BENIN: Children's Rights in UN Treaty Body Reports

Summary: This report extracts mentions of children's rights issues in the reports of all UN Treaty Bodies and their follow-up procedures. This does not include the Concluding Observations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child which are available here: http://www.crin.org/resources/treaties/index.asp

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

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UN Human Rights Committee

CCPR/CO/82/BEN
Last reported: 21 / 22 October 2004
Concluding Observations published: 1 December 2004

Issues raised:

Female genital mutilation: The Committee remains concerned at the persistence of female genital mutilation, particularly in certain parts of the country, which constitutes a serious violation of articles 3 and 7 of the Covenant.

It urges the Government to increase its efforts to combat these practices, especially in communities in which they are extremely common. It should effectively ban such practices by means of more awareness campaigns and the criminal prosecution of perpetrators. The State party should provide more accurate information about the percentage of women and girls affected, as well as their distribution by region and ethnic group, and about any criminal proceedings brought against the perpetrators. (Paragraph 11).

Juvenile justice: The Committee is concerned at the extreme overcrowding of prisons and at the fact that juveniles are not always held separately from adults (articles 7, 10 and 24 of the Covenant).

It urges the government to provide special protection for juveniles, and all juveniles, including girls, should be systematically separated from adults. (Paragraph 17)

Legal assistance: The Committee is concerned that few people, including minors, are assisted by a lawyer during criminal proceedings, and that such assistance is mandatory only in the Assize Court. It further notes with concern that in the Assize Court a lawyer is appointed only during the final questioning before the actual hearing, a situation that does not guarantee that the right to a defence is respected (article 14 of the Covenant).

It urges the State party should ensure that lawyers are trained in adequate numbers, facilitate the access of individuals to legal assistance in criminal proceedings and ensure that lawyers are involved in proceedings from the time of arrest onward.

Child trafficking: While noting the efforts made by the State party, the Committee expresses its concern at the alarming practice of placing children with a third party as an act of mutual assistance or family or community solidarity (vidomégons), which has become a source of trafficking and economic exploitation of children within Benin. It notes with concern that Benin has become a country of transit, origin and destination for international trafficking in children (articles 7, 16 and 24 of the Covenant).

It urges the State party to increase its efforts to combat trafficking in children and provide the Committee with more detailed information about this phenomenon, in particular an estimate of the number of children involved. It should create mechanisms to monitor the placement of children, increase public awareness and bring criminal proceedings against those engaged in the trafficking in and economic exploitation of children. (Paragraph 24).

Human rights education: The Committee notes the efforts made by the State party to increase public awareness of human rights but is concerned that these efforts have been limited.

As expressly stipulated in article 40 of the Constitution, it urges the State party to integrate human rights education in the primary, secondary, higher and vocational education curricula and, in particular, in the training programmes of the security forces. (Paragraph 25).

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UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

(E/C.12/BEN/2)
Last reported 5 May 2008
Concluding Observations published 9 June 2008

Issues raised:

Children born out of wedlock: The Committee is concerned that children born out of wedlock have the same rights and obligations as "legitimate children" only if they are recognized by their father and under certain conditions relating to inheritance rights. (Paragraph 11).

It invites the State party to consider amending the Personal and Family Code with a view to guaranteeing full equality between children born in and out of wedlock and remove the phrase "legitimate children" from legal language

Birth registration: The Committee is concerned by information that 25 per cent of Beninese children have not been registered at birth, which reportedly hinders their access to health services and education. (Paragraph 12).

The Committee recommends that the State party strengthen measures to ensure that all children are registered at birth by requiring pubic authorities and health and education services to register them, issuing birth certificates to unregistered children and abolishing registration fees.

Harmful traditional practices: The Committee is deeply concerned at reports of killings of so-called "witch children", including infants with disabilities or whose mothers die following childbirth, which are motivated by traditional beliefs that persist among some groups in northern Benin. (Paragraph 19).

It recommends that the State party step up its efforts to prevent and halt killings of so-called "witch children" by including provisions in criminal law to suppress this practice and organizing campaigns to heighten awareness of its criminal nature among local authorities, doctors, midwives and the population at large. The State party is requested to include in its next periodic report updated statistical data on the number of cases of infanticide reported to the police, the number of perpetrators brought to justice and the penalties imposed.

