SOLOMON ISLANDS: Child Rights References in the Universal Periodic Review

Summary: A compilation of extracts featuring child-rights issues from the reports submitted to the first 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.

Solomon Islands - 11th Session - 2011
4th May, 2.30pm to 5.30pm

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National Report
UN Compilation
Stakeholder Compilation
Accepted and rejected recommendations

National Report

19. The Policy Strategic Framework 2008-2010 identifies six major priority policy objectives for the Solomon Islands Government. The sixth is 'the Protection of Civil Rights.' The Prime Minister's Office prioritizes the human rights approach as: 'People's rights are [must be] protected and upheld by constitutional office holders whose roles it is [are] to ensure integrity, good governance, law, order and justice and well functioning integrity institutions. The Ministry of Women, Youth and Children's Affairs considers the promotion of the rights of young women, young people and children vital and encapsulates this as a policy objective in the following terms: 'to uphold and promote the rights of women, young people and children through effective partnership and strong commitment, thereby creating equal opportunities for all to advance the wellbeing of the nation.' It is also a current policy goal to commission the Law Reform Commission to work on strengthening the traditional local courts in relations to human rights and constitutional guarantees. Part of the current government's policy goals is to be a party to specific human rights instruments, and has delivered on this on 23 September 2008, and 24 September 2009 (see below). The current Government continues to uphold these policy principles.

20. Solomon Islands became a member of the United Nations in 1978. It therefore considers the United National Charter and the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights as cornerstones of human rights. It has either ratified or is a signatory to the following human rights instruments:

• The Convention on The Rights of the Child (accession: 10 April 1995);

• The Convention on The Rights of the Child (accession: 10 April 1995);

• Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict (signatory: 24 Sept 2009);

• The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (signatory: 24 Sept 2009);

28. The Solomon Islands Government (SIG) recognises that access to education is a human right. Since the beginning of 2009, the SIG has implemented the Free Fee Basic Education (FFBE) policy, purposely to address the difficulty which parents faced with paying 'school fees', an excuse often used for not sending children to schools in many instances by some parents, especially in the rural areas. The FFBE policy covers students attending Year 1 to Year 9, however only caters for the operational costs of the schools. This means that schools management can still ask parents for contributions (cash contribution, labour, and school fundraising).

29. In 2009, the cost per child for Year 1 to Year 6 (in both urban and rural schools) was $320.00. In 2010, while the cost per child in rural primary schools was $320.00, that for urban primary schools was increased to $520.00. The latter calculation took into considering the cost of electricity and water. There are no increases in these amounts for 2011. In regards to Community High Schools (Year 7 to Year 9: day students), in 2009 when the FFBE policy was introduced, both rural and urban Community High Schools received $800.00 per student. In 2010, rural Community High Schools were paid $800.00 per student; while urban Community High Schools were paid $1000.00 per student (electricity and water costs are included in this calculation). There are no increases in these amounts for 2011. In 2009 when the FFBE was introduced in secondary schools (Year 7– Year 9) with boarding facilities, each student was paid $1640.00 per year, regardless of the location of the school. In 2010 each student was paid $2100.00 per year and there are no increases for 2011.

30. Since 2005, the SIG has implemented the Community High School initiative. These community secondary schools are being built closer to or within villages and communities, purposely to address the issue of gender balance, including that of accessibility to secondary education by girls. The SIG has recently increased its annual grants to public and church run primary and secondary schools after receiving feedbacks from school administrations in 2009. The SIG provides scholarships for teacher training (certificate and diploma programmes) at the Solomon Islands College of Higher Education (SICHE), the University of the South Pacific (Fiji), and also to various universities and colleges in Papua New Guinea. Solomon Islands acknowledge NZAID's funding towards its first year trial in 2009. Solomon Islands also acknowledges AusAID funding of SBD10 million towards school extensions and renovations in 2010.

34. The Ministry of Women, Youth and Children Affairs (MWYCA) since 2007 plays the coordinating role for the White Ribbon Campaign. This campaign involves NGOs and the MWYCA advocacy against 'violence against women', and it starts from 25 November and ends on the 10 of December each year. The campaign always begins with a parade through the capital city. The Ministry has started taking over this role in 2007, has allocated a budget for this, and employs a person through the Gender-Based Violence & Child Abuse Project. Prior to 2007, it was only the NGO's who were organising the campaign.

