COMMITTEE ON RIGHTS OF CHILD CONCLUDES REVIEW OF SITUATION OF CHILDREN’S RIGHTS IN IRAQ

AFTERNOON
HR/CRC/98/45
24 September 1998




The Committee on the Rights of the Child this afternoon concluded its consideration of the initial report presented by the Government of Iraq on how it was complying with the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

In its preliminary concluding observations and recommendations, the Committee members endorsed the call by members of the international community to repeal the economic embargo imposed on Iraq by the Security Council.

The Committee will offer written concluding observations and recommendations towards the end of its three-week session which concludes on 9 October.

As one of the 191 States parties to the Convention, Iraq is obliged to submit periodic summaries to the Committee on its efforts to implement the provisions of the treaty.

When the Committee reconvenes at 10 a.m. on Friday, 25 September, it will take up a periodic report from the Government of Bolivia.

Discussion

In response to questions raised earlier by members of the Committee, the delegation said that the economic embargo had affected all aspects of life in Iraq and had delayed progress and development in all fields. Today, the Iraqi people could be said to be facing destruction and annihilation by a weapon that was just as lethal as weapons of mass destruction -- the economic embargo -- which had led to the deaths of nearly 1.2 million persons, including 646,200 children.

The delegation said that Iraq was prevented from importing medical, laboratory and pharmaceutical requisites and various medicines that it had contracted to purchase and had paid for before August 1990. Since the embargo, there had been widespread malnutrition and certain diseases had increased. After the military aggression and economic embargo, the expanded programme of vaccination had been paralysed and the large vaccine stocks could not be used because of bad storing facilities, said the delegation.

Arab countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) had been helping Iraq in conducting immunization programmes against measles and chicken pox, the delegation went on to state. Moreover, Iraq would have eradicated polio by 1995 had it not lacked vaccinations. At present, the lack of vaccines had hampered the programme and the number of cases of polio had high-sky. As for measles, there were 20,000 cases within the age group that lacked vaccines. Recently, laboratories for children were reopened and had become operational, thanks to the assistance given by WHO and UNICEF. However, diagnosis of certain cases had to be sent abroad through those agencies.

Concerning the rate of child mortality, the delegation regretted that the number had dramatically increased since the embargo was introduced. In 1998, 710 children under the age of five died every month. For the first six months of this year alone, the rate of child mortality was 40 per thousand. The Government could not guarantee the minimum calory requisites per day and could not provide adequate food and medicine.

Iraq's children had been subjected to pressures and mental suffering as a result of two wars within the last fifteen years, the delegation declared. During the attack by the coalition forces, children were among the categories most affected by the military operations. In that connection, a centre for the psychiatric care of children was established in Baghdad.

Furthermore, the impact of the economic embargo had prompted school children to drop out from school and engage in odd-jobbing in order to help their parents, the delegation stated. Even the number of children going to kindergartens had been reduced. The impact of the sanctions and the deterioration in the standard of living was not confined to school drop-outs, but it also extended to the teaching staff and persons working in the educational sector. Many teachers left their teaching profession for economic and psychological reasons.

A question was asked about whether the Government had a sustained programme for the elimination of anti-personnel landmines. The delegation said that the Government had allocated $ 1 million for the removal of landmines in all Iraq's territories with the exception of Kurdistan. A further amount of 1 million dinars was also allocated for the same purpose. So far, 2,697 mines had been removed.

With regard to child abuse and exploitation of children, the delegation said that any ill-treatment of a child by the guardian constituted grounds for the withdrawal of guardianship. Concerning the phenomenon of domestic violence against children and women, Iraqi legislation, which was based on the Islamic Shari'a, prohibited all forms of such violence.

Preliminary Concluding Observations and Recommendations

Committee members appreciated the efforts of the Government of Iraq in providing the comprehensive report and the delegation's efforts in supplying additional information.

Iraq's efforts in reducing illiteracy and the programme of school medical check-ups were seen by the Committee members as positive measures. They regretted the deterioration of the achievements gained before the sanctions were imposed.

The Committee endorsed the call by members of the international community to repeal the economic embargo imposed by the Security Council. They observed that children had been the most affected by the consequence of the sanctions. Furthermore, Committee members recognized the difficulties faced by Iraq and its people, particularly children.

They were concerned that there was a gap between legislation and practice in the promotion and protection of children.

Committee members recognized that children should not suffer because of the embargo. They appreciated the political decision by the Government of Iraq to accede to the Convention in 1994 when it was facing great difficulties. They, however, urged the Government to continue its efforts in promoting and protecting the rights of the child within the resources available.

Iraqi Delegation’s Concluding Remarks

BASIL YOUSIF, head of the delegation of (Iraq), asked the Committee members to visit Iraq and observe the situation with their own eyes. Despite the hardships and scarcity of resources, Iraq was on the right path in implementing the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The support of the Committee and its solidarity with the people of Iraq was most welcomed, he said.