Month: February 2022

The Committee notes that the effects of the sanctions are reflected in the difficult economic and social situation prevailing in the country, which has had repercussions on children’s enjoyment of their rights, in particular in the socioeconomic field, and has impeded the full implementation of the Convention.

The report on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in Iran criticizes the fact that children are only recognized as such until the age of 9 or 15 and are no longer protected by the convention after this age. A lot of information is also given about LBGT, but their situation in Iran is bad, because there is no acceptance for same-sex couples. The juvenile justice system is also strongly criticized, the committee "strongly urges the State party, as a matter of priority" to improve it, thus choosing a very strong formulation.

The Committee expresses grave concern about the persistent discrimination against girls in the State party’s legislation, and in practice in many aspects of life. The Committee is also concerned that gender stereotypes and patriarchal values place severe limitations on girls’ enjoyment of their rights under the Convention.
The Committee is further concerned that early pregnancies of girls below the age of 15 years have resulted in high rates of maternal and infant mortality. It is also concerned about the Bill on the Comprehensive Population and Family Excellence Plan, which places significant restrictions on accessing contraceptives and criminalizes abortion-related medical services. The Committee therefore recommends that the State party take all necessary measures to prevent early pregnancies by prohibiting child marriages and providing access to contraceptives and to safe abortion, and to post-abortion care services, throughout the country. It also recommends that the State party decriminalize abortions in all circumstances and ensure that the views of the pregnant girl are always heard and respected in abortion decisions.

The Committee welcomes the information provided by the State party that it is in the process of including children with disabilities in mainstream schools and assessing the effects of its legislation in this regard. However, it regrets the lack of information on the extent of such inclusion and on measures taken to provide human, technical and financial support for the process. It also regrets the lack of information on the access of children with disabilities to health-care facilities and the support and assistance available to families with children with disabilities.
To improve the situation, the Committee urges the State party to set up a comprehensive strategy for the inclusion of children with disabilities and collect data on children with disabilities and develop an efficient system for diagnosing disability, which is necessary for putting in place appropriate policies and programmes for children with disabilities. Also, Iran should set up comprehensive measures to develop inclusive education and ensure that inclusive education is given priority over the placement of children in specialized institutions and classes and take immediate measures to ensure that children with disabilities have access to health care, including early detection and intervention programmes.

The Committee is concerned that insufficient investment has been made by the State party in the health clinics and other facilities in remote rural areas. The Committee recommends that the State party take measures to increase the allocation of public funds to improve the health situation of inhabitants of remote areas, focusing in particular on the health infrastructure.

The Committee is concerned about the adverse environmental effects of the river diversion programme, sugar-cane farming and industrial pollution in Khuzestan province and about the negative impact that this has on the enjoyment by Ahwazi Arabs of their rights to an adequate standard of living and health. The Committee recommends that the State party take urgent steps to counter the impact of river diversions and industrial activity in Khuzestan on agriculture and human health, which includes environmental pollution and water shortages.

The Committee notes the information provided by the State party about the work of labour inspectors in the country, but is seriously concerned about the large number of children employed under hazardous conditions, such as in garbage collection, brick kilns and industrial workshops, without protective clothing and for very low pay. The Committee is particularly concerned about the 2003 law that exempts workshops with fewer than 10 employees from labour regulations, which increases the risks of economic exploitation of children.
The Committee urges the State party to prohibit the employment of children below the age of 18 years in hazardous conditions that jeopardize physical, mental or moral health and the safety of children and ensure that all forms of enterprises and workshops remain within the domain of labour regulations and are systematically monitored and controlled by labour inspectors for potential violations of the rights of child workers.

The Committee urges the State party to bring its juvenile justice system fully into line with the Convention and other relevant standards. In particular, the Committee strongly urges the State party, as a matter of priority, to expeditiously implement the establishment of specialized juvenile courts and procedures with adequate human, technical and financial resources for all cases involving children, including those charged with the most serious crimes, designate specialized judges for children and ensure that such specialized judges receive appropriate education and training. Also, Iran should ensure the provision of qualified and independent legal aid to children in conflict with the law, if possible, by the choice of the child defendant, at an early stage of the procedure and throughout the legal proceedings, and ensure that detention is used as a last resort and for the shortest possible period of time and that it is reviewed on a regular basis with a view to withdrawing it.
The Committee also urges Iran to ensure procedural guarantees to preserve the privacy of children in conflict with the law throughout the investigation and trial proceedings and ensure that the children are not detained together with adults and that detention conditions are compliant with international standards, including with regard to access to education and health services.

The Committee is concerned that a number of children have been killed or wounded due to landmines placed during the Iran-Iraq war, in Western Azerbaijan, Ilam, Kurdistan, Kermanshah and Khuzestan. Therefore, the Committee urges the State party to clear its entire territory from landmines and all remnants of the war as soon as possible, with the support of international organizations.

The Committee is further concerned at the reports that content-based offences such as “propaganda against the State” or “insulting Islam” are not clearly defined and interpreted, and can incur prison terms, flogging, and even death sentences, thus limiting the right of children to freedom of expression. It is also concerned about the broad interpretation of offences such as “membership in an illegal organization” and “participation in an illegal gathering” infringing the right of children to freedom of association and peaceful assembly.
The Committee recommends that the State party take the necessary measures to ensure full respect for the right of children to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, and that those rights not be subjected to undue and vague limitations but that restrictions to those rights comply with international standards. The Committee urges the State party to review its legislation in order to ensure that children under the age of 18 years are exempt from criminal responsibility for such content-based offences.

