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The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights’ Rapporteur on Children, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, made an official visit to Paraguay from 5 –7 April 2006, in response to accusations that children who live and work on the street are being detained illegally by police in Ciudad del Este. Pinheiro will prepare a report on the information he gathered in Paraguay, which he will use to make recommendations to the government to improve the situation of children and young people. [Source: Red Latinoamericana y caribeña por la defensa de los derechos de los niños, niñas y adolescentes REDLAMYC] For more information, visit CRIN's web page on children's rights at the Inter-American Commission
The report was presented by the Center for Justice and Internacional Law (CEJIL), and other child rights organisations including the Coordinadora por los Derechos de la Infancia y la Adolescencia, and the Coordinadora por los Derechos Humanos del Paraguay, in a hearing before the IACHR last October, in Washington D.C.
The petitioners took the case to the IACHR after a habeas corpus for 30 children, who had been detained illegally or had disappeared after being stopped by police in May 2005, in Ciudad del Este, was rejected.
The aim of the Rapporteur’s visit was to examine the situation of children and young people in the country. Pinheiro’s first stop was Ciudad del Este where he met children who live and work on the street.
In Asunción, the country’s capital, he met with Victorina Espínola, Minister for Children and Young People; Víctor Núñez, Minister of the Supreme Court of Justice; Dr. Rogelio Benítez, the Interior Minister; representatives from the Nacional Council for Children and Young People and from the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The Rapporteur stressed that repressive police interventions exacerbated the problems of children who live and work on the street, and that they must not be detained purely on suspicion.
Speaking about street children in the Triple Frontera region, the border area between Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina, he highlighted the importance of seeing them as victims even though some people considered them a nuisance in public spaces. He illustrated this by saying that they often receive death threats from drug traffickers.
During a press conference, the Rapporteur said that meetings with the Comité de Frontera (the Border Committee), which have not been held since 31 October 2005, would be resumed. In addition to these meetings, he said that border controls would be established.
Speaking about his visit to Ciudad del Este, he said that the authorities he had interviewed know what they must do to help protect children’s rights. However, their actions are not up to speed; they also perceive a lack of political will. He emphasised to the authorities that it is not just a question of having formal structures in place, but that these structures are effective in guaranteeing children’s rights.
He described the problems facing children in the border region as ‘serious’. However, he said that the limited number of children and young people in this area meant that measures could be taken to find a solution to the problem. Pinheiro highlighted positive examples of NGO’s work such as the projects run by Hogar Santa Teresa, which show that the government must have more dialogue and exchange with civil society and NGOs in order to implement programmes for children.
He commented that NGOs are not responsible for resolving the problems which affect children, saying that it is the government’s responsibility. Therefore, NGOs should not be held to account as though they have sole responsibilty for resolving these problems.
He also mentioned the siutation of children in conflict with the law and expressed surprise at the high rate of children who are not registered at birth.