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Summary: A compilation of extracts featuring child-rights issues from the reports submitted to the Universal Periodic Review. There are extracts from the 'National Report', the 'Compilation of UN Information' and the 'Summary of Stakeholder's Information'. Also included is the final report and the list of accepted and rejected recommendations.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - 11th Session - 2011 Scroll to: 15. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a signatory to initiatives for promoting equity and equality in education. These include the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1990) which emphasizes that basic right of every child to an equal opportunity to primary education; the Education for All Dakar Framework for Action 2000 which states that the schools should accommodate all children regardless of their physical, intellectual, social, emotional, linguistic or other conditions. 16. The formal system of education in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is stipulated under the Education Act of 1992. This Act is the main instrument that governs, organizes, administers and regulates education in the State. Under this Act, provision for compulsory education and education for children with special needs was made for the first time. 17. The Education Policy of 1995 articulates the rationale and philosophical basis of educational development in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The State's philosophy of education is based on the beliefs that all children have the right to education and the ability to learn. 18. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines recognises that appropriate Early Childhood Education can minimize disparities between children as they enter the formal education system and has introduced statutory regulations for Early Childhood Education including the licensing of Early Childhood Education Schools, whose operations are currently being done by private agencies. 19. In an effort to increase access to pre-primary education, the State is investing in privately owned and operated Early Childhood Education centres to upgrade the facilities, ensuring quality and equity in pre-primary education. Additionally, the State is constructing Early Childhood Education Centres in new primary schools with the projected construction of eight facilities. These measures would provide for smoother transition from pre-primary to primary school. These centres will target all students including the physically challenged. 20. Prior to the Unity Labour Party Administration, the education was typified generally by inequity. At the secondary level, the Government turned askance against inequity and introduced in 2005, universal access to education In 2010, 2,161 candidates sat the common entrance examination. Of this number, 57.6% met the prescribed standard. This was a huge improvement over the 35.0% to 40.0% range in the years before 2001. 21. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is committed to equity and equality for all and seeks to provide equality of access for all students in accordance with their individual needs and abilities. With the establishment of more geographically accessible schools to cater for the students in the rural areas and the introduction of free universal basic education; access to secondary level has increased. To accommodate the physically handicapped, where access to wheel chairs is difficult, ramps are being built in schools where such children attend. Newly constructed schools are now being designed to allow full accessibility for students with disabilities. 25.The Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has enforced numerous schemes to improve the lives of its people. These include: (f) Book Loan Scheme where secondary school students are provided with all their text books for EC$50 per school year. (h) The Street Children Rehabilitation Programme was implemented whereby children living or working on the street and those at risk of doing so are returned to their schools. Assistance and parental training are provided to the parents to care for these children. (i) The Government finances the return of teenage-mothers to school through the payment of fees, purchase of books, provision of transportation, and the provision of day-care services for babies. The success of this programme has become a regional best practice of the United Nations Population Fund. In the meantime, planning is extended to provide support services to young fathers, better preparing them for the role of fatherhood. 27. The Government honours its duties under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979); the Convention on the Political Rights of Women (1953); Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons,Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (2000); and the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against Women "Convention Of Belem Do Para"(1994). 32. The formation of the Family Court in 1992 and the National Committee on the Rights of the Child has created the necessary enabling framework for the enforcement of legislation as regards ensuring gender equality under the law. Of particular importance is the creation of the Domestic Violence Act in 1998. Further revisions in the law to protect the rights of women and girls and to protect children from sexual exploitation is well under way. 36. The Government has also addressed the need for a Crisis Center in collaboration with the Childs Rights Committee, Family Affairs Division and the National Council of Women. 