Concluding observations on the third and fourth periodic reports released on 14 March 2016. Iran has the following reservation on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child: "If the text of the Convention is or becomes incompatible with the domestic laws and Islamic standards at any time or in any case, the Government of the Islamic Republic shall not abide by it."
More information about education in Iran: https://wenr.wes.org

The report from Tanzania is very detailed. Weaknesses in the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child are particularly evident in the area of violence. Forced marriage and sexual exploitation by teachers and confidants are commonplace, as is abuse in the form of burnings. Children with albinism are persecuted and the homes that are supposed to offer protection are completely overcrowded and have few sanitation facilities.

The Committee is deeply concerned about the persistence of forced and early marriages of girls, and to lesser extent of boys, in the State party, sometimes even before they reach puberty. Such early marriages tend to occur particularly in poor areas and are reportedly due to religious and customary laws.

The Committee is further concerned that female Genital Mutilation remains prevalent, especially in rural and traditional communities, and that women and girls have little understanding of the related risks. The Committee is particularly concerned about reports that female Genital Mutilation is increasingly performed at a very young age, including on babies.

The Committee notes with appreciation the laws and policies to protect the rights of children with disabilities, including efforts to promote the enrolment of children with disabilities into mainstream education. However, the Committee notes with concern that throughout the country, children with disabilities are subjected to greater abuse, violence, stigma and exclusion, particularly in rural areas, and especially those children with intellectual and psychosocial impairments. Also, infrastructure in public places is not suitable for children with disabilities and access to inclusive education and well-trained teachers is limited.
To improve the situation for children with disabilities, the Committee recommends to expedite the establishment of the necessary infrastructure in public places to accommodate children with different disabilities and strengthen the implementation of laws and policies relating to children with disabilities.

To guarantee every child the right to the highest attainable standard of health, the Committee recommends Tanzania to improve access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation facilities as well as establish more child and maternal health clinics and safe delivery services in order to reduce the distances mothers and pregnant women have to travel, and ensure their availability.

Concerning adolescent health, the Committee is concerned that adolescents who become pregnant as a result of sexual violence have limited options and often resort to unsafe abortions, resulting in their death. The Committee is further concerned at the lack of information about modern contraceptives and adolescent-friendly health services, particularly in rural areas. To improve the situation for adolescents, the Committee urges the State party to adopt a comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education policy for adolescents, including sex education, inter alia making health education part of the school curriculum, and improve knowledge of and the availability of reproductive health-care services with a view to reducing teenage pregnancies and preventing HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. Furthermore, Tanzania should take urgent measures to reduce maternal deaths relating to teenage abortions and ensure by law and in practice that the views of the child are always listened to and respected in abortion decisions.

The Committee notes with appreciation the efforts undertaken by the State party to combat child labour. However, the Committee notes with concern that enforcement of the existing legal framework and policies is weak and that children remain exposed to hazardous labour, especially in agriculture, artisanal mines and stone quarries, and to exploitation in domestic work. The Committee is also concerned about the limited availability of data on child labour, including in the informal sector.
Therefore, the Committee urges the State party to take measures to address the socioeconomic factors contributing to child labour and work together with international organisations on the implementation of the National Action Plan.

The Committee remains concerned that children and their parents/guardians are often unaware of their rights and how to engage in court proceedings. In particular, the Committee is concerned about the lack of adequate legal-aid services for children in conflict with the law and the insufficient number of professionals with specialized training on juvenile Justice. The Committee encourages the State party to immediately remove children from adult detention facilities and ensure that their detention conditions are compliant with international standards, including with regard to access to education and health services. Also, Tanzania should abolish corporal punishment as a judicial sanction.

The Committee is concerned at the low number of births registered, especially in rural areas. To improve the situation, the Committee recommends to provide birth registration and issue birth certificates free of charge for children under 5 years of age.

The Committee is also concerned over the high prevalence of child abuse and neglect, including severe forms of abuse, such as burning with fire. The Committee also expresses its concern over the reduced allocation of resources to protection against abuse and neglect, the limited numbers of social welfare officers, and the low levels of reporting of abuse, in particular in rural and remote areas.

The report from Ghana makes it clear that the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is still a long way off, especially regarding girls and disabled children. There are also major regional disparities in the implementation of children's rights. For example, many children do not have access to clean drinking water and adequate sanitation. Girls and children with disabilities are exposed to violent rituals and in many cases do not participate equally in life. However, Ghana's overall success in reducing poverty is commendable.

The Committee is deeply concerned about the prevalence of female genital mutilation (FGM), especially in rural and traditional communities, despite the positive actions taken by the State party criminalizing harmful practices and the cultural practice of accusing some girls of being witches, thereby subjecting them to violence and confining them in ‘witch camps.’ The Committee urges Ghana to raise awareness and sensitization of families, traditional and religious leaders, teachers and the public in general on the negative consequences of child marriage and FGM and the importance of education. Furthermore, the Committee urges Ghana to disseminate the law criminalizing FGM among all relevant ministries, police officers, law enforcement officials, teachers, traditional and religious leaders, and the general public, particularly in rural communities. Ghana should also ensure that cases of FGM are promptly investigated and prosecuted. Furthermore, the Committee recommends that the State party ensure the closure of all the witch camps and raise awareness and sensitization of families, traditional and religious leaders, teachers and the public in general in the negative consequences of confining girls believed to be witches in witch camps.

