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17 January 2001
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CRC
26th session
17 January 2001
Afternoon
Expresses Concern about Shortage of Resources for some Projects
Designed for Promotion and Protection of Children's Rights
The Committee on the Rights of the Child completed this afternoon its review of an initial report of Lithuania, expressing, in preliminary remarks, concern about the shortage of resources for some projects designed to promote and protect children's rights.
An Expert, speaking on behalf of the Committee, also said that legislative reforms being undertaken by the Government of Lithuania were a positive measure, particularly the revision and rewriting of some of the laws pertaining to children. It was noted that various Government policies towards children needed to be implemented, and that the problems of single parents should be resolved through substantial support from the Government.
Formal, written conclusions and recommendations on the report of Lithuania will be issued towards the end of the Committee’s three-week session which will conclude on 26 January.
The Lithuanian report was presented this morning by a nine-member Government delegation which spent the day responding to questions put by Committee members. Discussion this afternoon centred on the subjects of family environment and alternative care; basic health and welfare; education, leisure, and cultural activities; and special protection measures.
In the course of the discussion, Committee members said, among other things, that alcoholic abuse by families had increased in the Lithuanian society with violent effects on children; such alcoholic consumption and drunkness by family members had led to sexual abuse of children, in addition to violence perpetrated against them; and in November 1997, the Government had adopted a three-year programme on drug addiction; however, during that period the consumption of tobacco and alcohol drinks had increased.
Lithuania is among the 191 States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and as such it must provide the Committee with periodic accounts of Government efforts to implement the treaty and of steps taken to improve the situation of children.
The Committee will reconvene at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 18 January, to begin its consideration of the initial report of Lesotho.
Discussion
The discussion over the course of the afternoon focused on the general subjects of family environment and alternative care; basic health and welfare; education, leisure, and cultural activities; and special protection measures.
Committee members continued to query the delegation on a number of issues. An Expert wanted to know if there was a legislative provision on the prohibition of corporal punishment in families and schools; if awareness raising programmes had been conducted to make known the negative impact of corporal punishment; if there were recreational programmes for youth, including reading habits, instead of children spending at least four hours daily watching television transmissions; if measures were taken against traffic and drowning incidents which were affecting the survival of children; and if child associations were free to operate on their own.
Lithuania was a centre for trafficking in women for the purpose of prostitution; it was a temporary stop after which such persons were sent to other countries, including some Middle Eastern countries, an Expert remarked. What had been done to educate children on the bad effects of organized crime and to make them conscious of the situation around them? The Expert wanted to know whether the programme against domestic violence and commercial sexual exploitation was targeting both girls and boys.
What had been done by the Government of Lithuania to comply fully with the 1993 Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, an Expert asked, citing a case of adoption which was contrary to the principles of the Convention. A Lithuanian mother was advised to give away the last of her many children to a German couple. Before the child was born, she had received a cow and a television set in exchange, a matter which did not reflect the principle of transparency in intercountry adoption. The number of intercountry adoptions was high, added another Expert.
Alcoholic abuse by families had increased in the Lithuanian society with violent effects on children, an Expert said. Such alcoholic consumption and drunkness by families members had led to sexual abuse of children, in addition to violence perpetrated against them. In November 1997, the Government had adopted a three-year programme to fight drug addiction; however, during that period the consumption of tobacco and alcohol had increased; what were the reasons behind such a rise in drug addiction?
An Expert said that the number of crimes committed by children was as high as 5,070 in 1999, including 20 murders. That situation was serious and the Government had to take preventive measures to reduce such phenomenon.
Responding to the questions raised, the delegation said every child had the right to consult any medical practitioner and it was up to the doctor to assess the gravity of the situation of his or her patient and to hospitalize the minor. The parents of the child should be informed as soon as the child was hospitalized.
Corporal punishment was prohibited by law and the existing criminal code affirmed that beating and sexual harassment of a child was forbidden, the delegation said. About 130 social workers and psychologists were working in schools to assist victims of sexual abuse and to help children suffering from trauma.
Surfing the Internet and watching television was isolating children from other members of their families, the delegation said; and they did not encourage children to perform creative activities. With the help of non-governmental organizations, the Government was endeavouring to change the situation by creating attractive recreational centres.
Road accidents were a huge problem which killed and handicapped children, the delegation said; and most of the accidents were attributed to drunk driving. In addition, the number of cars in the cities had increased in recent years. Preventive measures were being sought to avert this situation.
A commission had been set up to examine the compatibility of Lithuanian acquisition of citizenship by children with the provisions of the Convention, the delegation said. At present, citizenship could be applied for by persons who obtained resident permits in the country.
Children had unlimited rights in establishing and running their own associations, the delegation said; however, they had to be registered in order to be officially recognized by the Government.
