Experts of the Committee on the Rights of the Child Commend Bolivia on the Pursuit of a More Equal Society, Raise Questions about Early Marriage and Violence in Schools

The Committee on the Rights of the Child today concluded its consideration of the combined fifth and sixth periodic report of Bolivia, commending the State on its pursuit of a more equal society, while questioning the delegation about the prevalence of early marriage in the country, and violence in the educational setting.  

Luis Pedernera Reyna, Committee Expert and Coordinator of the Taskforce for Bolivia, welcomed the delegation, saying much had been done at the legislative and institutional levels, and commended Bolivia’s pursuit for a more equal society.  He acknowledged Bolivia was appearing against a backdrop of a coup d'état and a global health crisis. 

Benoit Van Keirsbilck, Committee Expert and Member of the Taskforce for Bolivia, said the law for marriage was set at the age of 18, however, there was an exception where parents could give permission for children to get married from the age of 16.  How many child marriages were held for children under the age of 18?  What was the motivation of parents to approve this?  How often did the judicial authorities approve a marriage which had been denied by the parents?  Had discussions taken place regarding a possible amendment to this exception? 

Mr. Pedernera Reyna noted that violence was a concern within the school setting, with headmasters and teachers sometimes striking children and exerting power over them in a violent manner.  Children reported that the mechanisms in place were poor for combatting this violence and operated in favour of the adults.  Was the State aware of this situation?  What was being done to deal with these issues which took place in the educational setting?

Regarding early marriage, the delegation said that in 2014 the Government enacted the Family Code and the Family Procedure Code, which stipulated that people could freely enter into a marriage when they turned 18.  However, there were exceptions, meaning that people could enter into marriage when they were 16 or older, as long as they had parental or guardian consent, or consent of the State if they were a ward of the State.  There had been 268 marriages of those under 18, and 91 per cent of these were women.  An internal debate would be held to continue the discussion on the permissibility of marriage before the age of 18. 

The delegation said a programme for combatting sexual violence against children and adolescents at school had been implemented at the national level.  In 2022, more than 20,000 teachers were trained on themes relating to violence.  The Education Ministry included human rights defenders and lawyers to provide support to students who had been victims of violence.  Teachers accused were suspended until the proceedings were heard; to date there had been over 600 teachers accused of such offences.  Bolivia was doing its best to ensure that those who committed violence were suspended and tried before a court.  

Nadia Alejandra Cruz Tarifa, Vice Minister of Equal Opportunities, Ministry of Justice and International Transparency of Bolivia and head of the delegation, introducing the report, said guaranteeing access to education was an essential part of Bolivia’s fight against poverty.  School dropouts were one of the issues faced by the State.  In response, the Juancito Pinto bonus was implemented in 2006, which consisted of an annual monetary payment for students.  This measure provided an incentive for children to remain in the school system and had benefited millions of students.  

Ms. Cruz Tarifa said Bolivia had promoted sustained actions aimed at reducing the high rates of teenage pregnancy.  The advances made by Bolivia had suffered a setback due to two factors: the coup d'état of 2019 and the COVID-19 pandemic.  Bolivia appeared before the Committee to report on progress made in compliance with the Convention, but also to share the challenges in the pending work on the State’s agenda.

In closing remarks, Mr. Pedernera Reyna thanked the delegation for travelling to Geneva and said Bolivia had shown an ability to meet the needs of the people.  The figures on poverty reduction were an indication of this, although there were still outstanding issues.  The Committee would work to draft the best possible recommendations for the State. 

Ms. Cruz Tarifa thanked the Committee for allowing Bolivia to take stock of the work which had been carried out to the benefit of children and adolescents in the State.  Bolivia had a long way to go, and spaces like the Committee would allow the State to keep moving forward and protecting the human rights of the State’s children and adolescents. 

The delegation of Bolivia consisted of representatives from the Ministry of Justice and International Transparency; the Ministry of Equal Opportunities; and the Permanent Mission of Bolivia to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

The Committee will issue its concluding observations on the report of Bolivia at the end of its ninety-second session on 3 February.  Those, and other documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, will be available here.  Summaries of the public meetings of the Committee can be found here, while webcasts of the public meetings can be found here. 