38. In 2010, the Law Reform Commission (LRC) as part of its ongoing program of community engagement which includes awareness raising activities, in relation to its projects to addressing sexual offences, sentencing, corruption offences and mental impairment, criminal responsibility and fitness to plead, and how the law should be reformed in these areas, it has produced seven 15 minute radio programs for broadcast on the Solomon Islands Broadcasting corporation, that gave information about LRC's current projects, and invited members of the public to give their view in relations to how the following human rights conventions are relevant to the reform of the Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code : The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), The Optional Protocol to the CRC on Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography), The Convention for Eliminating all Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

40. With a population where eighty (80) percent of it dwells in rural villages and hamlets, gender roles are being traditionally defined along 'kastom' ('custom' in Solomon Islands pidgin), which have often cited as a factor that at times justifies the interpretation of human rights in relations to women and children. Notwithstanding this, there is some little progress being seen in the awareness shown by the public at large in recent years that, women's and children wellbeing are human rights issues. The challenge to ensure that women fully participate in national decision making and development, children's rights coupled with their security are fully protected in law remains. Additionally, issues as violence against women, women being discriminated against in work places, and by financial institutions when it comes to the subject of accessing loans are equally challenging too. Besides these, the subject to mainstreaming gender and gender equality into national policy formulation and development discourse remains contentious. Furthermore, it was raised during consultations for the UPR report, that women's economic empowerment for development should be addressed first, before women in leadership for development. The Solomon Islands government acknowledges these as challenges, more work needs to be done around its laws, and legal frameworks to guarantee their full protection and it will need the support of partners to addressing them. Some of the initiatives which have taken place regarding law reforms, and policies focusing mainly on women and children are indicative of the desire by the SIG to start addressing these areas.

41. Solomon Islands recognise the huge challenge to provide quality education that is both accessible and affordable by, and for its fast growing population. Since 2005, the Government's Community High School initiative has contributed to the management of such a challenge, especially towards addressing the issues of gender balance and accessibility to secondary education by girls. However, the challenge remains taunting against its fast growing youth population. The Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development has also since 2005 begun implementing the Curriculum Review and Reform Programme (CRRP). The first phase began in 2005 and ended in 2009, while the second phase began in 2010. The CRRP's goals are both to integrate subject syllabuses, and to establish a continuous learning pathway from Year 1 to year 9.

42. The need to have human rights as a subject to be studied in both primary and secondary schools remains, and equally challenging is the Government's goal to putting in place curriculum and schools for children with special needs. Solomon Islands have only a single school for children with special needs and situated in the capital, Honiara. At the Juvenile Corrective centre at Rove, the need for education comes in the context that, there are no mechanisms to provide continuing education for juveniles and the Government sees this as an issue, in which it would like assistance towards solving.

44. Solomon Islands have a dualist legal system, and domestication of international instruments remains a challenge, however, it currently has the following:

• Child Protection Draft Bill;

56. For a small island state, having ratified the following is an achievement and it looks forward to working with other partners in terms of drawing up policies and drafting suitable and sustainable legislation that will give effect to these international instruments in local legislation:

• The Convention on The Rights of the Child (accession: 10 April 1995);

• The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict (signatory: 24 Sept 2009);

• The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (signatory: 24 Sept 2009);

61. The Penal Code contains many of the major crimes that apply in Solomon Islands including murder, rape, child sexual abuse offences and personal harm offences (such as assault, unlawful wounding and causing grievous harm). It also contains rules regarding criminal responsibility (minimum age for criminal responsibility, insanity, defences to criminal charges). The Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code have provisions about how courts can impose punishment (sentencing) as well as the rules that govern the process of prosecuting criminal offences. The review is significant and is likely to take some years.

64. In regards to Law Reform and implementing human rights treaties, LRC is currently working to the following as they are relevant to the reform of the Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code : The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) (including the Optional Protocol to the CRC on Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography), the Convention for Eliminating all Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD).

