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29 September 1999
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HR/CRC/99/50
29 September 1999
COMMITTEE ON RIGHTS OF CHILD OFFERS PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS
ON REPORT OF MALI
The Committee on the Rights of the Child offered preliminary conclusions and recommendations this morning on the first periodic report of Mali, urging, among other things, that the Government continue its reform programmes in the fields of education and child and family services.
Committee members thanked the Government of Mali for sending a high-level delegation and termed the report and dialogue frank and detailed. They noted that positive measures had been taken to improve the rights of children in Mali despite limited resources.
Committee members said they understood the Government's difficulties in realizing effective economic programmes because of a lack of financial resources. Despite that, they encouraged the Government of Mali to continue reforms and urged that it do all it could to improve the situation of children.
The Committee will issue its formal conclusions and recommendations on the report in writing towards end of the its three-week session on 8 October.
Discussion over the course of the meeting focussed on the general topics of basic health and welfare; education, leisure and cultural activities; and special protection measures.
The delegation of Mali consisted of Diarra Afoussatou Thiero, Minister of Woman, Child and Family Advancement of Mali, and head of the delegation; Mohamed Attaher Maiga, National Director of Child and Family Advancement; Mamadou Bassery Ballo, Director of the Planning Unit and of Statistics in the Ministry of Health, Elderly Persons and of Solidarity; Bonaventure Maiga, National Director of Specialized and Pre-school Education at the Ministry of Basic Education; Mamadou Baba Traore, National Director of Civil Affairs at the Ministry of Justice; and Idrissa Koita, Assistant National Director of Employment, Labour and Social Security at the Ministry of Employment, Public Function and Labour. Two Malian children were also included in the delegation.
Mali, as one of 191 States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, must submit periodic reports to the Committee on efforts to put the treaty into effect. Government delegations generally come before the Committee to discuss the reports and to answer questions raised by Committee members.
When the Committee reconvenes at 3 p.m., it will meet in private to consider draft concluding observations on reports already discussed during its fall session. On Thursday and Friday, 30 September and 1 October, the Committee will hold commemorative meetings on the tenth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Discussion
Committee members asked questions on HIV/AIDS prevention; adolescent drug-addiction; sex education; fertility control and use of contraception; the infant mortality rate; and the training of traditional mid-wives, among other things.
In response, officials of the Government of Mali said, among other things, that the Government had adopted a 10-year development plan aimed at enhancing economic, social and cultural development. The first five-year plan was already being implemented and it was expected that a high mortality rate would be reduced through reforms in health sectors.
In order to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the Government had designed short- and long-term plans plans for prevention, including the creation of specialized clinical centres adolescents could visit. Since the programme imposed a heavy financial burden, the Ministry of Health had pleaded for aid from its international partners. In 1998, 258 cases of HIV/AIDS had been registered, and there had been 124 orphans whose parents had died of AIDS.
Distribution of contraception to adolescents and students had been encouraged through community programmes in which condoms were given out to those in need of them, the delegation said. In addition, the Ministry of Health had launched awareness-raising programmes among the population about contraception. Sex education had also been introduced in schools to increase awareness among students. Several non-governmental organizations had been engaged in pregnancy-prevention and family-planning activities.
Because of lack of capacity, regular follow-up had not been carried out on the activities of traditional healers and mid-wives; however, the Government of Mali believed that both sectors played important roles in society, the delegation said. It was envisaged that attention would be given to the matter under the Government’s 10-year development plan.
To reduce accidents involving children, the Government had now begun intensifying installation of traffic signs around schools and strengthening police control of automobile speed limits, the delegation said. Students had also been told to use more prudence when crossing roads and while walking along streets, the delegation said.
To improve equality of opportunity for disabled children, the Government had implemented a code of social protection favouring the improvement of their conditions and their integration, the delegation said. The Government's priority measures consisted of integrating disabled children into ordinary schools and encouraging their re-adoption at the community level.
In 1996, the Ministry of Basic Education had undertaken reform measures to improve basic education, but the results had been disadvantageous, the delegation said. In response, a 10-year educational programme had been introduced to improve the entire educational system with the aim of providing high-quality education to all children.
The Malian Government officials said incentive programmes had been launched to encourage parents to send girls to school. A series of affirmative-action measures had also been carried out to increase the number of girls going to school. In recent years, enrolment of girls in schools had increased tremendously.
On the issue of juvenile justice, the delegation said that any detention of persons was limited to a maximum of 48 hours and at present there were many adolescents in pre-trial detention. The age of criminal responsibility ranged from 13 to 18 years of age. According to Malian law, minors could not be condemned to death or hard labour.
Preliminary Conclusions and Recommendations
Formal conclusions and recommendations on the report of Mali will be published in writing towards the end of the Committee's autumn session on 8 October.
Committee members offered preliminary observations, thanking the Government of Mali for sending a high-level delegation. They termed the report and dialogue frank and detailed and noted that positive measures had been taken to improve the human rights of children of Mali despite limited resources. They said they appreciated that the Government had maintained the institution of the children’s parliament, where children could fight for their rights as adolescents.
Committee members said they understood the Government's difficulties in realizing effective economic programmes because of lack of financial resources. Despite that, they encouraged the Government of Mali to continue its reform programmes in the fields of education, children and family services. They urged that it do all it could to improve the situation of children.
