Committee on the Rights of the Child examines report of Cabo Verde

Committee on the Rights of the Child 

23 May 2019

The Committee on the Rights of the Child today concluded its consideration of the second periodic report of Cabo Verde on measures taken to implement the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Introducing the report, Maritza Rosabal Peña, Minister of Education, Family and Social Inclusion of Cabo Verde, said that the Government was working hard to achieve the 2030 Agenda and had developed various tools and carried out actions to promote and protect the rights of children.  For instance, it had extended the guarantees to a right to quality education from preschool to secondary education through amendments of relevant legislation.  Free access to preschool education had been universalized—a measure from which 5,000 children from vulnerable families had benefited from between 2017 and 2018.  The Government would also progressively render school free up to the twelfth grade by 2020.  It had also undertaken action to ensure access to healthcare, education and professional training for persons with disabilities, such as increasing by 30 per cent the budget allocated to the support of non-governmental organizations working in that field.  These measures had yielded rapid results, as attested by the slight increase in schooling rates and the decrease of absenteeism.

At the beginning of the dialogue, Committee Experts congratulated the delegation on all the activities it had been engaged in, particularly as pertained to birth registration.  However, the Committee still had concerns.  There were many children who had not been recognized by their father and had had to bring the matter before courts.  There were 6,000 children awaiting judgment to find out if they could use their father’s surname.  How were these children registered?  What could be done to reach out to people to make sure they understood the need to register births?  An Expert asked if a mother alone could register a child.  Experts asked if school curricula included information on the rights of the child.  How did the Government guarantee children’s right to participation?  They also requested information on the reparations offered to children who had been victims of police abuse.  Did police receive training on children’s rights.  Another Committee Expert asked for information about the Government’s efforts related to the prevention of abuse and violence against children.  Concerning the incarceration of adolescents, were they held in buildings separate from those where adults were imprisoned?

In her concluding remarks, Suzanne Aho Assouma, Committee Co-Rapporteur for Cabo Verde, said the discussion had been fruitful.  She congratulated the Government on the progress achieved.  The Committee remained concerned about the implementation of programmes and policies as well as their funding, notably as pertained to birth registration, child abuse, and incest.

Ms. Peña said she was thankful for the opportunity to inform the Committee of the Government’s actions and identify the areas where more work was needed.  The Committee’s questions had been most helpful.  The Government would continue to work with its cross-cutting approach, which had produced results.  The 2019 budget for social affairs was the highest in the country’s history.  Social affairs were an area in which the Government was investing to ensure people enjoyed a better quality of life in the future.  She thanked the Committee for its recommendations. 

Luis Ernesto Perdernera Reyna, Committee Chairperson, thanked the delegation and recalled that additional information could be submitted in writing within 48 hours.  The Committee particularly appreciated delegations that participated in dialogues with a spirit of sincerity and openness.  The best interests of the child were the best interest of the entire human race, he stated, asking the delegation to disseminate the Committee’s recommendations in child-friendly language.

The delegation of Cabo Verde consisted of representatives of the Ministry of Education, Family and Social Inclusion, the Institute for Children and Adolescents, the Directorate-General for Social Inclusion, and the Permanent Mission of Cabo Verde to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

All the documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage .  The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings will be available via the following link: http://webtv.un.org/meetings-events/ .
The Committee will next meet in public today at 3 p.m. to review the combined second and third periodic report of Botswana (CRC/C/BWA/2-3 ).

Report 

The Committee has before it the second periodic report of Cabo Verde (CRC/C/CPV/2 ). 

Presentation of the Report 

MARITZA ROSABAL PEÑA, Minister of Education, Family and Social Inclusion of Cabo Verde, said the delegation’s presence was due to the fact that the Government believed that this was a very important opportunity to share experiences, discuss problems and challenges, as well as find solutions that would allow it to perfect its work—a particularly unique and valuable occasion.  She recalled that Cabo Verde was an African archipelago comprised of 10 islands with a population of just above 524,000.  Its fertility rate was falling: in 2000, 42.1 per cent of the population was between the age of 0 and 14 years old and that percentage now stood at 29.4. 

