COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD CONCLUDES THIRTY-THIRD SESSION

6 June 2003



The Committee on the Rights of the Child concluded today its thirty-third session and issued its conclusions and recommendations on the situation of children in Eritrea, Cyprus, Zambia, Sri Lanka, the Solomon Islands, Libya, Jamaica, Morocco, Syria and Kazakhstan whose reports on efforts to comply with the Convention on the Rights of the Child were considered this session.
The conclusions and recommendations were contained in the Committee's final report for the three-week session, which was adopted today by the panel's 18 independent Experts.
Responding to the report of Eritrea, the Committee noted with appreciation the State party’s successful efforts following its independence in 1993, notably in reducing child mortality by over fifty percent. The Committee also recognised that the continuing effects of past armed conflicts as well as the current drought, poverty and programmes for structural adjustment presented difficulties with respect to the full implementation of the Convention. Among other things, the Committee recommended that Eritrea pursue efforts to establish an independent and effective mechanism, provided with adequate human and financial resources and easily accessible to children that monitored the implementation of the Convention.
After considering the report of Cyprus, the Committee was encouraged by improved health indicators, including in particular the infant mortality rate and the under-five mortality rate. However, it remained a matter of concern to the Committee that no information on children living in the occupied territories could be provided. The Committee recommended, among other things, that the State party continue and strengthen its efforts to provide adequate and systematic training and sensitisation on children’s rights of professional groups working with and for children.
In response to the report of Zambia, the Committee welcomed the adoption of a National Child Policy and a National Plan of Action, as well as the National HIV/AIDS policy. However, it remained concerned that domestic legislation still did not full reflect the principles and provisions of the Convention, and that, in particular, various customary laws were in opposition to the Convention in many respects. The Committee recommended that, among other things, the State party take all appropriate measures to ensure that the best interests of the child were appropriately integrated in all legislation, as well as in judicial and administrative decisions and in projects, programmes and services having an impact on children.
The Committee welcomed the report of Sri Lanka, and was greatly encouraged by the ongoing peace process and the inclusion of human rights issues, including the human rights of children, in the peace talks. The Committee recognised that the armed conflict and the challenges of reconstruction, particularly in the north and east, posed difficulties to the full implementation of the Convention in Sri Lanka. Among other things, the Committee recommended that the State party prioritise the provision of services to children in loan and structural adjustment negotiations with several donors.
In response to the report of the Solomon Islands, the Committee noted with appreciation the State party’s efforts to implement the Convention, especially with regard to progress made in reducing infant mortality and the improvement of immunisation, the establishment of the National Advisory Committee on Children, and the increase in access to primary education. The Committee was concerned that the State party did not have a National Plan of Action for the Convention’s implementation, and that it did not have a clear and comprehensive child rights policy. The Committee recommended that, among other things, the State party strengthen and expand current efforts to address the problem of child abuse and ensure that there was an effective system for receiving, monitoring and investigating complaints, and when necessary prosecuting cases in a child-sensitive manner.
After reviewing the situation in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, the Committee welcomed Libya’s generous assistance in humanitarian matters, including in collaboration with United Nations agencies, and recognised that limitations upon the State party’s external commerce over part of the reporting period had contributed adversely to the resources available to it to implement fully its obligations under the Convention. The Committee was concerned that many measures taken to improve the status and lives of children reflected a predominantly welfare- rather than rights-based approach. Among other things, the Committee recommended that the State party take effective measures, including enacting or rescinding legislation where necessary, to ensure that all children enjoy the rights set out in the Convention without discrimination.
Among positive aspects to the report of Jamaica were the progress made by the State party in several areas, including the establishment of the child support unit, the participation in frameworks of international cooperation concerning the implementation of the Convention, and the accomplishments within the area of health, such as the National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS. The Committee also noted that difficult socio-economic conditions and the high level of external debt placed limitations on the State party’s financial and human resources, and that the incidence of hurricanes and other natural disasters added further difficulties to the already severe economic situation. The Committee recommended, among other things, that the State party urgently take all necessary measures to expedite the adoption of the draft Child Care and Protection Act, ensuring that it was in compliance with the provisions of the Convention.
Having reviewed the report of Morocco, the Committee noted the positive developments in the State party in the area of human rights, notably the ratification of the two Optional Protocols to the Convention, and other positive developments. The Committee acknowledged that poverty, the high rate of unemployment as well as the climatic conditions had a negative impact on the human and financial resources for the implementation of the Convention, and had increased the financial burden on households for both health and education. Along with other recommendations, the Committee urged the State party to reconsider its reservation to article 14 with a view to withdrawing it.
After studying the report of Syria, the Committee applauded the establishment of new institutions relating to children’s issues, the improvement in many areas of health and education and that the Convention was taken into account in national legislation. It regretted that no review had been undertaken with respect to the reservations expressed by the State party to the Convention, and hoped that after study this would be withdrawn. Among other things, the Committee recommended that the State party ensure the economic, social and cultural rights of all children, to the maximum extent of available resources, and systematically assess the impact of budgetary allocations on the implementation of child rights
And in response to the report of Kazakhstan, the Committee welcomed the adoption of the new Constitution, which gave legal recognition to human rights and freedoms. While welcoming the many legislative measures taken since independence, the Committee was concerned that their implementation was lacking or insufficient, and was limited due to limited resourcing. It recommended, among other things, that the State party continue and strengthen its efforts to bring national laws into full compliance with the principles and provisions of the Convention.
In addition, the Committee adopted today a general comment on adolescent health. The comment, the Committee's fourth on various issues relevant to the Convention, states that it is intended to identify the main human rights that needed to be promoted and protected by States parties in order to ensure that adolescents enjoyed the highest attainable standard of health, reached harmonious development, were adequately prepared to enter adulthood, and assumed a constructive role in their community and society at large.
This was the first meeting of the Committee with the expanded membership of 18 instead of 10 independent Experts.
The Committee's next session will be held from 15 September to 3 October 2003. Scheduled for consideration are reports of San Marino, Canada, New Zealand, Pakistan, Madagascar, Brunei Darussalam, Singapore, Bangladesh, and Georgia.