The Committee will next meet in public at 3 p.m. on Monday, 23 January, to begin its consideration of the combined fifth and sixth periodic report of Azerbaijan (CRC/C/AZE/5-6).

Report

The Committee has before it the combined fifth and sixth periodic report of Bolivia (CRC/C/BOL/5-6).

Presentation of Report

NADIA ALEJANDRA CRUZ TARIFA, Vice Minister of Equal Opportunities, Ministry of Justice and International Transparency of Bolivia and head of the delegation, said discrimination and racism generated poverty and deepened the gaps of social inequality.  Therefore, in May 2010 the law against racism and all forms of discrimination was enacted, which guaranteed the rights of children in the different areas of their development.  Bolivia regarded the principle of the best interests of the child as a duty of the State.  Birth certificates were granted free of charge and provisions were made to provide compulsory, free education at all levels, up to higher education.  Guaranteeing access to education was an essential part of Bolivia’s fight against poverty.  School dropouts were one of the issues faced by the State.  In response, the Juancito Pinto bonus was implemented in 2006, which consisted of an annual monetary payment for students.  This measure provided an incentive for children to remain in the school system and had benefited millions of students.  To meet the needs of indigenous children and adolescents, the State trained more than 20,000 teachers at the undergraduate and master’s levels.  Bolivia also promoted the establishment of “bilingual nests” to revive native languages.

In 2019, the free and universal health system was implemented without any age limit, meaning the entire Bolivian population could access comprehensive and free health services throughout the country.  In 2014, the National Telehealth Programme was introduced, with the aim of providing the most remote localities of the country with health services.  Since 2015, the number of children and adolescents in institutional care had been considerably reduced.  The Bolivian State was aware of situations which put children at risk, including human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and teenage pregnancy, among others.  Mechanisms had been established in five areas: prevention, protection, care, prosecution and criminal punishment, in addition to classifying the crime of trafficking in persons.  Bolivia had promoted sustained actions aimed at reducing the high rates of teenage pregnancy.  The State had specific public policies for children with disabilities, including inclusive education, health care, access to housing solutions, and the general law for persons with disabilities.

The advances made by Bolivia had suffered a setback due to two factors: the coup d'état of 2019 and the COVID-19 pandemic.  When democracy was restored in 2020, the President adopted State measures to guarantee the normal development of the school year.  These included providing mobile devices to students and teachers; enabling virtual education platforms; reducing Internet fees; and gradually implementing the return to face-to-face classes.  The State had promoted actions to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, through access to health facilities for newborns, children and adolescents; mobile brigades for families; and vaccinations for children, among others.  Ms. Cruz Tarifa said the Latin American region was going through a period of attacks on progressive governments, which meant actions in the field of human rights encountered obstacles.  Bolivia appeared before the Committee to report on progress made in compliance with the Convention, but also to share the challenges in the pending work on the State’s agenda.

Questions by Committee Experts

LUIS PEDERNERA REYNA, Committee Expert and Coordinator of the Taskforce for Bolivia, welcomed the delegation, saying much had been done in Bolivia at the legislative and institutional level.  He commended Bolivia’s pursuit for a more equal society.  He acknowledged Bolivia was appearing against a backdrop of a coup d'état and a global health crisis. 

BENYAM DAWIT MEZMUR, Committee Expert and Member of the Taskforce for Bolivia, said Bolivia had made notable and commendable progress in terms of legislation, particularly the Children’s Act of 2014.  Were there examples of the Convention being cited in court, or of its role within the justice system?  Was there a need to develop a child rights impact assessment of the legislation developed in the State?  How were indigenous and customary laws being aligned with the Convention?  How would children’s voices be implemented in the current national action plan?  Did the Children’s Council have a sufficient mandate to discharge its responsibilities?  What had been achieved from the eight sessions held? 

Bolivia’s efforts to ensure the distribution of wealth and to combat poverty was commendable.  Was the budget for children regular?  What efforts had been undertaken to define budgetary lines for children?  How had the Office of the Ombudsperson been effective in addressing children’s rights?  High rates of infanticide were reported in Bolivia; what had been done to address this?  What efforts had been made to address infant mortality in rural areas?  What was the minimum age for children’s participation?  

