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10 January 2001
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CRC
26th session
10 January 2001
Afternoon
Calls, in Preliminary Remarks, for Ratification of Convention
on Intercountry Adoption and ILO Convention
Against Worst Forms of Child Labour
The Committee on the Rights of the Child completed its review this afternoon of an initial report of Liechtenstein, calling in preliminary remarks on the State to ratify the 1993 Hague Convention on the protection of children and cooperation in respect of intercountry adoption as well as the ILO Convention against the worst forms of child labour.
A Committee member, speaking on behalf of the group, said, among other things, that Liechtenstein was a democratic and prosperous country and had all the opportunities to undertake further measures to improve the situation of children. Although people were not poor, still further could be done, the Expert said.
The Expert also said that Liechtenstein had to be encouraged to sign the 1993 Hague Convention on the protection of children and cooperation in respect of intercountry adoption and other treaties related to the promotion and protection of children. There was a lot of welfare, thanks to the wealth of the nation, and a right-centred approach should continue, the Expert added. The country still had to ratify many other international treaties.
Although Liechtenstein had no problem of child labour, its ratification of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 182 concerning the prohibition and immediate action for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour would be a sign of solidarity, the Expert concluded.
Formal, written conclusions and recommendations on the report of Liechtenstein will be issued towards the end of the Committee's three-week winter session on 26 January.
The report of Liechtenstein was presented this morning by a two-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.
The delegation said, among other things, that Liechtenstein had not adopted any international treaty regarding trafficking in women, and it also had not signed the 1993 Hague Convention on the protection of children; no juvenile prisoners were to be found in Liechtenstein except for two cases of robbery and drug dealing by minors who were later handed over to Austria because of their nationalities.
As one of the 191 States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Liechtenstein must provide the Committee with a periodic accounting of Government efforts to implement the treaty and improve the situation of children.
The Committee will reconvene at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 11 January, to begin its consideration of a second periodic report of Ethiopia.
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.
Responding to questions, the Liechtenstein delegation said, among other things, that with regard to article 10 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child on family reunification, Liechtenstein had a legal provision which did not guarantee persons living in the country the right to family reunion. It was because of the existence of that provision that Liechtenstein made reservations on article 10. Because of the high proportion of foreign residents in the country, the issue of family reunification occupied an important place in Liechtenstein's immigration policy.
Liechtenstein had not adopted any international treaty regarding trafficking in women, the delegation said. It also had not signed the 1993 Hague Convention on the protection of children and cooperation in respect of intercountry adoption.
In the event that a child was adopted by citizens of Liechtenstein, that child could not acquire citizenship until he or she attained the majority age of 18 years, the delegation said. Adopted children could only consult their personal files on adoption after 18 years of age.
There were no cases of abortion which had led to incrimination of the authors nor had charges been brought against any medical practitioner for collaboration, the delegation said; and the law also did not specify on how to deal with cases of rape leading to pregnancy.
Asked who was responsible for the implementation of the law against alcoholic consumption by minors, the delegation said the municipal police authorities, the national police service and the office for social services were responsible for monitoring compliance.
Liechtenstein had no specialized institutions to accommodate orphaned children, the delegation said; however, if such a case happened, the children were placed with foster families.
There were no juvenile prisoners in Liechtenstein except for two cases of robbery and drug dealing by minors who were both handed over to Austria because of their nationalities, the delegation said. In the case of adolescents being charged with an offence, the Juvenile Court Act provided for the possibility of detention pending trial, which in principle should be imposed only in exceptional cases, being replaced where appropriate by residence with the family.
Prostitution did not exist in Liechtenstein, the delegation affirmed; because of the small size of the country, "every one knows what the other person was doing", and for that reason people avoid engaging in such activities. In addition, running centres which encouraged prostitution, such as saloons for striptease shows for example, were prohibited. However, such activities were flourishing in neighbouring Austrian townships.
The revision of the country's Penal Code concerning offences was being dealt with by the legislators to include extraterritorial sexual abuse and exploitation of children under prosecution and punishment, regardless of the legislation of the country in which the offence had taken place. The revisions would introduce longer imprisonment for sexual abuse of children with subsequent physical or psychological grievous injury.
Asked about the youth parliament, the delegation said that at the communal level, the primary political forum for concerns of adolescents was the youth commission. However, currently, no adolescents were members of communal youth commissions. The Government was making an effort to achieve greater involvement of adolescents in the work of the youth commissions. As such, there was no children's parliament.
Preliminary Remarks
The Committee had several preliminary responses to the report of Liechtenstein. Formal, written conclusions and recommendations will be issued towards the end of the Committee's three-week winter session.
A Committee member, speaking on behalf of the group, said, among other things, that Liechtenstein was a democratic and prosperous country and had all the opportunities to undertake further measures to improve the situation of children. Although people were not poor, still further could be done.
The continuation of the reservation on article 10 of the Convention implied that there might be discrimination in matters of family reunion in Liechtenstein; the State should withdraw that reservation to allow full compliance with the provisions of the Convention.
Liechtenstein had to be encouraged to sign the 1993 Hague Convention on the protection of children and cooperation in respect of intercountry adoption and other treaties related to the promotion and protection of children.
Thanks to the wealth of the nation, there was a lot of welfare; a right-centred approach should continue; there was also a possibility of improvement at the communal level; and the country still had to ratify many international treaties. Although Liechtenstein had no problem of child labour, its ratification of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 182 concerning the prohibition and immediate action for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour would be a sign of solidarity.