The Government was working hard to achieve the 2030 Agenda and had developed various tools and carried out actions to promote and protect the rights of children.  For instance, it had extended the guarantees to a right to quality education from preschool to secondary education through amendments of relevant legislation.  Free access to preschool education had thus been universalized—a measure from which 5,000 children from vulnerable families had benefited from between 2017 and 2018.  The Government would also progressively render school free up to the twelfth grade by 2020.  It had also undertaken actions to ensure access to healthcare, education and professional training for persons with disabilities, such as increasing by 30 per cent the budget allocated to the support of non-governmental organizations working in those fields.  These measures had yielded rapid results, as attested by the slight increase in the schooling rates and the decrease of absenteeism.

Fighting sex abuse, particularly in the family setting, was one of greatest challenges faced by the Government, along with the elimination of abuse and child labour, most notably the use of children to sell products.  There was zero-tolerance policy for sex abuse, child abuse and child labour in the country.  Decentralization was also an important facet of the Government’s approach.  There were Municipal Committees for the Defence and Protection of the Rights of Children, which had been established in 21 out of 22 municipalities.  These entities were governmental bodies and served as platforms for various actors who could develop their own tools, which guided the implementation of decentralized policies and projects. 

While much more needed to be done, the Government reiterated its commitment to meet its final objective: guaranteeing the rights of all the children that had been at one point or another left behind. 

Questions by the Committee Experts

LUIS ERNESTO PERDERNERA REYNA, Committee Chairperson and Co-Rapporteur for Cabo Verde, said the delegation had spoken about major changes at the legislative, institutional, social and economic levels in Cabo Verde, but also pointed out the outstanding challenges.  The Committee hoped to be able to help Cabo Verde implement the Convention.  The Committee welcomed the adoption of the statute of the Institute for Children and Adolescents, but it seemed that some age brackets were excluded from certain services.  As for policy, Cabo Verde was changing institutions, but it seemed that there was a delay in their implementation.  What was the impact of this delay?  There seemed to be some overlap between the Institute for Children and Adolescents and the national human rights commission, which were under two different ministries.  Which entity was responsible for the coordination of efforts to implement the Convention?  He asked about the steps being taken to evaluate the effects of the Government’s budgeting practices on children.  On independent monitoring, he noted that the national human rights commission was not fully independent.  What steps was the Government taking to align its structure and functioning with the Paris Principles?  He also asked what the Government intended to do to improve the dissemination of the Convention. 

Turning to the rights of the child and the business sector, he requested information on the Government’s framework to protect children’s rights in view of business activities.  For example, how did the exploitation of natural resources impact children’s rights?  Noting that some children age 16 could get married, he asked what the Government intended to do to amend its legislation and bring it in line with the Committee’s recommendations about child marriage.

He expressed concerns about children’s ability to take a leading role in the Youth Parliament.  What was the Government doing about this issue?  The Committee had received reports alleging police abuse against children.  How was the Government addressing this issue?  Had these matters been investigated?  Did the Government provide training to law enforcement officers on children’s rights?

SUZANNE AHO ASSOUMA, Committee Co-Rapporteur for Cabo Verde, congratulated the delegation on all the activities it had engaged in, particularly as pertained to birth registration.  However, the Committee still had concerns.  There were many children who had not been recognized by their father and had had to bring the matter before courts.  There were 6,000 children awaiting judgments to find out if they could use their father’s surname.  How were these children registered?  There seemed to be problems with birth registration for mothers who committed adultery.  How did the Government intend to address these issues?  What could be done to reach out to people to make sure they understood the need to register births?  She asked if a mother alone could register a child.  She asked for clarifications on the situation in far-flung, less populated zones.  Could the delegation explain what had led to the current situation in these areas?  Girls who had been victims of abuse or incest sometimes ended up becoming mothers.  Was it really expected that in such a situation the fathers, who had committed the abuse, would recognize the children?

Turning to violence against children, she asked about what was being done to address police violence.  What was the Government doing to bring police officers to account?  Corporal punishment was prohibited but it was still practised within families.  Would it not be better to prohibit it even at home?  Should the Government really use the term “beating” to refer to corporal punishment as it had done in the report?  What measures were being taken to combat gender-based violence?   The Co-Rapporteur also pointed out that there was a high level of sexual abuse, and enquired about the measures put in place by the Government to tackle this issue.  