BENOIT VAN KEIRSBILCK, Committee Expert and Member of the Taskforce for Bolivia, said the law for marriage was set at the age of 18, however, there was an exception where parents could give permission for children to get married from the age of 16.  How many child marriages were held for children under the age of 18?  What was the motivation of parents to approve this?  How often did the judicial authorities approve a marriage which had been denied by the parents?  Had discussions taken place regarding a possible amendment to this exception?  There was a prevalence of girls being married from the age of 15 in the Amazonian region; did the State have figures on this phenomenon?  What was envisaged to combat this issue?

Had there been campaigns around birth registration in rural areas?  If so, what was their impact?  What steps were envisaged to ensure all children were guaranteed their right to identity?  What role did youth human rights defenders have in Bolivian society?  How were they supported?  What protection did they receive?  How were children guaranteed access to information if Spanish was not their first language?   

LUIS PEDERNERA REYNA, Committee Expert and Coordinator of the Taskforce for Bolivia, said the Committee appreciated the creation of two protocols - one for the prevention of all forms of violation of sexual integrity and another for the protection of children and adolescents in street situations.  What steps were being taken by the State to disseminate the protocols among children?  How were they being implemented in rural areas? 

Violence was a concern within the school setting, with headmasters and teachers sometimes striking children and exerting power over them in a violent manner.  Children reported that the mechanisms in place were poor for combatting this violence and operated in favour of the adults.  Was the State aware of this situation?  What was being done to deal with these issues which took place in the educational setting?

Mr. Pedernera Reyna said Bolivia was a society with a deeply rooted patriarchal setting, and girls were often raped and forced into marital situations, with few sanctions.  What steps did the State intend to take to give coherence and consistency to the criminal prosecution of such offences?  What was being done to facilitate access to justice for victims?  Had measures been developed to provide compensation to victims?  How did the State guarantee access to safe abortions in these situations?  It was estimated that violent methods of discipline were practiced in 80 per cent of Bolivian homes.  Was there a roadmap for tackling this problem?  What protocols for interventions existed?  What resources did the State have to deal with this situation? 

What measures were being taken to ensure that families could support their children and avoid institutionalisation?  Was there a plan for deinstitutionalisation?  How was legal assistance guaranteed for children in institutions?  Was the State considering establishing an independent truth commission to determine the abuse carried out in institutions?  What was the perspective for the State addressing the issues of tension when it came to adoption?  How was the process of pardons for women in prison progressing?

Responses by the Delegation

NADIA ALEJANDRA CRUZ TARIFA, Vice Minister of Equal Opportunities, Ministry of Justice and International Transparency of Bolivia and head of the delegation, said Bolivia’s body of constitutional law comprised national and international human rights treaties that had been adhered to, including above the Constitution of Bolivia when it was in the best interests of human rights.  The best interests of the child were given priority status to ensure the recognition of all rights within the Convention.  The administrative bodies which heard cases involving children needed to take into consideration that they were minors and whether they were from a minority group.  When a proceeding involved children, the court and other actors needed to speak with the child concerned themselves in order to become acquainted with their opinion.  Questions of guardianship needed to be settled with the participation of specialised staff, and the opinion of the child was taken into account.

Bolivia recognised indigenous original law, which ensured that children and girls benefitted from the highest levels of protection and had their rights upheld.  Bolivia followed a community-based strategy for protecting children in indigenous areas.  A structure had been created for the training of community leaders.  There was a drop of 32 per cent of the number of children in institutions from 8,000 in 2014 to 5,000 in 2019.  A law had been enacted to streamline legal proceedings, and a single national adoption system had been integrated.

Ms. Cruz Tarifa said between 2016 and 2020, 10.9 million students benefited from social vouchers, enabling them to stay in schools.  In 2017 Bolivia set up a committee for children and adolescents, for civil participation at the national level.  Teen pregnancy was reduced by 51 per cent between 2015 and 2020.  Information systems were created to centralise specific child-related information on the right to labour activities.  Surveys had also been carried out with children who worked.  The rights of children had made important progress since the enactment of the Constitution.  Eight meetings of the Children’s Council had been held, which set out the annual agenda on all themes to do with children and adolescents. 