The Committee welcomes the creation of the District Assembly Common Fund for Persons with Disabilities in 2010 and the efforts of the State party to promote inclusive education and accessibility for children with disabilities. However, the Committee notes with deep concern that children with disabilities, especially those with mental disabilities, are victims to a higher extent of abuse, violence, stigma and exclusion, particularly in traditional communities. The Committee is also concerned about children with disabilities confined in psychiatric institutions and the so-called “prayer camps” where they are being subjected to inhumane and degrading treatment due to cultural and traditional beliefs. Also, there is limited access to inclusive education and well-trained teachers.

To improve the situation, the Committee urges the State party to prohibit the admission and treatment of children with disabilities in prayer camps and investigate and prosecute perpetrators of acts of inhumane and degrading treatment against children with disabilities, including in prayer camps but also in psychiatric institutions. In addition to that, Ghana should develop and implement awareness-raising campaigns against superstitious beliefs concerning children (and adults) with disabilities.

The Committee welcomes the decline of under-five mortality and of the stunting rate of children under-five due to the State party interventions, the successful nationwide bed net distribution and campaign to prevent malaria (2011-2012). However, the Committee is concerned about the insufficient funding allocated to the health sector, despite its increase, and the insufficient number of qualified and experienced healthcare provider staff as well as an inequitable distribution nationwide causing regional disparities in the provision of health services.
It is further concerned that neonatal mortality accounts for 60 percent of infants’ deaths in the State party as well as the high numbers of malnourished and severely stunted children, particularly in rural areas, and the persistent high maternal mortality rates, including pregnant teenagers and adolescent mothers.

Concerning adolescent health, the Committee recommends to address the incidence of drug use by children and adolescents by, inter alia, providing children and adolescents with accurate and objective information as well as life skills education on preventing substance abuse, including tobacco and alcohol, and develop accessible and youth-friendly drug dependence treatment and harm reduction services.

The Committee is concerned that the enforcement of the existing legal framework and policies is inadequate, the national Action Plan is not effectively implemented and children remain exposed to hazardous labour, mainly affecting their education and health, especially in fisheries, mining, quarrying and in the so-called “prayer camps”, ritual servitude (Trokosi), commercial sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, portering of heavy loads, agriculture and street begging.
The Committee recommends that Ghana should establish protective mechanisms and services to safeguard children at risk of being subject to child labour, including hazardous child labour, and ensure that child victims of these practices have access to social, medical, psychological and rehabilitative services and legal redress.

The Committee is concerned about the evident gap between law and practice, particularly between law and community approaches, dealing with child justice issues and the lack of specialized juvenile court facilities and procedures. It is also concerned about children being detained in adult detention facilities. The Committee urges the State party to expeditiously establish specialized juvenile court facilities and procedures with adequate human, technical and financial resources, designate specialized judges for children and ensure that such specialized judges receive appropriate education and training. Ghana should also ensure that the children are not detained together with adults and that detention conditions are compliant with international standards, including with regard to access to education and health services.

The Committee is concerned that nationality at birth is not granted to children born on the territory of the State party who would otherwise be stateless.

Although the practice of Trokosi has been criminalized in the State party since 1998, the Committee is deeply concerned about the prevalence of this practice, especially in rural and traditional communities, and the fact that no single case has been reported and investigated.
The Committee urges the State party to take all necessary measures without delay, including human and financial resources, to prevent and eliminate the practice of Trokosi, in particular to ensure the immediate release of children that are subjected to this practice.

Concluding observations on the third to fifth periodic reports released on 9 June 2015. More information about education in Ghana:
Education strategic plan

The report from Cabo Verde shows that the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child has already been implemented to a relatively large extent in some areas, such as health. On the other hand, girls in particular are exposed to violence and sexual abuse. The report covers many areas, but disaggregated data is lacking for some, such as mental health. Poverty is another problem, with nearly half of families in rural areas and a third in urban areas living below the absolute poverty line.

The Committee is seriously concerned about the extent of child sexual abuse, which was the most reported sexual crime during the 2016/17 judicial year, and the fact that offenders are usually family members or known to the family and that child sexual abuse also takes place in schools. Also concerning is the lack of a prohibition of the use of children between the ages of 16 and 18 for prostitution or pornographic purposes.

The Committee is further concerned about gender-based violence against girls and women, including in the domestic sphere, and the negative impact that this form of violence has on children’s well-being and development.

The Committee is also concerned about the high number of pregnancies among girls and the discrepancy in access to sexual and reproductive health services between urban and rural areas.

The Committee welcomes the measures taken by the State party to promote the rights of children with disabilities, including the establishment of the Centre for Special Education and Educational Inclusion within the Ministry of Education and the integration of children with disabilities through sports. The Committee, inter alia, recommends that the State party organize the collection of data on children with disabilities and develop an efficient system for the early identification of disability, which is necessary for putting in place appropriate policies and programmes for children with disabilities. Also, Cabo Verde should ensure that children with disabilities have access to health care, including early detection and intervention programmes.