37. The Government has place a high premium on the security of all citizens. Accordingly, the work of the Gender Affairs Division addresses abuse committed against women and girls and its causes. Violence and crimes committed against women and girls remain a priority concern of the administration. 43. It is the parents' primary responsibility to protect their children's rights. If they are unable to fulfil this duty, the Government has committed itself, through the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to support parents in meeting their responsibility or, in some cases, to take over that responsibility. 44. The Domestic Violence Summary Proceedings Act provides a legal framework for the protection of children, while the Family Services Department is the government agency responsible for monitoring and protecting the welfare of children. 45. Since 1997 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has celebrated the month of April every year as Child Abuse Prevention Month, a month of activities dedicated to publicizing the need for the prevention of child abuse. This programme is spearheaded by the Social Welfare Department. Child Month is celebrated in May every year to highlight activities relating to children. 46. Free medical care is provided by the health service for children 16 years and under. A School Health Programme covers all pre- and primary schools and includes identification and treatment of common health problems, immunization and counselling. The country has achieved virtually 100 per cent immunization of children. The community health service, through health clinics, provides ante- and postnatal care covering all aspects of maternal and child health. 47. The Government has instituted comprehensive programmes to combat HIV/AIDS and mother-child transmission of the disease. Literacy and primary school attendance rates are robust. A comprehensive "Wellness Revolution" is underway to combat a host of preventable lifestyle diseases, and to promote children's health and nutrition. 48. The Government heavily subsidizes textbooks and primary school meals trough its Book Loan and School Feeding Programmes, and has radically expanded students' access to tertiary scholarships, grants and student loans. 49. Under the laws of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines there is no discrimination against a child based on the child's or his or her parent's or legal guardian's property30. 50. Additionally, there is no discrimination against a child based on the child's or his or her parent's or legal guardian's disability. In practice however there is a difficulty in providing services such as education and health care to children with certain types of disability which render them unable to attend the available institutions geared towards the care of persons with disability. 67. The key components of National strategies and initiative for poverty reduction includes: (c) Greater and better investment in human capital, particularly in the following areas – • Education – The Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has identified education as a main indicator of poverty realizing that with the demands for increased productivity and a need for diversification of the economy, an educated populace is therefore a necessity. The Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines regards education, first and foremost, as a social institution indispensable for quality production, order, progress, poverty reduction, and the development of individuals and society. It has thus, through the Ministry of Education developed the Education Sector Development Plan. This plan is the outcome of extensive discussions and consultations with a wide range of stakeholders in the sector throughout Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and is geared towards providing overall direction for the development of education in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines The Government has also recognised that quality education leads to greater employability. Thus programmes are geared towards strengthening the preschool system, providing adult education programmes, providing support to compulsory education strategies, exploring possibilities of a phased in approach to Compulsory education, provision of technical and vocational training for youth, and reintroduction of agricultural science programmes in schools. • Children – It is recognized that working with children is critical to addressing issues of education and other causes of poverty. The Children Against Poverty Programme targets low achievers within primary schools (ages 5 to 16) using a creative and integrated approach to learning. It seeks to provide educational opportunities for children while developing socialized skills and attitudes. Community adults act as mentors, helping with school work and job shadowing. There is also a parenting component to Children Against Poverty Programme where (through a Micro-enterprise Programme) parents of participants are exposed to skills training in areas of effective parenting, leadership, communication and conflict resolution skills and training in fishing, tourism and handicraft. This provided a support mechanism for the children. 68. However in spite of the achievements, there are several constraints to development namely: • A breakdown in family structure, leading to issues of child abuse, juvenile delinquency and general depletion in social order. 74. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines like the rest of the world has not been exempted from the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The first reported case of HIV infection in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was in 1984. The Government's response has been swift, recognizing the fact that this epidemic has serious developmental implications if left unchallenged. 75. Thus a strategic plan was launched in December 2001. The plan then outlined the following six priority areas: (c) Develop and implement HIV/AIDS/ Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and control programmes with priority given to youth and high-risk/vulnerable groups. The objectives include utilizing the holistic approach to provide targeted prevention and control programmes for adolescents, young adults and high risk/vulnerable groups; upgrading knowledge and skills of Medical and Nursing Practitioners in the Management of STIs; mounting public information programme on common signs, symptoms, treatment issues for selected STIs; and conducting pre and post surveys. 87. The Preventing Mother-To-Child-Transmission (PMTCT) is facing an even bigger challenge with the number of known HIV positive women becoming pregnant on multiple occasions. The PMTCT committee has committed themselves to address and upscale prevention methods in HIV pregnant women. 90. In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines life expectancy is 72.6 years for women and 70.8 years for men. Infant mortality is 18 per thousand. Maternal deaths have averaged less than 1 per year for the past 10 years. However, the 42% of the population under the poverty line most likely show a quite different picture. 95. The Ministry's priority programmes are committed to improving the conditions of vulnerable, high-risk population groups such as the elderly, the disabled, women of childbearing age, children, adolescents, the physically challenged, and the mentally ill. Health care is primarily the responsibility of the Ministry of Health. The Government runs the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH), which is a 211-bed facility. The MCMH is the main component of the health care system providing secondary and emergency care. The hospital houses more than 95% of the country's acute care beds. One Geriatric Care Centre, the Lewis Punnett Home with 104 beds, provides inpatient care for the elderly; and bears an annual bed occupancy rate of 103%. 96. There is a Mental Health Centre. In addition, at the primary care level, thirty nine Health Centres spreading over nine health districts provide services to the users of these facilities. On an average, each health centre is equipped to cater to a population averaging 2,900 with no one required to travel more than three miles to access care. The primary care services available include emergency care, medical care, prenatal and postnatal care, midwifery services and child health services including immunization, school health, family planning services, and communicable and non-communicable diseases control. Dental health services are delivered at selected health centres throughout the state while Mental Health Services are offered on a visiting basis at all health centres. 99. The health sector has been undergoing reforms in response to the changing social and economic environment as Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has had to face an increasing number of new and demanding challenges. These include, among other factors, an ageing population, violence, environmental risks, HIV/AIDS and new and re-emerging diseases. The demographic profile of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines reflects an aging population with an increase in life expectancy from 69 years in the 1960's to 71.5 years in the 1990's, relatively low infant mortality (18.0 per 1000) and low death rates. 109. In the context of outreach to young males who may be predisposed to criminal activity, a counselling service is available at The Marion House. There is also a Crime Prevention Unit supported by programmes developed at the national correctional facilities. The Juvenile Justice System incorporates "Liberty Lodge", a home for delinquent children and a Family Court has been established to deal with juveniles and also with domestic violence cases. The repatriation of criminals from a number of developed countries also presents a number of problems. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is also a member of the Regional Security System (RSS) and participates in the regional meetings of Commissioners of Police. Existing legislation is being strengthened in the context of the review of Proceeds of Crime Act. The Financial Intelligence Unit is also involved in initiatives aimed at the prevention of drug trafficking and related offences. 1. In 2002, the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) encouraged Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to ratify the Optional Protocols to the Convention. 5. In 2010, UNICEF expressed its concerns that the principles and provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child were not expressly enshrined in domestic legislation. It stated that Saint Vincent and the Grenadines had begun a slow harmonizing process but had not carried out any general and significant review of its legislation directly relevant to children since its ratification of CRC. 7. In 2002, CRC recommended that Saint Vincent and the Grenadines establish an independent structure to receive complaints of violations of children's rights. 