COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILDForty-seventh session14 January-1 February 2008

WRITTEN REPLIES BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TO THE LIST OF ISSUES (CRC/C/dom/Q/2) PREPAREDBY THE committee ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD INCONNECTION with the CONSIDERATION OF THE SECONDPERIODIC REPORT OF the Dominican Republic (CRC/C/DOM/2) *

[Received on 27 November 2007]

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

AECI	Spanish Agency for International Cooperation
CAIPACL	Comprehensive care centre for adolescents in conflict with the criminal law
CND	National Drugs Council
CERMENOR	Assessment and referral centre for juveniles
CESDEM	Centre for Social and Demographic Studies
CONANI	National Council for Children and Adolescents
CONADIS	National Council on Disabilities
COPRESIDA	Presidential Council on AIDS
DEE	Special Education Department
IPEC	International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour
ONAPLAN	National Planning Office
OIT	International Labour Organization
ONE	National Statistical Office
PGR	Office of the Procurator-General
SCJ	Supreme Court of Justice
SEE	Ministry of Education
SEEPyD	Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Development
SESPAS	Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance
SET	Ministry of Labour
UAAES	Economic and Social Analysis Consultancy Unit

I. DATA AND STATISTICS

A. Number and percentage of children under 18

Please provide disaggregated statistical data (by sex, age groups and social origin and in terms of migrants, refugees and urban and rural areas) covering the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 on the number and percentage of children under 18 living in the State party.

1.See table 1 below.

Table 1

Children aged 0 to 17 years, by sex, age group, area of residence andsocial condition, 2004-2007

Category	2004	2005	2006	2007
Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
Sex
Boys	1 788 760	20.0	1 783 960	19.6	1 803 617	19.5	1 808 783	19.3
Girls	1 698 766	19.0	1 723 265	18.9	1 723 945	18.6	1 678 363	17.9
Total 0 to 17	3 487 526	38.9	3 507 225	38.5	3 527 562	38.1	3 487 146	37.3
18 or over	5 467 355	61.1	5 593 033	61.5	5 720 430	61.9	5 873 144	62.7
Total	8 954 881	100.0	9 100 258	100.0	9 247 992	100.0	9 360 290	100.0
Age group
Under 5	887 878	9.9	837 832	9.2	826 325	8.9	812 683	8.7
5 to 12	1 611 314	18.0	1 637 113	18.0	1 641 363	17.7	1 626 181	17.4
13 to 17	988 334	11.0	1 032 279	11.3	1 059 875	11.5	1 048 283	11.2
18 or over	5 467 355	61.1	5 593 033	61.5	5 720 430	61.9	5 873 144	62.7
Total	8 954 881	100.0	9 100 257	100.0	9 247 993	100.0	9 360 291	100.0
Area of residence
Urban	2 189 872	62.8	2 197 564	62.7	2 223 402	63.0	2 225 648	63.8
Rural	1 297 653	37.2	1 309 661	37.3	1 304 161	37.0	1 261 499	36.2
Total	3 487 525	100.0	3 507 225	100.0	3 527 563	100.0	3 487 147	100.0

Table 1 (continued)

Category	2004	2005	2006	2007
Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
Social condition
Not poor	1 652 658	47.4	1 738 803	49.6	1 882 742	53.4	1 914 943	54.9
Poor	1 834 868	52.6	1 768 422	50.4	1 644 821	46.6	1 572 204	45.1
Total	3 487 526	100.0	3 507 225	100 .0	3 527 563	100.0	3 487 147	100.0

Source: National Planning Office and labour force surveys of the Central Bank. Information provided by the Economic and Social Analysis Consultancy Unit of the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Development.

B. Budget allocations for children and trends in public expenditure

In the light of article 4 of the Convention, please provide disaggregated data on budget allocations for children and trends (in absolute figures and percentages of the national budgets) in public expenditure for the years 2005, 2006 and 2007, regarding the implementation of the Convention, with particular reference to the following areas :

1. Education

2.See table 2 below.

Table 2

Public expenditure in the education sector,2005-2007 (millions of pesos)

Annual expenditure	Absolute figures, national budget	% of national budget
2005	2006	2007	2005	2006	2007*
Preschool level(4-5 years)	182 142 188	1 459 813 532	2 444 632 426	0.09	0.61	0.95
Primary level (6‑13 years)	11 147 880 410	11 545 692 809	17 002 898 468	5.40	4.82	6.58
Secondary level (14-18 years, high school studies)	1 605 600 000	2 861 785 991	5 385 265 686	0.78	0.98	2.68
Total	15 352 992 539	17 783 386 728	24 832 796 580	8.13	8.06	9.6

Source: Ministry of Education.

* Ministry of Education and Government Budget for 2007.

3.As can be seen, absolute figures have increased significantly each year, even where the respective proportion of the Government’s budget has decreased. This budgetary increase has resulted in enhanced quality and greater equity, with regard to the provision of textbooks, school meals, shoes and school uniforms, and the building of classrooms. The relevant budget programmes are classed as “protected programmes”.

2. Health care

4.In the health sector, the “protected programmes” for achieving the Millennium Development Goals are programmes for raising awareness of and preventing disease and for ensuring greater coverage of the poor under the Family Sickness Insurance Scheme.