The Committee welcomes the allocation of public resources to the health sector and the significant reduction in the child and maternal mortality rates. However, the Committee is concerned about health issues affecting young children, such as perinatal infections. To guarantee every child the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, the Committee recommends that the State party maintain continued and sustained efforts to address the main health issues affecting young children, such as perinatal infections, acute respiratory infection, tuberculosis, diarrhoeal diseases, goitre and poliomyelitis, and provide quality care to mothers and new-borns, paying attention to all islands.

Concerning adolescent health, the Committee notes the training, education and awareness-raising activities to prevent the use of harmful drugs by children but remains concerned about their use by adolescents, with some starting to use drugs before the age of 15. The Committee therefore recommends to strengthen Cabo Verde’s efforts to prevent and address the harmful use of drugs by children.

The Committee is concerned about the lack of information on children’s mental health and insufficient attention to the incidence of suicide among children during adolescence.
The Committee recommends that the State party establish a mental health programme dedicated to children, and conduct a study to identify the root causes of suicide and suicidal thoughts among children, and provide information in that regard in its next periodic report.

The Committee is concerned about the lack of information on the impact of climate change on the rights of the child, given that the State party is already experiencing a shortage of freshwater, an increase in sea level, changes in rainfall patterns, desertification and an increase in temperatures.
The Committee recommends that the State party ensure that the special vulnerabilities and needs of children, as well as their views, are taken into account in developing policies and programmes addressing the issues of climate change and disaster risk management. Also, Cabo Verde should collect disaggregated data identifying the types of risk faced by children to the occurrence of a variety of disasters to formulate responses accordingly as well as increase children’s awareness and preparedness for climate change and natural disasters by incorporating the subject into the school curriculum and teachers’ training programmes.

The Committee is seriously concerned about the high number of children working and the fact that most of them are engaged in hazardous activities, such as agriculture, fisheries and domestic work, particularly in the rural areas, and the lack of information on monitoring and law enforcement activities to combat child labour and measures to assist child victims, as well as the lack of updated data.
The Committee urges the State party to strengthen its efforts to eliminate child labour for children under the age of 15 and the worst forms of child labour for children under the age of 18, paying attention to the employment of children in agriculture, fisheries and domestic work, particularly in rural areas. Furthermore, the Committee urges the State party to ensure that monitoring and enforcement activities are carried out by labour authorities, paying attention to the informal sector. In addition, Cabo Verde should collect data on the incidence of child labour on a regular basis and use that information to adjust policies and actions accordingly and ensure that child victims of forced labour receive the necessary support and services for their recuperation and rehabilitation.

The Committee is concerned about complaints of police brutality against children, particularly children in street situations, as a form of extrajudicial punishment, and the absence of measures to duly record and investigate such complaints, prosecute and sanction perpetrators and provide redress to child victims.
The Committee recommends that the State party provide police with special training on child-friendly techniques for dealing with children, including children in street situations, and introduce guidelines and protocols specific to children as victims and witnesses and in situations of conflict with the law. Also, Cabo Verde should investigate and prosecute all allegations of torture and ill-treatment of children by the police and ensure that perpetrators are duly sanctioned and that child victims receive remedies.

The Committee recommends that the State party ensure that children aged between 16 and 18 years are treated as children and not adults in judicial proceedings and increase the age for the application of socio-educational measures. Cabo Verde should also ensure the provision of legal aid to children in conflict with the law at an early stage of the procedure and throughout the legal proceedings and ensure children’s access to confidential and child-friendly complaint mechanisms.

The Committee welcomes the State party’s efforts resulting in almost universal birth registration but is concerned about children not yet registered and the difference in the registration rate between rural and urban areas. The Committee is also concerned about stateless children in the State party.
While welcoming the measures taken by the State party to identify the fathers of children, the Committee is concerned about the persistent high number of child paternity investigations pending with the Public Prosecution Service due to the absence of the father’s name on birth certificates.

Furthermore, the Committee is concerned about the prevalence of discrimination against girls rooted in patriarchal attitudes and stereotypes concerning the roles of women and men. The Committee urges the State party to strengthen its measures to promote equality among girls and boys.

Concluding observations on the second periodic report released on 27 June 2019.
More information about education:
Plano estratégico da educação Cabo Verde

The report from Guinea shows clearly that the Ebola outbreak from 2013 to 2016 still has after-effects that hinder the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. In addition, the report unfortunately contains little information on children with disabilities and migrant/asylum-seeking/refugee children. The improvements in education with free preschool and primary school are positive. The next step should be to make secondary education free of charge.

The Committee welcomes the efforts of the State party to prevent female genital mutilation and child marriage, including through official statements by government officials and religious leaders. Furthermore, it notes as positive the prevention of 15 cases of child marriage in the first half of 2018 and the work on a new strategy against child marriage. The Committee is, however, seriously concerned about the still high prevalence and reported increase of female genital mutilation and the high number of child marriages and the insufficient protection schemes available to children, particularly girls, who are victims of or at risk of becoming victims of female genital mutilation and/or child marriage.
The Committee therefore urges the State party to take active measures to put an end to female genital mutilation and child marriage, and to substantially strengthen comprehensive awareness-raising programmes on the various negative effects of such harmful practices.