Indigenous and environmental justice was recognised in Bolivia.  In 2016 the State implemented an economic development plan up to 2020, which specifically provided that there should be no slavery in Bolivia.  The plan focused on improving the situation of children in street situations, and improving childcare services, among other measures.  In 2022, the budget for children had increased to represent nearly 14 per cent of the State budget, and this figure would be further increased for 2023.  In 2023 there were over 270 offices set up for the defence of children, reaching almost all areas of the country.  These offices were the go-to point for children and their families when reporting issues.  The offices had been improving their information system.  Barriers faced included a lack of Internet connectivity and available staff.  In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, new technological steps forward had emerged, which had made Bolivia act to improve its systems and make them more agile. 

Ms. Cruz Tarifa said the Ombudsperson’s office had created a delegation dedicated to affairs relating to children and adolescents.  Since 2013, the Ombudsperson’s office had had the capacity to hear cases relating to human rights violations, with priority given to those submitted by children and adolescents.  The creation of additional institutions did not necessarily improve their work.  Bolivia had learned that it was important to strengthen the scope of certain institutions, including the Ombudsperson’s Office.  Bolivia had promoted a strategic corporate alliance with businesses, signed in 2019, with an emphasis on children and adolescents, to ensure protection of this group through a corporate culture with zero tolerance to violence.  Between 2008 and 2021, Bolivia had reduced rates of chronic malnutrition for children under five.  In 2018 Bolivia implemented a food guide for people with disabilities to introduce standardised nutrition processes and improve the quality of life of these people and their families.  The State had been strengthening existing health care centres and creating more which were specifically dedicated to children and mothers. 

Questions by Committee Experts

BENOIT VAN KEIRSBILCK, Committee Expert and Member of the Taskforce for Bolivia, asked about the definition of marriageable age and exceptions, which was important.  This had a consequence as many girls ended up pregnant at a very young age.  On a human rights institution on the rights of the child, he asked how could the rights of the child appear explicitly and specifically within a human rights institution?  How was that body structured? 

A Committee Expert asked if there was a political strategy for fighting against the extreme poverty of indigenous people and those living in rural areas?  Why was the rate of teenage pregnancy so high?

Another Committee Expert said Bolivia had laws which prohibited corporal punishment and policies which aimed to prevent it.  However, this practice remained prevalent.  What steps were being taken to ensure that what was established in law was put into practice? 

LUIS PEDERNERA REYNA, Committee Expert and Coordinator of the Taskforce for Bolivia, asked why if children in institutions had relatives, those links were not rekindled?  What was the Government planning to do to address this situation?  Reports had been received about the killing of new-borns with disabilities.  Had the State identified this?  Why did this happen?  What measures were being taken to stop this?  What steps were being taken to address the discrimination against children with disabilities in education?  Did the State have a clear inclusive education policy, which enabled all children throughout the country to access education?   

RATOU JEAN ZARA, Committee Expert and Member of the Taskforce for Bolivia, asked what steps had been taken by Bolivia to mitigate the suffering of the population not covered by social security?  What was being done to help children whose parents were not covered by social security, especially in terms of access to health care services?  What outreach strategies had been undertaken to reduce the level of infant mortality in rural areas?  What steps had been taken to provide health care services to all mentally ill children? 

Ms. Zara congratulated the Ministry of Health on the national programme for treatment and addictions.  Was there any legislation in place which authorised the consumption of cannabis for medical reasons?  The State had invested substantially to procure antiviral medicine for HIV/AIDS and the training of professionals which should be applauded.  What measures had been taken to prevent HIV transmission from mother to child?  What steps had been taken to combat malnutrition in children under the age of five?  What measures had been taken to reduce obesity among children of all ages? 

The school dropout rate was 70 per cent in rural areas compared to 29 per cent in urban areas; what was being done to improve the dropout rates in rural areas?  What was being done to ensure high quality education for children living in isolated areas?   What was the national policy for the training of teachers?  What steps had been taken to eliminate discrimination in the school environment regarding pupils living with a disability?  Were teachings on the rights of the child included in the school curriculum?  What was being done to promote the participation of children in cultural activities? 

