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20 September 2000
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CRC
25th session
20 September 2000
Afternoon
Expert Recommends Revival of Health Infrastructure
The Committee on the Rights of the Child this afternoon concluded its review of an initial report of Burundi with an expert recommending, in preliminary observations, that the Government revive the health infrastructure to better serve children.
The expert said that in order to improve the situation of children and ensure the effective implementation of the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the priority should be the cessation of the war. The issue of coordination in the implementation of the Convention also had to be stressed.
Final, written concluding observations and recommendations on the report of Burundi will be issued by the Committee towards the end of its three-week session which will conclude on 6 October.
The discussion this afternoon focused on the remaining clusters of issues which included civil rights and freedoms; family environment and alternative care; basic health and welfare; education, leisure and cultural activities; and special protection.
Burundi is among the 191 States parties to the Convention and as such it should provide periodical summaries to the Committee of its efforts in implementing the provisions of the treaty.
When the Committee reconvenes at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 21 September, it will take up the report of the United Kingdom in connection to the Isle of Man and Overseas Territories.
Discussion
Responding to questions raised by Committee experts in the previous meeting, the delegation of Burundi said that the situation of the Batwa population, which was sometimes referred to as Pygmy, was improving with the help of the Government that implemented measures to ameliorate their conditions. However, their cultural habits were a major factor which was hampering their full integration. In the 118-member National Assembly, there was one woman deputy from the Batwa ethnic groups. It was envisaged that in the future chamber of the Senate, at least three seats would be reserved for that group.
Burundi's educational system had been affected by the economic and conflict situations, the delegation said. The rural areas had been disadvantaged since the start of the conflict. Generally, there had been shortages of supplies of educational tools and teaching materials attributed to lack of resources. In recent years, the educational situation had been improving.
The measure to regroup people in camps was to protect the civilians from the danger of being victims of the conflict, the delegation said. Since the rebels were merging within the civilian population, any measure to counter-attack had been risky to the innocent people. The regroupment into camps of the civilian population living in the rural areas was aimed at preventing the danger caused by the armed rebellion. Although some of the camps were already dismantled, a few thousand people remained in the camps of their own choice.
The Arusha peace negotiations had been going on for the last two years and had still not reached a conclusion, the delegation said. The conflict in Burundi was not an ethnic one and it should not be interpreted as such.
The Governmental Commission for Human Rights was already established and it was functioning in accordance to the directives of the Paris Agreements, which had fixed the guidelines for such commissions. In addition, non-governmental organizations had created human rights committees to monitor the human-rights situation in the country.
In response to supplementary questions raised by Committee experts, the delegation said that there had been differing arguments concerning the dismantling of the regroupment camps. The problem was not yet wholly resolved.
The demobilization of child soldiers was a concern for all and the issue had been raised in the negotiation of the Arusha peace agreement, the delegation said. With regard to child prisoners, there were 124 children prisoners and 56 infants in prison premises together with their mothers. The condition of their imprisonment could be reviewed on a case-by-case basis depending on the gravity of their offences. However, the number of children detained in relation to the conflict was high. A measure of clemency was envisaged to resolve the problem.
The armed rebellion drew children as old as 12 years into the conflict, particularly children with no elementary school education, the delegation said. It was difficult to assess how many children were affected by the war among the ranks of the rebels. Those who were supporting the rebellion financially should decry the situation of child soldiers and denounce the rebels for their acts.
The Government was willing to separate child prisoners from adults but the lack of resources had delayed the realization of such projects, the delegation said. However, the Government would continue to create separate incarceration facilities for juvenile and adult prisoners.
The number of children in precarious situations was enormous, the delegation said. Some children became the heads of their families in the event of losing both parents. In some cases, some children roamed around cities in search of petty jobs or for begging.
HIV/AIDS had been a major concern for Burundi and the virus constituted a real threat to the efforts of development and production, the delegation said. About 38 per cent of young persons between 15 and 19 years already had their first sexual experience, many of them without any methods of contraception.
The country's health situation had been affected by the insecurity reigning in the country and by the economic sanctions against Burundi by the neighbouring States, the delegation said. The ambitious programmes of the Ministry of Health had been regressing since 1997. The social and economic conditions had not improved even after the lifting of the sanctions.
Burundi's traditional and legal practices were opposed to corporal punishment, the delegation said. If such corporal punishment was practised within the family, it was simply for the purpose of correcting the child and not to bring physical harm. Serious bodily harm against a child could lead to penal intervention.
The age of marriage was 18 for girls and 21 years for boys while the legal majority for both was 21 years old, the delegation said. The country's law was strict on the exploitation of children as prostitutes. In Burundi, the adult author of the offence was repressed while the child was considered as a victim.
Preliminary Observations and Recommendations
In preliminary remarks, an expert said the positive changes in Burundi to improve the condition of children was most welcome; the attention given to the issue of traumatized children was also commendable, including to those in difficulties.
In order to improve the situation of children and for the effective implementation of the provisions of the Convention, the priority should be to stop the war; the issue of coordination in the implementation of the Convention had to be stressed; and the establishment of an Ombudsman for children should be given a thought.
The problem of health had been widely covered in the discussion, but the revival of the health infrastructure had to be stressed; the situation of minorities, particularly of the Batwa people, should be improved; and attention should be given to the number of children imprisoned and children born in prisons.