Final Conclusions and Recommendations on Country Reports

ERITREA
After considering the initial report of Eritrea, the Committee noted with appreciation the State party’s successful efforts following its independence in 1993, notably in reducing child mortality by over 50 percent, increasing enrolment and literacy rates, developing a strategy and programmes to combat female genital mutilation, and providing alternative care for children who had been orphaned due to past armed conflicts. The Committee also recognised that the continuing effects of past armed conflicts as well as the current drought, poverty and programmes for structural adjustment presented difficulties with respect to the full implementation of the Convention.
The Committee recommended that the State party review transitional legislation, customary and local laws, and adopt all necessary measures to ensure their compatibility with the principles and provisions of the Convention, as well as ensuring effective implementation of legislation. It also recommended that Eritrea strengthen the National Committee on the Rights of the Child, in particular its capacity to coordinate activities at both the national and local level, and that sufficient financial and human resources should be allocated to the coordination mechanism and the National Programme of Action on Children.
The Committee encouraged Eritrea to pursue efforts to establish an independent and effective mechanism, provided with adequate human and financial resources and easily accessible to children, that monitored the implementation of the Convention, dealt with complaints from children in a child-sensitive and expeditious manner, and provided remedies for violations of their rights under the Convention.
Among other things, the Committee also recommended that Eritrea develop a system of data collection that covered all areas of the Convention; that it develop sensitisation programmes involving community, traditional and religious leaders as well as society at large to enforce legislation and curb the practice of early marriage; that it increase its efforts to ensure the registration of all children at birth; that it reform legislation on abuse in the family to expressly prohibit sexual and physical abuse; that it continue expanding access to health services, in particular in rural areas; and that it actively pursue its ongoing activities in collaboration with UNICEF to counter HIV/AIDS and integrate respect for the rights of the child into the development and implementation of any policy linked thereunto.
The Committee also calls on both the State party and on international donors to reopen their dialogue, in particular with regards to programmes for the implementation of children’s rights. It welcomed the information that Eritrea had drafted a Child and Family Welfare Policy, and recommended that a national strategy to combat poverty be formulated, and that Eritrea allocate sufficient human and financial resources, including through international assistance, to ensure the implementation of its strategy.