Table 3

Protected programmes for achieving the Millennium Development Goals,health sector, 2005-2007 (millions of pesos)

Programmes	Objectives	2005	2006	2007*
Awareness-raising, prevention and control of maternal and child morbidity and mortality	No. 4: Reduce the mortality rate among children under 5	NA**	102.7	101.7
Nutrition	1.0	18.4	39.8
Awareness-raising and control of oral health	No 5: Improve maternal health	18.8	33.2	32.8
Expanded Programme on Immunization	63.8	86.3	102.9
Improving the management of provincial health departments (DPS)	NA	71.8	170.2
Subsidized social security system (National Council for Social Security)	261.0	724.5	1 566.4
Awareness-raising and prevention of chronic diseases, accidents and violence		NA	11.2	9.0
Awareness-raising and prevention of mental and behavioural disorders		0.9	21.1	15.0
Epidemiological surveillance		3.9	21.8	32.9
Awareness-raising and control of malaria, dengue and other vector-borne diseases	No. 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases	46.2	1.0	85.2
Prevention and control of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS	64.4	74.5	91.0
Prevention and control of tuberculosis	32.1	51.7	68.2
Prevention and control of rabies and other diseases	9.6	4.5	16.2
Emergency and disaster care	No. 7: Ensure environmental sustainability	0.1	8.3	13.7
Control and monitoring of environmental risks	19.0	30.7	33.6
Total		520.7	1 261.7	2 378.6

Source: Prepared by the Economic and Social Analysis Consultancy Unit of the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Development, with data from the Integrated Financial Management System.

  * Data for 2007 are budget estimates.

** NA = Not applicable, as programmes did not exist.

Table 4

Summary of public expenditure on education and healthas a percentage of GDP

Education and health expenditure, 2004-2007

Year	Education	Health1%	Education and health%
2004	1.52%	1.24	2.75
2005	1.94%	1.60	3.54
2006	2.08%	1.74	3.83
2007 2	2.53%	1.85	4.37

Source: Economic and Social Analysis Consultancy Unit of the Ministryof the Economy, Planning and Development.

1 Includes allocations for health insurance for the poor.

2 Budget estimate.

3. Programmes and services for children with disabilities

5.According to the National Council on Disabilities, a total of 577,152,268 pesos was appropriated in 2006 to finance the State subsidy for special education centres and the share of the Council’s budget earmarked directly or indirectly for children with disabilities. For 2007, this amount has been increased to 580,175,264 pesos.

4. Support programmes for families in various regions

6.The Solidarity programme has three components: “Comer es Primero” (Eating comes first), the School Attendance Incentive (ILAE) and “Dominicanosy Dominicanos con Nombre y Apellido”, a birth registration programme which has not yet started.

7.The “Comer es Primero” programme benefited 239,643 households living in extremepoverty throughout the country, while the School Attendance Incentive benefited 146,669 households. Under the first programme, each household receives 550 pesos to buy food. Under the School Attendance Incentive, every household having one or two children between the ages of 6 and 16 who attend school receives 300 pesos, with 150 pesos being granted for each additional child (up to a maximum of four children), in order to buy medicines and school supplies using a “Solidarity” debit card, at shops taking part in the programme.

8.The “Vamo’ Arriba” programme is aimed at unemployed heads of households benefiting from the Solidarity programme, who are involved in the construction or maintenance of local community facilities, in exchange for which they receive an allowance of 3,000 pesos a month for three months. The “Envejecientes” (Senior Citizens) programme is aimed at elderly persons living in extreme poverty.

Table 5

Care and support programmes for families,2005-2007 (millions of pesos)

Main care and support programme for families	Amount in pesos (absolute figures from national budgets)
2005	2006	2007
“Comer es Primero”	576 428 600	1 378 099 800	1 172 420 700
School Attendance Incentive(ILAE)	57 286 800	76 051 200	74 923 200
“Vamo’ Arriba” programme	-	-	74 730 833.33
“Envejecientes” programme	-	-	42 985.80

Source: Office of Social Policy Coordination. Solidarity programme.

9.In order to receive these allowances, households must comply with a series of joint obligations; compliance is monitored on the basis of evidence submitted by the heads of households relating to social and human development programmes: (a) compliance with theExpanded Programme onImmunization (basic vaccinations for children under 5); (b)compliance with growth and development checks related to nutrition levels; (c) application for and obtaining of identity documents for family members who do not have them; (d) school attendance of children between the ages of 6 and 16; (e) attendance at training seminars for heads of households. Proof of compliance with the first two requirements (vaccination and growth checks) takes the form of a child health certificate provided by the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance.

C. Execution of budget allocations and supervisory machinery

Please also indicate how the budget allocations referred to have been used and what machinery has been created to supervise this expenditure.

10.In 2005 the Dominican Government created the “protected programmes” budget line for the purpose of achieving the Millennium Development Goals. This budget line is broken down in the Revenue Budget and the Public Expenditure Act as a way of reaffirming the commitment of the Dominican Republic to achieving each Goal. Programmes that have the greatest impact and are the most highly funded are identified under this budget line, and are protected against any diversion of funds at the time of budget execution.

D. Children deprived of a family environment and separated from their parents

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

1. Children placed in institutions

11.See table 6 below.

Table 6

Children and adolescents in residential care in non-governmental institutions, 2004- 2007

	2004	2005	2006	2007
	Boys	Girls	Boys	Girls	Boys	Girls	Boys	Girls
Northern regionsubtotal	76	349	71	379	78	349	171	481
Southern region subtotal	885	58	148	60	853	62	434	69
Santo Domingo regionsubtotal	42	317	263	432	249	438	262	551
Country as a wholesubtotal	1 003	724	334	871	1 180	849	867	1 101
Total for year	3 731	3 210	4 035	3 975

Source: Department for the Registration and Authentication of NGO programmes and the National Council for Children and Adolescents.

2. Children placed with foster families

12.See table 7 below.

Table 7

Children placed in foster homes

Sex	2005	2006	2007
Male	297	455	438
Female	292	199	199
Total	589	654	637

Source: Department of Foster Care, National Council for Children and Adolescents.

13.Foster homes are regulated by the Government in the Dominican Republic through the National Council for Children and Adolescents.