* *** *
25th session
20 September 2000
Afternoon
Expert Recommends Revival of Health Infrastructure
The Committee on the Rights of the Child this afternoon concluded its review of an initial report of Burundi with an expert recommending, in preliminary observations, that the Government revive the health infrastructure to better serve children.
The expert said that in order to improve the situation of children and ensure the effective implementation of the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the priority should be the cessation of the war. The issue of coordination in the implementation of the Convention also had to be stressed.
Final, written concluding observations and recommendations on the report of Burundi will be issued by the Committee towards the end of its three-week session which will conclude on 6 October.
The discussion this afternoon focused on the remaining clusters of issues which included civil rights and freedoms; family environment and alternative care; basic health and welfare; education, leisure and cultural activities; and special protection.
Burundi is among the 191 States parties to the Convention and as such it should provide periodical summaries to the Committee of its efforts in implementing the provisions of the treaty.
When the Committee reconvenes at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 21 September, it will take up the report of the United Kingdom in connection to the Isle of Man and Overseas Territories.
Discussion
Responding to questions raised by Committee experts in the previous meeting, the delegation of Burundi said that the situation of the Batwa population, which was sometimes referred to as Pygmy, was improving with the help of the Government that implemented measures to ameliorate their conditions. However, their cultural habits were a major factor which was hampering their full integration. In the 118-member National Assembly, there was one woman deputy from the Batwa ethnic groups. It was envisaged that in the future chamber of the Senate, at least three seats would be reserved for that group.
Burundi's educational system had been affected by the economic and conflict situations, the delegation said. The rural areas had been disadvantaged since the start of the conflict. Generally, there had been shortages of supplies of educational tools and teaching materials attributed to lack of resources. In recent years, the educational situation had been improving.
The measure to regroup people in camps was to protect the civilians from the danger of being victims of the conflict, the delegation said. Since the rebels were merging within the civilian population, any measure to counter-attack had been risky to the innocent people. The regroupment into camps of the civilian population living in the rural areas was aimed at preventing the danger caused by the armed rebellion. Although some of the camps were already dismantled, a few thousand people remained in the camps of their own choice.
The Arusha peace negotiations had been going on for the last two years and had still not reached a conclusion, the delegation said. The conflict in Burundi was not an ethnic one and it should not be interpreted as such.
The Governmental Commission for Human Rights was already established and it was functioning in accordance to the directives of the Paris Agreements, which had fixed the guidelines for such commissions. In addition, non-governmental organizations had created human rights committees to monitor the human-rights situation in the country.
In response to supplementary questions raised by Committee experts, the delegation said that there had been differing arguments concerning the dismantling of the regroupment camps. The problem was not yet wholly resolved.
The demobilization of child soldiers was a concern for all and the issue had been raised in the negotiation of the Arusha peace agreement, the delegation said. With regard to child prisoners, there were 124 children prisoners and 56 infants in prison premises together with their mothers. The condition of their imprisonment could be reviewed on a case-by-case basis depending on the gravity of their offences. However, the number of children detained in relation to the conflict was high. A measure of clemency was envisaged to resolve the problem.
The armed rebellion drew children as old as 12 years into the conflict, particularly children with no elementary school education, the delegation said. It was difficult to assess how many children were affected by the war among the ranks of the rebels. Those who were supporting the rebellion financially should decry the situation of child soldiers and denounce the rebels for their acts.
The Government was willing to separate child prisoners from adults but the lack of resources had delayed the realization of such projects, the delegation said. However, the Government would continue to create separate incarceration facilities for juvenile and adult prisoners.
The number of children in precarious situations was enormous, the delegation said. Some children became the heads of their families in the event of losing both parents. In some cases, some children roamed around cities in search of petty jobs or for begging.
HIV/AIDS had been a major concern for Burundi and the virus constituted a real threat to the efforts of development and production, the delegation said. About 38 per cent of young persons between 15 and 19 years already had their first sexual experience, many of them without any methods of contraception.
The country's health situation had been affected by the insecurity reigning in the country and by the economic sanctions against Burundi by the neighbouring States, the delegation said. The ambitious programmes of the Ministry of Health had been regressing since 1997. The social and economic conditions had not improved even after the lifting of the sanctions.
Burundi's traditional and legal practices were opposed to corporal punishment, the delegation said. If such corporal punishment was practised within the family, it was simply for the purpose of correcting the child and not to bring physical harm. Serious bodily harm against a child could lead to penal intervention.
The age of marriage was 18 for girls and 21 years for boys while the legal majority for both was 21 years old, the delegation said. The country's law was strict on the exploitation of children as prostitutes. In Burundi, the adult author of the offence was repressed while the child was considered as a victim.
Preliminary Observations and Recommendations
In preliminary remarks, an expert said the positive changes in Burundi to improve the condition of children was most welcome; the attention given to the issue of traumatized children was also commendable, including to those in difficulties.
In order to improve the situation of children and for the effective implementation of the provisions of the Convention, the priority should be to stop the war; the issue of coordination in the implementation of the Convention had to be stressed; and the establishment of an Ombudsman for children should be given a thought.
The problem of health had been widely covered in the discussion, but the revival of the health infrastructure had to be stressed; the situation of minorities, particularly of the Batwa people, should be improved; and attention should be given to the number of children imprisoned and children born in prisons.
* *** *