CYPRUS
The Committee welcomed the submission of the State party’s second periodic report, and was encouraged by improved health indicators, including in particular the infant mortality rate and the under-five mortality rate, as well as the improvement of indicators in the area of education. It was further encouraged by efforts to make the Convention widely know and the inclusion of children’s rights at all levels. It also welcomed the accession of Cyprus to the European Union, which would become effective on 1 May 2004.
The Committee noted that the State party, as a consequence of events which occurred in 1974 and which resulted in the occupation of part of the territory of Cyprus, was not in a position to exercise control over all its territory, and consequently could not ensure the application of the Convention in areas not under its control. However, it remained a matter of concern to the Committee that no information on children living in the occupied territories could be provided.
The Committee recommended that the State party take effective measures to ensure that its domestic legislation conformed fully to the principles and provisions of the Convention, in particular in the area of juvenile justice; in this regard the inter- ministerial committee should be well resourced and should develop and implement a time-bound plan of action for the incorporation of the Convention into domestic law.
The Committee recommended, among other things, that the State party pay particular attention to the full implementation of article 4 of the Convention; that it intensify its efforts to establish a central registry and introduce a comprehensive system of collection of disaggregated data; that it raise the legal age of criminal responsibility to an internationally more acceptable age; that it consider reviewing legislation and amending it where necessary with a view to ensuring that all children were accorded equal rights without discrimination; and that it further encouraged families to provide appropriate direction and guidance in the exercise by the child of the rights recognised in the Convention.
The Committee encouraged the State party to continue and strengthen its efforts to provide adequate and systematic training and sensitisation on children’s rights of professional groups working with and for children, with particular attention to law enforcement officers, prosecutors and judges. The Committee also urged Cyprus to redouble its efforts to educate and sensitise parliamentarians, government officials, members of the judiciary and other professional groups, parents and children on the importance of accepting fully the concept of child rights.
The Committee welcomed the enactment in 2000 of the Law on the Combating of Trafficking of Persons and Sexual Exploitation of Minors, and the Protection of Witnesses Law of 2001, as well as welcoming the signature in 2001 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, and the intention of Cyprus to proceed with its ratification.

ZAMBIA
Having considered the initial report of Zambia, the Committee welcomed the adoption of a National Child Policy and a National Plan of Action (1994), and a National HIV/AIDS policy. In addition, the Committee welcomed the establishment of the Law Development Commission, the National HIV/AIDS Council, the National Steering Committee on Child Labour, and the National Committee for Human Rights Education.
The Committee recognised the fact that the State party was an extremely poor landlocked country strongly affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic which together had a negative impact on all institutions and behavioural patterns within society and on children’s lives in particular, and had impeded the full implementation of the Convention. In particular it noted the negative impact of high external debt payments, the recent declining economic conditions, and rampant corruption.
It noted the efforts undertaken by Zambia to harmonise domestic legislation, including customary laws, with the Convention. However, it remained concerned that domestic legislation still did not fully reflect the principles and provisions of the Convention, and that, in particular, various customary laws opposed the Convention in many respects.
The Committee recommended that, among other things, the State party make sure the Council for coordination was provided with adequate power and human and financial resources to effectively coordinate all activities for the implementation of the Convention; that it take all necessary steps for the full implementation of the National Child Policy and the National Plan of Action; that it prioritise budgetary allocations to ensure the implementation of the economic, social and cultural rights of children, especially those belonging to disadvantaged groups; that it strengthen its efforts to ensure that the principles and provisions of the Convention were widely known and understood by adults and children alike; and that it take all appropriate measures to ensure that the best interests of the child were appropriately integrated in all legislation, as well as in judicial and administrative decisions and in projects, programmes and services having an impact on children.
The Committee also encouraged the State party to take all necessary measures to ensure that customary law did not impede the implementation of the general principles of the Convention, notably through raising awareness among community leaders. The State party was also encouraged to reinforce its public awareness campaigns to promote positive, participatory, non-violent forms of discipline as an alternative to corporal punishment at all levels of society. Finally, it encouraged the State party to consider seeking technical assistance on such matters as juvenile justice issues.

