CRC/C/OPAC/KHM/CO/1
Adopted by the Committee: 30 January 2015
Published by the Committee: 4 February 2015
Issues raised:
Ratification and reforms:
The Committee welcomes the ratification of the State party of the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, in May 2002 and establishment of 18 years of age, without exceptions, as the age for registration for both compulsory and contractual military service under the Law on the General Statutes for Military Personnel of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) dated 06 November 1997 and the Law on Compulsory Military Service dated 22 December 2006 (para.4,5).
Birth registration and documentation:
The Committee remains concerned about: The low level of birth registration, in particular in remote areas and villages and among children in street situations; Impediments which prevent the effective implementation of the birth registration campaign, such as a 30 days time-limit to register a child after his/her birth, sanctions for late registration and the requirement of an address; Gaps in the implementation of existing recruitment procedures in armed forces and in military schools, due to the lack of measures in place to detect forged documents, which may impact on the effectiveness of age verification procedures (para.17).
Criminal legislation:
The Committee is concerned that no sanctions are provided for in cases of violations and that the State party’s legislation does not provide for an explicit criminalization of the recruitment or use of children under 18 years in the State party’s armed forces in war or peacetime; Criminal liability of non-state armed groups and of private security services or companies governed by Prakas No. 3557 on the Control of Private Security Forces for recruiting or using children under 18 years old; and a definition of direct participation in hostilities (para.16).
Child victims:
The Committee is concerned about reports that children in uniforms may have been present during the conflict along the Cambodian-Thai border (para.20).
The Committee regrets the lack of information about mechanisms in place to identify children who may have been recruited or used in hostilities abroad, particularly among asylum-seeking, refugee, migrant and unaccompanied children present within its jurisdiction (para.22).
Physical and psychological recovery:
While acknowledging the efforts developed by the State party in demining and risk education programs, the Committee expresses its concern at the remaining high risk faced by children of being killed and/or maimed by mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW). It is further concerned that current programmes for mines and ERW victims do not sufficiently protect child victims and address their specific needs (para.24).
