COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD

Fifty-second session

SUMMARY RECORD OF THE 1433rd MEETING

Held at the Palais Wilson, Geneva,

on Thursday, 17 September 2009, at 3 p.m.

Chairperson: Ms. LEE

later: Mr. FILALI (Vice-Chairperson)

CONTENTS

CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS OF STATES PARTIES (continued)

Fourth periodic report of the Plurinational State of Bolivia (continued)

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

CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS OF STATES PARTIES (continued)

Fourth periodic report of the Plurinational State of Bolivia (continued) (CRC/C/BOL/4, CRC/C/BOL/Q/4, CRC/C/BOL/Q/4/Add.1)

At the invitation of the Chairperson, the delegation of the Plurinational State of Bolivia took places at the Committee table.

Ms. TORRICO ROJAS (Plurinational State of Bolivia) said that one of the main issues as far as children’s affairs were concerned was the ratification of international instruments. Although unfortunately not all members of Parliament supported proposals to ratify those instruments, the Government remained committed to pursuing ratification. In December 2009, new members would be elected to Parliament according to the plurinational system, which should mean that Parliament would have a greater awareness of the importance of social issues.

With regard to persons with disabilities, funds that had been earmarked for political parties’ work in that area had now been directed towards a fund totalling 40 million bolivianos, which would go directly to persons with disabilities. The Government intended for persons with both physical and mental disabilities to benefit from the fund and had passed a decree to that effect. As there were some 22,000 persons with disabilities in the country, the fund would provide only around 60 bolivianos per person and, since the Government was using the fund to develop housing, health and awareness-raising projects, more resources were clearly needed.

Mr. MORALES (Plurinational State of Bolivia) said that the rehabilitation centre in Calama, due to be opened in the near future, would be the first specifically designed to house young people who had broken the law. As part of the current reform of the legislative system, the Government was improving the juvenile criminal justice system. The intention was to define specific legal proceedings and a separate code for young persons, the focus of which would be their reintegration into society.

The country currently had only three courts for children and adolescents, but, thanks to a cooperation agreement with Denmark, 15 plurinational justice centres would become operational in 2010. The centres would be staffed by judges, legal experts, counsellors and defence and prosecution lawyers and would offer a comprehensive range of services ensuring proper access to the justice system, including for young people.

In response to the question on the budget allocated to child services, he noted that the Government’s work was carried out by many different agencies, including the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, local authorities and indigenous communities. For example, local community legal services were run by local authorities using their own budget. Services for children included the offices of the ombudspersons for children, a national programme for children under six years old to improve food security, a school meals programme, a scheme to reward children who attended the entire school year and grants for expectant mothers who attended prenatal clinics.

Ms. MAURÁS PÉREZ said the Committee was concerned that tied-subsidy and cash transfer programmes might not be regarded as long-term policy. She therefore asked whether any provision was in place to ensure that such programmes would be maintained. She also wanted to know what would happen to a family’s subsidies if its situation improved.

Mr. MORALES (Plurinational State of Bolivia) said that many of the programmes that he had mentioned were based on legislation and therefore had to be implemented, while the structural change under way in the country was founded on a sustainable, long-term vision. The country had not run a budget deficit in the previous three years or experienced any significant impact from the economic crisis; thus thanks to the country’s satisfactory economic situation a degree of funding stability was assured.

Ms. TORRICO ROJAS (Plurinational State of Bolivia) noted that an example of the long‑term view taken by the current Government was its policy of investing heavily to increase agricultural production so that it could supply the country’s food needs.

Mr. MORALES (Plurinational State of Bolivia) said that one of the ways in which the Government was guaranteeing sustainable funding for social programmes was through its hydrocarbons policy. It had also implemented a new approach to taxation. The Government recognized, however, that more needed to be done to ensure that funding for children’s services was comprehensive.

Ms. ORTIZ (Country Rapporteur) asked whether a budget proposal would be included in the “Comprehensive Care” plan currently being drawn up.

Ms. MARCONI (Plurinational State of Bolivia) said that the plan had not yet been approved and additional funding would be allocated in due course.

