Committee on the Rights of the Child

Fifty-eighth session

19 September-7 October 2011

Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child

List of issues concerning additional and updated information related to the combined second, third and fourth periodic reports of Seychelles (CRC/C/SYC/2-4)

The State party is requested to submit additional, updated information in writing, if possible before 2 August 2011.

The Committee may take up all aspects of children’s rights contained in the Convention during the dialogue with the State party.

Part I

In this section, the State party is requested to submit its responses to the following questions (30 pages maximum).

1.Please inform the Committee of the measures taken to implement its previous recommendations to the State party to review its legislation and take measures to ensure that it conforms fully with the provisions of the Convention, in particular with regard to the age of marriage of girls, the right to know biological parents and the right to be heard.

2.Please inform the Committee which State mechanism has the authority to coordinate actions by the sectors and agencies implementing children’s rights under the Convention. Please clarify the roles of the Ministry of Health and Social Development as well as the National Commission for Child Protection in this regard. How is coordination between the central and district levels carried out?

3.Please indicate whether the implementation of the National Plan of Action for Children (2005-2009) has been evaluated, and if so, what is the outcome? Please also inform the Committee of any plans or strategies in relation to children that have been adopted since then.

4.Please indicate the reasons why the Act creating the post of Commissioner for Children’s Rights, which was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers in 2005, has not yet been adopted. When does the State party expect it to be enacted?

5.Please provide details and statistics to support the statement in paragraph 33 of the State party’s report that there has been improvement in budgetary allocations to programmes and services for children and the family.

6.Please inform the Committee on measures taken by the State party to ensure that the tourism industry operating in the country promotes and supports children’s rights and well-being and that its activities have no adverse impact on children or the environment in which children live.

7.Please provide more information on the measures taken to implement the Committee’s previous recommendation to review its policies on alternative care for children deprived of family with a view to developing a more integrated and accountable system of care and support.

8.Please inform the Committee of the measures taken to address the insufficient access to safe drinking water and sanitation in some of the communities of the State party.

9.Please provide information on laws, policies and other measures concerning adolescent health, in particular with regard to:

(a)Specialized reproductive health services for children and adolescents;

(b)Teenage pregnancies and abortions;

(c)Drug and alcohol abuse.

10.Please inform the Committee about policies, strategies and other measures taken by the State party to:

(a)Conduct a study on the reasons for students dropping out of schools, especially boys, and the follow up measures taken, if any;

(b)Eliminate gender-based stereotypes which lead to discrimination against girls in schools as well as end discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and disability in schools and youth forums;

(c)Integrate children with disabilities into the mainstream school system and accommodate children with special needs, especially children with hearing impairments.

11.Please inform the Committee whether there has been any study conducted on child sexual exploitation, prostitution and child sex tourism since 2007. What measures are being implemented to fight these abuses of children?

12.Please inform the Committee whether any facility has been built to accommodate children in conflict with the law after the closure of Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Centre and are there any rehabilitation programs available to such children? How many children are currently in detention?

Part II

In this section the Committee invites the State party to provide a brief update (no more than three pages in length) on the information presented in its report regarding:

(a)New bills or laws, and their respective regulations;

(b)New institutions (and their mandates) or institutional reforms;

(c)Recently introduced policies, programmes and action plans and their scope and financing;

(d)Recent ratifications of human rights instruments.

Part III

Data, statistical and other information, if available

1.Please provide, if available, statistical data on how many children are living in informal foster care settings disaggregated by sex, age and socio-economic background.

2.Please provide information on the number of complaints and number of victims of sexual abuse and exploitation of children disaggregated by sex and age,and the number of investigations and prosecutions carried out in this regard and pending cases.

3.Please specify the number of children with disabilities, up to the age of 18, disaggregated by age, sex, type of disability and socio-economic background covering the years 2008, 2009 and 2010:

(a)Living with their families;

(b)Living in institutions;

(c)Placed in foster care;

(d)Attending regular schools;

(e)Attending special schools;

(f)Not attending school.

4.Please provide, if available, statistical data on:

(a) The number of students dropping out of schools disaggregated by sex, age and socio-economic background;

(b) The number of children and adolescents who are employed in different sectors of economy.

5.Please provide information on the number of children who abuse substances and alcohol.

6.In addition, the State party may list areas, affecting children that it considers to be of priority with regard to the implementation of the Convention.