COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD

Twenty-third session

SUMMARY RECORD OF THE 607th MEETING

Held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva,

on Monday, 24 January 2000, at 10 a.m.

Chairperson: Mrs. OUEDRAOGO

CONTENTS

CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS OF STATES PARTIES (continued)

Initial report of Grenada

The meeting was called to order at 10 a.m.

CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS OF STATES PARTIES (agenda item 6) (continued)

Initial report of Grenada ((CRC/C/3/Add.55) (CRC/C/Q/GREN/1; written replies of the Government of Grenada to the questions raised in the list of issues (document without a symbol distributed in the meeting room in English only))

1.At the invitation of the Chairperson, Ms. Hood and Ms. Daniel (Grenada) took places at the Committee table.

2.Ms. HOOD (Grenada), said that, since Grenada’s ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1992, efforts had focused on bringing domestic legislation into line with the provisions of the Convention. As it was not possible to refer to the Convention in cases of conflict with domestic legislation, she could cite no examples of the Convention having been used in a court of law. In the area of domestic legislation, the Family Court Act had recently been amended and reviewed by the Family Life Issues Committee. An Emergency Shelter for Battered Women and Children and a Child Welfare Authority - the designated protector of all children in the country - had also been established. She noted that all institutions working on behalf of disadvantaged people received an annual subsidy from the Government. Additional developments included the introduction of a Family Life Education programme in every primary school in Grenada, the establishment of a Child Abuse Register and a new project for the placement of young offenders.

3.Since its establishment in 1993, the National Coalition on the Rights of the Child had convened several workshops and seminars to raise awareness of the Convention among non‑governmental organizations (NGOs), Government departments and persons working with children and to formulate strategies for expediting the implementation process. Likewise, extensive use had been made of the media to inform and educate people about the importance of issues affecting children. The Government provided support to the National Coalition and to various organizations which promoted the welfare of children. It also conducted community outreach programmes on children’s issues.

4.Mrs. MOKHUANE said that the Convention had been used for the past eight years in Grenada as a framework for analysing the situation of children. A number of studies had been conducted and various Acts brought into force, including the Maintenance (Amendment) Act, the Criminal Code Act and the Adoption (Amendment) Act. The National Coalition on the Rights of the Child, in which both the Government and NGOs participated, had been established. The Coalition aimed to raise public awareness of children’s rights and was involved in the implementation of the Convention, for example through the introduction of a Programme for Adolescent Mothers. Despite the legislative innovations made, however, domestic law was still inconsistent with the Convention and failed to take account of children’s needs. For example, legislation did not embody the principles of article 17 of the Convention in relation to the rights of children with disabilities. Similarly, Grenada did not have an established policy on children in institutions. The report made it clear that data collection was insufficient, and it contained no indicators of the situation of children in areas covered by the Convention. In addition, no information had been provided as to how data were used in the formulation of policies and programmes. The draft new Education Act of 1998 had been introduced but was inadequate in that it excluded certain groups of children, for example adolescents attending school who had children of their own. Contrary to the requirements of the Act, which stated that the Chief Officer would provide compulsory education for all children, the high proportion of pregnant teenagers in Grenada appeared to be excluded from the education system.

5.The Criminal Code (Amendment) Act addressed such issues as sexual abuse, exploitation, neglect and abandonment, but it did not cover adequately the principles of article 19 of the Convention. Similarly, there was no legislation relating to juvenile justice in Grenada, and the provisions of the existing Criminal Code were inconsistent with article 40 of the Convention. Domestic legislation contained many deficiencies in relation to the Convention; for example, it failed to include the principles of articles 37 and 39.

6.The current status of the Family Court Act, which had been rescinded and replaced by the Family Life Issues Committee, was unclear. She would like to know whether the Committee was responsible for matters such as rehabilitation and counselling.

7.Other areas gave cause for concern. It was uncertain whether a complaints procedure had been established for children whose rights had been violated. There was no overall national plan of action for children. Although it had been stated that training was provided, she wondered whether appropriate provision was made in that regard for teachers and judicial personnel. Lastly, with regard to the national budget, it was unclear what percentage of overall spending was devoted to children’s programmes, given that the National Coalition on the Rights of the Child lacked the necessary resources to implement the Convention properly. In that connection, to what extent was international cooperation used to facilitate implementation?

