CRC/C/PRT/CO/3-4
Below is a short summary of some of the key issues from the Committee on the Rights of the Child's 65th session concluding observations for Portugal. Read the full text, and you can find other documents related to the Committee's 65th session (including alternative reports submitted by NGOs and the Committee's concluding observations for other States reviewed in this session) on the Committee’s session page.
Non-discrimination: The Committee is concerned about the number of groups still facing the practice of discrimination. The Committee recommends that the State party intensifies its efforts to ensure the elimination of any form of discrimination against children of immigrants, foreigners and ethnic and racial minorities, including the Roma minority and people of African descent, as well as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender adolescents, through awareness raising and intercultural dialogue, especially at the community level and in schools.
Abuse and neglect: The Committee calls for the State party to ensure victims of abuse have access to means of protection, including an adequate number of shelters set up for women and children.
Bullfighting: The Committee, with a view to the eventual prohibition of children’s participation in bullfighting, urges the State party to take all the necessary measures to protect all children involved with the practice, including in their capacity as spectators.
Disabilities: The Committee expresses concern over the alleged delays in processing applications for special education subsidies for children with disabilities. The Committee urges the State party to address the alleged delays in the assessment of requests and to clarify aspects that have been hindering the process of granting the allowances, and to ensure a fair and transparent review procedure in cases of initial rejection.
Mental Health: The Committee recommends that the State party develop a comprehensive national mental health policy with a clear focus on the mental health of children and adolescents, and ensure its effective implementation by allocating adequate funding and resources.
Asylum seekers and refugee children: The Committee recommends that the State party improve asylum procedures regarding unaccompanied and separated children, in particular by communicating the case to the competent Commission for the Protection of Children and Young People. It also recommends the State party increase the accommodation capacity of the reception system and ensure they are child-friendly and conform to UN standards.
Juvenile justice: The Committee urges the State party to prohibit and abolish the use of solitary confinement to punish children and immediately remove all children held in solitary confinement.
For more information on juvenile justice and child sentencing, see CRIN’s campaign on ending inhuman sentencing.
