COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD

Twenty-eighth session

SUMMARY RECORD OF THE 738th MEETING

Held at the Palais Wilson, Geneva,

on Thursday, 4 October 2001, at 3 p.m.

Chairperson: Mr. DOEK

CONTENTS

CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS OF STATES PARTIES (continued)

Initial report of Cameroon (continued)

The meeting was called to order at 3.10 p.m.

CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS OF STATES PARTIES (agenda item 4) (continued)

Initial report of Cameroon (continued) (CRC/C/28/Add.16; CRC/C/Q/CAME/1; written replies of the Government of Cameroon to the questions in the list of issues (document without a symbol distributed in the meeting room in English and French))

At the invitation of the Chairperson, the members of the delegation of Cameroon resumed places at the Committee table.

Mr. DION NGUTE (Cameroon) said that the special force known as the Operational Command had been revived in 2000 to stem the rising tide of crime, especially crime involving the use of small weapons, which were easy to obtain because of the civil conflicts in countries bordering on Cameroon. Indeed, the force had significantly improved the security situation in the country, especially in its two largest cities, but it was true that abuses had been committed by some of its members. A commission of inquiry, which included representatives of civil society and magistrates, had been set up to investigate the disappearance of nine young persons who had been held in custody by the security forces, and eight military officers had subsequently been arrested. The latest news he had was that the officers had challenged the competence of the officer presiding over the inquiry, who had been replaced by a higher-ranking officer. Pending the outcome of the inquiry, the Operational Command had been suspended. His Government was trying to strike a fair balance between protecting citizen’s rights and maintaining law and order.

On the question of torture, he said that many changes had been made to legislation and police procedures since the visit by the Special Rapporteur on torture. A number of senior officials had also been replaced or dismissed.

As for the effects of Cameroon’s structural adjustment programme, the squeeze it had put on the country’s budget for social programmes had been considerable, but, as stated at the preceding meeting, the situation was beginning to improve.

Mr. NDJOCK (Cameroon), in reply to questions on the social and cultural environment, said that it was difficult for the Government single-handedly to change people’s attitudes as Cameroon was home to many different cultures, but it was taking steps gradually to introduce the population to the notion of children’s rights and to make people understand that children were not passive objects but persons in their own right and subjects of law. The steps it was taking to educate the people included debates on children’s rights and information activities in schools and communities, all aimed at involving community and religious leaders, parents and the children themselves in spreading awareness of children’s rights. While it was difficult to assess how successful those efforts were, the reaction from the public was generally positive and people were increasingly prepared to report cases of suspected child abuse to the relevant social services. If a case went as far as the courts, the Penal Code provided for stiff penalties for anyone violating the rights of a legally incompetent person.

The Government was taking steps to prevent discrimination against Pygmy children as part of its wider efforts to prevent discrimination against children from all marginalized groups, including the Bororos and nomadic groups. Those efforts were spearheaded by a special department in the Ministry of Social Affairs, which ran a programme for the socio-economic rehabilitation of marginalized populations, including a plan of action for the education of children from those populations which had been completed two years earlier. Unfortunately there had been no resources to take that educational initiative further, but several local and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) had stepped in and were helping the marginalized populations in the areas of basic education, birth registration, identity cards and microprojects.

With regard to the children’s parliament, although there was no mechanism for systematically following up on its recommendations, its proposals were studied very carefully by the relevant ministries. For example, anti-personnel landmines had been banned and education made free within months of the submission of the children’s proposals on those subjects. The children themselves, with the assistance of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), were trying to devise ways to ensure more systematic use was made of their proposals. The child parliamentarians also produced their own newspaper, Le Journal des Juniors, again with the help of UNICEF, in which they discussed children’s rights and needs. The Ministry of Territorial Administration was already working on plans to set up municipal councils for children, the first of which should be in operation in 2002.

Violence against children in schools had been the subject of a study by UNICEF but the Government had not yet had time to evaluate the results of the study. The Government itself was interested in violence against children not only in school but also in the home and in the street, and was proceeding to collect data on the subject. It was obliged by the limited resources available to take a step-by-step approach, and had so far collected data from only 3 of the 10 provinces; it was therefore too early to try to draw even tentative conclusions. The Government was taking the same approach as it had taken to the problem of female genital mutilation, by first trying to establish the facts and talk with all concerned and then deciding on a course of action.