65. As part of its research for the reform of the Penal Code (PC) and Criminal Penal Code (CPC), the LRC has prepared a document that analyses the PC and CPC in terms of the requirements of these Conventions. A number of regional publications produced by international non government organisations (such as Translating CEDAW into Law published by UNIFEM and UNDP Pacific Centre) provide useful information for achieving legislative compliance with international human rights treaties. The LRC analysis also takes into account comments made by committees where Solomon Islands has made an initial or periodic report on implementing a human rights convention. For example, in 2003 the Committee on the Rights of the Child made a recommendation for Solomon Islands to increase the age of criminal responsibility, and the age of consent for marriage.

66. The current project addressing sexual offences is taking into account a number of important human rights standards including the best interests of the child (article 3 of the CRC), the need to protect children from all forms of violence (article 19 of the CRC), the obligation to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women (article 2 of CEDAW) and the need to take appropriate measures to modify the social and cultural patterns of conduct of men and women to achieve the elimination of prejudices and customary and other practices based on the idea of the inferiority or superiority of either of the sexes (article 5 of CEDAW).

72. Solomon Islands currently have a National Children Policy with National Plan of Action published in April 2010. Its outcomes and directions are informed by the UNICEF- AusAID funded study on children in the Solomon Islands title: Protect me with Love and Care, A Baseline Report for the Solomon Islands 2008 (published in 2010). It has five strategic plan of action-outcomes for children in Solomon Islands: a) protection; b) development; c) survival; d) participation; and d) planning. In retrospect, after Solomon Islands participation at the World summit for children in 1990, the Solomon Islands Government (SIG) established its National Advisory Committee on Children (NACC) in 1992. Its purpose is to advise Cabinet on issues relating to children. Consequently, Solomon Islands became a Party to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1995. It was NACC which prepared and submitted Solomon Islands report in May 2003 to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). It also provided coordination to the National Children Policy with National Plan of Action framework which began with a review of the draft Policy and Plan of Action by all stakeholders in 2007. It importantly took into consideration observations made by the UNCRC regarding Solomon Islands CRC 2003 report.

73. The first National Youth Policy was adopted in 2000. Its review by the Ministry of Women, Youth and Children Affairs (MWYCA) occurred in 2007, which resulted in the Solomon Islands National Youth Policy 2010-2015. The period between 2000 to 2010 saw the following: Youth budget allocated increased; CEDAW ratified in 2002; Youth officers been recruited for national and importantly Provincial offices; an increase in the number of NGOs youth programmes; the capacity of Honiara city council's youth division increases; the initiation of Solomon Islands national Youth Award; Youth policies and Action plans formulated for each Provinces; inauguration of the first Youth Parliament in 2008; and the formation of the National Youth stakeholders committee (NYSC) with support from the MWYCA.

77. The Correctional Services Act 2007 makes provisions for the establishment and administration of correctional services and centres, including appointment of officers, and importantly various rights of the prisoners (sections 18 and 172). In regards to juveniles, the Correctional Service has the Administration of Juvenile Justice in the Solomon Islands manual of operation 2006, mandated by the Solomon Islands Juvenile Act (Chapter 14) which provides for the establishment of a separate juvenile centre, and which draws its rules specifically from the United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles deprived of their Liberty, United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (The Beijing Rules), and United Nations Guidelines for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency (The Riyadh Guidelines). The main Correctional center at Rove is being annually inspected by the ICRC (Fiji).

84. The Solomon Islands Government recognises that human rights are entitlements by the function of the fact that a person is a human being, and that it has a role to play towards their realisations by its peoples'. To this end, the protection of these rights within its Constitution, couple with the implementation of national respective policies towards women, youths, children, gender equality, and so on, must be contextually practical to ensure that they are deliverable, and thus, the following constitute SIG initiatives: The Policy Strategic Framework 2008-2010, Solomon Islands National Climate Change Policy 2011-2015, Administration of Juvenile Justice in the Solomon Islands manual of operation 2006, National HIV Policy and Multi-Sectoral Strategic Plan 2005-2010, National Policy on Eliminating Violence against Women (2010), National Policy on Gender equality and Women's Development (2010), National Policy on Gender equality and Women's Development 2010-2015, Protecting Women's Human Rights in Solomon Islands Law toolkit, National Children Policy with National Plan of Action (2010), Solomon Islands National Youth Policy 2010- 2015; Rights of People with Disabilities Draft Bill, Child Protection Draft Bill.