The Committee is also deeply concerned that the prevalence of gender-based violence against girls, including rape, remains high and recommends to take all measures necessary to prevent and combat the sexual abuse of girls. Furthermore, the Committee recommends to develop and implement the standardized protocols necessary for health workers and for law enforcement entities to ensure that cases of child rape are promptly recorded, investigated and prosecuted and that perpetrators are duly sanctioned, with no recourse to community mediation.

The Committee recommends that the State party adopt a human rights-based approach to disability and set up a comprehensive strategy for the inclusion of children with disabilities. It urges the State party to ensure inclusive education, access to health services and reasonable accommodation in all spheres of life for all children with disabilities, including children with sensory disabilities, and to develop awareness-raising programmes to combat the stigmatization of children with disabilities.

To guarantee every child the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, the Committee recommends that the State party continue to invest in measures to decrease maternal mortality and preventable deaths of new-borns and of children under 5 years of age, particularly avoidable deaths related to malaria, acute respiratory illness, neonatal infections, diarrhoea, inadequate prenatal care, the lack of professional assistance during childbirth, low immunization coverage and the prevalence of malnutrition. Furthermore, the Committee recommends that the State party strengthen the measures taken to decrease the disparity in access to health services, to drinking water and to adequate sanitation between urban and rural areas – particularly access to antenatal and postnatal care, emergency obstetric care and skilled birth attendants in rural areas, and ensure access to health care for children who are survivors of Ebola.

Concerning adolescent health, the Committee recommends to strengthen Guineas measures to address drug abuse, including tobacco and alcohol abuse, and develop accessible and youth-friendly drug dependence treatment and harm-reduction services and to strengthen efforts to curb the sale of pharmaceutical “street drugs”, including by adopting and implementing a national policy and strategy.

The Committee recommends that Guinea ensure that all children have access to mental health services and counselling.

The Committee recommends that the State party ensure that the special vulnerabilities and needs of children, as well as their views, are taken into account in disaster risk management and in developing policies or programmes addressing issues of climate change, particularly droughts, and that it strengthens reforestation measures.

The Committee is deeply concerned about the negative impact of legal and illegal mining operations on the living conditions of children, such as the high prevalence of child labour including the worst forms of child labour, sexual abuse and prostitution, high dropout rates from school, the expropriation of land, exposure to harmful substances and other health hazards, environmental degradation and deforestation, and forcing children to walk long distances to find clean drinking water. To improve the situation, the Committee recommends that the State party take all measures necessary to expeditiously remove children of all ages from hazardous work situations, reintegrate such children into school and ensure that the mine operators responsible for such exploitation are promptly prosecuted with commensurate sanctions. Furthermore, the Committee recommends that the State party take all measures necessary to require companies to undertake periodic child-rights impact assessments, establish regulations on the procedure for, and scope of, compensation for dispossessed families, and strengthen child protection measures, including against sexual exploitation.

The Committee is seriously concerned that the State party has no general legal aid scheme and that deprivation of liberty is the most common sentence for children in conflict with the law, including for minor offences. Further, the State party does not have specific detention and rehabilitation centres for convicted children, and detention conditions are characterized by overcrowding and poor nutrition, and by a lack of adequate health care, of adequate sanitation, and of education and training opportunities. In addition to that, programmes for the protection of children in conflict with the law, including for their social reintegration, are rare.

The Committee is deeply concerned about low levels of birth registration reported by the State party, including levels as low as 14 per cent in at least one prefecture and 5 per cent in at least one municipality, and the limited awareness of the population of the importance of birth registration and related procedures, particularly among parents who are illiterate.

Concluding observations on the third to sixth periodic reports released on 28 February 2019.More information about education in Guinea: Equatorial Guinea Education Sector Diagnostic

Senegal's report reveals major problems in implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Almost half of the country's children live in income-poor families, education is not free and public institutions depend heavily on international aid organizations.

The Committee is concerned about the increasing number of girls, particularly from other West African countries, who are subjected to domestic servitude and commercial sexual exploitation, including for sex tourism.
The Committee welcomes criminalization of female genital mutilation. The Committee is concerned, however, about the slow progress in the abandonment of this practice, which remains highly prevalent in certain regions. It is also concerned about the high rate of child and forced marriage, particularly in rural areas. To improve the situation, the Committee recommends to establish protective mechanisms and services to safeguard children, especially girls, at risk of being subjected to female genital mutilation, and ensure that all victims of this practice have access to social, medical, psychological and rehabilitative services and legal redress.

The Committee urges the State party to set up comprehensive measures to develop inclusive education, including by training and assigning specialized teachers and professionals, and creating school environments appropriate for children with disabilities. The State party should also investigate and prosecute perpetrators of acts of inhumane and degrading treatment against children with disabilities. Furthermore, the Committee recommends that the State party develop and implement awareness-raising programmes, including campaigns, aimed at government officials, the public and families, to combat the stigmatization against children with disabilities and promote a positive image of such children. Further, health-care and social and rehabilitation services for children with disabilities need to be improved by ensuring the necessary human, technical and financial resources and adequate infrastructure.