Mr. NDJODO (Cameroon) said that the draft family code currently under discussion set the minimum age for marriage at 18 for both sexes. It was expected that the draft code, which should be submitted to the President within a year or so, would also solve many of the other problems brought up by the Committee, including problems relating to adoption. He confirmed that all cases of adoption had to pass through the courts and that a couple could adopt only if they had no children of their own or one of them was sterile. He acknowledged that Cameroon’s adoption procedures had been abused by foreigners for the purpose of trafficking in children but said that the new family code would contain provisions to protect Cameroonian children, both at home and abroad, from such abuses of the adoption procedure.

On the question of maintenance, he did not dispute the reports cited by Ms. Ouedraogo that no maintenance was paid for some children born out of wedlock, but the reports had to be seen in their proper legal context. In the first place, if the father of a natural child recognized the child, either at birth or in front of a judge, he was bound to pay maintenance, according to the principle that “he who makes the child must feed the child”. If the father did not recognize the child: either the mother could file a paternity suit legally to oblige the father to pay maintenance; if the father could not be found, she would be solely responsible for bringing up the child. There were also problems in enforcing the payment of maintenance when the absent parent refused to cooperate. However, the draft family code and certain provisions of the Treaty on the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa, to which Cameroon was a party, would make it easier to enforce court orders in future.

The Cameroonian Government had long recognized the importance of birth registration and had a policy of increasing the number of special registration centres in remote areas to complement the usual registration facilities in each municipality. However, some parents still did not realize the importance of registering their children’s births and the Government was therefore considering, in cooperation with UNICEF, embarking on a major awareness-raising campaign which would have two main objectives: to ensure that all births in hospitals were registered directly by the hospital authorities and to impress upon people in remote villages how important registration was, for example, for the purposes of enrolment in schools. The campaign would also be aimed at the Bororo and Pygmy populations.

Turning to the question of how the best interests of the child were served by Cameroonian customary law, he said it had to be borne in mind that Cameroonian families were traditionally very close-knit and children were seen as their most precious asset. In fact, children were so highly valued that if a woman was unable to have a child, her husband would be expected to take another wife who could bear him children.

Traditionally, children in Cameroon were given social responsibilities at a very young age and were encouraged to be independent. Many parents who had been brought up in a traditional environment found it difficult to understand the transition to a modern society and the changing attitudes towards children.

A specific definition of torture had been incorporated into Cameroonian legislation in 1997, in compliance with the definition provided in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Many civil servants, including police officers and prison wardens, were now being brought to justice for perpetrating torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. The Government provided legal protection for children and had adopted severe measures to punish anyone who jeopardized the physical or moral integrity or dignity of children. The courts of law had the authority to revoke parental rights and to place a child in alternative care. Administrative placement with a foster family or in an institution was authorized, after careful screening, by a social worker employed by the Ministry of Social Affairs, when a child did not have sufficient protection or had behavioural difficulties which the parents were unable to address. Judicial custody and placement were subject to a court order and any such decision had to be in the child’s best interests.

Mr. KITCHABO (Cameroon) said that the Ministry of National Education faced the difficult task of encouraging all parents to enrol their children in school, and placed particular emphasis on the enrolment of girls. The Government intended to promote schools run by religious and traditional authorities, and to encourage the extracurricula teaching of the Koran in public schools, particularly in northern areas of the country. A number of measures were envisaged to raise parents’ awareness of the importance of sending their children to school, for example by creating mothers’ associations. The Government also planned to establish commissions at local level composed of prominent figures such as school governors and religious leaders to recruit local teachers. School grants would be provided for deserving pupils at both primary and secondary level. The Government of Japan and the Islamic Development Bank, among others, were sponsoring projects to build or restore school buildings in areas where they were most needed, in an attempt to reduce disparities between the regions.

Mr. NGUIDJOE NYAM, (Cameroon), replying to a question about regional disparities in the infant mortality rate, said that it was more difficult to implement the health care strategy in some areas than in others; disparities arose because of inadaptability rather than discrimination. Progress needed to be made in improving basic sanitation conditions in all areas of the country. A major campaign was under way, organized with the help of NGOs, to raise awareness about basic health and hygiene. Efforts were also being made to extend the vaccination programme as part of the primary health care refocus programme, the aim of which was to make health services more accessible to the general public, in particular mothers and children.

