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COMMITTEE ON RIGHTS OF THE CHILD TAKES UP REPORT OF HONDURAS
25 May 1999
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MORNING
HR/CRC/99/25
25 May 1999
Hurricane Mitch Seriously Harmed Situation of Children, Government Delegation Says
The Committee on the Rights of the Child began consideration this morning of the first periodic report of Honduras and was told by a Government delegation that Hurricane Mitch in September 1998 had crushed the already poverty-stricken country and that some 80,000 children were still living in temporary shelters.
Jorge Valladares, Executive Director of the Honduran Institute for Childhood and the Family (IHNFA), said the statistics contained in the report -- which indicated that 80 per cent of the country's population lived in conditions of poverty, with half of that group suffering extreme poverty -- could now only be considered "points of reference", as Hurricane Mitch had made matters considerably worse. A disaster situation persisted some eight months after the storm; 75 per cent of agricultural production had been destroyed in what was a rurally based economy; and 95 per cent of major roads and bridges had been extensively damaged. Much of the population was still living in emergency housing, Mr. Valladares said, and 8,000 people were still missing.
Committee members pressed the delegation, among other things, about responses to the damage caused by the hurricane, about the development of statistics on child-related matters, and about how legislation and institutions related to children functioned and were coordinated.
As one of 191 States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Honduras is required to provide the Committee with periodic reports on efforts to implement the treaty's provisions. The written reports serve as a basis for questioning and discussion between Government delegations and Committee experts. Today's first periodic report follows Honduras's initial report under the Convention in 1994.
In addition to Mr. Valladares, the Honduran delegation consisted of Selma Melendez, a judge for the Children's Court; Eduardo Villanueva, a Sub-director of the Office of the Attorney General; and Gracibel Bu Figueroa, Counsellor of the Honduran Embassy in Geneva.
The Committee will reconvene at 3 p.m. to conclude its review of the report of Honduras.
First periodic report of Honduras
The report (CRC/C/65/Add.2) reviews implementation of the Convention on an article-by-article basis. An introductory chapter covers "general aspects", indigenous children and children of ethnic groups, extreme poverty, the economic situation and public spending, and "coordination of economic policy and social policy for children".
The introduction notes that "lessons learned so far indicate that civil society and its authorities are increasingly treading the same path of participation to achieve development, but that there are still some challenges to be overcome". It reports that many indigenous children or children of ethnic groups live in conditions of extreme poverty, suffer discrimination "because of their cultural differences", "suffer high levels of mortality, diseases and malnutrition", and many "have no access to primary education because there is no school in their community or because their families are unable to pay the necessary costs. Those who do attend school have problems because their language is not spoken in the school and the curriculum does not seek to develop their culture and customs, but rather those of the majority population". Efforts are being made to confront these difficulties, the report says.
Extreme poverty in fact is an overall problem, according to the report: 80 per cent of the population lives in conditions of poverty, and of that group over half are in situations of extreme poverty; more than 85 per cent of poor peasant families "have to look for work outside the family plot"; and some 23 per cent of rural households "depend mainly on salaried labour, but only half of them have a permanent job. Poverty in the countryside has led to migration to urban centres, where it is very difficult to get a permanent and well-paid job". In rural areas, "nearly one in ten live-born children will die before reaching the age of five years".
The country's economic situation also is hampered by a heavy foreign-debt burden, the report contends, and "it has not been possible to formulate a social policy to support economic reform".
Introduction of report
JORGE VALLADARES, Executive Director of the Institute for Childhood and the Family (IHNFA) of Honduras, said the catastrophe caused last September by Hurricane Mitch had completely changed conditions in the country, negatively biasing the social indicators included in the report, which had been compiled before the storm; these indicators now could only be considered “points of reference”. A disaster situation persisted in the country. In 72 hours, the hurricane had destroyed 75 per cent of the agricultural production of the country; the damage to infrastructure was so extensive that cities were isolated and could not communicate with each other; 90 per cent of the principal bridges and roads were inoperable; some 1,375 hostels were set up where some 35 per cent of the country's population was sheltered. Over 5,000 people were killed and more than 8,000 were still missing; water supply to 2 million people -- 70 per cent of the population -- was cut off; the cost of the damage, $3.794 billion, had exceeded Honduras's total foreign debt. Export losses had been enormous. Children and other vulnerable groups had suffered considerably, and 80,000 children were still in temporary shelters, Mr. Valladares added.