85. The Solomon Islands Government (SIG) requests the international community to consider assisting national policy plans and strategies towards addressing women economic empowerment, climate change, advocacy against violence against women and children, youth empowerment, legal aid, health, education and law reform initiatives in the following ways:

b) Technical assistance to build local capacity towards the implementation of CRPD, CEDAW, and CRC through the Ministry of Women, Youth and Children Affairs and the Ministry of Health and Medical Services;

d) Technical assistance towards providing continuing education for juveniles through the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development and the Correctional Services;

f) Technical assistance to assist the Government to establish schools for children with special needs;

Compilation of UN information

1. In 2003, the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) encouraged Solomon Islands to ratify the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, and the involvement of children in armed conflict.

2. In 2002, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) recommended that Solomon Islands consider ratifying the main International Labour Organization Conventions relating to economic, social and cultural rights, such as Convention No. 87 concerning Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise , Convention No. 98 concerning the Application of the Principles of the Right to Organise and to Bargain Collectively and Convention No. 182 concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour.

6. UNICEF noted that there were difficulties in the protection of children's rights due to existing gaps in legislation. It added that the National Advisory Committee on Children (NACC) comprising Government and stakeholders had become the central focal point for dealing with children's issues. Two approaches had been taken by the NACC in undertaking legislative reform: (a) the development a child rights bill and child protection bill; (b) the review of laws to ensure their compatibility with CRC. The NACC is currently reviewing whether to pursue one or both approaches given their advantages and disadvantages.14 UNICEF assisted in the carrying out of legal reform, drafting of new laws and amending existing ones. Children and young people are consulted in these processes.

7. CRC was concerned at the many inconsistencies in the minimum ages applicable to various areas of the law of Solomon Islands , and noted, in particular, that: the minimum age of criminal responsibility was too low (8 years); the age of marriage was too low (15 years), especially since no birth certificate or any other official document was required for marriage; the minimum age for employment was too low (12 years); and, as education was not compulsory, ages for admission to, and completion of primary education had not been set. It recommended that Solomon Islands raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility to internationally accepted standards and ensure that juvenile justice protection is accorded to all children up to the age of 18; raise the age of marriage and require official documentation to be presented for official matters; raise the minimum age for employment; and set ages for admission to, and completion of compulsory primary education.

10. UNICEF drew attention to the National Policy on Children 2010-2015, developed by the Solomon Islands National Advisory Committee for Children and the Ministry of Women, Youth and Children's Affairs; the National Youth Policy 2010-2015, developed by the Youth Development Division of the Ministry of Women, Youth and Children's Affairs and the National Gender Equality Policy, developed by the Women's Development Division of the Ministry of Women, Youth and Children's Affairs. All of these have been endorsed by the Cabinet.

15. In 2003, CRC was concerned that there continued to be widespread discrimination against women and girls, and that girls were underrepresented in schools. It was also concerned that the principle of non-discrimination was not adequately implemented for children of some ethnic minorities and economically disadvantaged households, and that children living in remote islands, children born out of wedlock and children with disabilities, also experienced discrimination especially with regard to their access to adequate health care and educational facilities.

17. UNICEF referred to the fact that there were gangs in many settlement areas made up of disaffected 'ex-combatants' from the Tensions. This large group ranged in age from mid- teens to early thirties and many of them had been 'child soldiers'. The Peace and Reconciliation process may provide an opportunity for some of the tension relating to this unresolved situation to be relieved.

18. In 2010, UNICEF reported that domestic violence was widespread in Solomon Islands, with both women and children at risk of physical, emotional and sexual abuse. Violence and abuse of children are associated with poverty to some extent, but are endemic practices that exist simply because they are not prevented.

19. CESCR was alarmed, in 2002, at the high incidence of domestic violence against women and children in Solomon Islands. It urged Solomon Islands to adopt and implement effective measures to protect women and children from domestic violence.

