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26 May 2000
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CRC
24th Session
26 May 2000
Afternoon
Calls for Greater Research on Violence Against Women and Children
The Committee on the Rights of the Child concluded consideration this afternoon of an initial report of Malta, calling in preliminary conclusions and recommendations for the current age of criminal responsibility of 9 to be raised, for establishment of a reproductive-health programme for youth, and for greater research and attention to the issues of violence against women and children, sexual exploitation of children, and child labour.
The panel of 10 child-rights experts also said, among other things, that the status of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in relation to domestic legislation remained unclear; that domestic legislation remained incomplete in terms of full enactment of the Convention; and that there was a lack of information about implementation of a national plan of action for children and about Government financial expenditures on children.
Formal, written conclusions and recommendations on the report of Malta will be issued before the Committee adjourns its three-week session on 2 June.
The report was introduced this morning by a two-member Government delegation led by Ruth Farrugia, Consultant to the Minister of Social Policy of Malta. She and her colleague, Annabelle Misfud, First Secretary of the Permanent Mission of Malta to the United Nations Office at Geneva, were on hand during the morning and afternoon meetings to answer questions.
Discussion over the course of the afternoon focused on family environment and alternative care; basic health and welfare; education, leisure, and cultural activities; and special protection measures.
As one of the 191 States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Malta, which acceded to the international treaty in 1990, must file periodic reports with the Committee on the status of the country's children and on efforts to implement the Convention.
The Committee will reconvene at 10 a.m. on Monday, 29 May, to take up a report of Djibouti.
Discussion
Discussion over the course of the afternoon focused on basic health and welfare; education, leisure, and cultural activities; and special protection measures.
The Maltese delegation, responding to questions, said, among other things, that the Juvenile Court was created in 1980; age 16 was the age set for juvenile justice, imported almost wholesale from British law; legal aid was provided for children; parents had civil liability -- were held vicariously responsible for any acts of their children; the approach was not to penalize a child but to discover why a criminal act was committed and to correct such behaviour; sentences for juveniles were minimized from the sentences applied to adults for the same crimes; a rehabilitation centre for boys had yet to be established, although a location had been found; and that a residential programme for girls had worked very well, although it was expensive.
Diabetes rates were quite high and were a matter of concern, the delegation said; health authorities were addressing the issue; the problem affected adults as well as children.
Very few cases of illegal child labour had been discovered, the delegation said; in September 1979, a situation involving 16 children had been found; it was likely that cases went undiscovered because of a lack of labour inspectors; it also was true that there were family businesses where children were expected to help out. If an employer was found illegally employing children, he was fined heavily.
Alcohol abuse had been the subject of a national campaign, the delegation said; children were the targets of the campaign; there were children who did drink; there was a "wine culture" and people did drink wine with their meals; Maltese had a habit of consuming alcohol, not to excess, but with meals. Alcoholism was more of a problem in Malta than drug abuse.
Vaccinations were offered free, and reminders were sent to parents by post, the delegation said.
The Government provided mental-health services at a youth psychiatric unit, the delegation said; it was regarded as a last-resort facility, and generally psychological services of a less-intensive nature were offered first. Most who went to the unit were subsequently placed in the care of their families, but there also was a halfway house.
Preliminary conclusions and recommendations
The Committee had several preliminary responses to the report of Malta. Formal, written conclusions and recommendations will be issued before the Committee adjourns its three-week session on 2 June.
The Committee said, among other things, that the dialogue had been fruitful and open and self-critical; that the country's reservation to article 26 of the Convention was a matter of concern; that the status of the Convention in relation to domestic legislation remained unclear; that domestic legislation remained incomplete in terms of full enactment of the Convention; that there was a lack of information about implementation of the national plan of action for children and about Government financial expenditures on children; that there was a lack of information about education and training of persons working with children; that the legal implication that a child as young as 9 could act "with mischievous intent" was a matter of concern; that the principle of the best interests of the child and respect of the views of the child appeared not sufficiently to be taken into account by the State and within families; that adoption procedures were unclear in terms of their compatibility with the Convention; that there was a shortage of information on child abuse and child sexual abuse; that reports of incidents of violence against women and children were a cause of concern; that there was a lack of information about children infected or affected by AIDS; that there was a lack of a reproductive-health programme for youth; that concern was felt over reports of bullying at school; that the age of criminal responsibility of 9 was too low; that reports of summer employment of underage youth in family businesses and tourist work were of concern; and that greater measures perhaps needed to be taken to prevent sexual exploitation of children.