The Government had made considerable progress in harmonizing legislation with the Convention, he said. A Childhood and Adolescent Code had been enacted in 1997, and the measure had been debated at great length within the Government and in civil society; the legal provisions of the Code applied to all under 18 and at this point the details were widely known. The Code aimed at integral protection of children based on the standards of the Convention. Age limits were clearly defined -- "childhood" meant under age 18; the age of legal responsibility was clearly established; and a special system of justice applied to those between 12 and 18. Responsibilities were clearly established for officials, too -- they were held accountable if they did not apply the standards of the Code.
The Common Penal Code was being reformed to take into account children's issues, including abuse of children by adults, Mr. Valladares said; other legislation was intended to highlight community participation and co-responsibility in the implementation of policies related to children and youth.
Discussion
Responding to questions put by Committee members, the delegation said, among other things, that the hurricane had indeed made matters more difficult for the country and its children; it was, however, also a chance to "rebuild", not only infrastructure but society. About 50 per cent of those affected by the hurricane were children, and they made up some 50 per cent of the 8,000 missing. Some communities had completely disappeared; it was feared that the victims would never be found. A meeting on coordinating international aid to respond to the disaster was being held today in Stockholm. It was important to carry out recovery programmes efficiently and with careful cooperation.
The Honduran Institute for Children and the Family was of a technical nature; there had been a National Commission for Coordination (IHNFA) in relation to children's matters; it had been set up to encourage legislative harmonization but later had been replaced by IHNFA; IHNFA also included other societal institutes in its sessions; initiatives coming from the group included a commission against child labour, steps towards international cooperation on behalf of children, and further efforts to harmonize legislation; IHNFA worked in cooperation with non-governmental organizations, the delegation said.
Social indicators were a central concern of the Government, the delegation reported; efforts were being made with support from international agencies, including the United Nations Development Programme, to develop extensive figures on topics such as child labour, ill-treatment of children, and access of children to public services. It was hoped that a census would be completed for the year 2000 that would update significantly the information now available on children.
The violence prevailing in the country, coupled with the shortcomings of the judiciary and justice system, had led to some concern in society about whether persons under age 18 should be treated as juveniles where violent crimes were concerned, the delegation said, and there were some loopholes in current juvenile protections; pushing enlightened reforms on behalf of children had to be pursued carefully, and legislation had to be introduced at the right time.
Application of the Childhood and Adolescent Code had been vigorous, the delegation contended; the percentage of children deprived of their liberty as a result of offenses committed had been reduced by four-fifths in favour of alternate forms of sentencing. Community interventions of a preventive nature through educational activities, as well as crisis intervention, had improved the response of the country to cases of abuse; municipal councils for children had been set up; municipal defenders, who worked without pay, monitored the situation of children and acted as facilitators for implementation of the Convention; the National Commissioner for Human Rights had departmental and municipal delegates who were responsible for collecting information and intervening in cases where violations of children's rights were feared. Some cases related to alleged violations had been submitted to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
IHNFA was attempting, meanwhile, to de-centralize -- the intent was to have seven regional offices; currently four such offices were in operation. Some 135 IHNFA projects were under way with the aim of forming an integrated approach to implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, with special emphasis on young children, the delegation said. Expenses were climbing as IHNFA sought to extend services to rural areas through the regional offices.
There were eight indigenous nations in the country, generally in the most inaccessible regions, the delegation said; there also were a number of distinct ethnic groups; there were specialized agencies for the protection of the rights of indigenous persons and members of ethnic groups; the intent was to improve their situation, to punish anyone who violated the rights of such peoples, and to educate these vulnerable groups on their rights; a specialized agency was concerned exclusively with ethnic concerns, the National Ethnic Commission. There also was a National Council of Ethnic Groups.