SRI LANKA
After due consideration of the second periodic report of Sri Lanka, the Committee was greatly encouraged by the ongoing peace process and the inclusion of human rights issues, including the human rights of children, in the peace talks. The Committee welcomed the various legislative measures aimed at improving the protection of children from domestic violence, child labour, and commercial sexual exploitation. It noted with satisfaction the ratification by Sri Lanka of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the involvement of children in armed conflict.
The Committee recognised that the armed conflict and the challenges of reconstruction, particularly in the north and east, posed difficulties to the full implementation of the Convention in Sri Lanka. The Committee urged the State party to make every effort to address its recommendations from the concluding observations of the initial report that had not yet been implemented, and to address the list of concerns contained in the present concluding observations on the second report.
The Committee recommended that the State party undertake a systematic review of all the existing laws, in order to bring them into conformity with the Convention, and to consult with the different ethnic communities regarding the inclusion of their personal laws in this process of reform. The Committee also recommended that one effective and identifiable governmental body for the coordination of all activities regarding the implementation of the Convention be established with adequate power and sufficient human and financial resources for an effective performance of its coordinating role.
Further, among other things, the Committee recommended that the National Human Rights Commission be provided with sufficient resources to carry out its responsibilities effectively; that it consider establishing a bureau for children’s rights within the Commission; that it prioritise the provision of services to children in loan and structural adjustment negotiations with several donors; that it enact, as soon as possible, a clear legal definition of the child applicable throughout the country and review existing age limits for various areas; and that it undertake well-targeted public awareness campaigns on the negative impact that corporal punishment has on children, and provide teacher training on non-violent forms of discipline as an alternative to corporal punishment.
While acknowledging the improvements in mortality rates and immunisation coverage, the Committee remained concerned at the high levels of child malnutrition, the significant proportion of children born with low birth weight, the prevalence of mosquito-borne diseases and the lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation, particularly in conflict-affected areas. The Committee was encouraged by the education reforms initiated in 1999, which focused on improving the quality of education and also emphasised early childhood development.
Finally, the Committee recommended that the State party develop a comprehensive plan of action for implementing the rights of children during the reconstruction process. It reiterated its request for additional information on child combatants and child prisoners of war, and also recommended the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.

SOLOMON ISLANDS
The Committee, having considered the initial report of the Solomon Islands, noted with appreciation the State party’s efforts to implement the Convention, especially with regard to progress made in reducing infant mortality and the improvement of immunisation, the establishment of the National Advisory Committee on Children, and the increase in access to primary education. The Committee also recognised the serious difficulties facing the State party, namely the recent civil strife, severe economic constraints including poverty and unemployment, the vulnerability to natural disasters, and the geographical nature of the country.
The Committee noted that a Child Rights Bill was being drafted in order to bring legislation in line with the provisions and principles of the Convention, but was concerned that this Bill and other draft laws concerning child rights had long been awaiting enactment. Consequently, the Committee recommended that the State party strengthen the mechanisms required to harmonise its constitutional provisions as well as domestic and customary legislation with the provisions and principles of the Convention.
The Committee was also concerned that the State party did not have a National Plan of Action for the Convention’s implementation, and that it did not have a clear and comprehensive child rights policy. It recommended that the State party take action to develop such a National Policy, and that it strengthen its awareness raising efforts and undertake systematic education and training on the rights of the Convention for all professional groups working for and with children, as well as developing creative methods to promote the Convention.
Among other things, the Committee also recommended that the State party raise the minimum age for criminal responsibility to internationally accepted standards; raise the age of marriage and set the minimum age for employment; monitor the situation of children, in particular those belonging to vulnerable groups and were exposed to discrimination; promote and facilitate, within the family, the school, the courts and administrative bodies respect for the views of children and their participation in all manners affecting them; take all legislative and other measures to prohibit all forms of physical and mental violence, including corporal punishment, against children in the family; and that the State party strengthen and expand current efforts to address the problem of child abuse and ensure that there was an effective system for receiving, monitoring and investigating complaints, and when necessary prosecuting cases in a child-sensitive manner.
The Committee was also concerned that increasing weakness in family structures due to growing poverty led to greater vulnerability of children. Finally, the Committee encouraged the State party to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography and on the involvement of children in armed conflict.

