RWANDA

Commission on Human Rights Rapporteurs

CRC CRC/C/43

IV. OVERVIEW OF THE OTHER ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE

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C. Meeting with the Special Rapporteur on Rwanda

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186. The Committee welcomed the opportunity to hold a meeting with the Special Rapporteur appointed by the Commission on Human Rights to follow the situation of human rights in Rwanda.

187. The Special Rapporteur informed the Committee about the recent developments having occurred in that country and his deep concern about the dramatic situation faced by children. He emphasized his recent decision to establish a special mechanism in Rwanda to closely assess and monitor the way children's rights and women's rights are promoted and protected. In his opinion, such a mechanism would contribute to gathering information on a systematic basis and to creating wider awareness of the tragic reality experienced as a result of the persisting ethnic conflict.

188. The Special Rapporteur welcomed the suggestion made by the Committee to include in his future reports a separate chapter on the rights of the child, as well as to take the Convention into consideration in the framework of his mandate.

189. In this respect, and in the light of the concern voiced by the Committee, he further expressed his readiness to address the question of the instrumentalization and victimization of children by the conflict, including in the area of juvenile justice. He believed that in this particular field, further attention should be paid to the situation of children who either had been the target of acts of genocide or had been accused of committing such acts. It was stressed that a large number of children were at present deprived of their liberty while awaiting trial and that serious consideration should be given to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Rwanda was a party, with special attention to the implementation of articles 37, 39 and 40.

190. Recalling its decision to hold a thematic debate in the area of juvenile justice at its next session, the Committee invited the Special Rapporteur to consider participating in that discussion and sharing with the Committee his experience and possible recommendations.

191. The Committee thanked the Special Rapporteur for his openness to the suggestions made by the Committee in the framework of his mandate and expressed its willingness to continue to closely cooperate with him in the future.