COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD

Forty-fifth session

21 May - 8 June 2007

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONVENTION

ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD

List of issues to be taken up in connection with the consideration of the

second periodic report of Slovakia (CRC/C/SVK/2)

The State party is requested to submit in written form additional and updated information, if possible before 2 April 2007

PART I

A. Data and statistics, if available

Please provide disaggregated data (by sex, age, ethnic group, urban and rural area) covering the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 on the number and proportion of children under 18 living in the State party, as well as belonging to minority groups, including the Roma.

In the light of article 4 of the Convention, please provide disaggregated data for the years 2005, 2006 and 2007 on budget allocations and trends (in absolute figures and in percentages of the national budget or gross domestic product) allocated to the implementation of the Convention, evaluating also the priorities for budgetary expenditures given to the following:

(a)Education (different types of education, i.e. pre-primary, primary and secondary);

(b)Health care (different types of health services, i.e. primary health care, immunization programmes, HIV/AIDS programmes, adolescent health care, including mental health care, and other health care services for children);

(c)Programmes and services for children with disabilities;

(d)Support programmes for families;

(e)Support for children living below the poverty line;

(f)Protection of children who are in need of alternative care including the support of care institutions;

(g)Programmes and activities for the prevention of and protection from sexual violence against children, child abuse and economic exploitation, including child labour;

(h)Programmes and services for orphans and vulnerable children;

(i)Juvenile justice, juvenile crime prevention and social reintegration.

Please also indicate the estimated expenses of the private sector, in particular for health and education.

With reference to children deprived of a family environment and separated from parents, please provide disaggregated data (by sex, age group, urban and rural area) for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 on the number of children:

(a)Separated from their parents;

(b)Placed in institutions, and the number of institutions in the country;

(c)Placed with foster families;

(d)Adopted domestically or through inter-country adoptions.

Please specify the number of children with disabilities, up to the age of 18, disaggregated by sex, geographical location and age covering the years 2004, 2005 and 2006:

(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 data (by sex, age group, and - if possible - urban and rural area) covering the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 on the following:

(a)Rates of infant and child mortality;

(b)Rates of immunization;

(c)Rates of malnutrition;

(d)In the area of adolescent health, the rates of early pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, drug, alcohol, tobacco, and other substance abuse, suicides and other mental health problems.

With reference to child abuse, please provide disaggregated data (by age, sex, and types of violation reported) for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 on the following:

(a)Number of reported cases of child abuse;

(b)Number and percentage of reports that resulted in either a court decision or other types of follow-up, including prosecution;

(c)Number and proportion of child victims who received counseling and assistance in recovery.

Please specify the criteria for determining the “poverty line” and indicate the number of children living below that line. In particular, please provide such information relating to indigenous people and people living in remote areas.

With reference to the right to education, please provide disaggregated data (by sex, age group, urban and rural area, children belonging to minority groups) for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 , in percentage of the relevant age group, on:

(a)Rates of literacy under and over 18 years;

(b)Rate of enrolment in pre-primary, primary and secondary schools;

(c)Percentage of children completing primary and secondary education;

(d)Number and percentage of dropouts and repetitions;

(e)Teacher/children ratio and number of children per class.

Please provide disaggregated data (including by sex, age and type of crime) for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006, in particular on the number of:

(a)Persons under 18 who allegedly committed a crime and were reported to the police;

(b)Persons under 18 who were charged with a crime and those who were sentenced, and the type of punishment or sanctions related to offences, including length of deprivation of liberty;

(c)Detention facilities for persons under 18, and the capacity of these facilities;

(d)Persons under 18 detained in these facilities and in adult facilities;

(e)Persons under 18 kept in pre-trial detention and the average length of their detention;

(f)Reported cases of abuse and maltreatment of persons under 18 that occurred during their arrest and detention;

(g)Persons under 18 who were tried and sentenced as adults.

With reference to special protection measures, please provide disaggregated data (including by sex, age, urban and rural area) for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 on the number of children who are:

(a)Victims of sexual exploitation, including prostitution, pornography and trafficking (including children in transit), and the number of them who received recovery and/or reintegration support;

(b)Involved in substance abuse, and the number who received treatment, recovery and reintegration assistance;

(c)Involved in child labour, formal and informal sectors (indicating the type of work);

(d)Living and/or working in the street;

(e)Asylum seekers, migrants or refugees.

B. General measures of implementation

The Committee would appreciate information on action taken in response to recommendations made in its previous concluding observations on the initial report of Slovakia (CRC/C/11/Add.17) which have not yet been fully implemented, in particular in relation to: coordination; data collection; best interests of the child; respect for the views of the child and juvenile justice.

Please provide information on how the coordination of activities, programmes and policies for the protection of the rights of the child is carried out, and whether there is a specific mechanism mandated with this role.

The Committee would appreciate information on the implementation and effectiveness of the 2002 – 2004 National Plan of Action for Children and the

development and implementation of the new National Plan of Action for Children for the current period.

Please provide additional information on the 2006 Child Monitoring project of the Slovak National Centre for Human Rights, including information on the results of the monitoring, which will be included in the Centre’s 2006 Human Rights Report. Please also provide information on how those children’s rights are monitored which are not included in the priorities of the project in order to ensure full implementation of the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The Committee would appreciate information on how the work of the Public Rights Defender relates to the protection of the rights of the child. The Committee would particularly appreciate receiving information regarding the envisaged establishment of the legal institution of a Child Rights Defender, including the mandate of this body, its ability to receive complaints on violations of the rights of the child and the provision of financial and human resources.

Please provide information on any measures taken to improve the system for collecting specific statistical data on children belonging to minority groups such as the Roma.

Please provide information on efforts to carry out training programmes or awareness-raising campaigns on the Convention and other related issues for children, parents, minority communities, and the general public, including awareness campaigns to overcome negative stereotypes in society regarding the Roma community and other minority groups.

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

Please provide the Committee with copies of the text of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in all official languages of the State party, as well as in other languages or dialects, when available. If possible, please submit these texts in electronic form.

PART III

The State party should briefly (three pages maximum) update the information provided in its report with regard to:

New bills or enacted legislation;

New institutions;

Newly implemented policies;

Newly implemented programmes and projects and their scope.

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 strengthen the Convention’s overall implementation with particular attention to the general principles of the Convention

Budget allocations for children

Non-discrimination, particularly relating to sex, minorities (e.g. the Roma), and those living in remote areas and the implementation of article 3 (best interests of the child) and article 12 (respect for the views of the child)

Police brutality, including against the Roma community and foreigners

Programmes, services and support provided to parents

Protection of children deprived of a family environment (placement in alternative care, review of placement of children and follow-up of those who leave care for adoption within the country )

Domestic violence, abuse and ill-treatment, including corporal punishment

Access to health care and education, including by persons belonging to minority groups (including the State Pedagogic Institute on the verification of the effectiveness of the Roma language, literature and facts of life curricula at primary and secondary schools)

Children with disabilities (the National Programme for the Development of Living Conditions for Citizens with Disabilities in All Areas of Life, and the provision of adequate legal protection, facilities and services)

Standard of living

Economic exploitation, including child labour

Street children

Children belonging to minority groups, in particular children of the Roma community

Unaccompanied minors, children of refugees and asylum seekers

Sexual exploitation and trafficking

Substance abuse

Administration of juvenile justice, including conditions in juvenile detention facilities

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