LIBYA
Following the submission of the second periodic report of Libya, the Committee welcomed the establishment of the Higher Committee for Children (1997), and the State party’s achievements in areas of education, particularly in raising enrolment and literacy rates, and health, including the coverage of its immunisation programmes and access to basic services. It also welcomed Libya’s generous assistance in humanitarian matters, including in collaboration with United Nations agencies. The Committee also recognised that limitations upon the State party’s external commerce over some of the reporting period had contributed adversely to the resources available to it to implement fully its obligations under the Convention.
The Committee was concerned that many of the concerns and recommendations made upon consideration of the initial report had been insufficiently addressed and that many of the same concerns and recommendations were made in the current concluding observations. The Committee urged the State party to make every effort to address those recommendations that had not yet been implemented and to address the list of concerns contained in the new concluding observations.
The Committee was also concerned that many measures taken to improve the status and lives of children reflected a predominantly welfare- rather than rights-based approach. The Committee reiterated its concern that several rights contained in the Convention were not adequately reflected in the law of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.
Among other things, the Committee then recommended that the State party strengthen intersectoral coordination and cooperation at and between national and local levels of government; prepare and implement a comprehensive and rights-based National Plan of Action for the implementation of the Convention; clearly define the respective roles of the two governmental bodies regarding the self-monitoring of the human rights of children in order to avoid overlap and promote good coordination; develop a more specific budgeting of expenses for children’s issues in percentage of the national budget; develop an ongoing programme for the dissemination of information regarding the implementation of the Convention among children and parents; and that the State party take effective measures, including enacting or rescinding legislation where necessary, to ensure that all children enjoy the rights set out in the Convention without discrimination.
The Committee welcomed efforts made by the State party to promote respect for the views of children, but was concerned that traditional attitudes towards children in society could limit the respect for their views, especially within the family. It also welcomed the prohibition of corporal punishment in schools, and noted that measures had been adopted to report and investigate maltreatment of children. Finally, it welcomed the delegation’s assurance that the State party intended, in the imminent future, to ratify the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, and on the involvement of children in armed conflict, and encouraged the State party to take the necessary measures of implementation as soon as possible.

JAMAICA
The Committee welcomed the submission of the second periodic report of Jamaica, and noted the progress made by the State party in several areas, including the establishment of the child support unit, the participation in frameworks of international cooperation concerning the implementation of the Convention, the accomplishments within the area of health, such as the National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS, the establishment of a special unit in the Ministry of Education for children with disabilities, and the activities regarding the dissemination of the Convention.
The Committee also noted that difficult socio-economic conditions and the high level of external debt placed limitations on the State party’s financial and human resources, that poverty, unemployment and long-standing economic and social disparities had a negative impact on respect for the rights of individual children, and that the incidence of hurricanes and other natural disasters added further difficulties to the already severe economic situation.
The Committee urged the State party to make every effort to address the recommendations contained in the concluding observations of the initial report that had not yet been implemented, and to address the list of concerns contained in the concluding observations on the second periodic report. The Committee also recommended the State party to urgently take all necessary measures to expedite the adoption of the draft Child Care and Protection Act, ensuring that it was in compliance with the provisions of the Convention, and that it was provided with sufficient human and financial resources for its full and effective implementation. The State party was also encouraged to consider that the new legislation should cover children’s rights rather than solely protection provisions and ensure that all rights of the child were part of the national legislation.
Furthermore, among other things, the Committee also recommended that the State party establish one identifiable governmental body for the coordination of all activities regarding the implementation of the Convention; that it continue and strengthen its awareness-raising efforts and undertake systematic education and training on the rights of the Convention for all professional groups working for and with children; that it raise the minimum age of admission to employment as well as the minimum legal age of criminal responsibility; that it ensure that children’s views were given due consideration in courts, schools, within the family, relevant administrative and other processes concerning children; and that it considerably strengthen its efforts to address and condemn violence in society, including violence against women and children, particularly in the context of the family, as well as in schools and other environments.
Noting the work done within the Poverty Eradication Programme and the growing number of family counselling services and parental education programmes, the Committee remained concerned about the large proportion of Jamaican families living in poverty, especially in rural and inner-city communities. The Committee also noted with appreciation the considerable achievements made in the areas of health care and its awareness and intention to further improve the health situation among children, as well as the efforts taken to prevent and control HIV/AIDS.