Ms. NGONO TABI (Cameroon) said that although no statistics were currently available on children with disabilities, the next general population census, which would take place in 2002, would include some disaggregated information about that group of children. Disabled children were entitled to the same rights as any other children, although in practice there were many problems. The national education strategy had not taken into account the special educational needs of disabled children, although a document was being prepared for the Ministry of National Education to address the issue. There were only three public special care and education institutions in Cameroon: the National Centre for the Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons, the Rehabilitation Institute for the Blind, and a training centre funded by China to teach needlework to disabled girls. The Government was increasing the budgetary allocations for those institutions. An expert from the World Bank was due to visit Cameroon in October 2001 to carry out a study on the social and educational requirements of children in need of special protection, including street children. Other experts were in the process of drafting some terms of reference relating to the problems of special education, to be integrated into the national strategy against poverty which was being prepared by the national technical committee. The national technical committee had been established to monitor the implementation of human rights instruments.

The National Solidarity Department had been established by the Ministry of Social Affairs to coordinate and monitor the implementation of policies in favour of marginal groups at central level. Social action programmes were also coordinated at local level to address the issue of marginalized children, particularly in areas where the problems were most acute. The Government of Cameroon was in the process of designing a new programme with UNICEF for children in need of special protection, which would be implemented between 2002 and 2007.

Mr. DION NGUTE (Cameroon) said that several questions had been raised in relation to the report of the Special Rapportuer on Torture and Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. One of the issues was the incarceration of young people. It was true that children might be placed in adult prisons if no appropriate facilities were available, but they were separated wherever possible. Several suggestions had been made which would be taken into account when introducing reforms, for example regarding the age of compulsory education.

THE CHAIRPERSON said that the Government should include in the Family Code a general provision on the right of the child to be heard, in compliance with article 12 of the Convention. Consideration should be given to what criteria should be used for assessing the views of the child. Certain questions remained unanswered. Although there were no specific provisions to prohibit female genital mutilation, persons responsible for such an act could be prosecuted on the basis of article 277 of the Penal Code. Was that provision ever used to prosecute those practising female genital mutilation? Further information was needed on the role of the censorship committee in protecting children from harmful information. It would also be interesting to know how the process of privatization in Cameroon would affect children. He invited the members of the Committee to ask questions relating to basic health and welfare, education and special protection measures.

Ms. KARP asked whether children could be heard in customary courts. The reporting State should also be more specific about who was responsible for ensuring that customary law took precedence over statutory law. On the issue of health, she asked what measures were being taken to eliminate early marriage, which was still prevalent in some areas, as pregnancy could be damaging to the health of young girls. There was a high mortality rate among children under five and cases of chronic malnourishment. It would be useful to learn how the health strategy was addressing such issues and whether the programme to make health services more accessible had seen positive results. Statistics should be provided to illustrate the scope of the project.

She would like to know whether the details of the proposed reforms in the social security system had been worked out. She welcomed the Finance Act making education free and compulsory, but wondered whether it made provision for transportation, materials and other expenses incurred by parents. She wondered how enrolment could be increased in the context of overcrowded classes and a diminishing number of teachers; was there a way of making education more accessible? Did the Government have any idea how long it would be before “education for all” became a reality?

As far as child labour was concerned, the State party was to be applauded for having ratified the ILO Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) and having begun negotiations for accession to the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC). However, there was still an alarmingly high number of child workers in Cameroon. The State party should seek solutions that went beyond simply monitoring working conditions and addressed problems relating to the sale and trafficking of children in and through Cameroon as well as the commercial sexual exploitation of children; they should include the signing of bilateral agreements with neighbouring countries to stamp out such practices.

Turning to the criminal justice system, she asked whether children 10 to 14 years of age were subject to pre-trial detention. Considering that about 50 per cent of children were not registered and that children then bore the burden of proving their age in order to be placed in the appropriate age category, was it true that, in some instances, payment had to be made for any tests done or services rendered to determine the child’s actual age? Noting that it was not obligatory for children to be tried in camera, she asked on what basis a child might be tried in a public hearing. She would also like to know whether it was true that tribal chiefs ran their own prisons.