8. In 2010, UNICEF stated that the implementation of the CRC was addressed by the National Child Rights Committee. 12. In 2002, CRC recommended that Saint Vincent and the Grenadines clarify the ages and terms applied to children and raise the minimum legal age of marriage of girls to that of boys (16).24 In 2010, UNICEF indicated that discrimination persisted in the Marriage Act regarding the minimum legal age for marriage in that it provided for a minimum of 15 years for girls and 16 years for boys, which were both considered to be too low. 14. In 2010, UNICEF highlighted the CEDAW's comments that underlined occurrences of racial discrimination affecting children, including children of some minorities, such as the Amerindians and Asians, often belonging to lower-income levels. 15. In 2002, CRC was concerned that: the Constitution of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines did not fully reflect the provisions of article 2 of the Convention and, in particular, did not specifically prohibit discrimination on the grounds of language, national, ethnic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status. 16. CRC was also concerned that, with reference, inter alia, to the findings of CERD, there were occurrences of racial discrimination affecting children, including children belonging to some minorities; children with disabilities are de facto discriminated against by the absence of effective policies and programmes to facilitate their integration into regular schools; and children who were known to be infected with HIV/AIDS were also discriminated against at school by some teachers. In 2010, UNICEF expressed a similar concern with regard to discrimination against children known to be infected with HIV/AIDS. 19. In 2002, CRC was concerned that: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines' statistics on the numbers of children with disabilities may be incomplete and, in particular, did not take into consideration those children who hardly ever leave their homes. 20. In 2010, UNICEF stated that children with disabilities suffered from de facto discrimination due to the absence of specific legislation to address their needs and to provide appropriate facilities, and the absence of policies and programmes dedicated to their integration into regular schools. 24. While acknowledging the efforts made by Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to build a new State prison, the HR Committee expressed its concern over ongoing prison overcrowding and poor prison conditions as well as the high rate of incarceration in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It noted with concern the continuing practice of imprisoning juvenile and adult offenders in the same premises. It recommended that additional resources be allocated to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines' prison system, separate facilities be made available to juvenile offenders and alternatives to imprisonment be sought as a matter of priority. 26. In 2002, CRC recommended that Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: undertake a study to examine the sexual exploitation of children, gathering accurate data on its incidence; develop an effective and comprehensive policy addressing the sexual exploitation of children, including the factors that place children at risk of such exploitation and implement appropriate policies and programmes for prevention and for the recovery and reintegration of child victims. 27. In 2010, UNICEF was concerned that there were no laws specifically prohibiting child pornography. 29. In 2002 CRC was concerned at the child labour situation and expressed concern that existing legislation with regard to working children was outdated and provided insufficient protection to children. 30. In 2002, CRC recommended that Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: undertake a study on the scope and nature of child abuse and neglect; address the abuse, including sexual abuse, and neglect of children, giving particular attention to their occurrence within the family, strengthen its efforts to prosecute persons responsible for perpetrating abuse and provide child victims of abuse with appropriate medical and psychological support. 31. CRC was deeply concerned that corporal punishment was widely practised in schools, in the administration of justice, in other institutions and within the family and that it was regulated by law and used against children from an early age. It recommended that Saint Vincent and the Grenadines urgently: prohibit through legislative and administrative provisions the use of corporal punishment in all contexts, including in schools, in the administration of justice, in other institutions and within the family and make use of information and education campaigns to sensitize parents, professionals working with children and the public in general to the harm caused by corporal punishment and to the importance of alternative, non-violent, forms of discipline. 32. In 2008, HR Committee was concerned that the Corporal Punishment of Juveniles Act still permitted caning, in violation of the prohibition of cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment contained in article 7. 33. In 2002, CRC recommended that Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: undertake a study on the scope and causes of the phenomenon of street children and create a legislative framework and continue and strengthen its ongoing efforts to assist street children, including with regard to their reintegration into their families. 