UN Committee to review Gabon’s record on children’s rights

GENEVA (23 May 2016) – Children’s rights in Gabon will be reviewed by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child on 26 and 27 May in sessions that will be webcast live.

Gabon is one of the 196 States that have ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child and so is reviewed regularly by the Committee of 18 independent experts.  In addition, members will examine Gabon’s implementation of another important legal instrument known as the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (OPSC).

Among the possible issues for discussion between Committee members and a delegation from the Gabon Government:
Regarding the Convention
·    Steps to tackle discrimination against indigenous children, children with HIV/Aids, children living on the streets; refugee children and children with disabilities;
·    Investigations and prosecution of cases of torture and ill-treatment of children in prison;
·    Steps to tackle sexual abuse and exploitation, including at home and in school;
·    Enforcement of labour code on minimum working age.
Regarding OPSC
·    Rehabilitation and social reinsertion of child victims of prostitution and pornography;
·    Responsibility for national action plan to tackle sale of children;
·    Measures taken to prevent sex tourism involving children.

The full list of issues and Gabon’s submitted written report can be found here: http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=987&Lang=en

The discussions will take place in Palais Wilson in Geneva  on Thursday 26 May  from 15:00-18:00 (14:00-17:00 in Gabon) and Friday 27 May from  10:00-13:00 (09:00-12:00) and 15:00 – 18:00 (14:00-17:00.) The meetings are public and will be webcast at http://www.treatybodywebcast.org/.

The Committee will base its evaluation on the delegation’s replies, as well as information from civil society groups.

The Committee is due to hold a news conference at 12:00 on 9 June at the Palais des Nations in Geneva to discuss its findings on Gabon and the other countries being reviewed - Samoa, Nepal, the UK, Slovakia, Pakistan, Bulgaria and Luxembourg. The findings, officially known as concluding observations, will be published on 9 June here:
http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=987&Lang=en

ENDS

For more information and media requests, please contact Liz Throssell +41 (0) 22 917 9466/ +41 79 752 0488 ethrossell@ohchr.org

Media accreditation – please see:    http://unog.ch/80256EDD006B9C2E/(httpPages)/70991F6887C73B2280256EE700379C58?OpenDocument

Background

Members of the CRC are independent human rights experts drawn from around the world, who serve in their personal capacity and not as representatives of States parties. The Committee’s concluding observations are an independent assessment of States’ compliance with their human rights obligations under the treaty. To learn more about the Committee on the Rights of the Child: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CRC/Pages/CRCIndex.aspx

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