29 September 1999
COMMITTEE ON RIGHTS OF CHILD OFFERS PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS
ON REPORT OF MALI
The Committee on the Rights of the Child offered preliminary conclusions and recommendations this morning on the first periodic report of Mali, urging, among other things, that the Government continue its reform programmes in the fields of education and child and family services.
Committee members thanked the Government of Mali for sending a high-level delegation and termed the report and dialogue frank and detailed. They noted that positive measures had been taken to improve the rights of children in Mali despite limited resources.
Committee members said they understood the Government's difficulties in realizing effective economic programmes because of a lack of financial resources. Despite that, they encouraged the Government of Mali to continue reforms and urged that it do all it could to improve the situation of children.
The Committee will issue its formal conclusions and recommendations on the report in writing towards end of the its three-week session on 8 October.
Discussion over the course of the meeting focussed on the general topics of basic health and welfare; education, leisure and cultural activities; and special protection measures.
The delegation of Mali consisted of Diarra Afoussatou Thiero, Minister of Woman, Child and Family Advancement of Mali, and head of the delegation; Mohamed Attaher Maiga, National Director of Child and Family Advancement; Mamadou Bassery Ballo, Director of the Planning Unit and of Statistics in the Ministry of Health, Elderly Persons and of Solidarity; Bonaventure Maiga, National Director of Specialized and Pre-school Education at the Ministry of Basic Education; Mamadou Baba Traore, National Director of Civil Affairs at the Ministry of Justice; and Idrissa Koita, Assistant National Director of Employment, Labour and Social Security at the Ministry of Employment, Public Function and Labour. Two Malian children were also included in the delegation.
Mali, as one of 191 States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, must submit periodic reports to the Committee on efforts to put the treaty into effect. Government delegations generally come before the Committee to discuss the reports and to answer questions raised by Committee members.
When the Committee reconvenes at 3 p.m., it will meet in private to consider draft concluding observations on reports already discussed during its fall session. On Thursday and Friday, 30 September and 1 October, the Committee will hold commemorative meetings on the tenth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Discussion
Committee members asked questions on HIV/AIDS prevention; adolescent drug-addiction; sex education; fertility control and use of contraception; the infant mortality rate; and the training of traditional mid-wives, among other things.
In response, officials of the Government of Mali said, among other things, that the Government had adopted a 10-year development plan aimed at enhancing economic, social and cultural development. The first five-year plan was already being implemented and it was expected that a high mortality rate would be reduced through reforms in health sectors.
In order to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the Government had designed short- and long-term plans plans for prevention, including the creation of specialized clinical centres adolescents could visit. Since the programme imposed a heavy financial burden, the Ministry of Health had pleaded for aid from its international partners. In 1998, 258 cases of HIV/AIDS had been registered, and there had been 124 orphans whose parents had died of AIDS.
Distribution of contraception to adolescents and students had been encouraged through community programmes in which condoms were given out to those in need of them, the delegation said. In addition, the Ministry of Health had launched awareness-raising programmes among the population about contraception. Sex education had also been introduced in schools to increase awareness among students. Several non-governmental organizations had been engaged in pregnancy-prevention and family-planning activities.
Because of lack of capacity, regular follow-up had not been carried out on the activities of traditional healers and mid-wives; however, the Government of Mali believed that both sectors played important roles in society, the delegation said. It was envisaged that attention would be given to the matter under the Government’s 10-year development plan.
To reduce accidents involving children, the Government had now begun intensifying installation of traffic signs around schools and strengthening police control of automobile speed limits, the delegation said. Students had also been told to use more prudence when crossing roads and while walking along streets, the delegation said.
To improve equality of opportunity for disabled children, the Government had implemented a code of social protection favouring the improvement of their conditions and their integration, the delegation said. The Government's priority measures consisted of integrating disabled children into ordinary schools and encouraging their re-adoption at the community level.
In 1996, the Ministry of Basic Education had undertaken reform measures to improve basic education, but the results had been disadvantageous, the delegation said. In response, a 10-year educational programme had been introduced to improve the entire educational system with the aim of providing high-quality education to all children.
The Malian Government officials said incentive programmes had been launched to encourage parents to send girls to school. A series of affirmative-action measures had also been carried out to increase the number of girls going to school. In recent years, enrolment of girls in schools had increased tremendously.
On the issue of juvenile justice, the delegation said that any detention of persons was limited to a maximum of 48 hours and at present there were many adolescents in pre-trial detention. The age of criminal responsibility ranged from 13 to 18 years of age. According to Malian law, minors could not be condemned to death or hard labour.
Preliminary Conclusions and Recommendations
Formal conclusions and recommendations on the report of Mali will be published in writing towards the end of the Committee's autumn session on 8 October.
Committee members offered preliminary observations, thanking the Government of Mali for sending a high-level delegation. They termed the report and dialogue frank and detailed and noted that positive measures had been taken to improve the human rights of children of Mali despite limited resources. They said they appreciated that the Government had maintained the institution of the children’s parliament, where children could fight for their rights as adolescents.
Committee members said they understood the Government's difficulties in realizing effective economic programmes because of lack of financial resources. Despite that, they encouraged the Government of Mali to continue its reform programmes in the fields of education, children and family services. They urged that it do all it could to improve the situation of children.