8.Mrs. RILANTONO said that the establishment of a National Coalition on the Rights of the Child was a positive step but that it was unclear how that body coordinated activities and monitored the implementation of the Convention. As it had been stated that the Coalition had been assigned no special budget, she would like to know how it was funded. She would also appreciate details about the progress made in implementing the Convention. In that regard, were non-physical indicators being developed alongside the already well-known physical indicators?

9.Mrs. KARP said that, although she appreciated Grenada’s difficulties in addressing the problems it faced, a single body, with a specific plan of action, should be established to focus on children’s affairs. Most of the work being done on children’s issues was apparently carried out by NGOs. What part was played by the Government in that work? Did a plan of action for children already exist?

10.She asked about the situation with regard to human resources, especially social workers and psychologists. Information would also be welcome on the social security review conducted in 1997.

11.She would also like to know whether Grenada had considered establishing an office of children’s ombudsman. Such an official would enhance children’s status, deal with their complaints and provide remedies in order to make the provision of services more effective.

12.Mrs. TIGERSTEDT-TÄHTELÄ said it was clear that the National Coalition on the Rights of the Child attempted to highlight legal and administrative deficiencies in the area of children’s rights and to lobby for necessary changes. In that regard, had a comprehensive review of domestic legislation been conducted? The National Coalition did not appear to have a mandate corresponding to the aims and principles of the Convention. In that connection, she inquired whether there were plans to establish a coordinating body in order to introduce a more comprehensive strategy.

13.She asked whether income from tourism, which was one of Grenada’s main sources of revenue, was allocated to spending on children’s rights issues, and whether provision had been made for children within the national budget.

14.Mr. DOEK said that nearly every chapter of Grenada’s report concluded with a list of difficulties encountered and suitable recommendations for the future. Paragraph 28 of the report, for example, referred to the fact that there was a flagrant disregard at the legislative and administrative levels for persons with disabilities and, therefore, an urgent need for action. Although the approach adopted was commendable, it should be made clear whether an order of priority had been established within the recommendations made. Paragraph 25 of the report mentioned the planned activities of the National Coalition on the Rights of the Child. He would welcome information on achievements in that regard. For example, to what extent had young people participated in activities to promote the Convention?

15.With regard to the definition of the child, paragraphs 39 and 40 of the report stated that the age limit for purposes of criminal responsibility was 7 years, which was clearly too low. He asked whether Grenada planned to raise the age limit and, if so, who would decide at what age a child was considered sufficiently mature to be dealt with as a criminal.

16.Paragraph 41 of the report stated that alcohol could be sold, delivered or supplied to persons under the age of 16, provided that it was in corked or sealed vessels and was consumed off the premises. Was there a specific reason for that provision and was its abolition being considered? Paragraph 52 of the report stated that children were granted the right to be heard and the right to respect for their views in situations relating to applications for custody. The report also referred to the discretion of judges in such cases. However, discretion was not the best guarantee of the right of children to be heard. Were there any plans to include in the Minors Act referred to in paragraph 53 the unconditional right of a child to be heard by a judge?

17.Mr. RABAH, noting that the initial report of Grenada (CRC/C/3/Add.55) stated that the needs of Grenadian children were not being adequately met, asked why no national plan of action had yet been established. There seemed to be a significant number of NGOs playing an important role in Grenada; what was their level of cooperation with the Government and to what extent had they participated in the preparation of the report?

18.No updated figures had been provided on child services. He would appreciate examples of concern for the best interests of the child and respect for the child demonstrated by courts and administrative bodies. He wondered how inter‑country adoption was organized and whether Grenada was a party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in respect of Inter‑country Adoption. He also requested more detailed information on the National Coalition on the Rights of the Child, which played a pivotal role in adoptions, and on the Grenada Adoption Board, established in 1994. He would like to know the role played by the family, the schools and the media in disseminating the Convention.

19.Mrs. MOKHUANE asked why Grenada had not ratified International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 138 concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment, which was an important document for regulating child labour. The Grenada Constitution prohibited discrimination, but the Criminal Code did not seem to offer equal protection for boys and girls as far as sexual offences were concerned.

20.Grenadian programmes addressed the issue of the survival and development of the child, but only up to age 5; did programmes exist for children above 5 years of age? Like Mr. Doek, she wondered how the principle of respect for the views of the child was incorporated in policies and programmes affecting children, especially taking into account the evolving capacity of the child. She asked in that connection whether progress had been made in changing the traditional views of adults that “children should be seen and not heard”, that children were the property of adults and that children’s rights and parents’ rights were incompatible.