3. Children adopted domestically and through intercountry adoptions

14.See table 8 below.

Table 8

National and intercountry adoptions

	2005	2006	2007	Total
National	59	66	27	152
By sex
Boys	28	31	13	72
Girls	31	35	14	80
By age
0-5	33	33	8	74
6-12	11	16	12	39
13 and over	15	17	7	39
Intercountry	60	41	25	126
By sex
Boys	37	14	9	60
Girls	23	27	16	66
By age
0-5	40	25	16	81
6-12	10	6	6	22
13 and over	10	10	3	23
Total national and intercountry	119	107	52	278
Total by age group -national/intercountry
0-5	155	56 %
6-12	61	22 %
13 and over	62	22 %

Source: National Council for Children and Adolescents.

E. Children with disabilities, up to the age of 18

Please specify the number of children with disabilities, up to the age of 18, disaggregated by sex and age groups and, if possible, ethnic groups and urban and rural areas, covering the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 :

15.According to the 2002 National Population and Housing Census, the percentage of children aged 19 and under with disabilities is as follows.

Table 9

Children aged 19 and under, by type of disability

Disability	Physical	Mental	Partialblindness	Totalblindness	Hearing	Speech	Other
Age group
0-4	1.68	1.83	1.52	1.12	1.67	5.60	5.10
5-9	2.15	5.62	1.95	1.52	4.65	11.95	5.68
10-14	2.61	8.58	2.47	1.71	5.71	12.47	5.72
15-19	2.82	8.77	2.45	1.76	3.80	8.28	4.83

Source: Diagnóstico sobre Educación Especial y Atención a la Diversidad en República Dominicana (Analysis of Special Education and Respect for Diversity in the Dominican Republic), Spanish Agency for International Cooperation/Ministry of Education, Santo Domingo, 2004.

16.According to the above-mentioned census, approximately 40,000 persons living in the Dominican Republic, or 5 per cent of the total population, have some kind of disability. On the basis of the same census, the National Council on Disabilities established that, in 2006, the number of children aged 18 and under with disabilities was 38,622 (21,759 girls and 16,863 boys).

2. Children living in institutions

17.For children with severe disabilities the Ángeles Centre run by the National Council for Children and Adolescents is the only residential option in the country. Relevant data are shown below.

Table 10

Children aged 18 and under with disabilities and living in a residential institution

Sex	2005	2006	2007
Female	35	39	41
Male	77	94	92
Total	112	113	133

Source: Department of Foster Care, National Council for Children and Adolescents.

3. Adopted children

18.Between 2005 and 2007 there were no adoptions of children or adolescents with disabilities. However, applications for such adoptions were made, and are being processed.

4. Children attending regular and/or special schools

19.According to the 2002 National Population and Housing Census, the percentage of children aged 18 and under with disabilities registered as attending school is 64.3 per cent, with the exception of three provinces (Elías Piña, San Juan and San José de Ocoa), where the number of children with disabilities who are not at school is higher.

20.According to the Office of Education Planning in the Ministry of Education, a total of 4,894 special education pupils were registered at the start of the 2005/06 school year in the public and private sectors.

5. Children not attending school

21.Inconclusive inferences concerning the number of children with special needs that are not met can be drawn from the information available on school attendance. The data presented indicate that the special needs of just over one third of all children with disabilities between the ages of 5 and 18 are not met. This percentage is almost 50 per cent in the provinces of San Juan de la Maguana and San José de Ocoa. Pedernales is the province with the lowest percentage of children and adolescents with disabilities not enrolled in an education centre, a situation that may be associated with the types of disabilities that children or adolescents have.

Table 11

Percentage of children between the ages of 5 and 18 who do not attend an education al centre ( selected provinces)

Source: Diagnóstico sobre Educación Especial y Atenci ón a la Diversidad en República Dominicana (Analysis of Special Education and Respect for Diversity in the Dominican Republic), Spanish Agency for International Cooperation/Ministry of Education, Santo Domingo, 2004.

F. Health services

Regarding health services, please provide disaggregated statistical data (by sex, age groups, ethnic groups and urban and rural areas) covering the years 2004, 2005 and 2006, on :

1. Rates of infant and child mortality

22.See table 12 below.

Table 12

Mortality rates for infants and children under 5*

Area of residence	Neonatal	Post-neonatal	Infant	Post-infant	Children under 5
Total	20	10	30	6	35
Urban	18	9	26	6	32
Rural	25	12	37	5	42

Source: Preliminary report, ENHOGAR 2006 household survey. Information provided by the Economic and Social Analysis Consultancy Unit of the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Development.

* For the period 0-4 years before the survey, by area of residence, average for 2002-2006.

23.These data are consistent with those contained in the 2007 National Population and Health Census, the preliminary report of which establishes (p. vii) a child mortality rate of 32 per 1,000 live births during the five years leading up to the survey.

2. Immunization rates

24.See table 13 below.

Table 13

Rates of immunization against childhood diseases for children aged 12-23 months

	BCG	DPT 1	DPT 2	DPT 3*	Polio 1	Polio 2	Polio 3	Measles	All	None	No. of children 12-23 months
Source
Immunization record	66.9	66.4	62.7	56.9	66.6	63.8	57.9	42.3	36.7	0	756
Reported by mother	28.5	26.3	15.5	7.5	28.4	23.7	11.6	25.2	7	1.6	756
Any source	95.5	92.7	78.2	64.5	95	87.5	69.4	67.5	43.7	1.6	756
Vaccinated before 12 months	94.2	88.4	77.8	64.2	93.9	85.9	66.5	62.8	33.9	1.6	756

Source: Preliminary report, ENHOGAR 2006 household survey. Information provided by the Economic and Social Analysis Consultancy Unit of the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Development.

