Angola

Angola's report makes clear that the country still has much to do before the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is implemented. Child mortality is high, partly because vaccination coverage has not been achieved. Too few children receive primary and secondary education, and many work in dangerous conditions.

The Committee recommends that Angola strengthen its adolescent reproductive health programme and awareness-raising campaigns, including life skills education, to foster responsible parenthood and sexual behaviour, paying particular attention to boys. Furthermore, the Committee recommends that the State party continue to ensure access to contraceptives for adolescents under the age of 18 years and ensure access to comprehensive, quality, age-appropriate HIV/AIDS, sexual and reproductive health services, confidential counselling and support for pregnant adolescent girls.

The Committee recommends that the State party pursue and strengthen its programmes and services for all children with disabilities aimed at enhancing their social inclusion, and ensure in particular their access to health and social services, inclusive education and vocational training so that they can participate actively in the community. The State party should also continue building the capacity, including through training, of all professionals working with children with disabilities, including teachers, social workers, medical personnel and paramedics.

The Committee is concerned about the higher risk of death before age five for children born in poor households, in rural areas, or to mothers without basic education. It is also concerned about the high maternal mortality rate correlated to poor neonatal health and the low rate of full immunization coverage of children, which stands at just 31 per cent. To guarantee every child the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, the Committee recommends to extend access to primary health care to all provinces and make all efforts to achieve the goal of full immunization coverage for children. It further recommends to step up the provision of malaria prevention and treatment in affected areas, including by strengthening the epidemiological monitoring system at the provincial and municipal levels.

Concerning drug and substance abuse, the Committee recommends to strengthen Angola’s measures to address drug abuse by children and adolescents by, inter alia, continuing to provide children and adolescents with accurate and objective information and life skills education on preventing substance abuse, including tobacco and alcohol, and developing accessible and youth-friendly drug dependence treatment and harm-reduction services.

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

The Committee recommends that the State party monitor and ensure the effective implementation by companies (whether private or State owned) of international and national environmental and health standards, apply appropriate sanctions, provide remedies for any violations found and ensure that companies seek the appropriate international certification.

The Committee is concerned that child labour is still highly prevalent in Angola, especially in rural areas.
The Committee recommends to establish and implement regulations to ensure that the business sector complies with international and national human rights, labour, environmental and other standards, particularly with regard to children’s rights. Also, Angola should establish a clear regulatory framework for the industries operating in the State party, in particular the oil, gas, diamond, fishing and farming industries, to ensure that their activities do not negatively affect children’s rights or endanger environmental and other standards.

The Committee urges the State party to bring its juvenile justice system fully into line with the Convention and other relevant standards. To achieve that, the Committee recommends to expedite trials involving children to reduce the pretrial detention periods. Furthermore, the Committee recommends that the State party ensure that children are not detained together with adults and that detention conditions are compliant with international standards, including with regard to the provision of a safe, child-sensitive environment, regular contact with family members and access to food, health services and education, including vocational training.

Birth registration rates remain low, with a considerable divide between urban and rural areas, which represents an obstacle to preschool and school enrolment and a root cause of child labour.

Concluding observations on the fifth to seventh periodic reports released on 27 June 2018.
Universal Periodic Review - Angola - Right to Education