36. In 2002 CRC remained concerned that: the age of criminal responsibility, fixed at 8 years of age, was too low as also noted by UNICEF in 2010, and that juvenile justice protection was not afforded to all persons under the age of 18, with only very limited exceptions. 37. In 2010, UNICEF noted that, under the Juvenile Act, a person over 16 years of age was treated as an adult, that juveniles were tried by the Juvenile Court, an entity of the Family Court, that deprivation of liberty was not generally used as a "last resort" for sentencing young persons (under 16) and that there were no juvenile detention facilities since the "Approved Schools" provided for in the Juvenile Act were not in place. Thus, convicted children over 16 years of age were sent to adult prisons. 38. UNICEF was concerned that the Family Court was based in Saint Vincent and only occasionally went to the other islands, therefore, juvenile offenders, depending on the area in which they lived, did not benefit from the same access to justice. 39. UNICEF further stated that the Child Abuse Protocol, elaborated in 2006 by the local Child Rights Committee, provided procedures for reporting and responding to reports of child abuse cases. It set up a framework to ensure the respect for child-friendly procedures, the protection from perpetrators and the prevention from re-victimization. The need for separated detention facilities and respect for the best interest of the child in police stations, prisons and approved schools was also pointed out in the Child Abuse Protocol. However, the Protocol had not been implemented yet and was still being finalized. At present, the Family Services Division of the Social Development Ministry referred all reports of child abuse to the police for action and provided assistance in cases where children applied for protection orders with the Family Court. 40. In 2010, UNICEF indicated that, according to the law of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the minimum age of consensual sex was 15 years of age and that the law prohibited statutory rape, with special provisions for children under 13 years. 41. In 2002 CRC recommended that Saint Vincent and the Grenadines further facilitate and support the activities (including paternity procedures) which will contribute to the full implementation of the rights of children to know their parents. 42. Acknowledging Saint Vincent and the Grenadines' efforts to establish an adequate foster care service, CRC was concerned that there was no legislative basis for foster care procedures, that the alternative care services for children who had been abandoned by, or who were otherwise separated from, their parents were not sufficient and that in some instances of "adoption" (especially international adoption), children were handed over for money or with promises of financial assistance to those giving up the child. 43. In 2002, noting the assistance provided to families, inter alia, by the Public Assistance Board under the Ministry of Social Development and through the Ministries of Education and Health, CRC remained concerned that: a large proportion of Vincentian families were living in poverty; the difficult domestic employment situation had obliged many parents, and sometimes both parents, to migrate, leaving children in the care of grandparents or under the responsibility of an older child; almost half of all families were headed by women single parents and their related poverty placed children in these families at particular risk of violations of their rights; mothers were only able to claim child maintenance for a child aged over five and there were disparities between the child maintenance awards made to the children of unmarried mothers and married mothers. 52. The ILO Committee of Experts noted that the Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children Act did not contain a general prohibition on the employment of children below 18 years in hazardous work and stated that the minimum age for admission to any type of employment or work which by its nature or circumstances in which it was carried out was likely to harm the health, safety or morals of young persons shall not be less than 18 years.67 53. In 2010, UNICEF stated that the existing legislation on child labour was outdated and did not efficiently protect children from harmful work and that the Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children Act defined a child as a person under 14 years of age and a young person as a person between 14 and 18 years of age. UNICEF also observed that the minimum age for employment was fixed at 14 years of age,68 and that there were no legal provisions regarding the hours of employment for a young person, except for specific situations such as industrial night work which was prohibited for person under 16 years of age. 54. In 2002, while noting the progress made in the area of child health care, including in the numbers of health centres established and their staffing levels, CRC remained concerned at the lack of basic medicines to meet the needs of sick children; infant mortality rates; levels of under nutrition; the gradual rise in obesity and at the lack of an adequate number of dentists available to children.7 55. In 2002, CRC recommended that Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: increase its efforts to promote adolescent health, including mental health, policies, particularly with respect to reproductive health and substance abuse and health education in schools, ensuring the full participation of adolescents; consider means of reducing teenage pregnancy, including strengthening reproductive health education for adolescents, and ensure the provision of full health and counselling support for pregnant girls and that these girls are able to continue their formal education. 