Replies by the Delegation

MARITZA ROSABAL PEÑA, Minister of Education, Family and Social Inclusion of Cabo Verde, said the structure of the Institute for Children and Adolescents was being revised, and a number of questions raised by the Committee would be addressed through this revision process.  Regarding the delays in the implementation of a number of measures, efforts had been made to speed up the implementation process.  There were two cross-cutting programmes: one seeking to promote and protect the rights of children and adolescents, and another one on gender equality.  In that regard, the Institute for Children and Adolescents’ budget had grown by 46 per cent, almost doubling over a period of three years.  These numbers were based on State funding, not aid money.  Furthermore, social sectors were a priority for investments.  These included families and social inclusion.  Governmental expenditure related to social sectors was not deemed an expense but rather an investment.

In December 2017, the new statute for the Institute for Children and Adolescents had been published, and it had redistributed responsibilities.  The duties to follow up, monitor and evaluate were no longer housed in the institute; they were entrusted with the National Commission on Human Rights and Citizenship.  It should be noted that the statute of this commission was being revised, and the changes should ensure that it became truly independent.

The Government collaborated closely with the education sector to carry out promotional activities.  It had launched a campaign based on messages conveyed by children, which touched on ways to protect oneself from abuse.  On the business industries, she said there were no extractive industries in the country.  A forum would be held in September on the Boa Vista island with actors from the tourism industry to discuss social responsibility issues as well as inspections.  The Government needed to deploy more efforts, and find out what other countries were doing as the tourism industry was growing in Cabo Verde.

Gender was mainstreamed in the plan, which also included gender indicators.  Changes had been made so that all school subjects could be used by teachers to talk about gender issues.  Efforts were also made to ensure that pregnant girls were not subjected to restrictive measures.  The exclusion of pregnant girls from schools had been lifted, and additional legislation had been enacted to ensure the lift was fully in effect.  Awareness-raising activities were also conducted to prevent teenage pregnancies.

On the best interest of the child, Ms. Peña said a host of measures had been adopted by the Government.  Cases involving children were fast-tracked in the judicial system, for example.   On the media, she said the Institute for Children and Adolescents had held a training workshop for journalists from various outlets which notably touched on the need to refrain from showing children’s pictures on television and the protection of children’s privacy.  It had also published a list of words not be used to refer to children. 

On violence against children, perpetrators had been brought to trial, and there had been cases involving police officers who had been convicted.  The Government was not aware of any complaints that had been dismissed despite the existence of evidence backing them up.  Cabo Verde had a functional judicial system, she assured.  

There were about 11 children living on the streets who had been identified and the Government was working with the support of civil society to fully integrate them.  It could be hard to get them off the streets, she acknowledged, adding that the police had been an ally in tackling this issue.

Turning to birth registration, Ms. Peña explained said the father’s presence was not necessary for registration purposes, even if the children were born out of wedlock.  In order to leave the hospital, all children had to be registered.  Last year, 97 per cent of births took place in hospitals, and campaigns had been carried out to reach out to parents to register the other births.  Campaigns promoting parental responsibility had been deployed, and further efforts would be made in that regard.  It should not be forgotten that Cabo Verde used to be a slave-based society, it was a normal practice, back then, for women to have children from several different men and for these children not to be registered.  Mentality shifts were ongoing.  Thanks to the measures taken by the Government, there had been real change.

On violence against children and abuse, Ms. Peña said these issues used to be dealt with behind closed doors, and people, particularly girls, had suffered in silence.  But now, they were discussed publicly and people were making formal complaints.  Furthermore, upcoming legislation on criminal enforcement would establish these crimes as priority issues.  This would enable the Government to investigate and punish the perpetrators as soon as possible.  She pointed out that a hotline was up and running, and that it could be used anonymously.  She stressed that corporal punishment was prohibited by law.  Teachers who practised it could lose their jobs.  The Government understood that corporal punishment could happen despite being prohibited, and that was one of the reasons why ill-treatment was one of its priorities for the year 2019-2020.

Questions by Committee Experts

LUIS ERNESTO PERDERNERA REYNA, Committee Chairperson and Co-Rapporteur for Cabo Verde, asked if school curricula included information on the rights of the child.  How did the Government guarantee children’s right to participation?  He also requested information on the reparations offered to children who had been victims of police abuse.

SUZANNE AHO ASSOUMA, Committee Co-Rapporteur for Cabo Verde, asked if the police received training on children’s rights.  On birth registration, she asked about the registration of children born out of wedlock.  How many children had complained through the hotline?  How were these complaints managed?  She also asked if the Government had taken steps to remedy the practice of corporal punishment within families.
Another Committee Expert asked for information about the Government’s efforts related to the prevention of abuse and violence against children.  How were abuse cases addressed?  Was it the abuser who had to leave the home?