It had been reported that trained judges were to be found in only 3 of the 10 provinces and that only about 29 per cent of them were trained to deal with cases involving children; it would appear that judges were generally not acquainted with the special regulations governing juvenile justice. She would welcome more information on the reform of the justice system and wondered how the Government intended to resolve the issue of lengthy pre-trial detention periods.

Ms. AL-THANI said that, as education was compulsory, the problems encountered with immunization might be solved by making it a prerequisite for enrolment. She was aware of one country which had succeeded in eradicating measles in that way. Were the high infant mortality rates attributable to problems other than failure to immunize? She welcomed the survey and studies to be carried out on disabled children and the budgetary resources earmarked for that group; she recommended that the State party should conduct genetic studies to determine the causes of the disabilities detected to prevent them from recurring and to provide for adequate medical and educational facilities. She inquired as to the reasons for the continual rise in the percentage of HIV/AIDS cases despite the financial assistance received and plans of action devised to combat the problem.

Mr. CITARELLA asked whether the State party intended to reduce the age of majority, under the civil law, from 21 to 18 and questioned the fact that, although the minimum age for recruitment to the armed forces and the police was 18, younger children could be recruited with parental consent. According to paragraph 261 of the report, the State party had ratified seven ILO Conventions, including Convention No. 138, but to the Committee’s knowledge, Convention No. 138 had not yet been ratified.

According to reports, not only did the problem of trafficking of children exist within Cameroon itself, but the country was also used to transit children, especially girls, from neighbouring countries. While the State party was to be commended for establishing special prisons for minors (report, para. 237), it was regrettable that there were no juvenile courts to date and that minors were detained together with adults in some prisons and kept for long periods in pre‑trial detention. He requested explanations of the statement in the report of the Special Rapporteur on torture that 12‑year‑olds had been imprisoned in the State party.

Ms. OUEDRAOGO said the number of illegal adoptions that took place in the State party was alarming and required urgent attention. She wondered about the extent to which young people were involved in HIV/AIDS prevention programmes in view of the prevalence of the disease among adolescents. She asked how many AIDS orphans were entrusted to the care of the NGO mentioned in paragraph 157 of the report and wondered about the fate of other orphans who fell outside the responsibility of that NGO; did the Government make up for the shortfall? She would also like to know whether AIDS orphans were offered minimum education and provided with psychological treatment and whether efforts were being made to prevent them from being marginalized.

Turning to the Government’s breastfeeding promotion programme, she asked about any problems encountered in the campaign against the marketing of breast milk substitutes, how those problems had been overcome and what progress, if any, had been made. The State party’s

objectives for the decade in the area of children’s health had not been reached, despite some progress. She would welcome information about the newly‑set priorities, noting that the original plan had perhaps been overly ambitious. She asked what steps the Government had taken to combat the problem of teenage pregnancies. The high abortion rates and the number of deaths linked to abortions were appalling: had any programmes been devised to combat the problem? She would also like to know how the Government intended to tackle the pan-African problem of the illicit sale of drugs. Since there were difficulties experienced in registering the children of refugees, and since Cameroon had not signed the Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, such children might become stateless if they could not return to their countries of origin. Another matter of concern was the lack of schooling for refugee children. Was the draft law on the subject which had been prepared with the assistance of the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees being implemented?

Concerning minorities, she said it was commendable that a programme establishing cooperatives for Pygmies had been started in cooperation with ILO, but the programme did not include provisions for Pygmy children, especially as there were child workers among them. That led her to wonder whether the needs of the children of minorities were sufficiently taken into account by the Government. She inquired about sex education in schools and drug abuse and smoking among adolescents. She was pleased to note that cooperation had been established with traditional medicine practitioners and wondered whether the bill prepared by the Traditional Medicine Department of the Community Health Office had been adopted and implemented. Lastly, she was curious to know more about the process of ratifying international conventions, especially the stages preceding the presidential signature.

Mr. AL-SHEDDI said he would welcome an explanation of the 50 per cent drop-out rate prior to the fifth grade, considering that education was compulsory.