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24th Session
26 May 2000
Afternoon
Calls for Greater Research on Violence Against Women and Children
The Committee on the Rights of the Child concluded consideration this afternoon of an initial report of Malta, calling in preliminary conclusions and recommendations for the current age of criminal responsibility of 9 to be raised, for establishment of a reproductive-health programme for youth, and for greater research and attention to the issues of violence against women and children, sexual exploitation of children, and child labour.
The panel of 10 child-rights experts also said, among other things, that the status of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in relation to domestic legislation remained unclear; that domestic legislation remained incomplete in terms of full enactment of the Convention; and that there was a lack of information about implementation of a national plan of action for children and about Government financial expenditures on children.
Formal, written conclusions and recommendations on the report of Malta will be issued before the Committee adjourns its three-week session on 2 June.
The report was introduced this morning by a two-member Government delegation led by Ruth Farrugia, Consultant to the Minister of Social Policy of Malta. She and her colleague, Annabelle Misfud, First Secretary of the Permanent Mission of Malta to the United Nations Office at Geneva, were on hand during the morning and afternoon meetings to answer questions.
Discussion over the course of the afternoon focused on family environment and alternative care; basic health and welfare; education, leisure, and cultural activities; and special protection measures.
As one of the 191 States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Malta, which acceded to the international treaty in 1990, must file periodic reports with the Committee on the status of the country's children and on efforts to implement the Convention.
The Committee will reconvene at 10 a.m. on Monday, 29 May, to take up a report of Djibouti.
Discussion
Discussion over the course of the afternoon focused on basic health and welfare; education, leisure, and cultural activities; and special protection measures.
The Maltese delegation, responding to questions, said, among other things, that the Juvenile Court was created in 1980; age 16 was the age set for juvenile justice, imported almost wholesale from British law; legal aid was provided for children; parents had civil liability -- were held vicariously responsible for any acts of their children; the approach was not to penalize a child but to discover why a criminal act was committed and to correct such behaviour; sentences for juveniles were minimized from the sentences applied to adults for the same crimes; a rehabilitation centre for boys had yet to be established, although a location had been found; and that a residential programme for girls had worked very well, although it was expensive.
Diabetes rates were quite high and were a matter of concern, the delegation said; health authorities were addressing the issue; the problem affected adults as well as children.
Very few cases of illegal child labour had been discovered, the delegation said; in September 1979, a situation involving 16 children had been found; it was likely that cases went undiscovered because of a lack of labour inspectors; it also was true that there were family businesses where children were expected to help out. If an employer was found illegally employing children, he was fined heavily.
Alcohol abuse had been the subject of a national campaign, the delegation said; children were the targets of the campaign; there were children who did drink; there was a "wine culture" and people did drink wine with their meals; Maltese had a habit of consuming alcohol, not to excess, but with meals. Alcoholism was more of a problem in Malta than drug abuse.
Vaccinations were offered free, and reminders were sent to parents by post, the delegation said.
The Government provided mental-health services at a youth psychiatric unit, the delegation said; it was regarded as a last-resort facility, and generally psychological services of a less-intensive nature were offered first. Most who went to the unit were subsequently placed in the care of their families, but there also was a halfway house.
Preliminary conclusions and recommendations
The Committee had several preliminary responses to the report of Malta. Formal, written conclusions and recommendations will be issued before the Committee adjourns its three-week session on 2 June.
The Committee said, among other things, that the dialogue had been fruitful and open and self-critical; that the country's reservation to article 26 of the Convention was a matter of concern; that the status of the Convention in relation to domestic legislation remained unclear; that domestic legislation remained incomplete in terms of full enactment of the Convention; that there was a lack of information about implementation of the national plan of action for children and about Government financial expenditures on children; that there was a lack of information about education and training of persons working with children; that the legal implication that a child as young as 9 could act "with mischievous intent" was a matter of concern; that the principle of the best interests of the child and respect of the views of the child appeared not sufficiently to be taken into account by the State and within families; that adoption procedures were unclear in terms of their compatibility with the Convention; that there was a shortage of information on child abuse and child sexual abuse; that reports of incidents of violence against women and children were a cause of concern; that there was a lack of information about children infected or affected by AIDS; that there was a lack of a reproductive-health programme for youth; that concern was felt over reports of bullying at school; that the age of criminal responsibility of 9 was too low; that reports of summer employment of underage youth in family businesses and tourist work were of concern; and that greater measures perhaps needed to be taken to prevent sexual exploitation of children.
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