BENOIT VAN KEIRSBILCK, Committee Expert and Member of the Taskforce for Bolivia, asked what system was in place to identify, inform and support unaccompanied children who migrated to Bolivia?  Could data be provided on the number of migrant children?  Did they have rights to health care and education?  Bolivia had a low age for work, with children being able to work from the age of 10.  Was there data around the socio-economic situation of the parents of these children?  Had the debate been reopened on the question of the age limit?  Was there any data on the scope of the problem of street children?  Had the State established an action plan to end the sexual exploitation of children?  Were there special reception centres to take in victims of human trafficking? 

It was noted that the minimum age of criminal responsibly had been lowered to 14; why did the State decide to lower the age?  Had an assessment been carried out regarding that reduction in terms of criminality and care?  Was there updated data on the number of children and adolescents detained?  How many children were detained with adults?  What measures had been taken to improve detention conditions, access to education in the context of detention, and post rehabilitation?

Responses by the Delegation

NADIA ALEJANDRA CRUZ TARIFA, Vice Minister of Equal Opportunities, Ministry of Justice and International Transparency of Bolivia and head of the delegation, said participatory democracy was enshrined within the Constitution, including for children.  There were various forums for the participation of children, including the committees of children at the municipal and national levels.  There was no minimum age for the participation of children, however, they were required to be under the age of 18.  Children and adolescents themselves dictated the structure and functioning of these local bodies, in accordance with the rules underpinning democracy in Bolivia.  A child was recognised as someone who was under the age of 18, and children were considered to be adolescents from the ages of 12 to 18.  The Civil Code embraced the definition of the child set out in the Constitution and the Child and Adolescents Code, which were in line with the Convention.

Regarding early marriage, in 2014 the Government enacted the Family Code and the Family Procedure Code, which stipulated that people could freely enter into a marriage when they turned 18.  However, there were exceptions, meaning that people could enter into marriage when they were 16 or older, as long as they had parental or guardian consent, or consent of the State if they were a ward of the State.  This authorisation could be requested through legal channels.  There had been 268 marriages of those under 18, and 91 per cent of these were women.  It was important for Bolivia to implement steps to fight against early marriage and teenage pregnancy.  Tackling poverty was a key factor in addressing these issues.  In 2009, 21.6 per cent of Bolivians were living in extreme poverty; this figure had fallen to 11.1 per cent in 2021.  This resulted in a drop in both school dropouts and teenage pregnancies during the same time period.  Measures to prevent teenage pregnancy and the promotion of modern contraceptive measures were included in the school curriculum.  The State had developed measures for improving sexual and reproductive health, including awareness raising campaigns on contraception for teenagers.  

Steps had also been taken to raise awareness on access to legal abortion.  The Government had provided information in indigenous languages in order to reach the indigenous communities on this issue.  Bolivia considered it necessary to adjust domestic legislation in line with international standards.  An internal debate would be held to continue the discussion on the permissibility of marriage before the age of 18.  Between 2018 and 2022, over 2 million birth certificates had been issued to children in Bolivia.  Measures had also been implemented to ensure all children were registered, especially in rural areas.  The campaign for the registration of births in rural areas had been approved, and biometric data allowed for the online registration of births.  People who registered their children’s birth up to 20 days after their birth received a birth certificate free of charge.

Ms. Cruz Tarifa said the “bilingual nests” had been set up as a strategy to revitalise the 26 indigenous languages within the country.  The “nests” aimed to educate indigenous children and collect relevant data; 20,400 teachers had been trained at the undergraduate level, and over 1,000 teachers had been trained at the master’s degree level on indigenous languages.  Bolivia had been working on amendments to the law against human trafficking to include crimes linked to cyber space.  A new office, tasked with fighting cybercrime linked to problems such as child pornography and human trafficking, had been established.  Information about the rights of the child was spread through municipal radio stations and indigenous language stations.

A programme for combatting sexual violence against children and adolescents had been implemented at the national level.  In 2022, more than 20,000 teachers were trained on themes relating to violence.  The Education Ministry included human rights defenders and lawyers to provide support to students who had been victims of violence.  Teachers accused were suspended until the proceedings were heard; to date there had been over 600 teachers accused of such offences.  Bolivia was doing its best to ensure that those who committed violence were suspended and tried before a court.  Bolivia had established round tables at inter-institutional and municipal levels for combatting gender-based violence.  The State had prioritised actions to combat the root causes, including poverty, school dropout, and other unmet needs. 