Lithuania had no family courts but it had specialized judges to deal with civil cases involving the family, the delegation said. Since such cases took place rarely, it was expensive to maintain specialized family courts. For that reason, some courts had specialized judges who could deal with issues relating to the family code.
There was an increase in the number of single parents in Lithuania, the delegation said. Support to single parents had been provided in the past, but because of the increase in their numbers, the situation had been reassessed in order to adapt the assistance given to them.
The Government was planning to place more children with foster families instead of keeping them in institutions, the delegation said. With regard to intercountry adoption, the Government had ratified the 1993 Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption but its implementation had been delayed due to various reasons. Because appropriate information on the adopting family was not obtained on time, the process of adoption might be either delayed or cancelled.
The rising number of school drop-outs to 20,000 was considered to be serious by the Government, the delegation said. A year ago, the educational system had been restructured and without this, the number of drop-outs would have been higher. Children were supposed to receive compulsory education until the age of 16 years.
The legislation on pre-trial detention of children had been amended and the text was still in the hands of the legislators, the delegation said. The crimes attributed to children had been categorized and the pre-trial detention would be determined in accordance with the gravity of the crimes committed.
Asked about the integration of Roma children into the society, the delegation said that the Government had adopted a programme in which these children were fully integrated into the Lithuanian society and benefitted from the health, education and social services available to the general public.
Alcohol consumption was considered to be part of the Lithuanian culture and its abuse had continued since the Soviet era, the delegation said. However, the sale and consumption of alcoholic drinks had been limited through age limits and specifications of places where to get them. Concerning drug abuse, the Government was aware that drugs were being imported and even manufactured inside the country. Small children were also involved in drug abuse which was at times introduced into schools.
Breast-feeding was encouraged by the Government and programmes had been implemented in that regard, the delegation said; and because of the programmes, the number of mothers who breast-fed had increased.
Preliminary Remarks
On behalf of the Committee, an Expert said, among other things, that the discussion had been fruitful and that the members of the delegation had answered the questions candidly. The legislative reforms were a positive measure, particularly the revision and rewriting of some of the laws pertaining to children. The Government had a number of policies towards children which needed to be implemented.
The Expert further said that the transition from a planned to market economy had not been easy; the problems of single parents should be resolved through substantial support from the Government; the Committee was concerned about the shortage of financial resources for some projects concerning children; adequate attention was not given to the equality and non-discrimination between urban and rural children; the situation of statelessness of children emanating from their parents' lack of residence permit should be re-examined; and efforts should be strengthened concerning foster families.
* *** *
26th session
17 January 2001
Afternoon
Expresses Concern about Shortage of Resources for some Projects
Designed for Promotion and Protection of Children's Rights
The Committee on the Rights of the Child completed this afternoon its review of an initial report of Lithuania, expressing, in preliminary remarks, concern about the shortage of resources for some projects designed to promote and protect children's rights.
An Expert, speaking on behalf of the Committee, also said that legislative reforms being undertaken by the Government of Lithuania were a positive measure, particularly the revision and rewriting of some of the laws pertaining to children. It was noted that various Government policies towards children needed to be implemented, and that the problems of single parents should be resolved through substantial support from the Government.
Formal, written conclusions and recommendations on the report of Lithuania will be issued towards the end of the Committee’s three-week session which will conclude on 26 January.
The Lithuanian report was presented this morning by a nine-member Government delegation which spent the day responding to questions put by Committee members. Discussion this afternoon centred on the subjects of family environment and alternative care; basic health and welfare; education, leisure, and cultural activities; and special protection measures.
In the course of the discussion, Committee members said, among other things, that alcoholic abuse by families had increased in the Lithuanian society with violent effects on children; such alcoholic consumption and drunkness by family members had led to sexual abuse of children, in addition to violence perpetrated against them; and in November 1997, the Government had adopted a three-year programme on drug addiction; however, during that period the consumption of tobacco and alcohol drinks had increased.
Lithuania is among the 191 States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and as such it must provide the Committee with periodic accounts of Government efforts to implement the treaty and of steps taken to improve the situation of children.
The Committee will reconvene at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 18 January, to begin its consideration of the initial report of Lesotho.
Discussion
The discussion over the course of the afternoon focused on the general subjects of family environment and alternative care; basic health and welfare; education, leisure, and cultural activities; and special protection measures.
Committee members continued to query the delegation on a number of issues. An Expert wanted to know if there was a legislative provision on the prohibition of corporal punishment in families and schools; if awareness raising programmes had been conducted to make known the negative impact of corporal punishment; if there were recreational programmes for youth, including reading habits, instead of children spending at least four hours daily watching television transmissions; if measures were taken against traffic and drowning incidents which were affecting the survival of children; and if child associations were free to operate on their own.
Lithuania was a centre for trafficking in women for the purpose of prostitution; it was a temporary stop after which such persons were sent to other countries, including some Middle Eastern countries, an Expert remarked. What had been done to educate children on the bad effects of organized crime and to make them conscious of the situation around them? The Expert wanted to know whether the programme against domestic violence and commercial sexual exploitation was targeting both girls and boys.