MOROCCO
The second periodic report of Morocco was welcomed by the Committee, as were the positive developments in the State party in the area of human rights, notably the ratification of the two Optional Protocols to the Convention on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, and on the involvement of children in armed conflict. Further positive developments recognised by the Committee were the increase of the age of compulsory recruitment into the armed forces, the revision of the law concerning the protection of abandoned children, and the adoption of the Criminal Law Procedure containing a special chapter on juveniles in conflict with the law.
The Committee acknowledged that poverty, the high rate of unemployment as well as the climatic conditions had a negative impact on the human and financial resources for the implementation of the Convention, and had increased the financial burden on households for both health and education. The Committee also urged the State party to make every effort to address the previous recommendations that had not yet been implemented, and the list of concerns contained in the concluding observations to the present report.
The Committee was also concerned at the reservation made to article 14 of the Convention by the State party, which affected the implementation of the rights guaranteed in that article, but welcomed the information that the State party would reconsider the need for this reservation. Consequently, in line with its previous recommendations, the Committee re-encouraged the State party to reconsider its reservation to article 14 with a view to withdrawing it.
Furthermore, among other things, the Committee recommended that the State party continue and strengthen its efforts to incorporate into domestic law the rights, principles and provisions of the Convention in order to ensure that all legislation complied with the Convention, and that the provisions and principles of the Convention were widely applied in legal and administrative proceedings; that it make every effort to increase the proportion of the budget allocated to the realisation of children’s right, that it take all necessary measures to expedite the preparation of the new Plan of Action for Children and find the most appropriate way to proceed; that it continue and strengthen its efforts to disseminate the Convention both to children and to the broader public; and that it rectify the disparity in the minimum age of marriage for boys and girls by raising the minimum age of marriage for girls.
The Committee also welcomed the efforts undertaken to fight against gender discrimination, but remained concerned by the persistence of direct and indirect discrimination against girls and children born out of wedlock. Finally, the Committee welcomed the adoption of a new Code for Penal Procedure, and the fact that in this law all children from 12 to 18 years who were in conflict with the law were accorded the full protection and special provisions of the Convention.

SYRIA
After reviewing the second periodic report of Syria, the Committee welcomed the ratification of international instruments, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and ILO Convention 138. It also welcomed the parliamentary ratification of the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the involvement of children in armed conflict, and the sale of children, child prostitution and child labour. It also applauded the increase in the minimum age of employment, the increase in the age of compulsory education, the establishment of new institutions relating to children’s issues, the improvement in many areas of health and education and that the Convention was taken into account in national legislation.
The Committee joined the State party in its concern for the difficulties in ensuring the rights of Syrian children in the Syrian Golan. The Committee also urged the State party to make every effort to address those recommendations from the concluding observations of the initial report that had not yet been implemented, and to address the list of concerns contained in the present concluding observations. It regretted that no review had been undertaken with respect to the reservations since the presentation of the initial report. It recommended that the State party study its reservation, particularly concerning articles 14, 20 and 21, with a view to withdrawing it. The Committee also regretted that little progress had been made in the State party to study and raise awareness of prevention and adequate intervention in cases of ill-treatment of children within the family.
The Committee noted that the State party had undertaken a commitment to review national legislation vis-à-vis the Convention. It further noted various recent and proposed legislative measures with respect to child rights, but was concerned that they did not sufficiently reflect a comprehensive human rights-based approach to the implementation of the Convention. The Committee recommended that the State party expedite the comprehensive review of its law, administrative regulations and legal procedural rules to ensure that they conformed to international human rights standards, that it take all possible measures to reconcile the interpretation of religious laws with fundamental human rights, and ensure that laws were sufficiently clear and precise, were published, and were accessible to the public.
Further, among other things, the Committee recommended that the State party provide the necessary support for a full implementation of the new national plan of action and regularly evaluate its impact on the implementation of the Convention; that it establish an independent national human rights institution; that it ensure the economic, social and cultural rights of all children, to the maximum extent of available resources and systematically assess the impact of budgetary allocations on the implementation of child rights; that it raise the minimum age for marriage of girls to that of boys and take greater efforts to enforce this age; and that it take effective measures to ensure that all children within its jurisdiction enjoyed all the rights set out in the Convention without discrimination.
The Committee also encouraged the State party to continue to expand and make on-going its programme for the dissemination of information on the Convention and its implementation. It welcomed information that a draft bill concerning the disabled was in preparation, and that it proposed the establishment of a council for the disabled. The Committee also welcomed the support of the State party to HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns.

