COMMITTEE ON RIGHTS OF CHILD CONTINUES CONSIDERATION OF REPORT OF KUWAIT

MORNING
HR/CRC/98/50
29 September 1998





The Committee on the Rights of the Child this morning continued its consideration of a report presented by the Government of Kuwait on how that country was implementing the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The delegation of Kuwait said the absence of female participation in elections was due to the socio-economic structure and traditions of the society and not because of discrimination against women.

Committee members raised a number of additional questions on such issues as street children and beggary; prison conditions for juvenile delinquents; rehabilitation of juvenile offenders; prohibition of child labour; protection of children from violent electronic media; landmines; and traditional practices prejudicial to children.

The Committee is made up of 10 independent human rights experts who monitor the implementation of the Convention by each State party.

The Committee had been scheduled to finalize its examination of the report of Kuwait this morning but the extended discussion prevented it from doing so. It will reconvene at 3 p.m. to conclude its consideration of the report of Kuwait and issue preliminary conclusions and observations before going into private session to consider its concluding observations on reports it has already considered.

Discussion

In response to questions raised by Committee members yesterday afternoon, the delegation asserted that stateless persons and their children benefited from free medical treatment. Nevertheless, adults had to pay a small fraction of the bill if the treatment incurred high costs.

On equality of women, the delegation said that the Kuwaiti Constitution provided for equality between men and women and especially stressed the principle of non-discrimination. There was a civil service law according to which women were allowed to hold high level posts and to be appointed on foreign missions. Women also had the same privileges and rights in the society as their male counterparts. Any woman could lodge a complaint in the event of failure to respect her right to equality.

In cases of divorces, the views of children were respected and taken into consideration by the judge, the delegation said, adding that a child had the right to chose the parent with whom he or she preferred to live.

Kuwait believed that everyone had the right to education, which the State had an obligation to provide in accordance with the provisions of its Constitution, the delegation said. Although education was compulsory only at the primary and intermediate levels, it was provided free of charge up to the end of university studies. The Government ensured that everyone capable of learning was given an opportunity to receive an education in accordance with his or her abilities and needs.

A question was asked on whether pupils could lodge complaints of maltreatment against their teachers. The delegation responded by saying that there existed a social and psychological office to receive complaints from students. Since corporal punishment and beating of pupils was prohibited in schools, teachers found guilty of such offenses could be sanctioned. Children could lodge complaints of maltreatment not only against their teachers but also against their own parents, added the delegation.

Another question was asked on whether the society had a preference to boys rather than girls. The delegation said there was no such preference in the society and "we accept what God gave us as a child". In addition, child abuse of any sort was prohibited by the law.

Referring to the question of non-participation of women in the process of voting, the delegation said that although women enjoyed equality, their participation in elections was a political issue. It touched the fabric of the Kuwait socio-economic structure and traditions. The social development, the religion and other values and traditions did not allow women to exercise their election rights.

Committee members raised further questions on street children and beggary; prison conditions for juvenile delinquents; rehabilitation of juvenile offenders; prohibition of child labour; protection of children from violent electronic media; landmines; and traditional practices prejudicial to children, among other things.

In response to the additional questions, the delegation said that there was no practice of beggary in Kuwait. As to juvenile delinquents, a special police department was responsible for dealing with young offenders. If murder was committed by a young person, the offender was kept in a surveillance centre to avoid vengeance from the victim’s family. A special court was set up to examine cases of juvenile offenders. If a juvenile over 15 but under 18 years of age committed a felony punishable by death or life imprisonment, the judge should sentence the offender to a term of not more than 10 years' imprisonment, added the delegation.

The delegation affirmed that although Bedoons - nomadic non-citizens - were found in the territory of Kuwait, they were not considered as Kuwaiti nationals. Before the invasion of Iraq, there were 220,000 of them, but after the war only 120,000 remained. Where did the rest go? Since they came from neighbouring countries, they might have returned home. In addition, those in Kuwait tried to obtain Kuwaiti nationality for the sole purpose of benefiting from free housing and other social benefits.