21.The National Coalition had been commissioned to review existing legislation, including the definition of the child; how much progress had it achieved? She wondered whether there were plans to lower the age of majority from 21 years to 18 years, in conformity with the trend in most Commonwealth countries.

The meeting was suspended at 10.50 a.m. and resumed at 10.55 a.m.

22.Ms. HOOD (Grenada) said that the National Coalition on the Rights of the Child had been set up in 1994 in a cooperative effort between the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the Grenada Save the Children Fund. It was a unique body in the region because of the harmonious relationship between the State and NGOs which existed in Grenada. For instance, the report had been prepared jointly by the Government and NGOs. The National Coalition consisted of 25 persons, included representatives from every section of Government dealing with child rights and met on a monthly basis. Members were expected to report back to their departments, and the Cabinet and the Permanent Secretaries of all ministries were kept abreast of developments in children’s issues. The National Coalition had always been supported by the Government in office because it was regarded as a valued Government partner. The National Coalition had been instrumental in the establishment of the Grenada Adoption Board, which had grown out of concerns about the adoption of Grenadian children outside the country. It had also participated in the establishment of the Child Welfare Authority and the drafting of the Adoption Act.

23.The Adoption Board met on a monthly basis to review both national and international adoption applications. In the case of inter‑country adoptions, the Board might monitor children for as long as two years following the adoption, in cooperation with children’s agencies and adoption boards in the countries concerned. Prospective adoptive parents were interviewed by the Board in the best interests of the children, who were encouraged to spend a trial period of at least three months in the home of their prospective adoptive parents.

24.Since the preparation of the report, the 14‑member Child Welfare Authority had been established to protect the best interests of children in institutions and to supervise and investigate child‑care institutions. Its members visited institutions to ensure that children’s rights were being respected and also monitored children in foster care. A child to be placed in an institution was the subject of a full report to the Child Welfare Authority, which monitored the institution concerned.

25.The lack of adequate data collection was a recognized fact in the region. Consequently, an appeal for funding had been made to the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and a strategy for data collection in the region had been developed, to be implemented within a few months. The statistical department of the Ministry of Finance was the focal point for data collection.

26.Grenada had worked together with other countries in the region to reform the juvenile justice system. Juveniles had for years been detained together with adult offenders, but the penal reforms would ensure that their interests were protected. Consequently, the Ministry of Social Security was looking into the possibility of constructing separate facilities for juveniles. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) had been approached the previous year for financial assistance to compile legislation at the regional level, which was more cost‑effective than legislation at the national level alone. The draft legislation was under review.

27.The Family Court had been rescinded when the current Government had come into office in 1995 because of a lack of cases. The regular courts set aside a specific day for cases involving family issues, which were heard in camera, and a number of additional magistrates had been hired.

28.The Family Life Issues Committee had made a number of recommendations which had been incorporated into the report. They included a crisis hotline for reporting domestic violence, the introduction of health and family issues into primary schools, rather than at the secondary level only, and the adoption of a national policy making family life issues a core subject in school curricula. The Child Abuse Register had not yet been fully implemented but would come into effect when the social and economic survey was carried out at the end of January 2000. An emergency shelter for battered women and their children had also been set up. The Counselling and Rehabilitation Committee worked in tandem with a clinical psychologist. Training had been provided for judicial authorities and teachers, although not yet for ordinary‑court judges.

29.Replying to questions about budgetary allocations and the use of tourism earnings, she said that education received the largest budgetary allocation, which attested to the Government’s Commitment to that sector. In December 1999, under the “Vision for the Millennium”, it had been decided that every child should receive six years of quality primary education, including the teaching of computer literacy, and a minimum of six years of secondary education, including business and technology studies.

30.Indicators had been developed with a view to promoting the Convention, and the National Coalition prepared an annual work plan for that purpose. The National Coalition, whose youth arm encouraged young people to work together with their peers, included

representatives of the media responsible for informing the community of the Convention and related issues. Thanks partly to the work of the Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) Grenadians were aware of the Convention and of the needs of children.

31.A “Child Abuse Prevention Month” and a “Child Month” were celebrated once a year, during which the National Coalition hosted talks and radio quizzes and marches were held. One of the Government’s chief concerns was abuse, both sexual and physical. Reports of abuse were increasing, which was due not to a rise in the number of incidents but to the fact that people were more willing to report them. A proposal was being formulated to make the reporting of abuse mandatory. NGOs worked in close cooperation with the Government; most of their funding came from local sources, through fundraising or other activities.