Child labour: The Committee is deeply concerned about the prevalence of child labour, including economic exploitation and frequent abuse of children working as domestic servants or "vidomegons". (Paragraph 20)

The Committee urges the State party to indicate in its next periodic report the measures taken to combat child labour and end the practice of "vidomegon", and the outcome of such measures, and provide information on assistance given to the victims of these practices and their families.

Child health: The Committee is very concerned about the high maternal and infant mortality rate, especially in regions where health infrastructure is inadequate, and about the fact that women and girls have limited access to reproductive health services and antenatal assistance in rural areas. (Paragraph 25)

It recommends that the State party step up its efforts to ensure that pregnant women and girls receive proper medical care during pregnancy and during and after childbirth and have access to reproductive health services and antenatal assistance, including in rural areas, and that they are made aware of the importance of sexual and reproductive health. The Committee also recommends that the health of infants be monitored regularly.

Female genital mutilation: The Committee continues to be concerned that, despite the State party's efforts to combat the practice of female genital mutilation (excision), this practice, which violates the rights and physical integrity of women, persists in certain regions of Benin and that the law criminalizing female genital mutilation and the law on sexual and reproductive health have not been enforced. (Paragraph 26)

It recommends that the State party provide training for judges, prosecutors and police officers in the strict enforcement of the law prohibiting female genital mutilation and the law on sexual and reproductive health; conduct awareness-raising campaigns to combat and eradicate this traditional practice, which violates the rights and physical integrity of women; and strengthen programmes providing assistance to victims and reorientation and financial support to practitioners of excision who halt their activities. The Committee requests the State party to provide it with information in its next periodic report on the measures taken, together with updated, disaggregated data on the number of reported cases of excision, convictions and penalties imposed on the persons responsible.

Education: The Committee is concerned about reports of low secondary school attendance and low primary school attendance in rural areas, particularly with respect to girls. (Paragraph 27)

It recommends that the State party take effective measures to increase the primary and secondary school enrolment rate, particularly in rural areas and with respect to girls, by increasing the number of classrooms and teachers, funding the provision of school textbooks and lunches and conducting public campaigns to promote awareness of the importance of education, including for girls.

Trafficking: The Committee recommends that the State party continue and step up its efforts to combat human trafficking by ensuring adequate access to victim assistance and witness protection programmes and by providing training for police officers, prosecutors and judges in the strict enforcement of the relevant criminal law provisions. The Committee also recommends that the State party consider adopting a law against trafficking in adults, allocate sufficient funds for implementation of the national plan of action to combat child trafficking and for local child protection committees and increase cooperation with neighbouring States. (paragraph 39)

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UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

 

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UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women

CEDAW/C/BEN/CO/4

Last reported: 3 October 2013                                                                 Concluding Observations issued: 28 October 2013

Issues raised and recommendations given:

Harmful practices: The Committee expresses deep concern that harmful practices, such as child and forced marriages, polygamy, female genital mutilation, widowhood practices, levirate and sororate, purification rites for adulterous women and killings of so-called “witch children”, continue to be prevalent and go unpunished, the comprehensive legislative framework notwithstanding. The Committee is particularly concerned about the absence of information on investigations, prosecutions and convictions of perpetrators, pursuant to the legislation prohibiting female genital mutilation in effect since 2003 (Act No. 2003-03) and about the fact that female genital mutilation is often practised outside the territory of the State party in neighbouring countries to avoid prosecution. (Para. 16) 

The Committee urges the State party: (a) To hold consultations with civil society and women’s organizations and traditional leaders, at the departmental and municipal levels, with a view to fostering a dialogue on harmful practices and promoting wide acceptance of the new legislative framework; (b) To develop a comprehensive strategy to eliminate stereotypes that discriminate against women, including by conducting awareness-raising efforts targeting the general public and the media, and urgently complete the review of school textbooks undertaken by the State party to eliminate gender-based stereotypes; (c) To step up efforts to effectively implement its legislative framework addressing harmful practices, by systematically training judges and law enforcement officers; to establish mechanisms to facilitate victim identification; and to ensure effective regional and bilateral cooperation with neighbouring countries to ensure the prosecution and punishment of all acts of female genital mutilation. (Para. 17)

Trafficking: While noting the State party’s legislation protecting children from trafficking, the Committee expresses deep concern about the absence of a specific legislative framework aimed at combating trafficking of adults and about the delays in enacting the draft anti-trafficking law. The Committee also regrets the lack of data on trafficking of women and girls in the State party, the insufficient information provided on the prosecution and punishment of traffickers and the absence of a comprehensive strategy addressing prevention, protection, assistance and legal support for victims of trafficking, including refugee women, asylum-seeking women and girls exploited in forced labour as “vidomegons”, who are particularly vulnerable to trafficking. (Para. 20)