The Committee welcomes the decline in the under-five mortality rate and the expanded coverage of immunization programmes, as well as the relative decline in maternal mortality and the establishment of universal health care.
However, the Committee remains concerned about the insufficient overall funding allocated to the health-care sector and the insufficient number of qualified and experienced health-care providers and their inequitable distribution across the country, causing regional disparities in health services provision. It is also concerned about the high numbers of malnourished and severely stunted children, particularly in rural areas.

Concerning drug and substance abuse, the Committee recommends that the State party take all necessary measures to address the incidence of drug use by children and adolescents by, inter alia, providing children and adolescents with accurate and objective information as well as life skills education on preventing drug and substance abuse. Furthermore, the Committee recommends that the State party develop accessible and youth-friendly drug dependence treatment and harm reduction services.

There are inadequate mental health services for adolescents. Therefore, the Committee recommends to strengthen adolescent-sensitive mental health counselling services and make them known and accessible to adolescents.

The Committee is concerned about the lack of measures taken to protect children from violations of their rights arising from tourism activities. It is also concerned that private investment, particularly in the mining and fishing industries, does not necessarily benefit local communities and may bring harmful consequences for families and children, such as the use of child labour and exposure to harmful substances. The Committee also notes the lack of information on any regulatory framework to address the social and environmental responsibility of business corporations and industries, both national and international, that could prevent possible negative impacts from their activities on children.

The Committee recommends that the State party undertake awareness-raising campaigns with the tourism industry and the public at large on the prevention of child sex tourism and widely disseminate the World Tourism Organization global code of ethics for tourism among travel agents and in the tourism industry. Also, the State party should also establish clear regulations and a nationwide legislative framework, including through the adoption of agreements between private enterprises and the State party at the local level, requiring companies operating in the State party to adopt measures to prevent and mitigate the adverse impact on child rights of their operations in the country.

The Committee notes the establishment of 14 juvenile courts throughout the country, as well as the efforts to revise the Penal Code and the Penal Procedure Code which will provide the opportunity for children aged 13 to 18 who are in conflict with the law to receive assistance and protection and to benefit from defined alternative measures to detention. However, the Committee remains concerned that the existing Penal Code lacks specificity on the social and protection measures for children in conflict with the law, as well as on clear mechanisms to support children and the family so that they can benefit from such measures. Further, juvenile courts lack specialized juvenile judges, and the number of adequately trained social educators is limited. The Committee is also concerned that deprivation of liberty is not used as a last resort and children have been detained in adult prisons.
To improve the situation, the Committee urges the State party to, inter alia, ensure the provision of qualified and independent legal aid to children in conflict with the law at an early stage of the procedure and throughout the legal proceedings and to establish specialized juvenile court facilities throughout the country with adequate human, technical and financial resources, and continue to provide training on relevant international standards to those responsible for administrating the juvenile justice system. In cases where detention is unavoidable, Senegal should ensure that the children are not detained together with adults and that the detention conditions are compliant with international standards, including with regard to access to education and to health services. In addition to that, Senegal should ensure that both sentenced and released persons below 18 years of age are provided with educational opportunities, including vocational and life-skills training, and recovery and social reintegration services.

The Committee welcomes the unilateral ceasefire declared by the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance in April 2014 and the subsequent improvement of the security situation in Casamance. The Committee notes with appreciation the establishment of the National Agency to Revive Economic and Social Activity in Casamance, as well as the measures taken to protect children affected by the armed conflict, including by improving the prevention of accidents caused by landmines and by providing child landmine victims with psychosocial and material assistance. However, the Committee remains concerned that physical, psychological and social needs of children living in the area are not being addressed sufficiently and that landmines from the conflict are still a threat.
The Committee recommends that the State party take all appropriate measures, including through international cooperation, to further address the physical, psychological and social reintegration needs of children affected by the conflict and to pursue its efforts to demine former conflict areas, including by ensuring effective implementation of the humanitarian demining programme and providing adequate human, technical and financial resources to the National Anti-Mine Centre of Senegal.

Concluding observations on the third to fifth periodic reports released on 7 March 2016. More information about education in Senegal: https://www.hrw.org

As in almost all other Eastern European countries, Roma families are particularly subjected to discrimination. More data on the different subject areas must be collected, and the overall situation of children must be improved.

Girls are subject to multiple gender-based discrimination, particularly when they are in marginalized and disadvantaged situations, and are more exposed to violence and exclusion. Also, numbers of pregnant women do not have access to medical prenatal services, especially mothers belonging to vulnerable communities.

There is no national policy on disability that specifically addresses children and there is neither an effective and easily accessible data-collection system nor a system for diagnosing disability.

To improve the situation, the Committee recommends to set up comprehensive measures to develop inclusive education, ensure that children with disabilities are not placed in specialized institutions and classes and train and assign specialized teachers and professionals in inclusive classes to provide individual support and all due attention to children with learning difficulties.

The Committee is concerned at the dropping vaccination rates and the occurrence of a large number of cases of diseases that can be prevented through vaccination.
The Committee recommends to address the underlying causes of infant, child and maternal mortality, including social and economic deprivation and inequality, and to adopt measures to increase the vaccination rate, including by conducting pro-vaccination campaigns and extending the use of health assistants to include all towns with low child vaccination rates.

