COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILDForty-fourth session15 January-2 February 2007
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONVENTIONON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
List of issues to be taken up in connection with the considerationof the second periodic report of SURINAME (CRC/C/SUR/2)
PART I
Under this section the State party is requested to submit in written form additional and updated information, if possible, before 24 November 2006.
A. Data and statistics, if available
1. Please provide disaggregated data (by sex, age, ethnic groups, urban and rural areas) covering the years 2003, 2004 and 2005 on the number and proportion of children under 18 living in the State party, including the number and proportion of children belonging to indigenous and minority groups.
2. In the light of article 4 of the Convention, please provide disaggregated data for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006, 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 education);
(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);
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(c)Programmes and services for children with disabilities;
(d)Support programmes for families, especially those living in remote areas;
(e)Support for children living below the poverty line;
(f) The 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; and
(j)Social security and subsidies for families living in poverty.
3. Please also indicate the expenses of the private sector, in particular for health and education.
4. With reference to children deprived of a family environment and separated from parents, please provide disaggregated data (by sex, age groups, urban, rural and remote areas) for the years 2003, 2004 and 2005 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; or
(d)Adopted domestically or through intercountry adoptions.
5.Please specify the number of children with disabilities, disaggregated by sex, geographical location and age, covering the years 2003, 2004 and 2005:
(a)Living with their families;
(b)In institutions;
(c)Placed in foster care;
(d)Attending regular schools;
(e)Attending special schools; and
(f)Not attending any school.
6. Please provide disaggregated statistical data (by sex, age groups and, if possible, urban and rural areas) covering the years 2003, 2004 and 2005 on:
(a)Rates of infant and child mortality;
(b)Rates of immunization;
(c)Rates of malnutrition; and
(d) In the area of adolescent health, the rates of early pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), drug, alcohol, tobacco, and other substance abuse, suicides and other mental health problems.
7. With reference to child abuse, please provide disaggregated data (by age, sex, and types of violations reported) for the years 2003, 2004 and 2005 on:
(a)The number of reported child abuse cases;
(b) The number and percentage of reports that have resulted in either a court decision or other types of follow-up, including prosecution; and
(c) The number and proportion of child victims who have received counselling and assistance in recovery.
8. Please specify the criteria for “poverty” and indicate the number of children living below the poverty line. In particular, please provide such information relating to indigenous people and people living in remote areas.
9. With reference to the right to education, please provide disaggregated statistical data (by sex, age groups, urban, rural and remote areas, children belonging to indigenous and minority groups) for the years 2003, 2004 and 2005, in percentage of the relevant age group, on:
(a)Rates of literacy under and over 18 years of age;
(b) Rate of enrolment in pre-primary schools, primary schools and in secondary schools;
(c)Percentage of children completing primary and secondary education;
(d)Number and percentage of dropouts and repetitions;
(e)Ratio of teachers per child and number of children per class; and
(f)Number of teachers that are completing training.
10. Please provide disaggregated statistical data (by sex, age groups, urban, rural and remote areas) on drug, alcohol, tobacco and other substance abuse for the years 2003, 2004 and 2005.
11. Please provide disaggregated statistical data (including by sex, age groups, urban and rural areas) on the number of children:
(a)Infected with HIV/AIDS;
(b)Affected by HIV/AIDS;
(c)Leading households due to HIV/AIDS; and
(d)Orphans because of HIV/AIDS living in extended families or institutions.
12. Please provide disaggregated statistical data (including by sex, age and type of crime) for the years 2003, 2004 and 2005, in particular on the number of:
(a) Persons under the age of 18 who have allegedly committed a crime, reported to the police;
(b) Persons under the age of 18 who have been charged with a crime, the number sentenced and the type of punishment or sanctions related to offences, including length of deprivation of liberty;
(c)Detention facilities for persons under the age of 18 and their capacity;
(d) Persons under the age of 18 detained in these facilities and persons under the age of 18 detained in adult facilities;
(e) Persons under the age of 18 kept in pretrial detention and the average length of their detention;
(f) Reported cases of abuse and maltreatment of persons under the age of 18 that occurred during their arrest and detention; and
(g)Persons under the age of 18 tried and sentenced as adults.
13. With reference to special protection measures, please provide statistical data (including by sex, age, urban/rural areas) for the years 2004 and 2005 on the number of children:
(a) Involved in sexual exploitation, including prostitution, pornography and trafficking, and the number of children provided with access to recovery and other assistance;
(b) Involved in substance abuse, and the number of children who received treatment, recovery and reintegration assistance;
(c)Involved in child labour (formal and informal sectors);
(d)Living and/or working in the street; and
(e)Belonging to minority or indigenous groups.
B. General measures of implementation
1. The Committee would appreciate receiving the most recent information on activities and measures to implement the recommendations contained in the Committee’s previous concluding observations on the initial report of Suriname, including on the definition of the child, data collection, birth registration, and allocation of budgetary resources.
2.The Committee would appreciate receiving updated information on the State party’s efforts to harmonize national legislation with the Convention.
3.The Committee would appreciate receiving updated information on the National Child Rights Bureau and the National Commission on the Rights of the Child, including information on the mandates, particularly the coordination role, and human and financial resources of these structures. Please also provide information on which ministry or Government department is responsible for coordination.
4.Please provide information on the existence and mandate of an independent monitoring mechanism, including information about whether or not it can receive complaints regarding violations of the rights of the child.
5.Please provide information on the existence and content of the National Youth Policy, including implementation measures taken. Please also provide updated information on the National Policy Plan for Children.
6.Please provide updated information on efforts made to provide training programmes on and awareness campaigns carried out on the Convention and other related issues for children, parents, teachers, social workers, and other professionals working with and for children.
7.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
Under this section, the State party is to briefly (3 pages maximum) update the information provided in its report with regard to:
New bills or enacted legislation;
New institutions;
Newly implemented policies; and
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.
1.The State party’s strategy to significantly strengthen the Convention’s overall implementation with particular attention to the general principles of the Convention.
2.Budget allocations for children.
3.Non-discrimination, particularly relating to sex, minorities, indigenous groups 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).
4.Birth registration.
5.Police brutality.
6.Programmes, services and support provided to parents.
7.Protection of children deprived of a family environment.
8.Domestic violence, abuse and ill-treatment, including corporal punishment, in particular the composition and mandate of the Child Abuse Prevention Network.
9.Access to health care and education.
10.Children with disabilities.
11.HIV/AIDS.
12.Standard of living.
13.Economic exploitation, including child labour.
14.Street children.
15.Migrant children.
16.Indigenous children.
17.Sexual exploitation and trafficking.
18.Substance abuse.
19.Administration of juvenile justice.
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