32.Teenage mothers were being reintegrated into schools through a special programme, despite initial resistance by the schools. Although their reintegration was not prohibited by law, it was more or less in conflict with cultural tradition. At the time of preparation of the report there had been a shortage of social workers, but training programmes had since been carried out. Social workers were on occasion granted scholarships to study abroad and return to work in Grenada. It was hoped that an ombudsman’s office for children would be set up by 2001.

33.Children with disabilities had traditionally been excluded from the school system, but attitudes had changed to the point where specialized institutions for disabled children even existed. However, efforts focused on integrating disabled children into the regular school system, in order to accustom children without disabilities to learning alongside disabled children.

34.While recognizing the importance of children expressing their views, she said it would require time to achieve acceptance of that idea in Caribbean culture. Children were allowed to testify in cases of child abuse, and teachers were encouraged to listen to what children had to say. The new Education Act, which was a regional Act of the OECS, would provide for hearings to enable children to express complaints when they felt they had been treated unfairly.

35.Nursery school was encouraged for children aged 3 to 5; primary education was compulsory from age 5 to 11. Secondary school was not yet universal, although a six-year plan established on 31 December 1999 would provide six years’ secondary education for all, including technical and vocational training. Music was taught in all secondary and some primary schools, inter‑school sports were organized, drama and debating were encouraged island-wide and schoolchildren were permitted to follow parliamentary proceedings from the lobby of Parliament.

36.With regard to child rights programmes, she said the PTAs were active in informing parents about their responsibilities in caring for their children and about children’s rights and obligations. All schools were encouraged to establish PTAs, which had a say in school affairs. Parents had been encouraged to contribute to the review of the draft new Education Act, and educational reform would form part of the forthcoming review of the Constitution, which had been drawn up in 1973 on Grenada’s accession to independence. The age of majority was currently 21, but would be reduced to 18, as established in the Adoption Act, when laws on children’s issues were brought together in a single text, thus facilitating their monitoring. The Division of Women’s Affairs had been represented at the recent ILO regional conference, and the authorities were considering ratifying ILO Convention No. 138. Child labour was not a serious problem in Grenada, although there were plans to raise the minimum age for employment from 14 to 16 or 18. In any event, most working children were simply assisting their parents at weekends - at market stalls, for instance - rather than engaging in organized employment.

37.A 1999 study had found that boys as well as girls were sexually abused and in need of protection. The reporting situation left much to be desired, but doctors and other professionals were being persuaded to report any cases as a matter of course.

38.The CHAIRPERSON invited Committee members to put follow-up questions to the delegation, followed by questions on civil rights and freedoms and family environment and alternative care.

39.Mrs. TIGERSTEDT-TÄHTELÄ, noting the statement in paragraph 122 of the initial report that the education budget had accounted for 12.5 per cent of the national budget in 1994, asked whether that figure had risen or declined and whether the country’s economic situation had since improved.

40.Ms. HOOD (Grenada) said that the country had achieved a 6 per cent economic growth rate in 1999 and that the education allocation had increased. While in general textbooks were still not free, the Government provided them for children who could not afford to purchase their own. A revolving book scheme was being initiated in 2000 and was expected to be fully operational by 2001, enabling every child to have textbooks and removing a ready‑made excuse for truancy.

41.Mrs. MOKHUANE, cited the written reply to question 11, to the effect that birth registration and the right to a name posed no problems in Grenada inasmuch as most children were baptized by the age of six months. She asked whether any studies had been conducted with regard to child‑naming and identity when parents belonged to a religion in which offspring were not baptized until adolescence. She was also unclear about the conditions for Grenadian citizenship. Flogging was both socially and legally accepted and used as a routine sanction: were there any plans to change that situation, in the interest of children’s dignity? She would also appreciate further information with regard to Grenada’s media policy.

42.She asked whether parents recognized that there were areas of children’s lives in which respect of their privacy was vital, whether a child’s freedom of association, provided for in the Constitution, was effectively respected, and whether children were free to join a religion different to that of their parents. If so, what was the parent’s reaction? She was still concerned at the possibility of police brutality, despite the claim that it did not exist.

43.Mrs. KARP commended the authorities on the fact that the National Coalition had been a government initiative, but said she was unclear about the Government’s share in funding the Coalition beyond budget allocations to special projects. She wished to know who was actually responsible for dispensing the care stipulated in the Act to Govern the Care and Protection of Children at Risk and which were the child welfare and protection authorities. As there was apparently no single body which dealt with children at risk, she asked whether the government authorities or NGOs were responsible, and where the Government’s responsibility was defined.