* (sic) At any time before the survey was conducted and before the first year of life, according to various sources, 2006.

25.These data are supplemented by those contained in the 2007 National Population and Health Census, the preliminary report of which (p. vii) establishes a rate of 48.8 per cent coverage for all children between the ages of 12 and 23 months who have received the recommended vaccinations, according to “any source” (cf. the third row of the preceding table, which sets this rate at 43.7 per cent).

3. Malnutrition rates

26.See table 14 below.

Table 14

Rates of moderate or severe malnutrition for boys and girls aged 0 to 59 months, by area of residence, 2006

	Weight by age	Height by age	Weight by height
	% with a standard deviation of less than -2*	% with a standard deviation of less than -3*	% with a standard deviation of less than -2**	% with a standard deviation of less than -3**	% with a standard deviation of less than -2***	% with a standard deviation of less than -3***	% with a standard deviation of over +2	No of children aged 0-59 months
Area of residence
Urban	5.3	0.5	6.7	1.4	1.4	0.1	5.2	2 428
Rural	5.3	0.8	8	2.1	1.4	0.1	3.6	1 354
Total	5.3	0.6	7.2	1.6	1.4	0.1	4.6	3 782

Source: Preliminary report, ENHOGAR 2006 household survey. Information provided by the Economic and Social Analysis Consultancy Unit of the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Development.

*,**,*** (sic).

4. Children infected and/or affected by HIV/AIDS

27.According to data from the Presidential Council on AIDS, there are 3,000 children and adolescents living with HIV in the Dominican Republic; of these, 1,116 are receiving treatment and being monitored by the State through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

28.Some 54,000 children and adolescents have been orphaned and/or made vulnerable by AIDS.

29.While there are variations associated with increased vulnerability and care, these data are consistent with those provided in 2006 in the national policy paper on children and adolescents orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS in the Dominican Republic.

5. Rates of early pregnancy among adolescents

30.See table 15 below.

Table 15

Adolescents aged 15-19 years who have ever been pregnant, by area of residence, 2006 (percentage)

	Already have children	First pregnancy	Have only had miscarriages	Total
Area of residence
Urban	15.3	3.8	1.4	20.5
Rural	18.6	3	1	22.6
Age
15	4.3	0.7	0.5	5.5
16	9.5	2.2	1.4	13.1
17	15.1	5.2	0.9	21.2
18	24.9	5.2	1.2	31.3
19	33.9	5.2	2.6	41.6
Total	16.5	3.5	1.2	21.2

Source: Preliminary report, ENHOGAR 2006 household survey. Information provided by the Economic and Social Analysis Consultancy Unit of the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Development.

6. Adolescents dying in childbirth

31.According to the preliminary report of the 2007 National Population and Health Census (p. 29), maternal mortality in the 15-19 age group corresponds to 13 per 100,000 women, or 0.19 per cent. This rate includes data relating to adolescent parity as well as adolescent pregnancy, childbirth and/or abortion, including deaths registered up to two months afterwards.

7. Drug, alcohol and tobacco abuse among adolescents

32.The National Drugs Council has data obtained from the survey of secondary school students conducted by the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission in 2004 with a view to determining the extent of the use and abuse of these substances by this group; the survey is scheduled to be updated in 2008. See table 16 below.

Table 16

Age of first substance use by secondary school students in the Dominican Republic

Substance	Average age
Solvents or inhalants	12.62
Tranquilizers	12.65
Morphine	13.00
Stimulants	13.06
Other drugs	13.11
Alcoholic beverages	13.36
Hashish	13.38
Cigarettes	13.46
Opium	13.50
Coca paste	13.71
Cocaine HCL	14.29
Marijuana	14.33
Crack cocaine	14.35
Heroin	14.50
Hallucinogens	15.00
Ecstasy and other methamphetamines	15.57

33.The Treatment and Rehabilitation Commission of the National Drugs Council collects data on a quarterly basis from the “request for treatment” forms available in centres providing assistance to persons with addictions. There are currently 33 registered treatment centres, of which 11 offer services for children and adolescents.

Table 17

Requests for treatment*

Year	Number of patients treated	Number of juvenile patients treated	Percentage	Number of centres reporting
2006	3 867	280	7.2	17
2007**	5 560	266	4.78	28

Source: National Drugs Council.

* Without distinction as to sex, age or level of education.

** Data through the third quarter.

8. Information on femicide

34.See table 18 below.

Table 18

Women meeting violent deaths, by year and age group, 2004-2006 (absolute data)

	2005	2006	2007
Under 15 years	19	9	22
15-24	55	57	55
25-34	40	56	26
35-44	32	31	26
45-54	8	13	13
55-64	4	5	9
65 and over	7	6	9
Unknown	22	14	22
Total	187	191	182

Source: National Police; data provided by the National Statistical Office.

G. Criteria used to define poverty and the number of children living below the poverty line

Please also specify the criteria used to define poverty and indicate the number of children living below the poverty line.

35.The number of children and adolescents in the Dominican Republic living below the poverty line (“monetary poverty”) as determined by the methods for measuring poverty developed by the World Bank is set out in table 19.

