Committee on the Rights of the Child

Sixty – first session

17 September – 5 October 2012

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 Guinea-Bissau (CRC/GNB/2-4)

The State party is requested to submit in writing additional, updated information, if possible before 2 July 2012.

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 provide detailed information on the current state of drafting and/or enactment of the Child Protection Code proposed by the State party’s Minister of Justice.

2.Please provide updated and detailed information on the State party’s mechanisms for coordinating its activities for the implementation of the Convention, including specific information on:

(a)The respective mandates and responsibilities of Ministries dealing with the implementation of the Convention or parts of it;

(b)The respective mandates of the National Council for Childhood vis-a-vis the Institute for Women and Children;

(c)Any other mechanisms the State party may have for horizontal and vertical coordination, including at the local level, for the implementation of the Convention;

(d)The human, technical and financial resources provided to the above mechanisms.

3.Please provide updated information on measures undertaken to establish a National Plan of Action for child rights. In doing so, please also provide information on the integration of the State party’s existing strategies on, inter alia, orphan and/or vulnerable children including those with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), trafficking and harmful practices. Additionally, please also provide information on the implementation timelines for the above-mentioned strategies.

4.Please provide information on measures, if any, taken to address societal attitudes impeding the implementation of the Convention. In doing so, please also provide information on measures taken to prevent harmful practices including:

(a)Forced and/or early marriage;

(b)Specific measures to effectively implement the State party’s recently enacted legislation on the prohibition of female genital mutilation;

(c)Infanticide, particularly of children with disabilities or physical deformities;

(d)Awareness-raising on the above, including through traditional and/or community leaders.

5.Please provide details on legislative, policy and institutional measures, if any, taken to:

(a)Address domestic and gender violence;

(b)Prohibit corporal punishment of children in all settings.

6.Please indicate the measures taken, if any, to combat the phenomenon of so-called meninos de criação (the widespread practice of giving a child away to other family members or acquaintances that can supposedly provide better conditions and education for the child) and the increased vulnerability of children in such situations to abuse and/or exploitation. In this context, please also inform the Committee on the efforts of the National Commission for the Abolition of Child Labour.

7.Please provide detailed information on measures taken to protect the rights of children with disabilities and address their needs, including:

(a)Measures taken to reduce and prevent discrimination against children with disabilities;

(b)Measures for providing adequate support to children with disabilities and their families, including specific information on ensuring access to health care and education;

(c)Measures for implementing the above in remote areas of the State party with a view to reducing urban-rural disparity.

8.Please inform the Committee ofmeasures taken to ensure the provision of adequate healthcare, access to sanitation and clean water, particularly with regard to children living in remote areas of the State party.

9.Please provide detailed information on the measures taken to combat discrimination in education as well as the dropout rate of girls from school. In this context, please also provide updated information on school fees charged by schools.

10.Please provide information on measures taken, if any, to ensure the protection and fulfilment of child rights of so-called talibés - children receiving education in Koranic schools - including:

(a)Measures to consider including Koranic education as an optional part of the education syllabus to allow the option for children to remain in mainstream schools while having their religious needs fulfilled;

(b)Measures to monitor if the circumstances and conditions for children in a talibés situation are in accordance with the Convention.

11.Please provide detailed information on measures to combat sexual abuse and exploitation of children, including on measures, if any, for recovery, rehabilitation and remedies, including compensation.

12.Please provide detailed information on measures taken by the State party to amend and/or implement legislation to ensure that its juvenile justice system is in compliance with the provisions of the Convention and other international standards. In doing so please include specific information on measures to ensure:

(a)Coordination between the police, social services and the judiciary on matters and cases concerning children in conflict with the law;

(b)Children in conflict with the law are detained in separate facilities from adult detainees;

(c)Adequate training on the Convention for its judicial and law enforcement professionals.

Part II

In this section, the Committee invites the State party to briefly (three pages maximum) update the information provided in its report with regard to:

(a)New bills or legislation enacted

(b)Newly implemented programmes and projects, their scope and budget

(c)New institutions, their mandate and funding

(d)Newly ratified human rights instruments

Part III

Data, statistics and other information, if available.

1.Please provide data, disaggregated by age, sex, ethnic origin, geographical location and socio-economic background, on child mortality rates and provide relative and absolute data on the causes of child mortality.

2.Please inform the Committee of the number of stateless children.

3.Please provide data, disaggregated by sex and age, on the number of children who abuse alcohol or substance.

4.Please provide data, disaggregated by sex and age, on children in armed forces.

5.Please provide data, disaggregated by age, sex, ethnic origin and socio-economic background, on the prevalence of child trafficking.

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.