COMMITTEE ON RIGHTS OF CHILD CONCLUDES CONSIDERATION OF INITIAL REPORT OF OMAN

CRC
28th session
27 September 2001
Afternoon



In a Preliminary Remark, Expert Recommends that Oman Reduce
its Reservations on the Convention


The Committee on the Rights of the Child this afternoon concluded its consideration of an initial report from Oman with a Committee Expert recommending, in a preliminary remark, that the State reduce its reservations on the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The Committee Expert appreciated the progress made in Oman in the field of child rights. She recommended that the National Committee for Child Care should be given higher responsibilities in the field of policy and programmes for children; and that civil society should be encouraged to participate in the efforts to promote and protect children's rights.

The Committee will issue its formal, written concluding observations and recommendations on the report of Oman towards the end of its three-week session, which will conclude on 12 September.

Over the course of the consideration of the report, the delegation of Oman told the Committee that marriage between relatives had been found to be problematic at the level of children's health, both mentally and physically. It was observed that in the Sultanate, 50 per cent of marriages were between relatives.

As one of the 191 States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Oman is obligated to submit periodic reports to the Committee on the measures undertaken to implement the provisions of the treaty. A 10-member Omani delegation, representing various Government ministries, was on hand throughout the two meetings to present the report and reply to questions raised by Committee Experts.

When the Committee reconvenes at 10 a.m. on Friday, 28 September, it will hold a one-day general discussion devoted to the question of "violence against children within the family and schools". It has invited interested bodies to participate in the discussion.

Response by Omani Delegation

The members of Oman's delegation continued to provide answers to questions raised during the morning meeting. With regard to foreign children living in the country, the delegation said that they enjoyed free education in public schools and if they desired they could join private schools where they paid tuition fees. In addition, all expatriate children received benefits like all other Omani children; they enjoyed protection and faced no discrimination in terms of services and registration.

Because of lack of qualified and trained Omani teachers, early childhood education was carried out by foreign teachers, the delegation said.

The delegation said that the country's legislator devoted much interest to the rights of the child and as a result, a number of laws had been enacted to ensure these rights. In addition, courts could ensure the financial needs of a child by obliging the father to pay alimony in the event of divorce.

Concerning children born out of wedlock, the delegation said that the law paid particular attention to the interests of orphans or abandoned children. They were placed in specialized institutions and they were provided with an education. There were also cases where such categories of children were placed in foster families. The foster family system was seen as a form of integration for children born out of wedlock and subsequently abandoned by their mothers.

Asked about the situation of marriage between relatives, the delegation said that such marriages had been found to be problematic at the level of children's health, both mentally and physically. It was observed that in the Sultanate, 50 per cent of marriages were between relatives.

Responding to a question on the status of the Convention and whether its provisions were invoked in courts, the delegation said that there had never been a case in which articles of the Convention were cited before a court. Since national legislation was compatible with the provisions of the Convention, it was the domestic law which was applicable in cases involving the interest of children.

Further, the delegation said that there was no special organ to which complaints of child abuse were lodged. However, a government department which dealt with family counselling received complaints of all sorts from family members, including children. In the same manner, there was no special centre where victims of abuse were rehabilitated.

Committee Experts continued to raise final questions on the last cluster of the main topics on the family and alternative child care; basic health care; and special protection measures.

Responding to questions raised, the members of the Omani delegation said that every birth or death in the country should be reported within 48 hours following the incident. In Oman, most child deliveries took place in hospitals with the help of doctors and midwives.

Asked if the Government encountered resistance with its campaign encouraging mothers to leave a number of years between each pregnancy, the delegation said that there were currently efforts being exerted to inform mothers about the positive effects of birth spacing, particularly in relation to mothers’ and children’s health.

The eradication of infectious diseases had resulted in the reduction of infant mortality, the delegation said.

Asked why the rate of malnutrition stood at 23 per cent despite the richness of the country, the delegation said that in 1999, the Government had carried out a survey and had found that the rate of malnutrition was 18 per cent. Since then it had taken measures towards deficiencies in food and vitamins. However, the reasons for malnutrition in the Sultanate was not clearly defined by the Government.

The delegation said that recognizing the desire of working mothers to breastfeed their children, the labour law had provided for 40 days of paid maternity leave. In addition, in 1992, in cooperation with United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the baby-friendly hospital initiative was launched in the country. A draft law for substitute mother's milk was now under review. The Government had taken measures to guarantee the uniform application of the 10 steps required for hospitals to maintain their status of "baby-friendly hospitals". Those measures reflected recommendations adopted by UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Concerning children with learning difficulties, the delegation said that such children attended special institutions where they received education by teachers trained for that purpose.

On the issue of disparities among regions in education, the delegation said that in the capital, the number of children attending school had been 98 per cent; however, in the mountainous and remote areas, education was not a priority for the family. The Government had made efforts to build schools and to carry out night studies for children living in arid and mountainous regions.

In primary schools children did not repeat classes, the delegation said, adding that children with special needs in matters of education were assisted to cope with the situation. Such measures had enabled children to pursue their studies, thus reducing the rate of drop-outs.

Asked about camel-racing in which under-weight children were used as jockeys, the delegation said that such activities did not involve child labour but were considered as a sport. The parents were proud that their children participated in camel racing and became winners. The winning children shared the prize received by the owners of the camels.


Preliminary Remark on Oman's Initial Report

A Committee Expert appreciated the progress made in the country in the field of child rights. The issue of reservations should be considered by Oman and their number should be reduced. The Expert recommended, among other things, that the National Committee for Child Care should be given higher responsibilities in the field of policy and programmes for children. Civil society should be encouraged to participate in the efforts to promote and protect children's rights.

The Expert also recommended that aggregated data should be collected on the situation of boys, girls and regions so that priorities could be determined; that the current legislation relating to child rights be revised within the framework of the Convention; that specialists on child rights should be involved in dealing with children in conflict with the law; that the notion of childhood should be developed; that measures should be taken against discrimination between girls and boys; and that further opportunities should be provided for girls living in rural areas.





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