Ms. TORRICO ROJAS (Plurinational State of Bolivia) said that part of the budget of the country’s 330 municipalities was allocated on a per-capita basis. It was used to fund the offices of the ombudsperson for children, which might be staffed by up to two lawyers, a psychologist, a social worker and a member of support staff, depending on the population of the municipality. The municipalities had been made aware of the need to open such offices, despite initial resistance on the grounds of the cost and the amount of work generated.

Mr. MORALES (Plurinational State of Bolivia) said that the Government provided free health care to persons between 0 and 25 years of age or over the age of 65, regardless of whether they were employed or not. In the long term, it was hoped that everyone would have access to free health care.

With regard to the effectiveness of the Multi-sectoral Programme for Zero Malnutrition, according to the most recent statistics the infant mortality rate had fallen from 64 to 50 per 1,000 births. Statistics from the Ministry of Health also indicated that the incidence of slight, moderate and serious malnutrition had fallen significantly.

Breastfeeding needed to be promoted not only by the State but also by civil society organizations. Campaigns focused on mothers with infants up to two years old, as breastfeeding was recommended until that age.

Cohabitation before marriage was not a recognized status, but couples living outside matrimony had the same status under domestic legislation as married couples. There was no minimum age for free unions, but in practice such unions would not be established before the child was over 14 or 15 years of age, 15 being the age for civil unions. Because of the conservative attitude to marriage in society, free unions in the 14-16 age range were unusual.

Ms. MARCONI (Plurinational State of Bolivia) said that under article 2 of the Code for Children and Adolescents - which was currently under revision - boys and girls were considered to belong to the 0-12 age group, and adolescents to the 12-18 age group. Referring to “boys” and “girls” helped promote gender awareness.

A national commission had been created to revive the National Council on Children and Young Persons; however, the National Council could not meet until the municipal and departmental commissions had been convened. As the Government encouraged the participation of children and adolescents in the analysis of child-related public policies at all levels, a series of spaces for debate and discussion would be established within the context of the current review of the Code.

The delegation did not have precise statistics on the number of street children in the country; however, care was provided for such children in special centres, where they could be offered food and counselling. Centres were run by the Government or by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) under agreement with the Government. Any further measures would be included in the “Comprehensive Care” plan in order to ensure that they did not become isolated and ineffective.

Eleven individuals currently worked in the Government’s department for children and adolescents. Coordination of the work done for children was also carried out by youth centres and the offices of the ombudsperson for children. It was too soon to establish a single ministry for children, as the Government first wished to ensure that care for children was cross-cutting, so that there was full, interstructural coordination of measures between the Ministry of Justice, institutions and other ministries.

Ms. TORRICO ROJAS (Plurinational State of Bolivia) said that there had been wide speculation within the Government about the establishment of new ministries to deal specifically with affairs relating to women, children and the disabled. In the past, several vice-ministries had dealt with such issues. Since social issues affected many areas, it would be logical for such issues to be considered in a cross-cutting fashion by all 20 ministries. It was difficult to say with any certainty whether a department or ministry devoted to children’s affairs would be set up because a new political structure was expected after the upcoming elections. The current system was in a state of flux and there was no way of knowing whether it would be expanded or downsized. Another issue being discussed at the national level was the competencies of departmental autonomies. Currently only 11 people dealt with children’s issues at national level, which was hardly sufficient.

Ms. ORTIZ (County Rapporteru) said that restructuring was a common practice, in particular at the United Nations, where discussions were held from time to time about the possibility of abolishing the different human rights committees and merging them into a single committee. Doing so, however, would result in the loss of specificity that was so important to the cause of human rights. Moreover, specificity was the rationale behind the creation of the Committee on the Rights of the Child and other human rights treaty bodies. The issues covered by the Convention on the Rights of the Child were so vast that they could hardly be discussed in a cross-cutting manner - it would be too daunting a challenge. In the coming years it would be necessary to vigorously implement the various human rights conventions in order to safeguard their specificity. She suggested that a strong authority within the Bolivian Government could give the necessary impetus for change by negotiating with the various ministries and the cabinet.

Ms. TORRICO ROJAS (Plurinational State of Bolivia) expressed hope that the enormous changes her country was undergoing would not be in vain. Change had come at a high price for many people, whose voices had been muted for so long and who had never been able to exercise their rights. Most of the articles of the Constitution were devoted to human rights, reflecting the new Government’s priorities. Discussing those issues with the Committee and drawing sustenance from the relevant human rights conventions were positive steps in the right direction.