Table 19

Monetary poverty among children and adolescents aged 0-7 years, 2004-2007

	2004	2005	2006	2007
%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number
(i) By sex
Male	0.5282	944 912	0.5071	904 691	0.4648	838 313	0.4525	818 530
Female	0.5239	889 957	0.5012	863 730	0.4678	806 508	0.4491	753 674
Total	0.5261	1 834 868	0.5042	1 768 422	0.4663	1 644 821	0.4509	1 572 204
(ii) By age group
Under 5	0.5408	480 122	0.5085	426 019	0.4770	394 155	0.4635	376 717
5 to 12	0.5478	882 718	0.5262	861 470	0.4914	806 491	0.4732	769 529
13 to 17	0.4776	472 029	0.4659	480 933	0.4191	444 174	0.4063	425 958
Total	0.5261	1 834 868	0.5042	1 768 422	0.4663	1 644 821	0.4509	1 572 204
(iii) By area of residence
Urban	0.4399	963 329	0.4268	937 875	0.3894	865 741	0.3780	841 204
Rural	0.6716	871 539	0.6342	830 547	0.5974	779 080	0.5795	730 999
Total	0.5261	1 834 868	0.5042	1 768 422	0.4663	1 644 821	0.4509	1 572 204

Source: Prepared by the Economic and Social Analysis Consultancy Unit of the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Development with data from the labour force surveys of the Central Bank.

H. Right to education

With reference to the right to education, please provide disaggregated statistical data (by sex, age groups and, if possible, in terms of ethnic groups, urban and rural areas and refugee/displaced children and immigrant children) covering the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 on :

1. Rates of literacy among persons aged under and over 18

36.See table 20 below.

Table 20

Literacy rates for children and adolescentsaged 0-17 years, 2004-2007

(i) By age and sex
Age group	Sex	Year of Survey
2004	2005	2006	2007
%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number
5-12 years	Male	0 . 79	569 219	0. 80	578 204	0. 81	592 433	0. 80	584 469
Female	0 . 82	578 100	0. 84	604 160	0. 83	589 530	0 . 83	573 675
Total	0. 80	1 147 318	0. 82	1 182 364	0. 82	1 181 963	0. 81	1 158 145
13-17 years	Male	0 . 96	490 677	0. 97	516 183	0. 97	533 444	0. 97	536 700
Female	0 . 97	466 717	0. 98	491 245	0. 99	505 729	0. 99	491 687
Total	0. 97	957 394	0. 98	1 007 428	0. 98	1 039 173	0. 98	1 028 387
18 and under	Male	0. 88	2 369 890	0. 88	2 435 247	0. 88	2 460 253	0. 88	2 543 549
Female	0. 88	2 452 070	0. 88	2 491 023	0. 88	2 579 919	0. 89	2 665 874
Total	0. 88	4 821 960	0. 88	4 926 270	0. 88	5 040 172	0. 89	5 209 423
Total	Male	0. 88	3 429 786	0. 88	3 529 634	0. 88	3 586 130	0. 88	3 664 718
Female	0. 88	3 496 887	0. 89	3 586 428	0. 89	3 675 178	0. 89	3 731 236
Total	0. 88	6 926 673	0. 88	7 116 061	0. 88	7 261 308	0. 89	7 395 954
(ii) By age and area of residence
5-12 years	Urban	0. 82	723 932	0. 84	742 486	0. 84	747 546	0. 82	736 664
Rural	0. 77	423 387	0. 79	439 877	0. 79	434 417	0. 80	421 480
Total	0. 80	1 147 318	0. 82	1 182 364	0. 82	1 181 963	0. 81	1 158 145
13-17 years	Urban	0. 98	627 172	0. 98	643 490	0. 98	671 401	0. 99	671 382
Rural	0. 96	330 222	0. 96	363 937	0. 97	367 772	0. 97	357 004
Total	0. 97	957 394	0. 98	1 007 428	0. 98	1 039 173	0. 98	1 028 387
18 and under	Urban	0. 92	3 291 954	0. 92	3 382 896	0. 92	3 446 350	0. 92	3 541 062
Rural	0. 81	1 530 006	0. 80	1 543 374	0. 81	1 593 822	0. 82	1 668 361
Total	0. 88	4 821 960	0. 88	4 926 270	0. 88	5 040 172	0. 89	5 209 423
Total	Urban	0. 91	4 643 058	0. 91	4 768 873	0. 91	4 865 297	0. 92	4 949 109
Rural	0. 82	2 283 615	0. 82	2 347 189	0. 83	2 396 011	0. 83	2 446 845
Total	0. 88	6 926 673	0. 88	7 116 061	0. 88	7 261 308	0. 89	7 395 954

Source: Prepared by the Economic and Social Analysis Consultancy Unit of the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Development with data from the labour force surveys of the Central Bank.

2.The rate of enrolment in pre-primary, primary and secondaryschools and in vocational training establishments

37.Under the General Education Act, No. 66-97, “the initial [preschool] level is the first level of education, and shall be provided before basic education with the help of the family and the community. It shall be aimed at children in the population up to the age of 6 years” (art. 33).

38.The basic [primary] level is described in article 35 of the Act as “the educational minimum to which an inhabitant of the country is entitled. It normally begins at 6 years of age. It is compulsory, and the State shall offer it free of charge”. Article 37 establishes that the duration of this level shall be eight years.

39.Article 40 of the Act establishes that “the intermediate [secondary] level shall follow the basic level. It shall have a duration of four years, divided into two cycles of two years each. It provides general instruction with options corresponding to the aptitudes, interests, vocations and needs of students so that they can successfully integrate themselves in the labour force and undertake further studies”. The second cycle of the intermediate level contains a technical/vocational section.

Table 21

Student population, coverage and enrolment rates,preschool level, public and private, 2003-2006

	2003 / 04	2004 / 05	2005 / 06
Population aged 3-5 years	555 376	553 196	551 158
Total enrolment, preschool	178 454	191 845	206 055
Crude coverage, preschool	32.13%	34.68%	37.39%
Enrolled in public schools	104 528	112 523	112 438
Enrolled in private schools	73 926	79 322	93 617

Source: Ministry of Education, Department of Statistics, Ten-Year Education Plan 2007‑2017, preliminary assessment, p. 52.