While noting the adoption of the National Strategy on the Mental Health of Children and Teenagers (2016), the Committee recommends that the State party significantly develop community-based mental health services and strengthen preventive work in schools, the home and care centres, and that the State party increase the number of child psychiatrists and psychologists.

The Committee urges Romania to take effective measures to prevent child labour, especially in agriculture, construction and at home, as well as child begging in the streets, and to mainstream its elimination in the relevant sectoral and intersectoral strategies and action plans. Also, the Committee urges the State party to establish training programmes for labour inspectors and increase their number to ensure that employment practices are sufficiently monitored.

The Committee urges the State party to expeditiously establish more specialized juvenile courts and procedures with adequate human, technical and financial resources and designate specialized judges for children. Furthermore, the Committee urges the State party to ensure that the judges receive appropriate training and ensure the provision of qualified legal aid to children in conflict with the law at an early stage of the procedure and throughout the legal proceedings. Additionally, the Committee urges the State party to ensure that detention is used as a last resort and for the shortest possible period of time and that it is reviewed on a regular basis with a view to withdrawing it.

The Committee recommends to ensure that legislation allows and supports adolescents in organizing themselves in associations and formal groups, including outside the school. Also, with regard to the widespread practice of de facto child marriage in rural areas, the Committee recommends that the State party conduct awareness-raising campaigns concerning the many negative consequences of child marriage.

Concluding observations on the fifth periodic reports released on 13 July 2017.More information about education in Romania:

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In Montenegro, the Council for the Rights of the Child is limited in its authority and needs to be provided with a clear mandate. The State party did not provide much data on all important topics, so the report is relatively vague and recalls previous recommendations.
It is to note positively that laws are very progressive and contain children’s rights – meanwhile it is problematic that those laws are not implemented properly.

The Committee notes the measures taken to combat the practice of sex-selective abortion and the information provided by the State party during its dialogue with the Committee regarding the success of the “Unwanted” and “Wanted” campaigns, which significantly improved the situation in this regard.
Nevertheless, the Committee recommends to address the root causes of the practice of sex-selective abortion and its long-term implications for society, expand family planning services and strengthen its awareness-raising activities on the detrimental impact of sex selection on the equal value of girls and boys, with a view to completely eliminating this practice.
Further, Montenegro has a high number of teenage pregnancies due to limited access of teenage girls to safe reproductive and sexual health services. The Committee recommends that the State party, among other measures, remove barriers for health services and strengthen measures to address alcohol and drug use by children and adolescents.

The Committee is concerned about the lack of effective equal protection of children with disabilities, who continue to face intersecting forms of discrimination. Furthermore, the Committee is concerned about the high number of children with disabilities who are in special schools or classes, and the fact that day-care centres for children with disabilities accept persons from the ages of 3 to 26 years, leading to cases where 3-year-old children share a space with 26-year-old adults. Therefore, the Committee urges to effectively implement legislation providing protection for children with disabilities and to give priority to inclusive education over the placement of children in specialized institutions and classes.

Montenegro has a universal health-care program for children, but also declining rates of immunization against childhood diseases due to anti-vaccination campaigns and limited access to early childhood development services.

The Committee recommends to ensure that community-based mental health services are readily available, strengthen preventive work in schools, at home and care centres, and increase the number of child psychiatrists and psychologists.

The Committee is concerned that the law grants the authority to judges to place a child in detention together with adults, that separate facilities for children do not exist, and that existing provisions for alternatives to detention are not being fully implemented. Therefore, the Committee recommends to ensure that the juvenile justice system is in compliance with the principles of the Convention and to provide qualified, independent and free legal aid to children in conflict with the law at an early stage of the procedure and throughout legal proceedings. Furthermore, the Committee recommends to establish separate facilities for children deprived of their liberty, and ensure that those facilities are run by specialized personnel.

The Committee recommends that the State party respect the right of the child to freedom of thought, conscience and religion by taking effective measures, including legislative measures, to prevent and eliminate all forms of intolerance on the grounds of religion or belief.
The Committee notes as positive the efforts of the State party to prevent child marriage, but is concerned about the prevalence of child marriage, especially of girls, among the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities. To improve the situation, the Committee recommends to provide child victims with shelter and appropriate rehabilitation and strengthen Montenegro’s awareness-raising campaigns.

In the report on Zambia, no sub-topic stands out strongly. The country is making efforts to improve the situation of children, but still has a long way to go in the health sector and also in education. School is not accessible to all, and charity organizations take over many government tasks.

The Committee is concerned at the high number of teenage pregnancies and unsafe abortions, the lack of adolescent-sensitive and confidential counselling services and support, the difficult access for adolescent girls to reproductive health care and information, and inadequate functional emergency obstetric neonatal care facilities and untrained staff.
To improve the situation, the Committee recommends to improve adolescent girls’ access to reproductive health-care and related services and increase support to reproductive health and family planning practices.

The Committee is concerned that the legislation and the policy are not fully enforced, and the State party still needs to develop and implement a national plan of action. Also, there is a lack of comprehensive data on children with disabilities. In addition, children with disabilities suffer from a high level of stigmatization. The Committee is further concerned at the limited number of school facilities and materials adapted for these children, as well as services and infrastructure to ensure that education is fully inclusive.
To improve the situation for children with disabilities, the Committee recommends that the State party ensure that children with disabilities have access to inclusive early childhood care and education, early development programmes, health care and other services, and ensure such services receive adequate human, technical and financial resources. Furthermore, the State party should take all necessary measures to ensure the effective implementation of the existing legislation and take all necessary measures for the development and implementation of the national plan of action.