Ms. CHUTIKUL asked whether the Government had formulated an early childhood education policy for children in the 0-5 age group, as that was an important phase of their lives.

The meeting was suspended at 4.55 p.m. and resumed at 5.15 p.m.

Mr. DION NGUTE (Cameroon) said that, regrettably, the two events cited in connection with the trafficking of children had given the international community the impression that such activities were prevalent in Cameroon. However, the remarks made by a member of a particular international organization in response to the ILO-commissioned report had subsequently been withdrawn by that person. UNICEF had requested another study, and the second study had revealed that the children being trafficked came from other countries; Cameroon consistently refused entry into its territory of anyone suspected of such practices.

Judges in Cameroon received training comprising two years of study in the classroom and in the field, with the prerequisite being a Master’s degree in law. Concerning the existence of private prisons, there had been an isolated case 10 years earlier of a traditional chief locking up someone in his private jail, but that had taken place against the background of political tensions as the country moved from a one-party to a multi‑party State. The State did not

provide aid for educational materials; that was the sole responsibility of parents, but the “elite association” in each region provided assistance to needy parents. With regard to the treaty ratification process, he said that once a convention or treaty was debated and approved by the National Assembly the Assembly enacted a law enabling the Head of State to ratify the instrument by decree.

Mr. NDJODO (Cameroon) said that children had the right to be heard in customary courts. Because the ambit of such courts was limited to civil cases, the realization of the right to be heard did not pose any particular problems. In cases of conflict between customary and modern courts, the modern courts were automatically recognized as the competent jurisdiction provided that a simple procedure of objection to jurisdiction was followed. In criminal justice cases involving minors, all proceedings were held in camera. However, the national legislation did not extend such treatment to cases in which a child was involved together with an adult, which were admittedly exceptional. Even in such cases, the rules for the sentencing of minors applied, and the judge had to take the extenuating circumstances of the defendant’s age into consideration. Children under 14 were never the subject of detention warrants, simply because they were never sentenced to prison terms. If a child of 12 had been held in detention, it must have been done in error.

In 2000, the length of pre‑trial detention for minors had at times reached 190 days, which was clearly unacceptable. The Ministry of Justice had since published a series of circulars to reduce the length of pre‑trial detention. The current rules thus called for the release of persons held for three months in pre‑trial detention. As such rules were set out in ministerial circulars and did not have the weight of law, however, they were often disregarded. Nonetheless, the Ministry of Justice took the problem very seriously, and had established teams of judges which visited the country’s prisons and insisted on the release of minors and of other persons detained for offences which were not sufficiently serious to warrant lengthy detention. The Ministry was drafting a new law that would set an acceptable limit on the length of pre‑trial detention.

The legislation concerning children, which dated back to 1928 and had been amended numerous times since, was quite progressive in so far as it established juvenile courts. However, since 1972 the responsibilities of the juvenile court judges had in fact been assigned to ordinary court judges because of a lack of resources. Clearly, that situation was not ideal, as the judges were not specialized. Although they did receive some training in how to deal with young persons, their tendency to repress criminal behaviour among adults was sometimes unfortunately reflected in their treatment of minors. That had been cited as one reason for the excessively long periods of pre‑trial detention. The new Code of Criminal Procedure currently under consideration called for the establishment of separate juvenile courts.

The prison system was undergoing a reform involving the efforts of various Government ministries, with the aim of adopting a policy whereby young offenders were assigned to social workers rather than sent to prison. The main problem encountered had been the failure to apply the existing legislation, owing to a lack of resources with which to build the proper infrastructure.

Mr. NGUIDJOE NYAM (Cameroon) said that efforts had been made to increase the vaccination rate, for example by enabling health centres to immunize children under five years of age. Vaccination campaigns were carried out annually, in particular against polio, which was the target of an eradication campaign. It was expected that the programme for childhood diseases would reduce the child mortality rate in the near future.

Events related to World AIDS Day had been devoted to various youth-oriented themes in recent years, including “Children living in a world with AIDS” and “Force for Change: World AIDS Campaign with Young People”. Young persons - both in school and out - and their organizations were actively involved in the anti-AIDS campaign. The National AIDS Committee had devoted an entire part of its strategic plan specifically to youth.