Table 22

Student population, coverage and enrolment rates,primary level, public and private, 2003-2006

	2003 / 04	2004 / 05	2005 / 06
Population aged 6-13 years	1 498 925	1 494 263	1 489 868
Total enrolment primary	1 610 288	1 608 110	1 520 595
Crude coverage, primary	107.43%	107.62%	102.62%
Net coverage , public sector	91%	91.20%	91.70%
Enrolled in public schools	1 332 900	1 339 005	1 246 363
Enrolled in private schools	277 388	269 105	274 232

Source: Ministry of Education, Department of Statistics, Ten-Year Education Plan 2007‑2017, preliminary assessment, p. 58.

Table 23

Student population, coverage and enrolment rates,secondary level, public and private, 2003-2006

	2003 / 04	2004 / 05	2005 / 06
Population aged 14-17 years	721 390	730 991	737 400
Total enrolment, secondary	443 003	452 086	469 162
Crude coverage, secondary	61.41%	61.85%	63.62%
Enrolled in public schools	340 593	345 288	353 753
Enrolled in private schools	102 410	106 798	115 409

Source: Ministry of Education, Department of Statistics, Ten-Year Education Plan 2007‑2017, preliminary assessment, p. 63.

Table 24

Student population, coverage and enrolment rates,technical/vocational section, 2007/08

Field	Enrolment 2007/08	Percentage of total
Total administration, accounting and related	7 068	29.21%
Total hotel administration, tourism and related	3 266	13.50%
Nursing	1 436	5.93%
Computer science	4 687	19.37%
Total industrial technologies	5 057	20.90%
Total agro-industrial technologies	935	3.86%
Other	1 750	7.23%
Total vocational/technical enrolment	24 199	100.00%

Source: Ministry of Education, Department of Statistics, Ten-Year Plan for Education 2007‑2017, preliminary assessment, p. 69.

3.The percentage of children who complete primaryschool and those who complete secondary school

40.See table 25 below.

Table 25

Percentage of children and adolescents aged 0-17 years completing primary and secon dary school, 2004-20 07

Age Group	Sex	( i ) By age and sex
	Year of survey
2004	2005	2006	2007
% completing primary	% completing secondary	% completing primary	% completing secondary	% completing primary	% completing secondary	% completing primary	% completing secondary
Under 5	Male	%	0	0.00	0	0.00	0	0.00	0	0.00
No.	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Female	%	0	0.00	0	0.00	0	0.00	0	0.00
No.	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	%	0	0.00	0	0.00	0	0.00	0	0.00
No.	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
5-12 years	Male	%	0	0.00	0	0.00	0	0.00	0	0.00
No.	2 111	0 00	4 361	0 00	3 541	0 00	1 644	0
Female	%	0.00	0.00	0.01	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
No.	3 199	324	4 436	0	3 108	0	2 407	0
Total	%	0.00	0.00	0.01	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
No.	5 310	324	8 797	0	6 649	0	4 051	0
13-17 years	Male	%	0.39	0.01	0.41	0.01	0.42	0.02	0.42	0.01
No.	196 954	5 463	215 211	6 572	231 962	8 680	229 571	4 976
Female	%	0.48	0.02	0.52	0.02	0.55	0.02	0.54	0.02
No.	232 203	10 352	259 944	12 196	281 088	10 914	268 623	8 590
Total	%	0.43	0.02	0.46	0.02	0.48	0.02	0.48	0.01
No.	429 157	15 814	475 156	18 768	513 050	19 593	498 195	13 566
(ii) By age and area of residence
Under 5	Urban	%	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
No.	0 00	0 00	0 00	0 00	0 00	0 00	0 00	0 00
Rural	%	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
No.	0 00	0 00	0 00	0 00	0 00	0 00	0 00	0 00
Total	%	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
No.	0 00	0 00	0 00	0 00	0 00	0 00	0 00	0 00
5-12 years	Urban	%	0.00	0.00	0.01	0.00	0.01	0.00	0.00	0.00
No.	4 242	324	5 610	0	5 166	0	4 051	0
Rural	%	0.00	0.00	0.01	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
No.	1 068	0	3 187	0	1 484	0	0	0
Total	%	0.00	0.00	0.01	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
No.	5 310	324	8 797	0	6 649	0	4 051	0
13-17 years	Urban	%	0.48	0.02	0.50	0.02	0.52	0.02	0.51	0.01
No.	311 448	11 598	329 582	12 993	353 394	13 727	348 532	8 806
Rural	%	0.34	0.01	0.39	0.02	0.42	0.02	0.41	0.01
No.	117 710	4 217	145 574	5 775	159 656	5 866	149 662	4 760
Total	%	0.43	0.02	0.46	0.02	0.48	0.02	0.48	0.01
No.	429 157	15 814	475 156	18 768	513 050	19 593	498 195	13 566

Source : Prepared by the Economic and Social Analysis Consultancy Unit of the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Development with data from the labour force surveys of the Central Bank.

41.The data contained in the preceding table should be supplemented by those compiled by the Ministry of Education itself in the assessment report on the education system in the Ten-Year Education Plan 2007-2017 (preliminary report, p. 112): “Even though the dropout and repeater rates have decreased significantly, out of every 100 children who enter the first year of the primary cycle, only 63 per cent will complete the eighth grade, and only 48 per cent will complete the secondary level”. Moreover, these observations are not inconsistent with the trend reflected in table 26 below, indicating a high promotion rate within the educational system owing to the features of the evaluation system.

4.The number and percentage of dropouts and repetitionsand the related programmes

42.See table 26 below.