56. CRC was concerned that: the illicit use of drugs and substances by children was increasing, including the use of crack cocaine and marijuana, as well as other substances, and that some of the children abusing drugs and using substances were placed, for this reason, in mental health institutions; and that Saint Vincent and the Grenadines lacks adequate data and treatment programmes in this regard. 58. In 2010, UNICEF stated that its survey from 2006 had revealed that over half of the children in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines were at risk of food insecurity followed by chronicle illness of a parent. 60. In 2002, CRC recommended that Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: adopt legislation regulating pre-schools, including with regard to the standards of buildings and other facilities and the training of staff, and continue its current efforts in this regard;continue the progress made so far in providing training for primary school teachers; review the system of secondary school entrance examinations and take action to address problems identified, with a view, inter alia, to raising significantly the numbers of children graduating from primary to secondary school; continue its ongoing efforts to increase the computerization of schools, and ensure that all children have access to appropriate books and other reading materials. 61. In 2010, UNICEF stated that the Education Act was reviewed in 2006, that Saint Vincent and the Grenadines offered universal access to primary and secondary education and made primary education compulsory. Though secondary school enrolment rates improved, a high number of young persons leave school without qualifications adapted to the labour market. 62. In 2010, the ILO Committee of Experts observed that the minimum age for admission to employment (14 years) was less than the age of completion of compulsory schooling (16 years) and requested Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to raise to 16 the minimum age for employment or work in order to link it with the age of completion of compulsory schooling in conformity with article 2(3) of Convention No. 138 so as to prevent school dropouts and child labour. 63. In 2006, UNICEF stated that children were drawn into crime and the trade in and use of drugs due to a combination of poor quality of education and lack of career prospects. 64. UNICEF also reported that, according to its 2005 survey, there appeared to be an extraordinary level of concern among parents about the quality of education in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. This was true of both primary and secondary levels. 65. In 2010, UNICEF noted that public assistance benefits discriminated against large households, which were typically female headed, that benefits did not adequately defray the out-of-pocket costs of education and that as a result, poor parents could not always afford to send their children to school. 66. In 2002, CRC noted the difficult geographic and demographic conditions of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. 68. CRC recommended that Saint Vincent and the Grenadines seek technical assistance on harmonization of legislation. 1. Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children (GIEACPC) reported that corporal punishment was lawful in the home. Article 8 of the Juveniles Act punishes ill-treatment of children but allowed for the parent, teacher or other person having control of the child to administer "reasonable" punishment. Provisions against violence and abuse in the Criminal Code (1988), the Domestic Violence (Summary Proceedings) Act (1995) and the Constitution (1979) were not interpreted as prohibiting corporal punishment in childrearing.2 GIEACPC noted that corporal punishment was lawful in schools under article 8 of the Juveniles Act and article 53 of the Education Act 2005, which allowed for it to be administered by the principal, deputy principal or a specially designated teacher, in a private room, using an instrument prescribed by regulations. Only females may inflict corporal punishment on girls. 2. GIEACPC indicated that corporal punishment was lawful as a sentence for crime. The Corporal Punishment of Juveniles Act permitted a male juvenile (under 16) convicted of a crime to be caned up to 12 strokes on the buttocks using a light rod.4 According to GIEACPC, corporal punishment was lawful as a disciplinary measure in penal institutions. Corporal punishment is also lawful in alternative care settings under article 8 of the Juveniles Act. The Juveniles Act and the Juveniles (Approved Schools) Rules allowed it to be administered on boys within approved schools.5 GIEACPC hoped that the Universal Periodical Review will highlight the importance of prohibiting all corporal punishment of children in all settings, including the home, and urged the Government to enact legislation to achieve this as a matter of priority. Accepted and Rejected Recommendations The following recommendations were accepted: A - 76.3. Request international assistance deemed pertinent to implement measures to improve the human rights situation of children and adolescents (Uruguay); A - 76.10. Conduct a study concerning how the education of disabled students can be implemented through mainstream educational settings (United States); A - 76.11. Implement inclusive