Ms. MARCONI (Plurinational State of Bolivia) said that plans had been proposed to prevent drug and alcohol use among schoolchildren and adolescents, which included measures to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS and violence. The plans were coordinated with the help of a government rehabilitation centre (INTRAID) in Tarija. However, there was a pressing need to create more such facilities.

Two national bodies had been set up, one on the prevention of violence and one on the prevention of sexual violence. Working groups, composed of representatives of governmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as private institutions such as Infante, had been established at the departmental and municipal levels. Networks had been set up in urban centres - La Paz, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz - and the border area to protect victims of violence and ill‑treatment. In addition, the working groups and national bodies sought to raise funds to launch a campaign against violence aimed at meeting the overall and individual needs of such victims.

Ms. VILLARÁN DE LA PUENTE sought clarification regarding the Family and Domestic Violence Act (Law No. 1674 of 15 December 1995). Had it been modified? Had psychological violence been covered by the law? Was the aim of the national bodies dealing with violence and sexual violence to establish a national plan aimed at preventing violence against children?

Ms. MARCONI (Plurinational State of Bolivia) said that a reform of Law No. 1674 was currently being undertaken by an executive committee on gender and generational violence within the Vice-Ministry for Equal Opportunity. The national bodies addressing violence and sexual violence included government ministries dealing with health, education, justice, labour and planning at the national level; non-governmental organizations working at the national and departmental levels; and at the grass-roots level local ombudspersons for children, comprehensive legal services for victims of violence, the police and departmental social services. An assessment of the work carried out by the national bodies highlighted the importance of developing a national plan to prevent violence, which was in its early stages.

Ms. VILLARÁN DE LA PUENTE, noting that those new structures had not been mentioned in two previous periodic reports, requested an organizational chart that would be helpful when the Committee drafted its recommendations to the State party.

Mr. MORALES (Plurinational State of Bolivia) said that the Ministry of Justice focused on litigation and social justice issues. It was composed of four vice-ministries dealing with justice and fundamental rights; justice for peasants and indigenous and originary peoples; defence of users’ and consumers’ rights; and equal opportunities for people with disabilities, children, youth, the elderly and victims of gender and generational violence. A service for victims of violence was to be launched nationwide.

Mr. KRAPPMANN said that the State party report contained no mention of care and educational facilities for young children, or play, though some explanations regarding the former had been provided in the State party’s written replies to the list of issues. He wished to know in which way young children’s development was supported before starting school, what institutions were available to the young and the very young, and to what extent the State or communities supported those institutions. Did parents have to pay for their children to attend early childhood institutions? Further, why was preschool attendance, standing at 40 per cent between the ages of 4 and 5, so low?

What was the State party’s policy regarding children’s play? He asked for details about play, its protection and leisure activities for children, including playgrounds.

Referring to the school curriculum for children aged 0 to 3 years that was mentioned in the written replies, he wondered whether it was simply a recommendation to parents or whether it was actually implemented by day-care facilities. What kind of training did caregivers and teachers in those facilities receive? Based on reports about the poor quality of early childhood institutions in that country, he stressed that teacher training was essential to quality education. He requested additional information about long-term plans for the care, education and development of preschool children. Did the national plan meet early childhood educational needs?

Mr. CITARELLA expressed concern about the definition of the term “child” because article 2 of the new code drew a distinction between children and adolescents. Were there two sets of legal rules governing the two? He wished to know the structure of the juvenile justice system in the Plurinational State of Bolivia and how it handled crimes committed by children under the age of criminal responsibility (16 years of age).

Ms. MAURÁS PÉREZ expressed pleasure at article 61 of the Bolivian Constitution banning child labour. She wished to know how those provisions compared with ILO Convention No. 182 concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, particularly in relation to girls. How was child labour regulated in the Plurinational State of Bolivia? Did all children, and girls in particular, have access to a multicultural education? Mention had been made earlier in the day of children’s workers associations in Bolivia. The right of children to an education - not their right to work - was of paramount importance, and was enshrined in the Convention.