Responses by the Delegation 

MARITZA ROSABAL PEÑA, Minister of Education, Family and Social Inclusion, said the observatory was being set up under the aegis of the National Commission on Human Rights and Citizenship, with the support of the Government.  On school curricula, she pointed out that “citizenship” was one of the subjects taught.  While they could be beefed up, there were specific modules on gender-based violence, gender equality and the protection of children and adolescents that were taught to police officials.

Turning to children’s participation, she remarked that, in the context of the Youth Parliament, children drew up a list of issues which they submitted to the Government.  The Government hoped to improve this process to take greater stock of children’s voices.  The police force followed up on complaints related to police violence, she stated, adding that she could not recall any case of police abuse against children.  On birth registration, to deal with contested paternity, the Government had established the validity of DNA tests.  Mothers could register the children by themselves and give them their own names.  Furthermore, married men who committed adultery could register their children born out of wedlock.  Women could register a child born out of wedlock either with their own name or the father’s name.

Questions by the Committee Experts and Responses by the Delegation

LUIS ERNESTO PERDERNERA REYNA, Committee Chairperson and Co-Rapporteur for Cabo Verde, said children needed to know who their biological parents were.  What happened when children wished to find out who their biological parents were but were unable to do so?

MARITZA ROSABAL PEÑA, Minister of Education, Family and Social Inclusion, said the Government was addressing the right of women to register their children.  There had not been cases of children requesting to know who their biological parents were.

A Committee Expert recalled that the Convention stated that children had a right to know who their biological parents were.

SUZANNE AHO ASSOUMA, Committee Co-Rapporteur for Cabo Verde, asked if a woman who had committed adultery could register a child as she wished.

MARITZA ROSABAL PEÑA, Minister of Education, Family and Social Inclusion, said that when a father’s name did not appear on the birth registration documents, it was immediately reported to the court system.  That was why there were 6,000 children awaiting judgments related to their birth registration.  When there was a gap in the birth registration, it was taken up by the judicial system, she stressed.  The children’s right to know their biological parents was enshrined in law.

On corporal punishment in the homes, she recalled that it was forbidden.  Children, and anyone else, could report corporal punishment, and the Institute for Children and Adolescents would follow up.  Perpetrators were punished because the court system functioned well, she stated.

SUZANNE AHO ASSOUMA, Committee Co-Rapporteur for Cabo Verde, asked if the Government had allocated a budget or devised a strategy in relation to the African Union’s campaign on child marriage.

MARITZA ROSABAL PEÑA, Minister of Education, Family and Social Inclusion, said there was a national plan in place to combat abuse and violence.  It sought to work with children themselves and involved them in the process to craft messages.  

On child marriage, there were very few cases in Cabo Verde, she said.  The Government was carrying out a campaign in schools, reaching out to communities to address this issue.

Second Round of Questions

SUZANNE AHO ASSOUMA, Committee Co-Rapporteur for Cabo Verde, asked if certain conditions were necessary for a couple to be foster parents.  Were there mechanisms in place to review where children were placed?  She asked the delegation to comment on adoptions.  Turning to health, she asked about the care offered to children with disabilities.  What was the Government doing to address diarrhoea, malnutrition and anaemia in children?  The African Union had launched a campaign to reduce maternal mortality.  Did the Government distribute free kits including blood pouches in that context?  Noting that the Government had a milk bank, she stated that the ideal was exclusive breastfeeding.  

Was there comprehensive sexual education offered to adolescents, she enquired.  Did the Government offer mental health care services?  The Committee was concerned about the mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS.  How was the Government addressing this issue?  She asked if the social security system covered all the territory, including the islands.

On climate change, she underlined that the country suffered from desertification and droughts.  Did the Government have a plan in place to help families?  The Co-Rapporteur asked for information on the Government’s plans and policies on mandatory education, students dropping out of school, and access to education for children with disabilities and pregnant girls.  Was teaching on human rights part of the education system?  Were private schools monitored?

LUIS ERNESTO PERDERNERA REYNA, Committee Chairperson and Co-Rapporteur for Cabo Verde, asked about the measures being taken to address the situation of migrant children, notably as pertained to access to education, birth registration and access to citizenship.  What programmes were in place to address child labour?  What measures were in place to protect children from drug consumption? 