Ms. Cruz Tarifa said Bolivia prohibited corporal punishment in educational institutions.  Since 2019, an action and reporting protocol had been implemented to monitor cases of abuse taking place in educational institutions.  Registers on corporal punishment had also been established. 

The rate of teen pregnancy was a concern that Bolivia was seeking to address.  Measures that would remove the structural reasons behind this phenomenon needed to be focused on.  Bolivia had carried out care and socialisation acts for access to abortion, also taking the indigenous population into account.  A roadmap had been approved on the legal termination of pregnancy. 

The State was required to draw up protection policies for all forms of sexual abuse against children and adolescents, and to guarantee assistance programmes for children who had been victims of violence.  Bolivia had made progress towards implementing therapeutic care centers for children who had been victims of sexual abuse, violence, and trafficking, at the municipal level.  Regarding children in institutions, an education unit would be sent to raise awareness of parents about the consequences of children being abandoned by the family.  Visiting spaces for children were being created in penitentiary centres for children whose parents were incarcerated. 

Bolivia had registered a worryingly high number of children in institutions; however, progress had been made in recent years.  Over 10,000 children were in institutions in 2009, compared to around 5,000 in 2021.  Specific actions had been implemented to provide support for families to prevent neglect and to stop children from ending up in institutions.  A monthly cash payment was provided to people with disabilities, which had benefited over 17,000 children between 2020 and 2022.  An agency was in place to provide support to those who were caring for children with disabilities.  To prevent the abandonment of children, the Government had worked on awareness campaigns to cement the importance of the role of the family within the social mindset. 

Methods had been developed to train the judiciary on matters relating to children.  The aim was to improve the functionality of juvenile courts and those who heard cases relating to family care.  Judges for children were especially trained to disseminate best practices on the right to a family for children.  A supreme decree was in place which allowed for the free issuance of identity papers of children, adolescents and those in street situations, in reception centres.  By having autonomous regions, Bolivia had managed to identify that a lack of budgetary funds and implementation was something which needed to be strengthened.  Bolivia did not believe there were grounds for the establishment of a truth commission to look into the situation in institutions, as suggested by the Committee.  A national commission for fighting against femicide had been established.  A new national bureau had been created to address the issue of access to justice and to expedite cases relating to femicide, infanticide and sexual violence.  

Ms. Cruz Tarifa said the accreditation of reception centres or institutions was important.  A weakness in Bolivia was that many of the centres were private or faith-run, meaning the ability to ensure oversight and standards was lagging.  The Government had now developed guidelines for draft regulations for the opening, oversight, and closure for reception centres, thereby creating a national system for State management.   

Questions by Committee Experts

LUIS PEDERNERA REYNA, Committee Expert and Coordinator of the Taskforce for Bolivia, said reports had been received that the mechanisms in place were weak when it came to taking the voice of children reporting violence into account.  Was the State aware of this and had they found a way to tackle this issue?  There needed to be a body which investigated all that had happened regarding a child’s right to grow up in a family environment.

RATOU JEAN ZARA, Committee Expert and Member of the Taskforce for Bolivia, asked about unsafe abortion due to its criminalisation.  Could information be given on the procedure of revising the law which incriminated abortion?  Was there any strategy for reducing the mortality rate linked to abortions?  Ms. Zara congratulated Bolivia for all its efforts that resulted in the fall in school dropout rates for Afro-Bolivian children.  What were the policies adopted by the country to guarantee inclusive education for children with disabilities?

BENOIT VAN KEIRSBILCK, Committee Expert and Member of the Taskforce for Bolivia, said it was hard to understand which body a child in a street situation should turn to.  How were such children informed of the existence of that body?  What support would be given to these children?  How many children were in street situations currently?  Were there any minimum standards in place for institutions? 

A Committee Expert noted that almost 70 per cent of women had been victims of violence in Bolivia.  What did the protocol for preventing sexual violence against children consist of?  What happened in the cases of peer violence?  What steps were being taken to prevent this?  What was being done to prevent children from being abandoned or placed in a home? 

BENYAM DAWIT MEZMUR, Committee Expert and Member of the Taskforce for Bolivia, asked what was the level of recognition for child human rights defenders?  What were the interventions put in place to address child pornography in the State party? 