The Committee notes the State party’s progress on the immunization rate and declining under-five, infant and maternal mortality. However, it is concerned that health services and personnel remain inadequate in terms of coverage and quality and reported under-five mortality, infant mortality and neonatal mortality rates remain high.
To guarantee every child the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, the Committee recommends to strengthen its efforts to further reduce infant and child mortality, especially by focusing on preventive measures and treatment, improved nutrition and sanitary conditions, vaccination uptakes, and the management of preventable diseases and malaria. It also recommends to strengthen the State parties’ efforts to improve access to basic health-care services with trained health workers for all children and pregnant women, particularly in rural areas.

The Committee is concerned at the lack of information on the mental health programmes and services for adolescents in the State party. The Committee therefore recommends to provide information on mental health and counselling services available in the country and on how the State party ensures that they are accessible and sensitive to adolescents.

The Committee is concerned about the negative impact of the mining sector, in particular the activities of lead mining in Kabwe, on the rights of children, such as the right to health, development and play and their standard of living.

The Committee therefore recommends that the State party establish a clear regulatory framework for the mining industries operating in the territory of the State party to ensure that their activities do not negatively affect or endanger environmental and other standards, particularly those relating to children’s rights. Also, Zambia needs to undertake all necessary measures to protect the rights of the children in Kabwe, including by ensuring their consideration in all future lead mining activities.
In addition to that, the Committee recommends to ensure the effective implementation by companies, especially mining companies, of international and national environmental and health standards and effective monitoring of implementation of these standards, and appropriately sanction and provide remedies when violations occur, as well as ensure that appropriate international certification is sought.

The Committee urges the State party to bring its juvenile justice system fully into line with the Convention and other relevant standards. In particular, the Committee urges the State party to ensure that the right of children to legal representation or other appropriate assistance is guaranteed and ensure that all children deprived of liberty have access to education, health and recreation facilities. In addition to that, Zambia should take all necessary measures to always separate children from adults in pretrial detention places and in prison all over the country.

The Committee is also concerned that official registration is still not systematic, concerned about the low number of birth registration and the low rate of possession of a birth certificate, particularly in the rural areas. Furthermore, the Committee is concerned that groups of children, such as children born at home and refugee children, may be excluded.

The Rwanda report indicates that many improvements have already taken place in recent years. Both the immunization rate and the number of children attending school have increased. However, especially in remote areas, there is still no access to running water or adequate housing. The inclusion of children with disabilities is also still in need of improvement.

The Committee notes with appreciation the integration of reproductive health education into primary and secondary school curricula and the decriminalization of abortion for adolescent girls. Nonetheless, the Committee is concerned about the increasing rate of teenage pregnancy, the limited access to comprehensive reproductive health education and services, including contraceptives, the inaccessibility of safe abortion services for adolescent girls, due to the requirement that they have the consent of and be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian and the fear of criminalization.

The Committee is seriously concerned that school curricula are not adapted for children with disabilities and there is an inadequate number of teachers who are qualified to provide inclusive education for children with disabilities. Also, children with disabilities continue to face discrimination and are not effectively integrated into all areas of social life.
To improve the situation, the Committee recommends to Rwanda to amend legislation to ensure that the protection of children with disabilities extends to all types of disabilities, including intellectual and psychosocial disabilities. Furthermore, Rwanda should guarantee all children the right to inclusive education in integrated classes, with accessible environments and curricula, adequately trained teachers and professionals to provide individual support.

The Committee commends the State party for achieving high rates of immunization and health insurance coverage. To achieve the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, the Committee recommends that the State party improve access to high-quality health care, obstetric care and nutrition services for children, including through the allocation of sufficient financial resources for health infrastructure and the training of community health workers to address the specific needs of children and adolescents.

Concerning adolescent health, the Committee is concerned about increased rates of drug use and mental health conditions among adolescents. Rwanda should address the issue of drug use and substance abuse by children and adolescents by, inter alia, providing children and adolescents with accurate and objective information on preventing substance abuse, including tobacco and alcohol, and developing accessible and youth-friendly drug dependence treatment and harm reduction services for children and adolescents.

The Committee recommends to the State party to ensure that all adolescents have access to confidential mental health services.

Noting with deep concern the few sanctions applied to perpetrators of violations relating to child labour, the Committee recommends that Rwanda significantly increases the human, technical and financial resources allocated to labour inspections in order to fully, regularly and effectively implement the laws and policies on child labour, particularly in the agricultural sector, prosecute any perpetrators of violations relating to child labour and increase sanctions.

The Committee is deeply concerned about the lack of judges specialized in handling cases concerning child justice, reports of the ill-treatment and beatings of children during pretrial detention and the fact that children are often held with adults. To improve the situation for children, the Committee urges the State party to designate specialized judges for children in all courts and ensure that, in cases where detention is unavoidable, children are not detained together with adults, and that detention conditions comply with international standards, including with regard to access to food, health services and education.

The Committee recommends that the State party respect the right of the child to freedom of thought, conscience and religion and ensure to every child the right to practice freely his or her religion or belief.