The Commission for Human Rights of Honduras also had specific responsibility for the human rights of children, the delegation said.
HR/CRC/99/25
25 May 1999
Hurricane Mitch Seriously Harmed Situation of Children, Government Delegation Says
The Committee on the Rights of the Child began consideration this morning of the first periodic report of Honduras and was told by a Government delegation that Hurricane Mitch in September 1998 had crushed the already poverty-stricken country and that some 80,000 children were still living in temporary shelters.
Jorge Valladares, Executive Director of the Honduran Institute for Childhood and the Family (IHNFA), said the statistics contained in the report -- which indicated that 80 per cent of the country's population lived in conditions of poverty, with half of that group suffering extreme poverty -- could now only be considered "points of reference", as Hurricane Mitch had made matters considerably worse. A disaster situation persisted some eight months after the storm; 75 per cent of agricultural production had been destroyed in what was a rurally based economy; and 95 per cent of major roads and bridges had been extensively damaged. Much of the population was still living in emergency housing, Mr. Valladares said, and 8,000 people were still missing.
Committee members pressed the delegation, among other things, about responses to the damage caused by the hurricane, about the development of statistics on child-related matters, and about how legislation and institutions related to children functioned and were coordinated.
As one of 191 States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Honduras is required to provide the Committee with periodic reports on efforts to implement the treaty's provisions. The written reports serve as a basis for questioning and discussion between Government delegations and Committee experts. Today's first periodic report follows Honduras's initial report under the Convention in 1994.
In addition to Mr. Valladares, the Honduran delegation consisted of Selma Melendez, a judge for the Children's Court; Eduardo Villanueva, a Sub-director of the Office of the Attorney General; and Gracibel Bu Figueroa, Counsellor of the Honduran Embassy in Geneva.
The Committee will reconvene at 3 p.m. to conclude its review of the report of Honduras.
First periodic report of Honduras
The report (CRC/C/65/Add.2) reviews implementation of the Convention on an article-by-article basis. An introductory chapter covers "general aspects", indigenous children and children of ethnic groups, extreme poverty, the economic situation and public spending, and "coordination of economic policy and social policy for children".
The introduction notes that "lessons learned so far indicate that civil society and its authorities are increasingly treading the same path of participation to achieve development, but that there are still some challenges to be overcome". It reports that many indigenous children or children of ethnic groups live in conditions of extreme poverty, suffer discrimination "because of their cultural differences", "suffer high levels of mortality, diseases and malnutrition", and many "have no access to primary education because there is no school in their community or because their families are unable to pay the necessary costs. Those who do attend school have problems because their language is not spoken in the school and the curriculum does not seek to develop their culture and customs, but rather those of the majority population". Efforts are being made to confront these difficulties, the report says.
Extreme poverty in fact is an overall problem, according to the report: 80 per cent of the population lives in conditions of poverty, and of that group over half are in situations of extreme poverty; more than 85 per cent of poor peasant families "have to look for work outside the family plot"; and some 23 per cent of rural households "depend mainly on salaried labour, but only half of them have a permanent job. Poverty in the countryside has led to migration to urban centres, where it is very difficult to get a permanent and well-paid job". In rural areas, "nearly one in ten live-born children will die before reaching the age of five years".
The country's economic situation also is hampered by a heavy foreign-debt burden, the report contends, and "it has not been possible to formulate a social policy to support economic reform".
Introduction of report
JORGE VALLADARES, Executive Director of the Institute for Childhood and the Family (IHNFA) of Honduras, said the catastrophe caused last September by Hurricane Mitch had completely changed conditions in the country, negatively biasing the social indicators included in the report, which had been compiled before the storm; these indicators now could only be considered “points of reference”. A disaster situation persisted in the country. In 72 hours, the hurricane had destroyed 75 per cent of the agricultural production of the country; the damage to infrastructure was so extensive that cities were isolated and could not communicate with each other; 90 per cent of the principal bridges and roads were inoperable; some 1,375 hostels were set up where some 35 per cent of the country's population was sheltered. Over 5,000 people were killed and more than 8,000 were still missing; water supply to 2 million people -- 70 per cent of the population -- was cut off; the cost of the damage, $3.794 billion, had exceeded Honduras's total foreign debt. Export losses had been enormous. Children and other vulnerable groups had suffered considerably, and 80,000 children were still in temporary shelters, Mr. Valladares added.