20. CRC was concerned that the problem of abuse, including sexual abuse, within the family and in institutions appeared to be significant; very few cases of physical and sexual abuse were effectively pursued by the police or brought to court; reporting was not mandatory and there were no procedures or facilities for protecting abused children or meeting their needs. It recommended that Solomon Islands launch a comprehensive study on the prevalence of abuse, including sexual abuse, aimed at informing policy and law makers, including through cooperation with international NGOs.

21. UNICEF added that 37 per cent of women reported having been abused when they were under the age of 15, and that the overall rate of abuse is higher in urban areas.

22. CRC, in 2003, was very concerned that children of both sexes were exposed to prostitution due to economic difficulties; there was a lack of guidance on the role of police intervention in this field, as well as an absence of institutions dedicated to the rehabilitation of child victims and that there was very little data on the number of children being exploited. It recommended that Solomon Islands undertake a study on the sexual exploitation of children and adopt a national plan of action against sexual exploitation of children.

23. UNICEF noted that there were cases of child labour, particularly among girls, in Buala in Isabel Province and that 9.4 per cent of girls (under 16 years) in urban settlement in Honiara were reported to be looking for work. Communities surveyed also reported an increase in Commercial Sexual Exploitation (CSEC) due to increased difficulty in meeting daily expenditures.

24. CRC was concerned that many children under 15 were working, often in very poor conditions and for long hours, preventing them from attending school. It recommended that Solomon Islands make greater efforts to reduce the number of children working in the formal and informal sectors; to ensure that those children who do work do so in accordance with international standards and continue to have access to formal education and to ratify ILO Conventions No. 138 concerning the Minimum Age for Admission to Employment and No. 182 concerning the Prohibitions and Immediate Actions for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour.

26. CRC was concerned that corporal punishment was widely practised in the family, schools and other institutions, such as prisons and in alternative care contexts, that there was insufficient knowledge about ill-treatment of children, including on the part of State agents and that acts of violations against the mother and/or other members of the family frequently took place in the presence of children. It recommended that Solomon Islands take all legislative and other measures to prohibit all forms of physical and mental violence, including corporal punishment, against children in the family, schools, and in all other contexts and conduct a study to assess the nature and extent of ill-treatment of children.

28. UNICEF reported that the widespread domestic violence which placed both women and children at risk in Solomon Islands was sustained by lack of law enforcement.

30. ESCAP reported that the practice of early marriage or children being traded according to the wishes of parents and extended families continued. Furthermore, customary marriages were recognized in Solomon Islands and such marriages were not subject to the statutory age requirements and other protections in relation to marriage.

31. ESCAP stated that, as regards marriage of minors, the consent of fathers was prioritized, which reinforced the stereotype of the father as the head of the household, and denied women equal rights and responsibilities with those of men, as required by article 16 of CEDAW.

32. CRC was concerned that society at large was not aware of the importance of birth registration and that registration was not integrally linked to the health system; as a result many children, particularly those born in remote islands were not registered at birth. It recommended that Solomon Islands take measures to ensure that all children are registered at birth and make every effort to register older children who were not registered at birth.

38. UNICEF remarked that 22,220 people in Honiara, out of whom 8,166 children under 15 years were unable to afford the basic minimum standard of living. In the rural areas, it is estimated that the 83,000 people of whom 31,734 children were unable to afford the basic minimum standard of living. Additionally around 18,500 people of the rural population, including 8,070 children, and 3,885 people in Honiara, including 1450 children, lived just above the basic poverty line and their expenditure was no more than 10 per cent above the rural and Honiara BNPL respectively. Poverty was deepest and most severe in Honiara, followed by rural areas.

42. In 2010, UNDP indicated that the regional database showed that the prevalence in Solomon Islands of underweight children under five years had dropped sharply from 23 per cent in 1990 to 11.8 per cent in 2007. This was very close to reaching one of the targets under MDG 1. MDG 5 aimed to reduce maternal mortality which had been reduced from 550 deaths per 100,000 births in 1990 to 96 deaths per 100,000 births in 2008.