The Committee calls upon the State party: (a) To expedite the adoption of the draft law on trafficking in persons, in line with the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, in order to fully implement article 6 of the Convention, so as to strengthen mechanisms for the investigation, prosecution and punishment of trafficking offenders; (b) To provide adequate assistance to victims, including refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls working as vidomegons, and to consider the establishment of a national mechanism to coordinate efforts to combat trafficking; (c) To provide training to the judiciary, law enforcement officials, the border police and social workers on the existing anti-trafficking provisions regarding children and on how to identify and deal with victims of trafficking; (d) To collect sex-disaggregated data on the trafficking of women and girls and include this data in its next periodic report. (Para. 21)

Nationality: The Committee is concerned that the existing legislation contains discriminatory provisions. First, it does not allow Beninese women to transmit their nationality automatically at the time of marriage to their foreign spouses, who, unlike women of foreign nationality marrying Beninese nationals, have to apply for naturalization. Second, it provides that the loss of Beninese nationality by the husband can be extended to the mother and children. Furthermore, while welcoming the regulatory framework regarding birth registration and its gratuity, the Committee is concerned that practical and bureaucratic obstacles continue to prevent women, especially poor and rural women who do not give birth in a health facility, from registering births and obtaining birth certificates. The Committee recommends that the State party amend Act No. 65-17 of 23 June 1965 on nationality with a view to granting Beninese women equal rights with Beninese men regarding the retention or loss of their nationality, in addition to the transmission of Beninese nationality to their foreign spouses. The Committee also calls upon the State party to increase its efforts to facilitate access to birth registration services for all women, especially for poor and rural women who do not give birth in a health facility, and to consider establishing a monitoring mechanism to ensure the enforcement of its regulatory framework in remote and rural areas. (Paras. 24-25)

Education: While welcoming the State party’s efforts to provide free education at both the primary and secondary levels, the Committee is nevertheless concerned about the lack of accurate sex-disaggregated statistical data on enrolment rates at all levels of education. It is also concerned about the high illiteracy rates; the low completion rates and high dropout rates resulting from, among others, the large number of teenage pregnancies and child or forced marriages; the absence of education on sexual and reproductive health and rights as part of school curricula; the insufficient efforts to develop the educational infrastructure following the decision to provide free education for girls in primary schools; and the insufficient information on measures taken to tackle sexual violence in schools and to enforce the inter-ministerial order of 1 October 2003 providing for penalties for perpetrators of sexual abuse in educational establishments. (Para. 26)

The Committee recommends that the State party: (a) Provide detailed sex-disaggregated data on the enrolment, completion and dropout rates at all levels of the education system; (b) Strengthen literacy programmes for women and girls, especially in rural areas, and increase opportunities for skills training of rural women and girls through non-formal education, including in traditionally male-dominated fields; (c) Address the root causes of the high dropout and incompletion rates of girls, such as gender stereotypes, poverty, sexual abuse in schools, teenage pregnancies and child and/or forced marriages, and take proactive measures to retain girls in school; (d) Integrate age-appropriate education on sexual and reproductive health and rights into school curricula, including comprehensive sex education for adolescent girls and boys covering responsible sexual behaviour and the prevention of early pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS; (e) Increase its efforts to strengthen the educational infrastructure with sufficient teachers and adequate premises that take into account the gender-specific concerns of women and girls, including the availability of appropriate sanitary facilities; (f) Establish reporting and accountability mechanisms to ensure that the perpetrators of sexual abuse of girls in schools are duly prosecuted and punished. (Para. 27)

