Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

List of issues in relation to the third periodic report of Slovakia *

I.General information

1.In the light of paragraph 113 of the State party’s report regarding the applicability of the Covenant, please provide concrete information on the decisions where provisions of the Covenant have been directly applied by judges, particularly by the regional courts in Trenčin and Košice.

2.Please provide information on the recent measures taken by the State party to strengthen preventive and anti-corruption mechanisms, and to establish an independent and specialized anti-corruption body. Please provide statistical data on the number of complaints of corruption that have been lodged in the last five years, on the investigations conducted and their outcomes, including the prosecution and punishment of perpetrators.

II.Issues relating to the general provisions of the Covenant (arts. 1–5)

Maximum available resources (art. 2 (1))

3.In order to asses if the State party is using its maximum available resources to realize Covenant rights, please provide information on the evolution, over the past five years, of:

(a)The proportion of people below the poverty line and the levels of inequality;

(b)The proportion of public revenue that is financed through taxes;

(c)Public expenditure as a percentage of gross domestic product and the proportion of total public expenditure that is dedicated to social spending (social security, food, housing, water and sanitation, health and education).

Non-discrimination (art. 2 (2))

4.Please provide information on measures taken to ensure the effective enforcement of the Anti-Discrimination Act. Please also provide information on the number of administrative and judicial cases of discrimination that have been investigated, the decisions rendered on them and whether any compensation has been awarded to the victims of discrimination.

5.Please provide information on the impact of the measures taken to combat discrimination against persons with disabilities.

6.Please provide information on the impact of the measures taken to combat discrimination on the grounds of gender identity and/or sexual orientation, particularly with respect to the exercise of economic, social and cultural rights.

Equal rights of men and women (art. 3)

7.Please provide information on the results of the implementation of the National Strategy for gender equality and its plan of action for the period 2014–2019 and how the State party envisages addressing the remaining challenges with respect to equality between men and women in all areas.

III.Issues relating to the specific provisions of the Covenant (arts. 6–15)

Right to work (art. 6)

8.Please provide information on the impact of policies and strategies aimed at reducing unemployment and long-term unemployment, in particular among young people, low-skilled workers, women and Roma, and how such policies have contributed to reducing unemployment disparities between the different regions. Please provide statistical data on the employment situation in the State party, disaggregated by age, sex, disability, ethnic or national origin and region of residence.

9.Please provide information, including statistical data, on the enrolment rate in vocational education and training programmes. Please indicate how those programmes are adapted to the needs of the job market and how they take into consideration the needs of the most marginalized and disadvantaged persons and groups.

Right to just and favourable conditions of work (art. 7)

10.Please provide information on the measures taken to combat vertical and horizontal gender-based segregation in the labour market and to what extent they close the wage gap between men and women and enable women to access decision-making positions.

11.Please provide information on the measures taken to ensure the effective application of labour legislation in protecting the rights of employees to just and favourable conditions of work, particularly in order to prevent work and employment in precarious conditions. Please provide annual statistical data collected since 2013 on inspections carried out by the National Labour Inspectorate in the area of labour and safety at work, and the outcomes of those inspections.

12.Please provide information about the extent to which the minimum wage is respected in practice by employers in the public and private sectors. Please explain whether the minimum wage allows workers and their families to enjoy a decent living in line with the Covenant.

Trade union rights (art. 8)

13.Please provide information about the safeguards in place to ensure that the rights to strike and to collective bargaining can be exercised effectively and in accordance with article 8 of the Covenant.

Right to social security (art. 9)

14.Please provide information on the non-contributory schemes available for disadvantaged and marginalized individuals and groups, including low-income families; ethnic minorities; persons with disabilities; migrant workers; and refugees and asylum seekers. Please indicate the eligibility criteria for such schemes, the proportion of the population covered and whether the level of benefits is sufficient to ensure an adequate standard of living.

Protection of the family and children (art. 10)

15.Please provide information on the concrete measures that have been adopted to make childcare services available, accessible and affordable throughout the State party. Please also provide information on whether paternity leave is granted and measures adopted to promote and raise awareness about this right and to facilitate access to it.

16.Please provide information on the availability, accessibility, coverage and funding of social services to support older persons and persons with disabilities to live independently, and to have access to adequate and integrated health and social care when they are dependent.

Right to an adequate standard of living (art. 11)

17.Please provide information on the impact of the National Strategy for the integration of Roma in combating poverty among this group.

18.Please provide information on the programmes in place to facilitate the integration of non-nationals, including refugees and asylum seekers, in order to assure them access to an adequate standard of living.

19.Please explain how the measures adopted by the State party have contributed to provide access to adequate social housing for disadvantaged and marginalized individuals, their families and groups, particularly low-income groups and Roma.

20.Please provide information on the extent of homelessness in the State party and indicate the measures taken to find lasting and appropriate solutions to the question of housing for homeless persons.

21.Please provide information on the results achieved by the implementation of measures to address residential segregation, affecting mainly Roma, and also explain how the implementation of the Construction Act of May 2015 has contributed to protecting legal security of tenure for Roma people. Please provide information on other measures taken to provide effective legal protection against forced evictions and access to legal remedies, compensation and alternative accommodation for the victims of forced evictions.

22.Please also provide information on the concrete measures taken and the resources allocated to improving living conditions for disadvantaged and marginalized individuals and groups living in informal settlements and rural areas, including access to safe drinking water, adequate sanitation facilities, electricity and other basic services.

23.Please provide information on the measures taken to promote a healthy diet in the State party and on the measures undertaken to combat obesity.

Right to physical and mental health (art. 12)

24.Please provide information on the impact of measures taken to ensure equal access to quality primary health care throughout the State party, including the measures taken to allocate adequate human resources, infrastructure and equipment, and the availability of essential medicines at public health-care facilities.

25.Please also indicate whether the use of force is prohibited in mental health institutions, including when the patient poses or is perceived to pose a danger to others, and describe any reporting system in place to monitor the use of force in mental health institutions.

26.Please report on the steps taken by the State party to ensure the accessibility, availability and quality of sexual and reproductive health services and information for women and adolescents, including Roma. Please provide information on the steps taken by the State party to investigate complaints of mistreatment and medical negligence affecting women, including Roma women, in the course of providing obstetric health services to them.

27.Please provide information on the extent to which the existing legal and policy frameworks have reduced tobacco smoking, alcohol abuse and drug use. Please provide information on the preventive measures, including the awareness-raising programmes available for the promotion of healthy lifestyles, especially among young people.

Right to education (arts. 13–14)

28.Please provide information on the measures adopted, including the allocation of resources, to ensure the effective enforcement of the recent reforms to the School Act, which prohibits the placement of children with special education needs in special schools or special classes based solely on their socioeconomic background. Please also explain how these amendments have contributed to the integration of students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, particularly Roma, into mainstream education.

Cultural rights (art. 15)

29.Please provide information on the progress made in promoting the use of minority languages and the promotion of the culture, history and tradition of minority groups in the country.

30.Please provide information on the legal framework on scientific research in the State party in line with the right of all individuals to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress, including in areas such as human embryonic stem cells. Please also provide information on the current regulations in place to ensure that assisted reproductive technologies are available to all without discrimination.