44.She was happy to learn of the social services’ plan of action, which she hoped would be comprehensive and multidisciplinary and would focus not solely on social services, but on the entire field of children’s rights and development. In the interest of holistic attention to children’s needs, she asked when the pending recommendations of the Family Life Issues Committee would be implemented, as piecemeal implementation might jeopardize the unity of the measures advocated. She asked what measures were in place to make the child-abuse complaint mechanism meaningful, not only by assisting children in the courts, but by providing them with treatment and rehabilitation services. How many child psychologists and social workers were there in Grenada? The sole clinical psychologist working in the country was inadequate even for a small juvenile child population of 3,000, most of whom would require counselling of some kind during adolescence.

45.She was distressed that corporal punishment, which ran counter to all the basic principles of respect for the dignity of the child, was not prohibited by law. Provision was made for such punishment in the Criminal Code, and it was accepted by families, sometimes in extreme forms. She asked whether there were any plans to institute alternative measures consisting of dialogue with children; such measures should form part of all campaigns against child abuse, which did not denote sexual abuse alone.

46.Ms. HOOD (Grenada) said that the identification of children in Grenada raised no problems. No child could be enrolled in primary school - which was compulsory from the age of 5 - without a birth certificate bearing a name, even if he or she had not yet been baptized. Furthermore, any child born on Grenadian territory, or elsewhere of Grenadian parents, was a Grenadian citizen.

47.It was true that flogging was still on the statute books, but many people abhorred it and tried to encourage alternative methods of punishment, especially through the PTAs. Corporal punishment had been eliminated in the draft Education Act, although the Act had not yet become law. While the media were instrumental in sensitizing the population to the indignity of corporal punishment, there was considerable resistance from churches and from parents. The video “Olivia’s Plight” was used as a means of encouraging alternative sanctions. It showed that an abused child might become an adult abuser and that the approach of zero tolerance of violence against women must go hand in hand with the abolition of corporal punishment. Referring to the country’s media policy, she explained that it was illegal for the media to report the name or print the photograph of an abused child. With the help of the media, the population was becoming increasingly aware of abuse issues.

48.The need for privacy was recognized, and pupils over 18 were able to receive their school reports directly. However, the Convention was a new feature in the lives of Grenadians, whose traditional attitude as parents was that their word was law. It was also difficult to monitor privacy in the home. Having legislation was one thing; enforcing it was another. To the question whether children’s freedom of association was respected by parents, she replied that the authorities hoped to impress on parents that the aim of promoting children’s rights was not to deprive them of their own rights, but to ensure that children exercised theirs. While children wishing to practise a religion different to their parents’ might pose a slight problem, Grenadian parents were more interested in their children attending church at all than in which religion the children chose. She was at a loss to understand where the rumour of police brutality could have originated. Child welfare services were the responsibility of the Government, which was fully aware of its obligations. It did, however, encourage participation by other institutions and subsidize them to that end.

49.The Ministry of Social Services, through its Child Welfare Authority, bore sole responsibility for children, although other agencies also worked on children’s issues. In 1997, a review of the Ministry of Social Services had been conducted by the Family Life Issues Committee. A number of the Committee’s specific recommendations had been implemented: for example, the number of social workers had been increased, one clinical psychologist was now employed in Grenada and the need for more was recognized, the Child Abuse Register had been set up and ongoing training for social workers was now being provided. The recommendation that a social worker should be on call 24 hours a day had been implemented, although the system was not yet operating with optimum efficiency. The proposed crisis hotline and emergency shelter arrangements had both been introduced. The child maintenance payment had been raised to EC$ 25 and a rehabilitation and counselling team had been established within the Child Welfare Authority. The recommendation to give magistrates and judges the authority to place young offenders at the Bacolet Project had not yet been implemented but was under consideration. The penal system was also under review. Although the Public Relations Department of the Royal Grenada Police Force was not open 24 hours a day, an officer responsible for children’s issues was permanently on call.

50.Based on the findings of a poverty assessment survey funded by the Caribbean Development Bank, the Government was considering the issue of drawing up comprehensive national plans of action not only for children, but also in areas such as women’s issues, young offenders, the economy and rural development.

51.A budget of EC$ 50,000 had been allocated to the National Coalition on the Rights of the Child for 2000. The Coalition had operated through 1999 in conjunction with the Grenada Save the Children Fund (GRENSAVE), and had received funding from external agencies such as UNICEF and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The Government had begun subsidizing GRENSAVE’s salary costs. Many members of the Coalition also belonged to other organizations dealing with children’s issues, and established projects within those organizations which related to the work being done by the Coalition.