He enquired about the existence of data on trafficking in children.  Regarding the recent disappearance of four children, could the delegation comment on the possibility that the Government turn to international cooperation to fully investigate the matter.

On the detention of children, what steps was the Government taking to separate them from adult detainees?  He enquired about measures to protect children who were victims or witnesses of crimes.

Another Expert underscored that Cabo Verde had come a very long way on birth registration.  Did the Government intend to put in place a statelessness determination process?  Was it considering the ratification of international conventions on statelessness?

Replies by the Delegation

MARITZA ROSABAL PEÑA, Minister of Education, Family and Social Inclusion of Cabo Verde, said there had been 196 children who had been taken into four centres after having been removed from their families.  These children had been victims of neglect and ill-treatment, or had been abandoned.  That number had gone done to 45 children, which represented a 77 per cent reduction, due to the Government stepping up its work.  

Due to demographic changes, urbanization and the family structure were becoming smaller, and there was no longer somebody looking after the children permanently.  That was why the Government had invested a lot in care.  The World Bank providing funding related to these projects.   The Government had trained 90 caregivers in three areas, namely the provision of care to children, the elderly and those with disabilities.  

There were now only two centres which were located close to the offices of the Institute for Children and Adolescents.  There was ongoing training, and discussions were held between the institute and the centres.  Children hosted in the centres could formulate complaints, and although the Government met with them regularly, none of them had made complaints related to ill-treatment.

After adopting the Hague Convention, the Government had reassessed the situation, and international adoption was now the last resort.  In Cabo Verde, the practice of adoption was new; before, families would take in boys and girls without formally adopting them. 

To detect disabilities and reach the most remote areas of the country, the Government was constantly improving its road network and had invested to ensure that the public health network covered the whole of its territory.  While it was true that there was no general system for early detection in Cabo Verde, the Government had four main hospital centres with highly qualified staff.  It had also invested a great deal in prenatal and natal care.  Furthermore, a new system was being developed whereby educational centres were created, where professionals would be able to detect children with particular needs.  As there were schools in virtually all towns and villages, she pointed out that the education system covered the whole country.

The health system in Cabo Verde worked and covered the whole country, Ms. Peña assured.  A system ensured the provision of iron supplements and vitamins to pregnant women.  Another raft of measures had been adopted that had brought about a significant decrease in the number of children with anaemia.  For example, a programme had been put in place to provide children with iron supplements.  It was advertised on television.  Every Wednesday, schools handed out these iron supplements to their pupils.  Chicken, fish and eggs were served in all the schools.  Two meals were offered to children: one was called “snack” or “tea” and included food enriched with iron, and the other was a hot meal.  The Government had detected a few years ago that 55 per cent of children suffered from mild anaemia, and had managed to bring that percentage down to 43, thanks to these programmes.

Malaria, dengue and Zika were of utmost concern for the Government, she added.  It had deployed efforts to address them, and there had not been a single case of malaria last year.  The World Health Organization had congratulated the Government for this achievement.  Cabo Verde imported 98 per cent of all the goods consumed by its population, she explained.  The Government had therefore lifted the customs duties on products used to prevent and cure malaria, even though this decision had had a significant budgetary impact.  A very effective system of transfer from one island to the other was in place to ensure C-sections were carried out in appropriate institutions and that women who underwent this procedure could benefit from additional care.  While abortions could be carried out up to the twelfth week of pregnancy, there had been various cases of women going to the hospital after having tried to have an abortion outside by using unauthorized medicines.  The Government, notably the Ministry of Health, had deployed efforts to eradicate this practice.  On breast milk banks, she explained that they were housed in the four main hospitals and meant for children whose mothers had health problems preventing them from breastfeeding.  The overriding campaign in the country promoted exclusive breastfeeding up to the age of six months.

The Government also sought to improve access to drinking water by improving its infrastructure.  A Social Inclusive Tariff for Water and Energy policy would be put in place whereby a tariff lower than the normal tariffs would be offered to certain segments of the population to ensure that no one was left behind.  In that context, preferential indicators were used to favour single-parent families, notably those headed by mothers.

Turning to adolescent health, she said Cabo Verde had specialized centres that offered teenagers various types of care, including mental health care and sexual education services.  The Ministry of Health had beefed up the training of officials working in these centres.  The Government was also considering ways to involve families in talks on adolescent health, something which the teenagers themselves wanted.  Early consumption of alcohol was a problem in the country.  A recent law on the manufacturing and marketing of alcoholic drinks was recently enacted.  It put the burden on the shoulders of those selling alcohol – they could be sanctioned for selling alcohol to adolescents.  A nationwide campaign had also been launched.  And yet, an awful lot still remained to be done, acknowledged Ms. Peña.

