Committee on the Rights of the Child
Sixty-fifth session
13–31 January 2014
Item 4 of the provisional agenda
Consideration of reports of States parties
List of issues to be taken up in connection with the consideration of the combined second, third and fourth periodic reports of the Republic of the Congo (CRC/C/COG/2-4)
The State party is requested to submit in writing additional, updated information, if possible before 1 November 2013.
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 indicate the state of progress of the implementing decrees of Act No. 4-2020 of 14 June on the protection of children. Please also indicate whether the State party is considering establishing the necessary mechanisms to ensure the full application of the Act and its implementing decrees. Please also indicate the measures that have been taken to expedite the adoption of the implementing decree for Act No. 5-2011 of 25 February 2011 on the promotion and protection of the rights of indigenous peoples.
2.Please indicate the measures taken towards drafting a national strategy for children that will encompass all the areas covered by the Convention.
3.Please indicate any recent measures taken to establish a coordination mechanism with an appropriate mandate, and any action taken in all sectors to implement children’s rights, nationally and at department or district levels.
4.Please indicate the proportion of the national budget allocated to the implementation of children’s rights and actual expenditure in the area in 2012 and 2013. Please also explain the measures taken to counter corruption in the State party.
5.Please specify what steps have been taken or are under consideration to centralize the collection of data on children at the national level.
6.Please describe the measures under consideration to eliminate discrimination against indigenous children, children with disabilities and children accused of witchcraft.
7.Please indicate the measures taken to ensure the effective implementation of the national plan of action for persons with disabilities (2009).
8.Please provide information on the content of the 2009–2013 strategic plan for birth registration and indicate the measures taken to ensure its effective implementation, particularly in respect of indigenous children and child refugees and asylum seekers. Please also state whether measures have been taken to abolish late registration fees.
9.Please indicate the measures taken to combat violence against children. State whether the State party has carried out inquiries into cases of torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, including rape, of children who have been or still are being held by the army or the police and indicate the measures taken to provide compensation to the victims. Please also indicate the measures taken or being considered to criminalize gang rape, the victims of which are particularly indigenous girls, and to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice and the social services provide care for the victims. Please also provide information on measures taken to pay particular attention to children who are victims of incest.
10.Please provide detailed information on the measures taken to prevent and prohibit harmful practices against children, including early marriages and female genital mutilation.
11.Please indicate any measures adopted recently to regulate adoption and strengthen checks on international adoptions. Please state in particular whether the State party is considering regulating child placement services.
12.Please indicate any measures taken or under consideration to implement: (i) the national road map to reduce maternal and infant mortality (2010) and the integrated management of childhood illnesses strategy; (ii) the 2009 nutrition strategy; and (iii) the 2009–2013 national strategy framework to combat HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections. Please provide information on the organization of the local distribution of medicines and vaccines. Please also indicate the measures taken to prevent HIV/AIDS in young people and to care for adolescents and young people living with HIV/AIDS. Please also indicate the measures taken to reactivate the Interministerial Technical Committee against Drugs.
13.Please indicate the measures taken: (i) to monitor the effective implementation of ministerial order No. 278/MEFB/METP/MEPSA of 20 March 2008 on free education and the strategic framework for the school enrolment of children with disabilities (drawn up in 2007); and (ii) to finalize and implement the education sectoral strategy. Please also indicate the measures planned to reduce the number of children who have to repeat a year or drop out of school.
14.Please indicate the measures taken to implement Act No. 4-2010 of 14 June 2010 on the protection of children, prohibiting early employment and the worst forms of labour. Please indicate the penalties provided for in such cases and the sentences actually handed down. Please also describe the measures taken to prevent and combat all forms of economic exploitation of children and to protect those children most at risk, particularly indigenous and migrant children.
15.Please indicate the measures being considered towards the adoption of an act to counter the sale of and trafficking in persons, including children, and indicate the projects and programmes being planned at national level as a result of the 2007–2008 pilot project to reintegrate child victims of trafficking in Pointe-Noire.
16.Please indicate the progress made towards adopting the bill on the modernization of the justice system. Please describe the progress made in rehabilitating the Brazzaville Juvenile Observation Centre and in drawing up a draft decree on the role and organization of the Centre. Please also provide detailed information on the measures taken to improve living conditions in prisons and other places where children are held and to ensure that children in conflict with the law are detained only as a last resort, and are held separately from adult prisoners.
Part II
Under this section, the State party is to briefly (three pages maximum) update the information provided in its report with regard to:
(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; and
(d)Recent ratifications of human rights instruments.
Part III
Data, statistics and other information, if available
1.Please provide data disaggregated by age, sex, geographical location, ethnic origin and socioeconomic background, and covering the last three years (2010, 2011 and 2012), on:
(a)The number of children who work;
(b)The number of children employed as domestic workers;
(c)The number of children who work in dangerous conditions;
(d)The number of deaths, injuries and cases of serious occupational illness among working children.
2.Please provide data disaggregated by age, sex, socioeconomic background, ethnic origin and geographical location, and covering the last three years, on the number of:
(a)Cases of abuse and violence against children, including all forms of corporal punishment, with additional information on the type of assistance given to child victims and the follow-up provided, including prosecution of the perpetrators and the sentences handed down in the State party;
(b)Investigations of cases of sexual violence and rape, and on the outcome of trials, including information on the sentences handed down, and redress and compensation offered to the victims.
3.Please provide information, disaggregated by age, sex, types of disability, ethnic origin and geographical location, and covering the last three years, on the number of children with disabilities:
(a)Living with their families;
(b)In institutions;
(c)Attending regular primary school;
(d)Attending regular secondary school;
(e)Attending special schools;
(f)Not attending school;
(g)Who have been abandoned.
4.Please provide any available data, disaggregated by age, sex, geographic location, ethnic origin, socioeconomic background and type of crime, and covering the last three years, on the number of:
(a)Children who have allegedly committed a crime and been reported to the police;
(b)Children who have been sentenced and the type of punishment or sanction handed down, including the length of deprivation of liberty;
(c)Detention facilities for juvenile offenders and their capacity;
(d)Children detained in these facilities and children detained in adult facilities;
(e)Children kept in pretrial detention and the average length of their detention; and
(f)Reported cases of abuse and maltreatment of children during their arrest and detention.
5.Please update any data in the report which could be obsolete and provide information on recent events affecting the rights of the child.
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.