52.Mr. DOEK requested further information about the divorce rate and the number of children affected by divorce. He would also like to know what proportion of children were born out of wedlock and how the fathers of such children were identified. He asked what measures were in place to ensure that fathers, especially those who moved abroad, paid maintenance for their children.

53.He asked whether the National Children’s Home Action for Children was responsible for organizing foster care. If so, he would appreciate information about the selection of foster families and the support given to them by the organization. He requested information on how long children usually stayed in the three homes mentioned in paragraph 91 of the report, and asked whether any programmes were in place for returning those children to their natural families or arranging foster care or adoption if necessary. He would also like to know why the

rate of inter-country adoption was so high and asked whether the Government was considering acceding to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in respect of Inter‑country Adoption.

54.Mrs. RILANTONO requested clarification of the status of the National Coalition on the Rights of the Child. If it was a non-governmental organization, she would like to know whether there were plans to make it semi-governmental in order that the Government might assign it a budget, thus increasing its power to implement the envisaged national plan of action for children.

55.She welcomed the Programme for Adolescent Mothers and the fact that most adolescent mothers returned to school. However, she would like to know what happened to the children in such cases.

56.Noting that a child not registered at birth was given another opportunity to be registered on enrolling in school, she asked whether there was a high school enrolment rate. Were penalties frequently applied to parents who did not ensure that their children attended school through the age of compulsory education? She would also like to know how the Government intended to finance the extension of compulsory education beyond 14 years of age, given that only 12.5 per cent of the national budget was currently spent on education.

57.Mr. RABAH, referring to paragraph 54 of the report, asked what happened if a child was not registered within the two months permitted for the alternative registration procedure. The Government was said to be responsible for child-care institutions; however, no information was given in the report on how such institutions were monitored. He asked whether NGOs played a role in that area. He would also like to know whether there were bilateral agreements between Grenada and its neighbours on inter-country adoption. Citing paragraph 92 (c) of the report, he asked for clarification of the “certain age” at which children not placed in foster care or adopted had to leave care institutions. He would also like to know who was responsible for taking the decision that the child should leave the institution.

58.Mrs. TIGERSTEDT-TÄHTELÄ asked whether it was true that 10 per cent of children were not registered at birth and, if so, what was being done to address the problem, especially considering that legislation covering it was in place. She would also like to know whether children who were not registered until they enrolled in school were able to receive care in their pre-school years. She requested additional information as to which sectors of the population did not register births. She would also appreciate clarification of the statement in paragraph 56 of the report that a child born in Grenada to “a citizen of an enemy country” did not have the right to acquire Grenadian nationality. Lastly, she would like to know whether the planned institution of ombudsman was to be established by law, what its mandate would be and whether it would be independent.

59.Mrs. MOKHUANE asked whether any cases of family reunification had been denied due to inability to pay the departure tax referred to in paragraph 71 of the report. She would like to know whether the Government was now involved in the provision of foster care, which the report stated had previously been the responsibility of NGOs. Paragraph 87 of the report indicated that most adoptive parents lived outside Grenada. She would like to know why children were adopted only to be left behind in Grenada with relatives of the adoptive parents, and how such parents could play any role in the day-to-day upbringing of their children. She also inquired why more girls than boys were adopted and what was being done to correct that situation.

60.Noting that the issue of parental responsibility was being addressed through parent‑teacher associations, she asked how parents were responding to being educated about their responsibilities. Much attention was focused on teenage mothers; she would like to know whether any programmes were in place to address the role of both teenage fathers and fathers in general.

61.Mrs. KARP noted that the draft Education Act contained a provision allowing the Minister of Education to prohibit the use of corporal punishment in any school, which implied that corporal punishment would continue to be permitted in other schools. She would like to know what the reaction of the public had been to the awareness-raising campaigns conducted on that issue. The Government should take the opportunity to use the Education Act to ban the use of corporal punishment in all circumstances.

62.The description given of the Child Welfare Act did not mention any provision establishing standards for care institutions, as required by article 3 of the Convention. She would like to know whether such standards were provided for in the Act. Moreover, did the members of the rehabilitation and counselling team in the Child Welfare Authority receive any special training to cope with cases of incest? Assuming that secondary schooling did not end at the age of 16, she asked whether there was a link between the high drop-out rate and the fact that child maintenance was provided only up to the age of 16.

The meeting rose at 12.55 p.m.