BELGIUM: Children's Rights in the UN Special Procedures' Reports

Summary: This report extracts mentions of children's rights issues in the reports of the UN Special Procedures. This does not include reports of child specific Special Procedures, such as the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, which are available as separate reports.

Please note that the language may have been edited in places for the purpose of clarity.

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The Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent

(E/CN.4/2006/19/Add.1)

Country visit: 13 to 17 June 2005
Report published: 9 February 2006

Education
: The experts were informed of the problem faced by some schools located in areas highly populated by persons of foreign background, where the composition of students is mostly of foreign origin. For instance, certain schools of the Belgian capital are composed 100 per cent by pupils of foreign origin and from a disadvantaged background. The effect of this problem is somehow reinforced by the principle of free choice of schools by parents. (Paragraph 23)

The experts raised the issue of the methods for assessing education and integration policies for persons of foreign background without reliable statistical data on percentages disaggregated by foreign origin or nationality of children's repetition of school years, school delay absenteeism and dropout, and representation in special and vocational training. They also underlined that very often children with a foreign background and children from deprived families do not start their schooling with the same social and cultural capital as other children. The experts consider this an important element to take into account when devising educational measures for such target groups. (Paragraph 27)

The experts considered that opportunities for adequate education are crucial in the integration process. In this regard they were briefed on policies and initiatives that the Flemish and French Communities have developed to generate and foster equal learning and developing opportunities for foreigners. Despite many initiatives of positive discrimination and support, the experts noted that problems with respect to the provision of adequate educational opportunities remain unresolved. One of these is the recognition of diplomas, obtainable through a complex procedure. The recognition process is especially complex for those people who earned a certificate in a country which does not belong to the European Economic Space. (Paragraph 28)

Recommendations

The experts recommend strengthening measures to counter inequalities in educational outcomes for children of foreign origin through educational policies that ensure a more equal representation of target-group pupils in schools and which address the problem of repeating, school delay, absenteeism and dropout, and the overrepresentation in special and vocational training of children of foreign origin.(Paragraph 78(e)


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UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Mr. Param Cumaraswamy

(E/CN.4/1998/39/Add.3)

Country visit: 14 to 17 October 1997
Report published: 16 February 1998

No mentions of children's rights

Countries

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