Health: The Committee is concerned about (a) The feminization of HIV and gaps in the effective implementation of Act No. 2005-31 of 10 April 2006 on the prevention, treatment and control of HIV/AIDS, notably the absence of an implementing decree, as provided for in article 8, and the insufficient measures to reduce the incidence of HIV among women and to provide adequate assistance to women living with HIV; (b) The high maternal mortality and morbidity rates, the prevalence of malaria, the insufficient number of health-care personnel in the State party, in particular midwives in rural areas, the persistent misconceptions about the use of contraception and the lack of adequate information on sexual and reproductive health and on the right of women to autonomous decision-making about their health; (c)The inadequate implementation of the free caesarean section programme in the State party, owing notably to insufficient dissemination of information to women, corruption among health-care personnel and insufficient stocks of medical equipment; (d) The discrepancy between article 17 of Act No. 2003-04 of 24 January 2003 on sexual and reproductive health, which provides exceptions to the general prohibition of abortion in cases of rape, incest, threat to the life or health of the mother and foetal impairment, and article 3 of Act No. 2011-26 of 9 January 2012 on the prevention and prohibition of violence against women, which lists abortion as one of the forms of violence, notwithstanding the explanation given by the delegation that this provision pertained only to “forced abortion”. (Para. 32)

The Committee urges the State party: (a) To take all measures necessary to effectively implement Act No. 2005-31 of 10 April 2006 on the prevention, treatment and control of HIV/AIDS, by urgently adopting its implementing decree, increasing the provision of free antiretroviral treatment to all women and men living with HIV/AIDS, raising the awareness of mothers and fathers living with HIV/AIDS regarding the importance of preventing mother-to-child transmission and conducting educational programmes on sexual and reproductive health and rights directed at both women and men, including the essential responsibility of men in preventing the spread of the disease; (b) To strengthen the maternal and infant mortality reduction programme, eliminate the causes of such mortality and increase the number of skilled health-care personnel, in particular midwives in rural areas; (c) To provide effective access for women and girls to comprehensive information regarding sexual and reproductive health and rights, including the use of contraception, in order to reduce the rate of unwanted pregnancies, teenage pregnancies and unsafe abortions, and to ensure the availability, affordability and accessibility of modern contraceptive methods for women; (d) To ensure the effective and consistent implementation of the free caesarean section programme throughout the State party, by adequately disseminating information to women, especially in rural areas, enhancing coordination between health facilities and the State agency administering the programme and establishing a monitoring and accountability system to address the misconduct of health personnel; (e) To address the existing inconsistencies regarding the legislation on abortion to ensure that abortion cannot be interpreted as a form of violence against women, to develop simplified procedures to guarantee access to legal abortion in the cases provided for in article 17 of Act No. 2003-04 of 24 January 2003 on sexual and reproductive health and to disseminate such information to women. (Para. 33)

Women in detention: The Committee expresses serious concern about the conditions of detention of women detainees, including pregnant women and women detained with their children, in particular the length of pre-trial detention and the lack of measures aimed at facilitating women’s access to justice and the fact that women detainees are not systematically separated from men detainees. In line with the recommendations of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (see CAT/OP/BEN/1) and the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules), the Committee urges the State party to ensure the protection of women in places of detention and strict respect for their right to a fair trial and to adopt clear procedures for complaints, in addition to effective monitoring mechanisms. The Committee further calls upon the State party to improve the conditions of detention for women detainees by guaranteeing separate accommodation for men and women inmates, providing adequate health facilities and services, in particular for pregnant women, and educational programmes. (Paras. 36-37)

Marriage: The Committee is concerned about remaining discriminatory provisions providing: (a) that, when spouses cannot agree on the matrimonial domicile, the husband may decide alone and the wife needs to initiate legal proceedings in order to be allowed a separate domicile if the husband’s decision amounts to a real danger to her and the children (arts. 15 and 156); and (b) that a married woman automatically carries the name of her husband upon marriage, but can retain it only upon the dissolution of the marriage with the consent of the husband or with a judge’s authorization (art. 12 and art. 261 (3)). Furthermore, the Committee is concerned about the persistence of customary laws and practices, including the prevalence of de facto polygamous marriages, although such laws are no longer valid in the State party following the adoption of the Persons and Family Code. The Committee urges the State party: (a) To withdraw the discriminatory provisions of the Persons and Family Code in order to bring its legislative framework into full compliance with articles 15 and 16 of the Convention; (b) To strengthen its efforts to conduct comprehensive educational measures and awareness-raising campaigns about the Persons and Family Code, targeting rural areas in particular, and, in collaboration with civil society, to systematically raise the awareness of traditional leaders regarding the renunciation of the application of customary laws and practices, as provided for in the Code. (Paras. 38-39)

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(CEDAW/C/BEN/1-3)
Last reported 7 July 2005
Concluding Observations published 22 July 2005