Table 26

Promotion, repetition and dropout rates within theeducation system by level, 2000-2005

Public schools, preschool indicators by year
Indicator	2000/01	2001/02	2002/03	2003/04	2004/05
Promotion	85.5	87.6	87.2	88.2	86.3
Repetition	7.6	7.3	7.2	7.4	7.3
Dropout	6.9	5.1	5.6	4.3	6.4
Public schools, primary indicators by year
Indicator	2000/01	2001/02	2002/03	2003/04	2004/05
Promotion	81.8	80.9	83.6	83.1	84.8
Repetition	7	5.6	7	3.6	6.4
Dropout	11.2	13.5	9.4	13.3	8.8

Source: Ministry of Education, Office of Education Planning.

5. The number of children per teacher and the number of pupils per class

43.According to data from the Ministry of Education, in 2005, given a total of 2,416,449 pupils and 97,387 teachers within the education system, the number of children per teacher stood at 24.8. In 2006, given a total of 2,362,395 pupils and 99,679 teachers, the figure was 23.7.

44.To explain or amplify these figures, three tables are presented below, the first of which portrays the situation in the preschool level. The following two provide composite data for all levels of the educational system.

45.For decades the high demand for education in the Dominican Republic has made it necessary to subject many schools to heavy use, often in three shifts: morning, afternoon and even evening. Consequently, the heading “Pupils per classroom” in table 29 reflects a statistical mean of all pupils who use a classroom at different times of the day (shifts) in the same building. The second column (“Pupils per section”) reflects the ratio of pupils who simultaneously comprise each shift.

Table 27

Number of pupils in the preschool level per section andper classroom by region, public sector, 2005/06

Educational region	Pupils per teacher	Pupils per section
01 Barahona	36.82	32.32
02 San Juan	26.45	23.79
03 Azua	32.39	28.28
04 San Cristóbal	30.28	27.50
05 San Pedro de Macorís	34.32	32.46
06 La Vega	27.08	25.74
07 San Francisco Macorís	22.14	18.90
08 Santiago	26.28	24.27
09 Mao	29.52	23.91
10 Santo Domingo I	35.62	27.58
11 Puerto Plata	22.48	21.41
12 Higüey	37.95	29.12
13 Montecristi	24.94	27.19
14 Nagua	28.76	25.82
15 Santo Domingo II	36.68	29.50
16 Cotuí	28.57	23.26
17 Monte Plata	25.95	23.53
18 Bahoruco	54.73	-

Source: Ministry of Education, Office of Education Planning. Ten-Year Education Plan 2007-2017, preliminary assessment, p. 54.

Table 28

Number of centres, sections and classrooms by sector, 2005/06

Sector	Centres	Sections	Enrolment %	Pupils perteacher	Pupils percentre	Classrooms
Public	11 183	64 046	77	25.1	163.1	31 248
Private	1 927	22 467	21	19.9	254.3
Semi-official	242	1 803	2	21.7	198.2
Total	13 353	88 316	100	23.7	176.9

Source: Ministry of Education, Office of Education Planning.

Table 29

Number of schools per institution and number of pupilsper section and per classroom by region, 2005/06

	Schools per institution	Pupils per section	Pupils per classroom
Average for all regions	2.07	26.92	55.77
01 Barahona	1.96	26.69	52.80
02 San Juan de la Maguana	2.05	24.66	51.62
03 Azua	2.01	29.38	54.35
04 San Cristóbal	2.18	31.16	64.86
05 San Pedro De Macorís	2.04	31.48	74.84
06 La Vega	1.97	27.65	55.54
07 San Francisco De Macorís	1.97	22.15	41.96
08 Santiago	2.08	30.02	61.39
09 Mao	1.90	22.94	48.73
10 Santo Domingo	2.40	36.88	78.14
11 Puerto Plata	2.05	23.33	44.11
12 Higüey	2.04	26.51	56.03
13 Montecristi	1.85	23.01	42.55
14 Nagua	2.11	23.08	52.72
15 Santo Domingo	2.43	33.85	75.85
16 Cotuí	2.08	25.30	49.69
17 Monte Plata	1.99	20.86	48.46
18 Bahoruco	2.12	25.53	50.19

Source: Ministry of Education, Department of Statistics, Ten-Year Education Plan 2007‑2017, preliminary assessment, p. 81.

I. Juvenile justice

With reference to juvenile justice, please provide disaggregated statistical data (by geographical region, sex, age and type of offence) covering the years 2004, 2005and 2006, in particular on the number of:

1.Persons under 18 who have allegedly committed an offence reported to the police

46.See tables 30 and 31 below.

Table 30

Known criminal cases in the National District and Santo DomingoProvince involving children aged 13-17, 2005-2006

Offence	2005	2006
Theft	495	949
Act No. 50-88	235	467
Battery	282	382
Sexual assault	57	36
Verbal abuse	159	0
Homicide	128	69
Act No. 36	02	162
Act No. 241	10	06
Death threats	22	-
Counterfeiting	16	8
Kidnapping	7	4

Source: Office of the Public Prosecutor - Public Prosecutor’s Office for children and adolescents. Provisional figures.

Table 31

Known cases in the Dominican Republic involvingchildren aged 13-17 by region, 2006

Offence	Northern region*	Southern region	Eastern region
Theft	17	241
Act No. 50-88	16	359
Battery	06	93
Sexual assault	06	26
Verbal abuse	01	58
Homicide	03	03
Act No. 36	-	-
Act No. 241	01	14
Death threats	-	-
Counterfeiting	-	-
Kidnapping	-	-

Source: Office of the Public Prosecutor - Public Prosecutor’s Office for children and adolescents. Provisional figures.

* (sic).

2.Persons under 18 who have been charged with an offence, how many of themhave been convicted, and the type of punishment or sanction imposed

47.See tables 32 to 35 below.

Table 32

Persons under 18 charged with an offence

Sex	2004	2005	2006
Male	340	453	465
Female	32	28	33

Source: Supreme Court of Justice, Office of Children, Adolescents and the Family.

