect children from cruelty and ill-treatment in the private and public spheres.

b. Awareness raising campaigns or training to sensitise the public to the physical and sexual abuse of children.

c. Protection of witnesses in court (for example, the degree of weight given to the evidence of minors, safeguards provided for child witnesses,etc.).

10. The situation of children who are currently held as prisoners of war within the State party.

11. Problems faced by children belonging to ethnic minority groups, including those groups which are a minority within one region of the Federal system.