Child marriage: The most important recent measure concerned the adoption of the Code on Persons and the Family which outlawed the levirate, set the legal age for marriage for boys and girls at 18, and established monogamous marriage, parental authority and equal inheritance rights for children, regardless of gender. (paragraph 133)

Femaile genital mutilation: The Committee congratulates the State party for the recent legislative reforms to eliminate discrimination against women, including the adoption of law number 3 of 2003 prohibiting the practice of female genital mutilation and the Personal and Family Code in 2004. (paragraph 143)

Harmful traditional practices: While welcoming the adoption of the Personal and Family Code in 2004, aimed at eliminating discrimination against women and abolishing many discriminatory provisions of the customary law of Dahomey, including polygamy, levirate marriage and discrimination in inheritance rights and the age of marriage, the Committee remains concerned about the application of customary practices and the consequences thereof. It is also concerned about the prevalence of structural patriarchal attitudes and deep-rooted stereotypes that may undermine the effectiveness of the Code and prevent compliance with its provisions. The Committee expresses similar concerns regarding the effectiveness of the law on female genital mutilation. The Committee is concerned about the status of marriages concluded prior to the Code's coming into force.

The Committee calls upon the State party to develop and implement comprehensive educational measures and awareness-raising campaigns on the provisions of the Personal and Family Code and on other laws designed to eliminate discrimination against women, so as to achieve full compliance with their provisions. It also urges the State party to ensure that the polygamous marriages concluded prior to the entry into force of the new Code enjoy the same rights and benefits provided for in the new Code. The Committee recommends that those efforts be undertaken in combination with educational programmes designed to raise awareness and challenge discriminatory harmful customs, traditions, practices and stereotypical attitudes regarding the roles and responsibilities of women in the family and society, as required under articles 2 (f) and 5 (a) of the Convention. The Committee encourages the State party to undertake these efforts in collaboration with civil society and women's and human rights organizations, and to target women and men in all segments of society, including public officials at all levels of government, community and traditional leaders, employers and the general public. (paragraph 147)

Violence: The Committee is concerned about the absence of policies and programmes, including legislation, to address violence against women and the economic exploitation and ill-treatment of young girls employed as domestic servants. The Committee is particularly concerned about the perception prevalent in the State party that violence against women, particularly domestic violence, is a private matter, and about the reluctance of women to report incidents of violence committed against them. The Committee also expresses its concern about the paucity in the report of information and statistics on violence against women.

It urges the State party to accord priority attention to the adoption of comprehensive measures to combat violence against women and girls, in accordance with its general recommendation 19 on violence against women. The Committee calls on the State party to enact legislation on domestic violence, including marital rape, and legislation concerning all forms of sexual abuse, and to ensure that women and girls, including domestic servants, who are victims of violence have access to immediate means of redress and protection and that perpetrators are prosecuted and punished. The Committee recommends that training be undertaken for the judiciary and public officials, particularly law enforcement personnel, and for health-service providers, so as to ensure that they are sensitized to all forms of violence against women and can adequately respond to it. It also recommends the implementation of awareness-raising campaigns, through the media and public education programmes, and working towards a zero-tolerance policy on all forms of violence against women. The Committee requests the State party to provide information in its next report on the laws and policies in place to deal with violence against women, and on the impact of such measures. (paragraph 149)

Trafficking: While welcoming the adoption of measures to prevent and combat trafficking in children, the Committee is concerned that similar measures have not been undertaken with regard to trafficking in women.

It urges the State party to take measures to combat trafficking in women through the adoption and implementation of a comprehensive strategy, including national laws and subregional cross-border initiatives, to prevent trafficking, punish offenders and protect and rehabilitate victims.
(paragraph 151)

Education: The Committee is concerned at the poor educational infrastructure and the insufficient number of schools and teachers, which constitute particular obstacles to the education of girls and young women. The Committee expresses its concern about the low rate of enrolment of girls in schools, preference for the education of boys and the high dropout rate of girls due to pregnancy and early and forced marriage. The Committee is especially concerned about the extremely high rate of illiteracy among women and girls, 81 per cent for women and girls between the ages of 15 and 49.