Questions by Committee Experts

A Committee Expert asked about awareness-raising campaigns on non-discrimination.  Was there a system in place to collect disaggregated data on disability?

SUZANNE AHO ASSOUMA, Committee Co-Rapporteur for Cabo Verde, asked about children who were no longer in the centres.  What kind of support did they benefit from?  She enquired about the Government’s handling of cases of tuberculosis in prison.  Could the delegation provide information on the use of condoms?

Another Expert asked the delegation to comment on clandestine abortions, which were performed outside hospitals.  To what extent was teenage pregnancy-related prevention included in school curricula?

Responses by the Delegation 

MARITZA ROSABAL PEÑA, Minister of Education, Family and Social Inclusion, said the Government had opened five classes for blind children and it was working with teachers so they could learn sign language.  There was a specific programme in place to do away with physical barriers and obstacles.  For example, a system for blind people was installed on the pavement in the capital.  The Ministry of Infrastructure was rolling out a nationwide programme, which had received funding from the European Union, to eliminate those barriers.

Children who were hosted in centres had either been given back to their parents or placed with foster parents.  When children went back to their homes, a follow-up process managed by the Institute for Children and Adolescents was triggered.  The institute conducted weekly verifications for six months.  It continued the monitoring and conducted less frequent checks after that.

On tuberculosis in prison, she said measures had been put in place recently.  The Ministry of Health was tackling the iodine deficiency, which was often endemic.  The adolescent health programmes were rolled out in health centres, not hospitals, she added.  Condoms and other forms of contraception were distributed in schools.  

Responding to questions about non-medicalized abortions, she said women used them due to social sanctions related to, and disapproval of, abortion.  Surveys had shown that women used non-medicalized abortions to avoid having to tell anybody about the abortion. 

On private schools, there were a few of them, but they were monitored and had to follow the official national curriculum.  

Irrespective of their status, migrant children had access to the same rights as children holding the Cabo Verdean nationality.  School was free of charge for migrant children, for example.  The Government was also trying to teach Portuguese to their parents with the help of migrants’ associations. 

Turning to statelessness, she said that the Government had registered 115 stateless persons in the country.  All those cases had been resolved.  With the new census, it would obtain an update on this figure.  Children born in Cabo Verde to stateless parents were automatically granted Cabo Verdean nationality.  

Question by a Committee Expert and Response by the Delegation

LUIS ERNESTO PERDERNERA REYNA, Committee Chairperson and Co-Rapporteur for Cabo Verde, asked for further information on the incarceration of adolescents.  Were they held in buildings separate from those where adults were imprisoned?

MARITZA ROSABAL PEÑA, Minister of Education, Family and Social Inclusion, said that in the capital city’s prison, there was a wing for adults and another wing for adolescents.  The prisons on the islands were smaller, and adolescents were therefore in the same buildings as adults, but in separate cells.

Concluding Remarks 

SUZANNE AHO ASSOUMA, Committee Co-Rapporteur for Cabo Verde, said the discussion had been fruitful.  She congratulated the Government on the progress achieved.  The Committee remained concerned about the implementation of programmes and policies as well as their funding, notably as pertained to birth registration, child abuse, and incest.

MARITZA ROSABAL PEÑA, Minister of Education, Family and Social Inclusion of Cabo Verde, said she was thankful for the opportunity to inform the Committee of the Government’s actions and identify the areas where more work was needed.  The Committee’s questions had been most helpful.  The Government would continue to work with its cross-cutting approach, which had produced results.  The 2019 budget for social affairs was the highest in the country’s history.  Social affairs were an area in which the Government was investing to ensure people enjoyed a better quality of life in the future.  She thanked the Committee for its recommendations. 

LUIS ERNESTO PERDERNERA REYNA, Committee Chairperson, thanked the delegation and recalled that additional information could be submitted in writing within 48 hours.  The Committee particularly appreciated delegations that participated in dialogues with a spirit of sincerity and openness.  The best interests of the child were the best interest of the entire human race, he stated, asking the delegation to disseminate the Committee’s recommendations in child-friendly language.

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For use of the information media; not an official record
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