High pregnancy rates, early pregnancies, and the high incidence of sexually transmitted diseases were a concern with respect to adolescent health. She wished to know what steps the State party had taken to protect the health of adolescent girls. Because sex and the reproductive rights of adolescents were taboo subjects in that society, school would provide a good setting for the open discussion of those issues, which was key to prevention. She requested further information on the occurrence of femicide and early pregnancies, matters of concern that had been raised in a recent report by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.

The spread of HIV/AIDS among young people was another concern, primarily because 26 per cent of newly reported cases had affected youngsters aged 15 to 24. Although AIDS rates were not particularly high, the number of infections had risen steadily. She wished to know what priority the State party accorded to AIDS prevention for adolescents, girls in particular.

Ms. VARMAH wished to know whether the Educational Reform Act of 1994 catered for indigenous people. Did children of indigenous descent enjoy the same rights as other children? Were scholarships offered to indigenous children? Were birth certificates required to enrol children in school? If so, were children who did not possess such papers allowed admission?

Although the Constitution recognized the right to a multicultural education, complaints had been made regarding the failure of the national education system to adapt to indigenous culture. Academic performance among indigenous people was 12 per cent below that of non-indigenous people. She wished to know whether any steps had been taken to remedy the situation. Did children with disabilities enjoy the same rights as other children? She also asked the State party to provide information on child trafficking and its prevention.

Ms. AIDOO noted that the National Plan for Comprehensive Community Development for Children and Adolescents contained a programme for young children. It would, however, be useful to learn whether there was a fully developed national policy on integrated early childhood care and development in the State party. Given the low demand for the early childhood activities that were currently available, she asked whether the Government was implementing strategies to raise awareness of the importance of comprehensive, integrated early childhood care and development programmes for young children.

The meeting was suspended at 4.25 p.m. and resumed at 4.50 p.m.

Mr. Filali (Vice-Chairperson) took the chair.

Ms. ORTIZ (Country Rapporteur) said that the Committee received a great deal of information from national and international NGOs concerning States parties to the Convention. It appeared that, while there was fortunately a large number of people and organizations wishing to support the State party, they were often unsure of how to channel their support.

Ms. HERCZOG said that, given the high number of children living in institutions and the State party’s intention to introduce foster care and domestic adoptions, it would be useful to have more information on the out-of-home care system. In particular, she wished to know whether any minimum standards were in place for residential care settings, and if so, what they were. Was there a policy of preventing children from coming into the care system in order to keep local service provision at a manageable level? It would be interesting to know whether foster care would be based on the traditional extended family system, whether families would be trained and reimbursed for caring for foster children, and whether local professionals would support foster families in any way.

Ms. TORRICO ROJAS (Plurinational State of Bolivia) said that traditionally, many indigenous parents had not sent their children, particularly girls, to school owing to the dangers inherent in reaching the schools, which were often far from the family home. Article 81 of the Constitution currently provided that primary and secondary education were universal, free and compulsory, thus obliging parents to ensure that their children, boys and girls, attended school.

With support from Cuba and Venezuela, the Government’s literacy campaign had been a huge success, particularly for women and girls, who had constituted 80 per cent of the participants. The Government’s policy was that all children, including those with disabilities, had the same right to education. It was true, however, that not all families ensured that children with disabilities attended school. The Government was striving to bring the level of teaching in rural areas up to that in towns and cities.

Mr. MORALES (Plurinational State of Bolivia) said that a bill on early childhood care provided for care within the family, aimed at the child’s comprehensive development, with responsibility shared between the family, the community and the State. It specified that community care should be available for children aged between 4 and 6 years. Since the bill had not yet been approved, the Ministry of Education was conducting pilot projects in early childhood development.

Mr. KRAPPMANN asked what forms of early childhood care were currently available, such as kindergartens and day-care centres. It would be useful to learn whether crèches were available, and whether they promoted learning through play. What community assistance was available to parents?

Ms. HERCZOG asked what support was provided to parents to help them learn about the developmental needs of their children.

Mr. MORALES (Plurinational State of Bolivia) said that the early childhood development pilot projects focused on parents, with the State providing training for primary school teachers, who then took steps to involve parents in the development of their children’s motor, cognitive and linguistic skills.

Plans were currently under way to introduce a separate system for juvenile justice, which would differ from the main justice system in its modalities, punishments and procedures. The indigenous legal system attributed blame to the parents of a child who committed an offence. Any recommendations or punishments were addressed to the parents. Indigenous justice made no distinction between civil, criminal and family law.