The Committee urges the State party to increase its investment in education, including through international donor assistance, and to raise awareness of the importance of education as a human right and as a basis for the empowerment of women. It also encourages the State party to take steps to overcome traditional attitudes that constitute obstacles to girls' education. It recommends that the State party take steps to ensure equal access of girls and young women to all levels of education, to retain girls in school and to strengthen the implementation of re-entry policies providing for girls to return to school after pregnancy. The Committee recommends that the State party make every effort to improve the literacy level of girls and women through the adoption of comprehensive programmes, in collaboration with civil society, at the formal and non-formal levels and through adult education and training. The Committee encourages the State party to take temporary special measures, in accordance with article 4, paragraph 1, of the Convention and the Committee's general recommendation 25, to accelerate the improvement of women's and girls' educational situation. (paragraph 155)

Health: While noting the efforts made by the State party to improve reproductive health care to women, the Committee remains concerned about the lack of access to adequate health care for women and girls, particularly in rural areas. It is concerned about the causes of morbidity and mortality in women, particularly the number of deaths due to illegal abortions, and about inadequate family planning services and the low rates of contraceptive use. The Committee expresses its concern that women require the permission of their husbands to obtain contraceptives and family planning services.

It recommends that the State party take measures, in accordance with general recommendation 24 on women and health, to improve and increase women's access to health care and health-related services and information, particularly in rural areas. It calls on the State party to improve the availability of sexual and reproductive health services, including family planning, with the aim also of preventing clandestine abortions, and to make available, without requiring the permission of the husband, contraceptive services to women and girls. It further recommends that sex education be widely promoted and targeted at girls and boys, with special attention to the prevention of early pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. (paragraph 157)

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UN Committee against Torture

CAT/C/BEN/CO/2
Last reported 15 and 16 November 2007
Concluding Observations published on 19 February 2008

Issues raised:

Juvenile justice: The Committee regrets that, under Beninese criminal law, a minor aged over 13 may be sentenced to deprivation of liberty.

The State party should take the necessary measures to raise the age of criminal responsibility to an internationally acceptable level. (pargraph 14)

Juvenile justice: While taking note of the efforts made by the State party to improve prison conditions, the Committee remains deeply concerned about living conditions in detention facilities. The Committee has received reports of overcrowding, corruption of prison officials by detainees, lack of hygiene and adequate food, prevalence of disease and lack of adequate health care. The Committee has also received reports that minors are not kept completely separate from adults and that accused persons are not kept separate from convicted persons (arts. 11 and 16). Without waiting for the national prevention mechanism to be established, the State party should take urgent measures to bring conditions in detention centres into line with the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners. (Paragraph 18).

The State party should allocate all the material, human and budgetary resources necessary for this purpose and give priority to:

(c) Reorganizing prisons so that accused persons are detained separately from convicted persons and improving conditions of detention of minors, ensuring that they are detained separately from adults in all circumstances.

Violence: While taking note of the State party's legislative efforts, in particular to eradicate ill-treatment of children, the Committee remains concerned about reports of trafficking, exploitation, prostitution, female genital mutilation, rape and killing of newborn babies. The Committee regrets the lack of statistical data on reports of violence against children and related convictions (arts. 1, 2, 12 and 16).

It urges the State party to take effective measures to combat and eradicate torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment by adopting a holistic approach to the problem. The State party should take all necessary measures to ensure strict implementation of the relevant legislation by prosecuting and punishing those responsible for such acts. The State party should consider setting up an observatory on the rights of the child, resume consideration of the bill on "vidomegons" and strengthen the system of care for child victims of violence. (Paragraph 22).

Corporal punishment: While noting that the State party's legislation prohibits corporal punishment in schools (Circular No. 100/MEN/CAB of 1962), the Committee remains concerned about the absence of legislation prohibiting such punishment in the family and in institutions other than schools. The Committee is also concerned at the frequent use of this practice in education in Benin (art. 16). (Paragraph 22).

The State party should extend legislation prohibiting corporal punishment to the  family and to institutions other than schools. The State party should ensure that legislation prohibiting corporal punishment is strictly enforced and awareness-raising and educational campaigns should be conducted to that effect.

Data collection: The State party, with the support of academic institutions, should establish effective mechanisms to collect data and develop criminal and criminology statistics and all statistics  relevant to monitoring the national implementation of the Convention. The State party should thus provide in its next periodic report the following data, which will facilitate the Committee's  assessment of the implementation of obligations under the Convention:

(a) Statistics on the reception capacity and population of each prison in Benin, including data disaggregated by gender and age group (adults/children), and the number of pretrial detainees;

(f) Statistics on violence against women and children and outcomes of proceedings instituted.

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UN Committee on Migrant Workers

 

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UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

 

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UN Committee on Enforced Disappearance

 

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Countries

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