45. CRC was concerned that adolescents did not have appropriate access to information and services relating to adolescent health in general and reproductive health in particular; adolescents remained extremely vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and that girls were not protected from the risk of pregnancy, and that tobacco, alcohol and substance abuse were widespread among young people.

46. UNICEF noted there were an unknown number of homeless children and young people living on the streets of Honiara. As these children had no regular parental care and there was no source of State care, their only source of assistance was church organizations and NGOs, which were generally seriously under-funded. Most children, however, received no support.

48. In 2010, UNDP stated that, according to the latest statistics from the regional database, 94 per cent of all children in Solomon Islands attended primary school, meaning that the MDG on universal primary education was within reach. The ratio of boys to girls in primary education had also evened out – a huge improvement from the situation in 1990. In secondary school, girls were still underrepresented. It was also vital to ensure that children would have the quality of teaching necessary to succeed in further studies and work. While noting the considerable efforts made by Solomon Islands to reduce illiteracy, CESCR remained concerned in 2002 that illiteracy, especially among women, posed a grave problem.

49. UNICEF acknowledged that school fees at primary level had been abolished from 2010. However, many children, particularly those from vulnerable households, remained at home or did not attend regularly as schooling was unaffordable due to other school levies and other essential expenses including uniforms, books, and transportation. Sentinel site monitoring reported that about the half of children who were surveyed did not attend school full-time for the last term during 2009/2010. Girls were reported to miss school during that time more often than in 2009.

50. ESCAP stated that relatively large numbers of children, especially girls, did not go to school at all because there were too few schools. In 2009, UNICEF stated that, in Solomon Islands, fewer girls were going to secondary education than boys.

51. In 2003, CRC was concerned that there were wide disparities among the islands in terms of the quality of education and its coverage; and that the enrolment of girls remained very low.

62. CRC recommended that Solomon Islands: seek technical assistance from United Nations agencies, including WHO, UNICEF and UNFPA, with regard to adolescent health; and seek international cooperation from, among others, UNICEF, ILO and WHO, regarding children exposed to prostitution.

Summary of stakeholders' information

6. Save the Children Solomon Islands (SCSI) stated that the rights of the child recognized in the CRC had not been codified in Solomon Islands national legislation Islands, thus the protections afforded children by the CRC were not fully reflected in the laws of the Solomon Islands. A draft child rights bill and a draft child protection bill existed, and the National Children's Policy and National Plan of Action (2010) committed the Solomon Islands to achieving changes in the legislative framework by 2015, 20 years after the CRC was ratified. SCSI recommended that the Solomon Islands prioritize the legislative changes necessary to ensure that the rights of children are fully protected.

19. The Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children (GIEACPC) noted that corporal punishment was lawful in the home, in schools, and in alternative care settings. In the penal system, corporal punishment was unlawful as a criminal penalty. There was no provision for judicial corporal punishment in the Penal Code, the Criminal Procedure Act or the Juvenile Offenders Act (1972). In June 2006, elders and church leaders on Wagina Island reportedly agreed to stop whipping as a form of punishment for people who break village rules. Corporal punishment was prohibited as a disciplinary measure in penal institutions.

20. SCSI recommended that the Government: should enact specific laws to protect children from violence in the home and from family members, supported by appropriate social services and police powers, so that children do not have to continue to live in an abusive environment; be more proactive in censuring family violence, by creating greater awareness and promoting prevention; and promote and fund services to support families and children affected by violence and abuse.

21. Further, SCSI recommended that the Government should enforce the prohibition of corporal punishment by teachers in schools, for example through greater community involvement in school management boards; and promote positive discipline strategies in schools and in communities, providing teachers and parents with tools to guide the behaviour of children without resorting to the use of corporal punishment.

29. SCSI recommended that the Government should: codify appropriate responses for community justice to ensure that procedures and sanctions take into account the best interests of the child in complying with the rights of the child; and ensure that specific types of offences against children are dealt with through formal legal processes.