What had been done by the Government of Lithuania to comply fully with the 1993 Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, an Expert asked, citing a case of adoption which was contrary to the principles of the Convention. A Lithuanian mother was advised to give away the last of her many children to a German couple. Before the child was born, she had received a cow and a television set in exchange, a matter which did not reflect the principle of transparency in intercountry adoption. The number of intercountry adoptions was high, added another Expert.
Alcoholic abuse by families had increased in the Lithuanian society with violent effects on children, an Expert said. Such alcoholic consumption and drunkness by families members had led to sexual abuse of children, in addition to violence perpetrated against them. In November 1997, the Government had adopted a three-year programme to fight drug addiction; however, during that period the consumption of tobacco and alcohol had increased; what were the reasons behind such a rise in drug addiction?
An Expert said that the number of crimes committed by children was as high as 5,070 in 1999, including 20 murders. That situation was serious and the Government had to take preventive measures to reduce such phenomenon.
Responding to the questions raised, the delegation said every child had the right to consult any medical practitioner and it was up to the doctor to assess the gravity of the situation of his or her patient and to hospitalize the minor. The parents of the child should be informed as soon as the child was hospitalized.
Corporal punishment was prohibited by law and the existing criminal code affirmed that beating and sexual harassment of a child was forbidden, the delegation said. About 130 social workers and psychologists were working in schools to assist victims of sexual abuse and to help children suffering from trauma.
Surfing the Internet and watching television was isolating children from other members of their families, the delegation said; and they did not encourage children to perform creative activities. With the help of non-governmental organizations, the Government was endeavouring to change the situation by creating attractive recreational centres.
Road accidents were a huge problem which killed and handicapped children, the delegation said; and most of the accidents were attributed to drunk driving. In addition, the number of cars in the cities had increased in recent years. Preventive measures were being sought to avert this situation.
A commission had been set up to examine the compatibility of Lithuanian acquisition of citizenship by children with the provisions of the Convention, the delegation said. At present, citizenship could be applied for by persons who obtained resident permits in the country.
Children had unlimited rights in establishing and running their own associations, the delegation said; however, they had to be registered in order to be officially recognized by the Government.
Lithuania had no family courts but it had specialized judges to deal with civil cases involving the family, the delegation said. Since such cases took place rarely, it was expensive to maintain specialized family courts. For that reason, some courts had specialized judges who could deal with issues relating to the family code.
There was an increase in the number of single parents in Lithuania, the delegation said. Support to single parents had been provided in the past, but because of the increase in their numbers, the situation had been reassessed in order to adapt the assistance given to them.
The Government was planning to place more children with foster families instead of keeping them in institutions, the delegation said. With regard to intercountry adoption, the Government had ratified the 1993 Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption but its implementation had been delayed due to various reasons. Because appropriate information on the adopting family was not obtained on time, the process of adoption might be either delayed or cancelled.
The rising number of school drop-outs to 20,000 was considered to be serious by the Government, the delegation said. A year ago, the educational system had been restructured and without this, the number of drop-outs would have been higher. Children were supposed to receive compulsory education until the age of 16 years.
The legislation on pre-trial detention of children had been amended and the text was still in the hands of the legislators, the delegation said. The crimes attributed to children had been categorized and the pre-trial detention would be determined in accordance with the gravity of the crimes committed.
Asked about the integration of Roma children into the society, the delegation said that the Government had adopted a programme in which these children were fully integrated into the Lithuanian society and benefitted from the health, education and social services available to the general public.
Alcohol consumption was considered to be part of the Lithuanian culture and its abuse had continued since the Soviet era, the delegation said. However, the sale and consumption of alcoholic drinks had been limited through age limits and specifications of places where to get them. Concerning drug abuse, the Government was aware that drugs were being imported and even manufactured inside the country. Small children were also involved in drug abuse which was at times introduced into schools.
Breast-feeding was encouraged by the Government and programmes had been implemented in that regard, the delegation said; and because of the programmes, the number of mothers who breast-fed had increased.
Preliminary Remarks
On behalf of the Committee, an Expert said, among other things, that the discussion had been fruitful and that the members of the delegation had answered the questions candidly. The legislative reforms were a positive measure, particularly the revision and rewriting of some of the laws pertaining to children. The Government had a number of policies towards children which needed to be implemented.
The Expert further said that the transition from a planned to market economy had not been easy; the problems of single parents should be resolved through substantial support from the Government; the Committee was concerned about the shortage of financial resources for some projects concerning children; adequate attention was not given to the equality and non-discrimination between urban and rural children; the situation of statelessness of children emanating from their parents' lack of residence permit should be re-examined; and efforts should be strengthened concerning foster families.
* *** *