Responses by the Delegation

NADIA ALEJANDRA CRUZ TARIFA, Vice Minister of Equal Opportunities, Ministry of Justice and International Transparency of Chile and head of the delegation, said Bolivia was implementing pedagogical support in prisons for children who lived with parents deprived of their liberty.  Between 2014 and 2021, over 8,000 children living in prisons had been assisted, with a focus on improving education and health care.  A post-prison protocol was in place for strengthening the family, which involved home visits with mothers.  The number of children in prisons had reduced; the figures today were lower than a decade ago.  The Office of the Ombudsperson had a department dedicated to children, staffed with highly qualified experts.  Following the pandemic, the Office of the Ombudsperson had implemented a 24-hour hotline, as well as 19 WhatsApp channels which were available to be contacted seven days a week. 

In Bolivia there was no specific policy on extreme indigenous poverty.  However, since 2006, the State had significantly increased the wealth of the country, thereby reducing extreme poverty.  Public expenditure had risen, as well as social benefits for the most vulnerable populations.  Between 2006 and 2021, extreme poverty in rural areas fell by almost two thirds.  Teenage pregnancy was a multi-faceted problem in Bolivia.  There were cultural restrictions on access to contraceptives, which were dictated by structural issues, including exclusion and poverty.  Also, sometimes parents were opposed to sexual health and reproductive education as these topics had previously been taboo.  An important goal had been set to reduce the rate of pregnancy of teenagers between 15 and 20.  This strategy involved improving the quality of health care services for adolescents.

The patriarchal nature of Bolivia was a cause of teenage pregnancy and early marriage.  The State was aware of the problem and the President had raised this as a key issue across the Latin American region.  Ms. Cruz Tarifa called on the Committee to support Bolivia in combatting this issue.  In the framework of the protection of children against corporal punishment in the educational setting, the State had created a programme for peaceful living together, with campaigns rolled out across schools.  In 2021, 10 prevention campaigns were carried out to fight against ill treatment, bullying and human trafficking.  Some essential measures were in place to prevent violence against adolescents in schools and measures were in place for reporting cases. 

The delegation said that the credibility of data issued by the national register of persons with disabilities was guaranteed.  The technical database of information was comprised of information gathered from the national census.  This register ensured that the data available on persons with disabilities was accurate.  Concerning the question on alleged killings of new-borns with disabilities, the State did not have any official data in this regard and asked the Committee to provide the source so that the State could carry out an enquiry.  Families with children with disabilities could turn to a dedicated team for registration, and subsequently receive the benefits which their child was entitled to.  The State had carried out actions to ensure inclusive education, including expanding the curriculum for children with intellectual and physical disabilities, and enabling education at home for children with grave disabilities. 

Bolivia had implemented a policy of child protection, providing health care that was free of charge to all children.  The prevalence of HIV differed per region.  All pregnant women were guaranteed access to HIV screening, and medication was provided to prevent transmission between mothers and their unborn children.  In cases of child rape, work was underway on legislative proposals to bring standards into line with international standards. 

Closing Remarks

LUIS PEDERNERA REYNA, Committee Expert and Coordinator of the Taskforce for Bolivia, thanked the delegation of Bolivia for travelling to Geneva and said Bolivia had shown the ability to meet the needs of the people.  The figures on poverty reduction were an indication of this, although there were still outstanding issues.  The Committee would work to draft the best possible recommendations for the State, and Mr. Pedernera Reyna hoped these recommendations would become a roadmap for the Government’s work. 

NADIA ALEJANDRA CRUZ TARIFA, Vice Minister of Equal Opportunities, Ministry of Justice and International Transparency of Bolivia and head of the delegation, thanked the Committee for allowing Bolivia to take stock of the work which had been carried out for the benefit of children and adolescents in the State.  It was gratifying that the Committee had recognised the progress achieved in the reporting period.  Bolivia had a long way to go, and spaces like the Committee would allow the State to keep moving forward and protecting the human rights of the State’s children and adolescents. 

Link: https://www.ungeneva.org/en/news-media/meeting-summary/2023/01/en-depit-de-progres-dans-la-recherche-dune-societe-plus