COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILDFifty-first session25 May-12 June 2009

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD

List of issues to be taken up in connection with the consideration of the third and fourth periodic report of Bangladesh (CRC/C/BGD/4)

PART I

Under this section the State party is requested to submit in written form additional and updated information, if possible, before 6 April 2009.

Please provide information on the consideration of removal of the reservation to the Convention following the State party’s study of relevant experiences of other countries, as indicated in the State party report.

Please indicate whether any measures have been taken to harmonize the Children’s Act and the National Children’s Policy with the Convention.

As the National Strategy for Accelerated Poverty Reduction has a section on children’s rights, please provide information on budgetary allocations made in the Strategy to meet those rights.

Please indicate progress made and the resources available for the implementation of the National Plan of Action for Children (2005-2010).

Please briefly inform the Committee on the composition and human and financial resources of the newly established National Human Rights Commission and indicate whether it has a mandate to address children’s rights.

Please inform the Committee on the progress made in establishing the institution of the Children’s Commissioner (Ombudsman).

GE.09-40834

Please indicate what kind of human rights training for professionals dealing with children has been organized in the last three years. Which professional groups were targeted and what has been the assessment of this training?

Please briefly indicate the concrete measures taken to improve birth registration coverage, indicating how children whose fathers or both parents are unknown, children in remote areas, and children belonging to minority groups are covered.

Please provide additional information on adolescent health services and policies for adolescents with regard to education, leisure, and cultural activities, showing the gender dimension.

With regard to education, please provide additional information on the specific measures taken to address, in a sustainable manner:

The high drop out rates,

Gender, rural/urban, ethnic, and income disparities,

The low quality of education.

Please also provide information on the state of non-formal education and vocational training.

Please indicate the mechanisms and measures used to make information on the Convention and children’s rights widely available to the general public and, in particular, to children. Please mention the progress achieved in ensuring knowledge and understanding of the Convention and children’s rights.

Please briefly explain how children benefit from social safety net programmes and how recipients are selected. What monitoring and reporting mechanisms exist?

Please indicate the issues affecting children that the State party considers to be priorities, requiring the most urgent attention with regard to the implementation of the Convention.

PART II

Under this section, the State arty is invited to briefly update (three pages maximum) the information provided in its report with regard to:

New bills or enacted legislation;

New institutions;

Newly implemented policies;

Newly implemented plans of action, programmes and projects and their scope.

PART III

Data and statistics, if available

Please provide disaggregated statistical data (by sex, age groups, ethnic and indigenous groups, urban and rural areas) covering the years 2006-2008 on the number and percentage of children under 18 living in Bangladesh.

In light of article 4 of the Convention, please provide updated data on budget allocations (in absolute figures and as percentages of the national and regional budgets) and analysis of trends for the years 2006, 2007 and 2008 regarding the implementation of the Convention in the areas of education, health, social services and child protection.

With reference to children deprived of a family environment and separated from their parents, please provide disaggregated data (by sex, age groups, ethnic and indigenous groups, urban and rural areas) for the years 2006, 2007 and 2008 on the number of children:

(a)Separated from their parents;

(b)Placed in institutions (give the number of institutions in the country);

(c)Placed with foster families.

Please provide disaggregated data (by sex, age groups, ethnic and indigenous groups, urban and rural areas), for the years 2006, 2007 and 2008 on the number of children with disabilities:

(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 any school.

Please provide disaggregated statistical data (by sex, age groups, ethnic and indigenous groups, urban and rural areas) covering the years 2006, 2007 and 2008 on:

Number of child deaths by accidents (including by drowning);

Children living in poverty;

Working children (by sex, age, and place of work);

Children infected with and/or affected by HIV/AIDS.

PART IV

The following is a preliminary list of major issues (that does not contain issues already covered in part I) that the Committee may take up during the dialogue with the State party. They do not require written answers . This list is not exhaustive, as other issues might be raised in the course of the dialogue.

The State party’s strategy to significantly address issues of equity and disparities (gender, urban/rural, ethnic, income) in access of children to health care, education, social services and social protection.

Budget allocations for children.

Consistent definition of the child.

Non-discrimination, in particular with respect to children living in poverty, children with disabilities, children without parental care, children belonging to ethnic and indigenous groups, non-discrimination in relation to nationality and children in conflict with the law.

Respect for the views of the child.

Children without parental care, their protection and adoption.

Child abuse, neglect and domestic violence.

Corporal punishment in the family, schools and other institutions and settings.

Children with disabilities (inclusion in society and access to facilities, legislation).

Health and welfare (including cost of health services, access and availability, adolescent health, early pregnancies, HIV/AIDS, and mental health)

Standard of living (urban/rural disparities, food security and housing).

Education, including equal access and distribution of resources, as well as availability of qualified teachers, adequate facilities, school completion and dropouts, early childhood education, secondary education, non-formal education and vocation and technical education.

Trafficking and sexual exploitation of children and attention for victims, availability of data.

Economic exploitation, including child labour and its worst forms, addressing its causes, and measures to prevent it.

Children living on the streets.

Child refugees, especially of children of refugees and families not covered by the Memorandum of Understanding, including the Biharis; family reunification as well as registration, health services, education, social services and reintegration.

Administration of juvenile justice (including the minimum age of criminal responsibility, alternatives for detention, both pre-trial and as a sentencing option, and recovery and social reintegration).

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