37. AI also noted that poor sanitation, coupled with unsafe water sources increased the risk of water-borne diseases. AI noted the concern of health professionals that many in the informal settlements suffered from diseases such as dysentery, diarrhoea and cholera due to contaminated water sources and the lack of sanitation.48 JS3 also noted that around 355,000 people were at risk of the debilitating effects of water borne diseases as a result limited access to water and sanitation. JS3 further stated that the lack of these basic needs caused many children to be ill and as a result did not go to school. An improvement in these health conditions would bring about a better attendance at school.

38. JS1 noted the efforts by the Government to address the right to education through implementation of its education policies as well as the good level of enrolment in schools. JS1 however noted the lack of necessary teaching resources such as the availability of good quality education infrastructure like science laboratories and libraries as well as the need to provide a standardized basic education across the country. While noting the October 2010 Policy Statement of the Government committing it to ensuring that all Solomon Islanders have equal access to quality education, JS3 stated that access to quality education was an ongoing challenge for children in the Solomon Islands. According to JS3, the Solomon Islands suffered from an acute shortage of qualified teachers, overcrowded classrooms and limited learning resources. These factors affected the entire education sector and were exacerbated by weak school administration and ineffective community engagement in many schools. The Government's limited reference to child rights principles in its education policies was also a major concern.

39. JS3 noted that the vast majority of children with disabilities had no real access to education in 2010. JS3 stated that in line with the Government's policy on equal access for all children, the highest priority must be given in Government's education spending to the improvement of access for children with disabilities in the rural and urban areas.

40. JS1 further noted that the Government had succeeded in making education free, but not compulsory, until year 9, which generally consists of pupils ranging between ages 15 and 17. JS3 noted that primary school attendance was not universal, as reflected in a net 2007 attendance rate of 65.4 per cent. In urban areas, 72 per cent of children aged 6–13 attended primary school, compared with 65 per cent in rural areas.

41. JS1 noted that the number of girls attending junior and upper level schools was lower than boys, due to cultural barriers preventing girls from attending school.

42. JS3 recommended, among others, that the Solomon Islands increase accessibility to secondary schools for all Solomon Islands children; develop both formal and non-formal education curricula that provide relevant developmental skills of the students; and introduce Human Rights education into the school curriculum.

44. Beyond the environmental damage logging has caused, it has also implied a dramatic change in the traditional way of living of the indigenous peoples in Solomon Islands. The logging industry has encouraged consumption of new goods, the introduction of a cash-economy and new social relations and customs. Money raised by deforestation has been used by indigenous populations to buy additional food which traditionally was unknown and for travel and amusement in bigger cities. Logging companies have been hiring staff from abroad. Foreign loggers have incited the commercial sexual exploitation of children and the loss of traditional values of the indigenous population.

Accepted and Rejected Recommendations

The following recommendations were accepted:

A - 80.1. Strengthen its efforts to modify or repeal existing laws and regulations that discriminate against women and girls (Thailand);

A - 80.2. Amend domestic legislation so that the minimum age for marriage is set at 18 years (Ecuador);

A - 80.7. Adopt legislation to address all forms of violence against women and modify existing laws that discriminate against women and girls (Canada);

A - 80.12. Adopt and implement legislative and other effective measures to protect women and children from domestic violence and abuse in all forms (Trinidad and Tobago);

A - 80.13. Take the necessary steps to codify in national laws obligations subscribed to in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (Canada);

A - 80.14. Introduce national legislation to ensure that the rights of the child are fully protected, in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child (Slovenia);

A - 80.15. Adopt legislation to legally prohibit corporal punishment of children (Hungary);

A - 80.16. Review the legislation on the minimum ages for criminal responsibility and for employment (Brazil);

A - 80.17. Raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility to the internationally accepted age (Hungary);

A - 80.18. Align the minimum age of criminal responsibility with accepted international norms on the matter and ensure that all children up to the age of 18 years can benefit from the protection of the juvenile justice system (France);

A - 80.19. Raise the minimum age at which children can be held criminally responsible (Mexico);

A - 80.20. Consider raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility (Chile);

A - 80.21. Adopt legislative measures to bring the age of criminal responsibility into conformity with international standards (Costa Rica);

A - 80.22. Raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility in compliance with international standards (Slovakia);

