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THIRTY-THIRD SESSION: MAY - JUNE 2003
Cyprus (Second Report)
"The Committee recommends that the State party, in keeping with the findings of the Study, to adopt adequate measures and policies to contribute to changing attitudes, including the prohibition of corporal punishment in the family supported by well targeted awareness campaigns on inter alia alternative ways of disciplining children.
Furthermore it encourages the State party to adopt measures and ensure sufficient human and financial resources to ensure the implementation of the Law for the prevention of domestic violence. The Committee invites the State party to include specific information in its next periodic report on follow-up to cases of abuse reported to the social welfare services, as well as information on the announced second research on the extent of child abuse in Cyprus."
(6 June 2003, Unedited Version CRC/C/15/Add.205, para 46)
Eritrea
"The Committee is concerned at the lack of available data on ill-treatment of children, including child abuse and corporal punishment. It also notes with concern that corporal punishment is not expressly prohibited by law and is widely practiced in the home and in institutions."
"The Committee recommends that the State party:
- Carry out public education campaigns about the negative consequences of ill-treatment of children, and in collaboration with, inter alia, community leaders promote positive, non-violent forms of discipline as an alternative to corporal punishment;
- Expressly prohibit corporal punishment by law in the home, schools and other institutions; ..."
(6 June 2003, Unedited Version CRC/C/15/Add.204, paras 31 and 32 (b,c))
Jamaica (Second Report)
"The Committee urges the State party to considerably strengthen its efforts to address and condemn violence in
society, including violence against women and children, particularly in the context of the family, as well as in schools
and other environments. Further, it recommends to take steps to monitor and address any incidence of violence and
sexual or other abuse against children, and undertake measures to further ensure the rehabilitation of traumatized
and victimized children, by inter alia:
- Carrying out public education campaigns about the negative consequences of violence and ill-treatment of
children, and further promote positive, non-violent forms of conflict solution and discipline, especially within the family and in the educational system; - Taking all legislative measures to prohibit all forms of physical and mental violence, including corporal punishment and sexual abuse, against children in all contexts in society as well as taking effective measures for the prevention of violent acts committed within the family, in schools, by the police and other state agents, making sure that perpetrators of these violent acts are brought to justice and putting an end to the practise of impunity;
- Providing care, recovery and reintegration for child victims of direct or indirect violence and ensure that the child victim is not re-victimized in legal proceedings and that his/her privacy is protected;
- Taking into consideration the recommendations of the Committee adopted on its days of general discussion on children and violence (CRC/C/100, para 866, and CRC/C/111, paras. 701-745);"
"The Committee welcomes the State party's progress in the field of education, but remains concerned about:
- The use of corporal punishment in schools."
"The Committee recommends that the State party in the light of the Committee's General Comment on article 29.1 of the Convention and the aims of education (CRC/GC/2001/1):
- Take appropriate legislative measures to combat the use of corporal punishment in the schools."
(6 June 2003, Unedited Version CRC/C/15/Add.210, paras 33 (a,b,c,d), 48 (e) and 49 (e))
Kazakhstan
"The Committee also notes that corporal punishment is forbidden in educational institutions but remains concerned that inappropriate disciplining methods, including corporal punishment, continue to be used in such institutions. The Committee is further concerned that appropriate measures have not been taken to effectively prevent and combat any form of ill-treatment and corporal punishment of children within the family."
"In light of article 37 of the Convention, and recalling the Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials adopted by General Assembly resolution 34/169 of 17 December 1979, the State Party should take all necessary and effective steps to prevent incidents of ill-treatment of children from occurring. The Committee recommends the State party provide training to law enforcement officials, in particular on how to deal with persons under 18 years; to ensure that children are adequately informed of their rights when they are detained; to ensure that complaint procedures are simplified so that responses are appropriate, timely, child-friendly and sensitive to victims; and to provide rehabilitative support to victims. The Committee further recommends that the State party implement the recommendations made by the Committee against Torture (A/56/44, paras.121-129), in particular as they relate to persons under 18 years of age."
"Committee recommends that the State party take legislative measures to prohibit all forms of physical and mental violence, including corporal punishment, within the family, schools and other institutions. The Committee further recommends that the State party, through, for example, public awareness campaigns, promote positive non-violent forms of discipline as an alternative to corporal punishment, especially in families, the schools and other institutions."
"The Committee recommends that the State party reinforce its efforts to implement a comprehensive strategy to prevent and combat domestic violence, ill-treatment and abuse and further adopt adequate measures and policies to contribute to changing attitudes. The Committee further recommends that cases of domestic violence, ill-treatment and abuse of children be properly investigated within a child-sensitive judicial procedure and sanctions applied to perpetrators. Measures should also be taken to ensure the provision of support services to children in legal proceedings and the physical and psychological recovery and social reintegration of the victims in accordance with article 39 of the Convention. "
(6 June 2003, Unedited Version, CRC/C/15/Add. 213, paras 36, 37, 38 and 49)
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (Second Report)
"The Committee welcomes the prohibition of corporal punishment in schools, and notes information that measures have been adopted to report and investigate maltreatment of children. Nevertheless, it is concerned at the lack of information on the actual situation in the State party with respect to the ill-treatment of children within the family, in particular domestic violence. Further it regrets the lack of information on prevention and awareness-raising activities."
"The Committee recommends that the State party:
- conduct a comprehensive study to assess the nature and extent ill-treatment and abuse of children, as well as
domestic violence, and that it is used to design policies and programmes to address this issue; - carry out preventative public education campaigns about the negative consequences of ill-treatment of children,
and promote positive, non-violent forms of discipline as an alternative to corporal punishment; - take the necessary measures to prevent violence against, and abuse of, children;
- Take legislative measures formally to abolish flogging as a punishment..."