Mr. KITCHABO (Cameroon) said that a special effort had been made to train teachers in AIDS-related matters and to equip school infirmaries with appropriate material. The curriculum had also been modified to address such questions. The idea of compulsory education had still not been accepted in certain regions, especially those where children traditionally helped their parents in their work.

Mr. NGUIDJOE NYAM (Cameroon) said that following a seminar held in Burkina Faso in 1993, Cameroon had drawn up a code of marketing of breast milk substitutes. The National AIDS Committee worked closely with an NGO to provide assistance to AIDS orphans. Under the Government’s new health strategy, the State was more open to partnerships with traditional health providers and the private sector. A law had been drafted to permit practitioners of traditional medicine to work closely with those providing modern medical assistance.

Family planning had been relatively successful in Cameroon. All contraceptive means were available, including therapeutic abortion. A law adopted in 1990 regulated the sale of medicines and prohibited the illicit sale of such substances, but drug trafficking was not easily controlled, despite the Government’s best efforts.

Ms. MFOULA (Cameroon) said that the Government had not established any schools in refugee camps in order to ensure that the same access to education was given to all children, regardless of their status. While Cameroon had not ratified the Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, the Government subscribed to the principle of voluntary return of refugees. Most of the refugees had come from Chad and had since returned voluntarily. Many of those who had come from the Democratic Republic of the Congo had been transferred to other countries. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees had recently decided that because of the low number of refugees remaining in Cameroon, it could close its office in Yaoundé.

Mr. AKOLLA EKAN (Cameroon) said that the social security system had previously covered only a small fraction of the population: workers in the formal sector and their children. The current reform was aimed at extending the scheme to provide coverage to self-employed people and workers in the informal sector. The studies currently being carried out tended to conclude that social security should be paid out not only for old-age, survivors’ and disability

benefits, but also for medical coverage. The current system was a pay-as-you-go scheme, but consideration was being given to adopting a fully- or partially‑funded plan instead. It was still being decided whether to rely on a single social insurance fund or multiple funds.

Although one study had concluded that child labour was a problem in Cameroon, another had since reached the opposite conclusion. In April 2001, Cameroon had ratified the ILO Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138). The Labour Code afforded children protection in respect of night work, work in harmful conditions, holidays and working time. Labour inspectors enforced those provisions in the formal sector. In general, child labour was limited to work in families in the agricultural sector. The Government was currently considering ratification of the ILO Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182).

Mr. NDJODO (Cameroon) said that the Minister of Culture had recently issued a decree prohibiting the activities of video clubs that made harmful or violent movies available to minors, and that the decree was being enforced by the police. The number of illegal adoptions was not very high, as the Ministry of Social Affairs closely monitored adoptions arranged by private agencies. The Government worked closely with the International Social Service to supervise international adoptions. A plan drawn up with UNICEF to provide facilities for infants and small children was about to enter the implementation phase. The Government understood the importance of early child care in child development.

Ms. KARP said that the delegation had engaged in a constructive and fruitful dialogue with the Committee and had presented a number of positive aspects, including the consideration given by the Government to ILO Conventions and other human rights instruments, the attention given to studies on child abuse, the treatment of refugees and the holding of a children’s parliament.

While the legislation was fairly complete, the Government should consider the adoption of a comprehensive children’s code. In addition, the implementation of existing provisions should be improved. That would require more budget allocations to such bodies as the National Commission to Protect Children at Risk, Juvenile Delinquents and Abandoned Children and more appropriate allocation of financial and human resources, for example to train professionals such as judges. There was still much to be done to bring public attitudes into line with the provisions of the Convention, and children should be involved in such efforts. Other challenges included gender discrimination, child abuse and the trafficking and sale of children.

Mr. DION NGUTE (Cameroon) expressed satisfaction at the frank and constructive dialogue held with the Committee and thanked the Committee for its interest in the situation of children in Cameroon. The exchange of views had permitted his delegation not only to gain a clear sense of the Committee’s concerns, but also to address some of the unfounded allegations and insinuations which came from certain sensationalist quarters. He assured the Committee members that the Government would take note of their recommendations, conclusions and requests for supplementary information.

The meeting rose at 6 p.m.