KAZAKHSTAN
After examining the initial report of Kazakhstan, the Committee welcomed the adoption of the new Constitution, which gave legal recognition to human rights and freedoms. It noted the enactment of new legislation during the reporting period, and appreciated the cooperation of the State party with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights OHCHR. It noted with pleasure the preparation of the Outline of State Policy and Young People and the “Youth Kazakhstan” programme.
The Committee also noted that the State party continued to deal with serious economic, social and political challenges following independence in 1991, which had led to a deterioration of living standards, high unemployment rates, and growing poverty affecting particularly the most vulnerable groups of society, including single parent families, and affecting certain regions disproportionately. Furthermore, two major ecological disasters, the shrinking of the Aral Sea and the radioactive contamination at the Semipalatinsk nuclear testing facility affected negatively the health of a significant part of the population and access to safe drinking water.
While welcoming the many legislative measures taken since independence, the Committee was concerned that their implementation was lacking or insufficient, and was limited due to limited resourcing. It recommended that the State party continue and strengthen its efforts to bring national laws into full compliance with the principles and provisions of the Convention, and further recommended as a matter of priority that a mechanism/body be in charge of the effective implementation, and that sufficient human, financial and other resources were made available to effectively implement the laws enacted with a view to implementing the Convention.
Among other things, the Committee also recommended that the State party expedite and implement its plan to develop a national plan of action for the implementation of the Convention; that it identify the amount and proportion of the State budget spent on children through public and private institutions or organisations in order to evaluate the impact and effect of the expenditures; that it continue and strengthen its efforts in close cooperation with NGOs and other stakeholders to raise awareness on the Convention among the public at large and among children and their parents; that it appropriately integrate general principles of the Convention in all relevant legislation concerning children; and that it closely monitor the situation of certain groups of children and develop comprehensive proactive strategies containing specific and well-targeted actions aimed at preventing and eliminating all forms of discrimination, including in particular access to education, health and employment.
The Committee welcomed the information that the State party was considering developing a comprehensive plan of action for the implementation of children’s rights, but was concerned that the implementation of such a plan could face difficulties particularly due to lack of resources. It also welcomed legislative provisions for measures designed to guarantee the right of children to freely express their views and to have these taken into account. It recommended that all effective measures be taken to ensure that the child’s freedom of expression and the access to information be guaranteed and implemented.

General Comment on Adolescent Health
The comment aims to ensure that adolescents enjoy the highest attainable standard of health, reach harmonious development, be adequately prepared to enter adulthood, and assume a constructive role in their community and society at large. Among other things, it recommends that States parties to the Convention ensure that adolescents fully enjoyed their rights to health and development; ensure that adolescents were given a genuine chance to express their views freely in all matters affecting them; ensure that specific legal provisions were guaranteed, under domestic law, including setting the minimum age of marriage; that States parties strictly respect the right to privacy and confidentiality, including confidential advice and counselling on all health matters; that all effective measures be taken to ensure that adolescents were protected from all forms of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation; that all necessary measures be taken to abolish all forms of under-age work; that States parties review and where necessary reform legislation and practice to increase the minimum age for marriage with and without parental consent to 18 years for all; that States parties provide disturbed, vulnerable, and at risk adolescents with all the necessary services; that all effective measures be taken to abolish all forms of acts and activities that threatened the right to life of adolescents; that access to information on sexual and reproductive health be accessible regardless of marital status and prior consent from parents or guardians; and that, when appropriate, the States parties seek cooperation with relevant United Nations specialised agencies, programmes and bodies, international NGOs and bilateral aid agencies, international professional associations and other non-State actors.

Committee Members
The Convention requires that the members of the Committee have a high moral standing and recognized competence in the field of children's rights. The following Experts, nominated by the State parties to serve in their personal capacity, have been elected to the Committee: Ibrahim Abdul Aziz Al-Sheddi (S0audi Arabia), Ghalia Mohd Bin Hamad Al-Thani (Qatar), Joyce Aluoch (Kenya), Saisuree Chutikul (Thailand), Luigi Citarella (Italy), Jacob Egbert Doek (the Netherlands), Kamel Filali (Algeria), Moushira Khattab (Egypt), Hatem Kotrane (Tunisia), Lothar Friedrich Krappmann (Germany), Yanghee Lee (Republic of Korea), Norberto Liwski (Argentina), Rosa Maria Ortiz (Paraguay), Awa N'Deye Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso), Marilia Sardenberg Goncalves (Brazil), Lucy Smith (Norway); Marjorie Taylor (Jamaica), and Nevena Vuckovic-Sahovic (Serbia and Montenegro).
Mr. Doek is the Chairperson; Ms. Aluoch, Ms. Sardenberg Goncalves and Ms. Chutikul are the Vice Chairpersons. Ms. Khattab is the Rapporteur.



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