The Government had made considerable progress in harmonizing legislation with the Convention, he said. A Childhood and Adolescent Code had been enacted in 1997, and the measure had been debated at great length within the Government and in civil society; the legal provisions of the Code applied to all under 18 and at this point the details were widely known. The Code aimed at integral protection of children based on the standards of the Convention. Age limits were clearly defined -- "childhood" meant under age 18; the age of legal responsibility was clearly established; and a special system of justice applied to those between 12 and 18. Responsibilities were clearly established for officials, too -- they were held accountable if they did not apply the standards of the Code.
The Common Penal Code was being reformed to take into account children's issues, including abuse of children by adults, Mr. Valladares said; other legislation was intended to highlight community participation and co-responsibility in the implementation of policies related to children and youth.
Discussion
Responding to questions put by Committee members, the delegation said, among other things, that the hurricane had indeed made matters more difficult for the country and its children; it was, however, also a chance to "rebuild", not only infrastructure but society. About 50 per cent of those affected by the hurricane were children, and they made up some 50 per cent of the 8,000 missing. Some communities had completely disappeared; it was feared that the victims would never be found. A meeting on coordinating international aid to respond to the disaster was being held today in Stockholm. It was important to carry out recovery programmes efficiently and with careful cooperation.
The Honduran Institute for Children and the Family was of a technical nature; there had been a National Commission for Coordination (IHNFA) in relation to children's matters; it had been set up to encourage legislative harmonization but later had been replaced by IHNFA; IHNFA also included other societal institutes in its sessions; initiatives coming from the group included a commission against child labour, steps towards international cooperation on behalf of children, and further efforts to harmonize legislation; IHNFA worked in cooperation with non-governmental organizations, the delegation said.
Social indicators were a central concern of the Government, the delegation reported; efforts were being made with support from international agencies, including the United Nations Development Programme, to develop extensive figures on topics such as child labour, ill-treatment of children, and access of children to public services. It was hoped that a census would be completed for the year 2000 that would update significantly the information now available on children.
The violence prevailing in the country, coupled with the shortcomings of the judiciary and justice system, had led to some concern in society about whether persons under age 18 should be treated as juveniles where violent crimes were concerned, the delegation said, and there were some loopholes in current juvenile protections; pushing enlightened reforms on behalf of children had to be pursued carefully, and legislation had to be introduced at the right time.
Application of the Childhood and Adolescent Code had been vigorous, the delegation contended; the percentage of children deprived of their liberty as a result of offenses committed had been reduced by four-fifths in favour of alternate forms of sentencing. Community interventions of a preventive nature through educational activities, as well as crisis intervention, had improved the response of the country to cases of abuse; municipal councils for children had been set up; municipal defenders, who worked without pay, monitored the situation of children and acted as facilitators for implementation of the Convention; the National Commissioner for Human Rights had departmental and municipal delegates who were responsible for collecting information and intervening in cases where violations of children's rights were feared. Some cases related to alleged violations had been submitted to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
IHNFA was attempting, meanwhile, to de-centralize -- the intent was to have seven regional offices; currently four such offices were in operation. Some 135 IHNFA projects were under way with the aim of forming an integrated approach to implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, with special emphasis on young children, the delegation said. Expenses were climbing as IHNFA sought to extend services to rural areas through the regional offices.
There were eight indigenous nations in the country, generally in the most inaccessible regions, the delegation said; there also were a number of distinct ethnic groups; there were specialized agencies for the protection of the rights of indigenous persons and members of ethnic groups; the intent was to improve their situation, to punish anyone who violated the rights of such peoples, and to educate these vulnerable groups on their rights; a specialized agency was concerned exclusively with ethnic concerns, the National Ethnic Commission. There also was a National Council of Ethnic Groups.
The Commission for Human Rights of Honduras also had specific responsibility for the human rights of children, the delegation said.
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