Child labour would be regulated under the amended labour code once it came into force. Nonetheless, it should be noted that under the Code for Children and Adolescents, the minimum age at which a child could work was 14 years.

Having ratified the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, supplementing the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (Palermo Protocol), the Government had incorporated the crimes of human trafficking and people smuggling into the Penal Code. The Ministry of Justice chaired the Inter-Ministerial Commission against Trafficking, which included several ministries and NGOs. The Commission had established punishments for those crimes and had set up several anti-trafficking units, which had brought various people trafficking and smuggling rings to light. Bolivian citizens had been tried for their part in human trafficking, and had also been found to be victims of the scourge. Preventive efforts had focused on raising awareness of the dangers of human trafficking among potential immigrants. Centres for victims had been set up, notably on the border with Argentina. Judicial staff had been trained in the early detection of people trafficking and smuggling.

Ms. KHATTAB asked whether the State party had established a referral system that would allow the authorities to identify the victims of trafficking and prevent migrants and asylum‑seekers from becoming victims.

Mr. MORALES (Plurinational State of Bolivia) said that the special task force on crime was the police unit responsible for identifying and investigating cases of human trafficking, and for providing training for judicial staff in order to ensure that perpetrators of that crime were brought to justice. The task force had also set up a free telephone line for victims of trafficking. The Government had worked on a joint project with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to strengthen border controls, and was planning to enforce similar measures on the border with Chile, in cooperation with the Chilean Government.

Ms. TORRICO ROJAS (Plurinational State of Bolivia) said that corruption among border authorities was a significant problem, particularly regarding the trafficking of children. Internally, many children, especially girls, were either forced to work in the home by their families, or sent away from rural family homes to work as domestic servants in the cities.

Ms. MARCONI (Plurinational State of Bolivia) said that the Government made the distinction between children up to the age of 12 and those aged 12 to 18 because each group had different needs and interests. Nonetheless, all children enjoyed the same rights under the Constitution and other legislative instruments, such as the Code for Children and Adolescents.

Preventive measures designed to improve adolescents’ health included education on sexual and reproductive health, which was delivered as part of the school curriculum.

Attitudes towards persons affected by HIV/AIDS had changed. The Government sought to ensure that such persons were not marginalized and fully enjoyed their rights in the same way as other citizens. The Ministry of Health had a plan entitled Education for Life, which consisted in activities aimed at making reproductive rights and sexual health more accessible to the population, for example through the dissemination of information and the provision of appropriate forms of contraception. For teenagers, such activities were carried out with a specialized association of NGOs working in each of the country’s departments. Special attention was paid to ensuring that those activities were conducted with the participation of the local population so as to ensure that they were effective and well received. For example, activities in primarily Aymara areas differed somewhat from those in the eastern lowlands.

Mr. MORALES (Plurinational State of Bolivia) said that since the Government had signed and ratified a Convention on international adoption, that agreement allowed the State party to determine whether domestic opportunities for placement were sufficient, and if necessary to restrict such adoptions. The Government was currently considering the situation and would have to decide in the light of its conclusions whether to authorize international adoption. The Code for Children and Adolescents made provision for both international and domestic adoption and for foster care. The departmental social services (SEDEGES) had programmes to supervise and monitor adoption and foster care, and worked also with the equal opportunity service of the Ministry of Justice. There were still gaps in the law in respect of adoption and foster care. They would hopefully be addressed by the new Code for Children and Adolescents.

Ms. HERCZOG asked whether alternative care other than that provided by the SOS Children’s Village organization was available at the community level. Women who served prison sentences often brought their children into their places of detention. The Committee believed that it was best to prevent or postpone imprisonment of mothers rather than to have their children living in prison environments. In many countries, the children of imprisoned women were cared for in foster families.

Mr. MORALES (Plurinational State of Bolivia) said that while families were available to provide foster care or to adopt children, because the procedures involved were so bureaucratic and complicated they were discouraged from doing so, at least through official channels. Often, families simply took children in and treated them as their own. That problem was one of the challenges that had to be dealt with in the new Code for Children and Adolescents.

The prison system was plagued with a large number of problems, including overcrowding, a lack of health and education services and a very high proportion - 80 per cent - of inmates who were in pretrial detention. The problem of children living with their parents in places of detention was one of the Government’s priorities in its efforts to reform the prison system.