* *** *
26th session
10 January 2001
Afternoon
Calls, in Preliminary Remarks, for Ratification of Convention
on Intercountry Adoption and ILO Convention
Against Worst Forms of Child Labour
The Committee on the Rights of the Child completed its review this afternoon of an initial report of Liechtenstein, calling in preliminary remarks on the State to ratify the 1993 Hague Convention on the protection of children and cooperation in respect of intercountry adoption as well as the ILO Convention against the worst forms of child labour.
A Committee member, speaking on behalf of the group, said, among other things, that Liechtenstein was a democratic and prosperous country and had all the opportunities to undertake further measures to improve the situation of children. Although people were not poor, still further could be done, the Expert said.
The Expert also said that Liechtenstein had to be encouraged to sign the 1993 Hague Convention on the protection of children and cooperation in respect of intercountry adoption and other treaties related to the promotion and protection of children. There was a lot of welfare, thanks to the wealth of the nation, and a right-centred approach should continue, the Expert added. The country still had to ratify many other international treaties.
Although Liechtenstein had no problem of child labour, its ratification of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 182 concerning the prohibition and immediate action for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour would be a sign of solidarity, the Expert concluded.
Formal, written conclusions and recommendations on the report of Liechtenstein will be issued towards the end of the Committee's three-week winter session on 26 January.
The report of Liechtenstein was presented this morning by a two-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.
The delegation said, among other things, that Liechtenstein had not adopted any international treaty regarding trafficking in women, and it also had not signed the 1993 Hague Convention on the protection of children; no juvenile prisoners were to be found in Liechtenstein except for two cases of robbery and drug dealing by minors who were later handed over to Austria because of their nationalities.
As one of the 191 States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Liechtenstein must provide the Committee with a periodic accounting of Government efforts to implement the treaty and improve the situation of children.
The Committee will reconvene at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 11 January, to begin its consideration of a second periodic report of Ethiopia.
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.
Responding to questions, the Liechtenstein delegation said, among other things, that with regard to article 10 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child on family reunification, Liechtenstein had a legal provision which did not guarantee persons living in the country the right to family reunion. It was because of the existence of that provision that Liechtenstein made reservations on article 10. Because of the high proportion of foreign residents in the country, the issue of family reunification occupied an important place in Liechtenstein's immigration policy.
Liechtenstein had not adopted any international treaty regarding trafficking in women, the delegation said. It also had not signed the 1993 Hague Convention on the protection of children and cooperation in respect of intercountry adoption.
In the event that a child was adopted by citizens of Liechtenstein, that child could not acquire citizenship until he or she attained the majority age of 18 years, the delegation said. Adopted children could only consult their personal files on adoption after 18 years of age.
There were no cases of abortion which had led to incrimination of the authors nor had charges been brought against any medical practitioner for collaboration, the delegation said; and the law also did not specify on how to deal with cases of rape leading to pregnancy.
Asked who was responsible for the implementation of the law against alcoholic consumption by minors, the delegation said the municipal police authorities, the national police service and the office for social services were responsible for monitoring compliance.
Liechtenstein had no specialized institutions to accommodate orphaned children, the delegation said; however, if such a case happened, the children were placed with foster families.
There were no juvenile prisoners in Liechtenstein except for two cases of robbery and drug dealing by minors who were both handed over to Austria because of their nationalities, the delegation said. In the case of adolescents being charged with an offence, the Juvenile Court Act provided for the possibility of detention pending trial, which in principle should be imposed only in exceptional cases, being replaced where appropriate by residence with the family.
Prostitution did not exist in Liechtenstein, the delegation affirmed; because of the small size of the country, "every one knows what the other person was doing", and for that reason people avoid engaging in such activities. In addition, running centres which encouraged prostitution, such as saloons for striptease shows for example, were prohibited. However, such activities were flourishing in neighbouring Austrian townships.
The revision of the country's Penal Code concerning offences was being dealt with by the legislators to include extraterritorial sexual abuse and exploitation of children under prosecution and punishment, regardless of the legislation of the country in which the offence had taken place. The revisions would introduce longer imprisonment for sexual abuse of children with subsequent physical or psychological grievous injury.
Asked about the youth parliament, the delegation said that at the communal level, the primary political forum for concerns of adolescents was the youth commission. However, currently, no adolescents were members of communal youth commissions. The Government was making an effort to achieve greater involvement of adolescents in the work of the youth commissions. As such, there was no children's parliament.
Preliminary Remarks
The Committee had several preliminary responses to the report of Liechtenstein. Formal, written conclusions and recommendations will be issued towards the end of the Committee's three-week winter session.
A Committee member, speaking on behalf of the group, said, among other things, that Liechtenstein was a democratic and prosperous country and had all the opportunities to undertake further measures to improve the situation of children. Although people were not poor, still further could be done.
The continuation of the reservation on article 10 of the Convention implied that there might be discrimination in matters of family reunion in Liechtenstein; the State should withdraw that reservation to allow full compliance with the provisions of the Convention.
Liechtenstein had to be encouraged to sign the 1993 Hague Convention on the protection of children and cooperation in respect of intercountry adoption and other treaties related to the promotion and protection of children.
Thanks to the wealth of the nation, there was a lot of welfare; a right-centred approach should continue; there was also a possibility of improvement at the communal level; and the country still had to ratify many international treaties. Although Liechtenstein had no problem of child labour, its ratification of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 182 concerning the prohibition and immediate action for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour would be a sign of solidarity.
* *** *