education programming for students with disabilities in the general education system (United States); A - 76.12. Implement public policies to improve the human rights situation of persons, particularly children, with disabilities, to allow this sector of the population to participate in the economic, social and cultural life on an equal basis (Ecuador); A - 76.21. Take further measures to prevent and combat violence against children and women (Brazil); A - 76.23. Take all the necessary measures to combat violence and discrimination against children (France); A - 76.24. Intensify ongoing efforts to eradicate the illicit use of drugs and other psychotropic substances, especially among juveniles (Trinidad and Tobago); A - 76.25. Take steps to ensure that prisoners under the age of 18 are housed separately from the general prison population (Canada); A - 76.32. Increase the efforts to promote adolescent health, particularly with respect to reproductive health in order to combat teenage pregnancy (Norway); A - 76.33. With international cooperation and technical assistance, continue strengthening its education policy with a view to provide a comprehensive education that responds to the needs of its people, as the only means to advance towards full development, in conditions that guarantee full equality and the inclusion of the most vulnerable sectors of the population (Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela). A - 77.1. Sign and ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict (Spain); A - 77.3. Increase efforts (Slovenia) to harmonize domestic legislation with the Convention on the Rights of the Child (Uruguay); A - 77.4. Undertake the measures necessary to increase the statistical capacity on the situation of children in the country, to facilitate the development of adequate policies (Uruguay); A - 77.11. Take appropriate steps to establish "Approved Schools" as provided for in the Juvenile Act with the aim of, inter alia, separating juveniles from adult offenders serving custodial sentences (Malaysia); A - 77.12. Finalize the child protection protocol and establish the "Approved Schools" for juveniles as provided for by Government in the Juvenile Act (Barbados); A - 77.13. Promote prevention and assistance policies in the area of reproductive health, in particular for adolescents (Mexico); A - 77.14. Increase efforts to provide medical support for children and promote adolescent health policies with respect to reproductive health (Hungary); A - 77.15. Ensure adequate health and counselling support for adolescent mothers and take further steps to encourage the girls' return to school upon delivering their child (Norway); A - 77.16. Redouble efforts to prevent school dropout and promote school enrolment in the rural areas (Mexico). A - 78.8. Harmonize domestic legislation with the Convention on the Rights of the Child through technical assistance and establish laws that regulate areas that are not yet regulated, such as child pornography or disability (Spain); A - 78.9. Address the concerns of UNICEF that the principles and provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child were not, as at 2010, explicitly set forth in the domestic legislation (Haiti); The following were rejected: R - 78.16. Take steps to combat racial discrimination encountered by children belonging to certain minorities and adopt legislation to combat discrimination experienced by children living with disabilities since there is no specific legislation in this area (Haiti); R - 79.9. Prohibit corporal punishment at school, at home and in public institutions for children and in the context of the administration of justice (France); R - 79.10. Adopt pertinent legislative measures to prohibit all forms of corporal punishment against children and adolescents in any situation (Uruguay); R - 79.11. Amend legislation to prohibit the caning of minors (Belgium); The following were left pending: NC - 78.5. Consider signing and progressively ratifying international human rights instruments to which the country is not yet a party, especially the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (Uruguay); P - 78.20. Raise the minimum age for employment from 14 to 16, so that it conforms with the age of completion of compulsory education (Trinidad and Tobago); P - 78.21. Raise the age of criminal responsibility in compliance with international standards (Slovakia); and ensure that only the juvenile justice system deals with cases of children under 18 years (Uruguay); P - 78.22. Provide suitable, dedicated secure facilities for serious juvenile offenders, with greater training for personnel involved in their supervision, and meaningful alternatives to imprisonment for minor juvenile offenders (United Kingdom); P - 78.23. Raise the minimum age for marriage of both sexes to bring it in line with international standards (Ecuador); P - 78.24. Address the concerns of UNICEF that discrimination persists in the law relating to marriage as regards the minimum legal age of marriage, which is 15 for girls and 16 for boys; these ages are too low in both cases, according to UNICEF (Haiti); P - 78.25. In accordance with the observations of the International Labour Organization, raise to 16 the minimum age for employment, with a view to harmonizing it with the age of completion of compulsory school education, and thus combat both the phenomenon of children dropping out of school as well as child labour (Honduras);
10th May, 9am to 12pm
National Report
UN Compilation
Stakeholder Compilation
Accepted and Rejected Recommendations