Ms. TORRICO ROJAS (Plurinational State of Bolivia) said that the question of how to deal with children living with their incarcerated mothers was particularly sensitive. During conversations with female inmates she had often heard that they felt that they alone were responsible for their children. The authorities had proposed organizing shelters for their children, but the main concern was how to ensure that the inmates and their children would not be separated. In one department, there was just one prison for both men and women, and the children of female inmates lived there as well. The problem was compounded because social and political issues were involved. The administration of prisons was currently under the responsibility of the Ministry of the Interior, but according to some, it should be under that of the Ministry of Justice.

Mr. MORALES (Plurinational State of Bolivia) said that children lacking birth certificates were never turned away from school, although the school administrators regularly advised parents to register their children.

Ms. TORRICO ROJAS (Plurinational State of Bolivia) said that persons who lacked identification papers and who had not been registered were not turned away from primary schools, but that they did face difficulties later in life, for example when they married. The Government had adopted a new policy aimed at encouraging birth registration and the issuance of birth certificates and identity cards.

Mr. MORALES (Plurinational State of Bolivia) said that preschool and kindergarten programmes included games and play times in both State and private education. In primary and secondary schools, children exercised their right to play during recreational periods between classes.

With regard to early childhood education, one strategy consisted in experimentation. Pilot schools had been established, and their performance would be decisive in drawing up future curriculums. Another strategy consisted in ensuring the involvement of families by encouraging parents’ groups in rural communities and urban districts to participate at the time early childhood education programmes were being drawn up. Implementation of early childhood education was an enormous task requiring a large budget and extensive new infrastructure, but it was one of the highest priorities in the new draft legislation on education.

Mr. KRAPPMANN said that the right to play extended beyond the framework of the education system. Were playgrounds available, and was time allotted to permit children to exercise that right?

Mr. MORALES (Plurinational State of Bolivia) said that all authorizations for the construction of new schools from preschool through the secondary level included a requirement for the construction of playgrounds and sports facilities.

Ms. TORRICO ROJAS (Plurinational State of Bolivia) said that, in large part thanks to Venezuelan support, many rural communities had been able to set up sports facilities.

Mr. ZERMATTEN (Country Rapporteur) noted that the country faced a number of challenges following the adoption of the new Constitution, both legally and in practical terms. The Government thus had to adopt new legislation or bring existing laws into line with the new Constitution. As a result, over 100 bills were currently under consideration. By stipulating that customary and positive law had an equal status, the new Constitution raised certain issues in respect of the rights of the child. The wave of decentralization made it necessary to ensure coordination, both horizontally between ministries and vertically between the various levels of government, including the municipalities, which were the best placed to meet the needs of children. The Government’s efforts to ensure greater social justice and better economic security needed to rely on long-term policies. For instance, if a voucher system was effective in combating poverty, that system should be maintained over time. The country also faced a demographic challenge, as nearly half the population was under 18, and the proportion was expected to rise in the coming years. He welcomed the fact that the new Constitution stipulated that primary and secondary education were compulsory, but a greater commitment to the welfare of children was still required.

The Government had mentioned a lack of resources for the coordination and organization of efforts to ensure the rights of the child, including a serious lack of qualified personnel, insufficient funding and inadequate training of professionals dealing with children. The Committee in its concluding observations would make recommendations to address those problems.

Ms. TORRICO ROJAS (Plurinational State of Bolivia) said that the dialogue with the Committee and the recommendations it would issue were a historic opportunity for the country to draw up development standards, and assured the Committee that it would devote the necessary attention to the implementation of the Convention in the light of the Committee’s concluding observations.

The Plurinational State of Bolivia received international support for the implementation of its policies in respect of children’s rights, but it was of particular importance that such support should not have conditions attached. The implementation of children’s rights was a task for everyone, both within and outside of the country. The welfare of Bolivian children was a genuine concern of the Bolivian Government. The country had in 2008 been affected by terrorist acts whose victims had included children and adults, and young people had been exploited for political ends. She was convinced that with the Committee’s support, and working with other small and developing countries, it would be possible to meet the challenge of improving the lives of Bolivian children.

The meeting rose at 6.05 p.m.