(4 July 2003, Unedited Version CRC/C/15/Add.209, paras 33 and 32 (a,b,c) and para. 46(c)
Morocco (Second Report)
"The Committee notes the establishment of a committee of experts for drafting a nationwide strategy to fight against child abuse and exploitation of children and the various initiatives undertaken to raise awareness on this issue, such as the note in 2000 from the Ministry of Education to all education professional to restrain from corporal punishment, but remains concerned at apparently ongoing rather common use of corporal punishment in schools, the lack of awareness of and information on domestic violence, ill-treatment and abuse (sexual, physical and psychological) of children, and the insufficient financial and human resources allocated to programmes to combat the abuse of children. Moreover, the Committee is concerned at the age limit set up in the legislation regarding certain types of violence against children as children above 12 do not benefit from the same protection [State party report, Ibid., para. 183]"
"In light of article 19 of the Convention, the Committee recommends that the State party:
- Conduct a study to assess the root causes, nature and extent of ill-treatment and abuse of children, and design policies and programmes to prevent and combat it;
- Take legislative measures to prohibit all forms of physical and mental violence, including corporal punishment and sexual abuse of children in the family, schools and in institutions;
- Amend its legislation regarding the existing age limit set up for a special protection against all forms of violence against children;
- Carry out public education campaigns about the negative consequences of ill-treatment of children and promote positive, non-violent forms of discipline as an alternative to corporal punishment; ..."
(6 June 2003, Unedited Version CRC/C/15/Add. 211, paras 42 and 43 (a,b,c,d))
Solomon Islands
"The Committee is concerned that:
- Corporal punishment is widely practiced in the family, schools and in other institutions, such as in prisons and in alternative care contexts;
- Insufficient knowledge exists about ill-treatment of children, including by State agents;
- Acts of violations against the mother and/or other members of the family frequently take place in the presence of children."
"The Committee recommends that the State party:
- Take all legislative and other measures to prohibit all forms of physical and mental violence, including corporal punishment, against children in the family, schools and in all other contexts;
- Conduct a study to assess the nature and extent of ill-treatment of children, and design policies and programmes to address it, including international cooperation;
- Carry out public education campaigns about the negative consequences of ill-treatment of children, and promote positive, non-violent forms of discipline as an alternative to corporal punishment; ..."
(6 June 2003, Unedited Version CRC/C/15/Add.208 paras 30 (a,b,c) and 31 (a,b,c))
Sri Lanka (Second Report)
"The Committee is deeply concerned that male child offenders can be sentenced to whipping or caning under the Corporal Punishment Ordinance of 1889, and that the Education Ordinance of 1939 permits corporal punishment to be used as a disciplinary measure for boys and girls in schools, and that many teachers and principals consider corporal punishment to be an acceptable form of discipline."
"The Committee reiterates its previous recommendation that the State party repeal the Corporal Punishment Ordinance of 1889 and amend the Education Ordinance of 1939 to prohibit all forms of corporal punishment. Furthermore, the Committee recommends that the State party undertake well-targeted public awareness campaigns on the negative impact corporal punishment has on children, and provide teacher training on non-violent forms of discipline as an alternative to corporal punishment."
(6 June 2003, Unedited Version CRC/C/15/Add.207, paras 28 and 29)
Syrian Arab Republic (Periodic Report)
"The Committee regrets that little progress has been made in the State party to study and raise awareness of prevention and adequate intervention in cases of the ill-treatment of children within the family, as well as domestic violence and its impact on children. Moreover, it is concerned that corporal punishment in schools is not prohibited by law."
"The Committee recommends that the State party:
- Conduct a comprehensive study to assess the nature and extent of ill-treatment and abuse of children, as well as domestic violence, and that it is used to design policies and programmes to address this issue;
- take the necessary measures for the prevention of child abuse and neglect by, among other things, educational public campaigns about the negative consequences of ill-treatment of children, parenting classes, and promote positive, non-violent forms of discipline as an alternative to corporal punishment;
- take legislative measures to prohibit all forms of violence, including corporal punishment and sexual abuse of children in the family, schools and in other institutions; ..."
(6 June 2003, Unedited Version CRC/C/15/Add.212, paras 36 and 37 (a,b,c))
Zambia
"The Committee notes that the Constitutional Court outlawed the practice of corporal punishment [John Banda vs. the People, HPA/6/1998] but remains concerned that corporal punishment is still practiced and accepted in schools, families, and care and juvenile detention institutions."
"The Committee recommends that the State party take legislative measures to prohibit all forms of physical and mental violence, including corporal punishment in schools and care institutions, as well as in families. The Committee encourages the State party to reinforce its public awareness campaigns to promote positive, participatory, non-violent forms of discipline as an alternative to corporal punishment at all levels of society."
"The Committee is deeply concerned about allegations of instances of ill-treatment by law enforcement officers against street children and children in custody in police stations, and other detention centres, despite the circular of 27 December 1999 to prison authorities to stop the practice of caning."
"The Committee recommends that the State party:
- set up child-sensitive mechanisms to receive complaints against law-enforcement officers regarding ill-treatment during arrest, questioning and police custody; and make sure that perpetrators are brought to justice;
- Systematically train the police force and prison staff and other authorities on the human rights of children;"
(6 June 2003, Unedited Version, CRC/C/15/Add. 206, paras 30, 31, 32 and 33 (a,b))