A - 80.23. Raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility to bring it into conformity with international standards and provide children under 18 years with due protection from juvenile justice system (Ecuador);

A - 80.27. Adopt and implement measures to protect women and children from domestic violence (Ecuador);

A - 80.31. End all forms of corporal punishment of children in all settings, including in the home and in schools, by enforcing its prohibition (Slovenia);

A - 80.32. Enhance protection of children from abuse, including prostitution and child pornography (United States);

A - 80.33. Adopt a national plan of action against sexual exploitation of children and against child labour. Raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility to internationally accepted standards and ensure that juvenile justice protection is accorded to all children up to the age of 18 years (Slovenia);

A - 80.34. Formulate and implement a national action plan against the sexual exploitation of children (Trinidad and Tobago);

A - 80.36. Undertake a study on the sexual exploitation of children and adopt a national plan of action against sexual exploitation of children (Germany);

A - 80.37. Adopt all necessary measures, in accordance with article 7, paragraph 1, of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to guarantee the registration of all girls and boys at birth in Solomon Islands; as well as for those persons who have not been registered at birth (Mexico);

A - 80.44. Implement public awareness and education programmes on sexuality aimed at adolescents that includes information on contraceptive health, family planning, sexual and reproductive health, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDs (Norway);

A - 80.45. Seek, in cooperation with relevant international organizations and stakeholders, to include human rights education in school curricula, as appropriate (Philippines);

A - 80.46. Put greater efforts to ensure that human rights awareness, including the issue of gender equality, is included in the school curricula (Indonesia);

A - 80.48. Continue to work, with development partners, towards compulsory basic education for all children, building on the progress and reforms to date (New Zealand);

A - 80.49. Continue efforts to reduce illiteracy by implementing measures to ensure girl's and women's access to all levels of education (Norway).

A - 81.3. Consider the possibility of ratifying the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and its Optional Protocols; the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and its Optional Protocol; the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child; the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families; the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol; and the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (Argentina);

A - 81.4. Sign and ratify the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and its Optional Protocol; the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and its two Optional Protocols; the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance; ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the two Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (Spain);

A - 81.5. Sign or ratify the following international human rights instruments: the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child; the Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness; the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families; the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide; the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court; and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children (Ecuador);

A - 81.11. Ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (United Kingdom);

A - 81.19. Pass a law to criminalize all forms of human trafficking and ratify the Protocol to Prevent Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (United States);

A - 81.22. Establish a minimum age for employment in compliance with international norms (France);

A - 81.23. Continue efforts to promote and protect the rights of women, children, and young persons and persons with disabilities;

A - 81.39. Conduct a comprehensive study on child abuse, including sexual abuse, and child labour,  with a view to identifying enhanced protection measures and ensuring the provision of adequate  resources for their implementation (Canada);

A - 81.40. Redouble its efforts to eliminate child labour, and protect children who are vulnerable, especially children living and working in the streets (Ecuador);

A - 81.41. Seek the assistance of ILO to combat child labour (Brazil);

A - 81.45. Implement the recently adopted Human Rights Council resolution on children working and/or living on the street and give priority attention to the prevention of this phenomenon by addressing its diverse causes through economic, social, educational and empowerment strategies. These include proper birth registration, health care, education, awareness-raising and assistance to families (Hungary);

A - 81.48. Ensure that all children are registered at birth and make every effort to register all persons previously not registered (Slovakia);

A - 81.56. Take measures so as to ensure that all children can enjoy their right to free and compulsory basic education, and establish a school programme on human rights education and training (Morocco);

A - 81.57. Increase efforts necessary to ensure that education for boys and girls is free, compulsory and accessible (Mexico);

A - 81.58. Provide for free, compulsory education, accessible to all, with particular care paid to disabled children by allocating sufficient financial and human resources to the education system (Slovakia).

No recommendations were rejected.

No recommendations were left pending.

Countries

Please note that these reports are hosted by CRIN as a resource for Child Rights campaigners, researchers and other interested parties. Unless otherwise stated, they are not the work of CRIN and their inclusion in our database does not necessarily signify endorsement or agreement with their content by CRIN.