Table 33

Persons under 18 who have been convicted

Sex	2004	2005	2006
Male	268	59	62
Female	-	-	-

Source: Supreme Court of Justice, Office of Children, Adolescents and the Family.

Table 34

Types of punishment or sanctions imposed on minors underthe age of 18: precautionary measures *

Sanction	2004	2005	2006
Provisional deprivation of liberty in specialized centres	32	145	107
Release on bail	17	69	75
Change of residence	0	0	6
House arrest	1	4	4
Prohibited from leaving local area or the country	0	0	0
Placed in the custody of a specific person or institution	1	4	59
Prohibited from seeing or dealing with certain persons	0	0	5
Other	0	0	9

Source: Supreme Court of Justice, Office of Children, Adolescents and the Family.

* Data recorded as of October 2004 in the monthly work report with a viewto the entry into force of Act No. 136-03.

Table 35

Types of punishment or sanctions imposed on minors aged 18:judgements in cases brought to trial

Sanction	2004	2005	2006
Reprimand and warning	0	0	0
Probation	25	5	20
Community service	0	1	2
Cessation of communication with specified individuals	0	0	0
Home confinement	0	1	1
Confinement in a detention facility	133	34	33
Partial release	0	0	1
Attendance at educational facility	0	0	0
Medical treatment	0	0	0
Other	56	0	2

Source: Supreme Court of Justice, Office of Children, Adolescents and the Family.

3.Persons under 18 who have been held in pretrial detention and the average length of such detention

48.See table 36 below.

Table 36

Persons under 18 who have been held in pretrial detention

Sex	2004	2005	2006
Male	27	144	107
Female	-	-	-

Source: Supreme Court of Justice, Office of Children, Adolescents and the Family.

49.As of 2005-2006, when implementation of the new Code of Criminal Procedure began, the time set for pretrial detention in the context of precautionary measures is from 10 to 30 days; most punishments run for 10 days, with an average of 20 days for investigation of an incident.

4.Persons under 18 who are the subject of social and educationalmeasures as an alternative to custodial sentences

50.See table 37 below.

Table 37

Persons under 18 who are the subject of social and educationalmeasures as an alternative to custodial sentences

	2004*	2005	2006
Male	-	5	60
Female	-	0	10

Source: National Department of Comprehensive Care for Adolescentsin Conflict with the Criminal Law.

51.In July 2005 the National Department of Comprehensive Care for Adolescents in Conflict with the Criminal Law, an administrative body responsible for the enforcement of criminal sentences imposed on adolescents in conflict with the law, was established. The Department is attached to the Office of the Procurator-General and works with the National Council for Children and Adolescents to coordinate all programmes and activities relating to the enforcement of such penalties (Act No. 136-03, arts. 359 ff.) and supervise all social and educational measures.

5.Detention centres for persons under 18 in conflict with the law,the capacity of such centres and the number of persons detained

52.In 2006 the Office of Children, Adolescents and the Family of the Supreme Court of Justice registered five detention centres, one for females and four for males:

(a)The Reformatory Institute for Girls, Santo Domingo, with a capacity of 22 adolescent girls;

(b)The Juvenile Evaluation and Referral Centre (CERMENOR) in Santo Domingo, which is for pretrial detention only and can accommodate 40 male adolescents;

(c)The Juvenile Reformatory Institute in San Cristóbal, with a capacity of 132 male adolescents;

(d)The Comprehensive Care Centre for Adolescents in Conflict with the Criminal Law (CAIPACL), located in Najayo, San Cristóbal, with a capacity of 220 male adolescents;

(e)The Máximo Antonio Álvarez Juvenile Reformatory Institute, located in La Vega, with a capacity of 132 male adolescents.

53.Act No. 136-03 (art. 359) places custodial centres, divided according to sex and age group, under the authority of the National Department of Comprehensive Care for Adolescents in Conflict with the Criminal Law. These custodial centres are residential facilities for adolescents awaiting trial or serving sentences. Detention centres, meanwhile, are operated by the Office of the Procurator-General for Children and Adolescents.

Table 38

Admissions/discharges, custodial centres for persons under 18 (2006)

Custodial centres	2006In pretrial detention	2006Sentenced
Reformatory Institute for girls	31	13
CERMENOR	193	1
Juvenile Reformatory Institute San Cristóbal	23	110
CAIPACL	649	666
Máximo Antonio Álvarez Juvenile Reformatory Institute	55	63
Total	951	853

Source: Supreme Court of Justice, Office of Children, Adolescents and the Family.

54.These data cover all adolescents who were admitted to custodial care in 2006 pursuant to orders from the country’s children’s and adolescents’ courts, which established measures such as the use of predetermined types of proceedings, habeas corpus and/or acquittal. They also cover minors who have received sentences of less than one year for misdemeanours.

55.According to monthly statistics which the Department receives from the centres, it is estimated that during 2007 an average of 360 adolescents will be admitted to or released from the centres in the course of 2007, a figure comparable to that for 2006.

6. Persons under 18 detained in centres together with adults

56.This situation has not occurred in the Dominican Republic since 2000.

7.Persons under 18 who have been tried and sentenced as adults,indicating the minimum age of criminal responsibility

57.To date, there have been no recorded cases of minors being tried or sentenced as adults. What has happened in the past and may happen again is that a minor in conflict with the law who is involved in an (ordinary) adult case is sent to the wrong court, which then rules itself incompetent and refers the case to the appropriate court, which is the criminal division of the juvenile court. The minimum age of criminal responsibility in the Dominican Republic is 13 years.

J. Special protection measures

With reference to special protection measures, please provide disaggregated statistical data (by sex, age and, if possible, in terms of social origin and urban and rural areas) for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 on:

1.The number of children aged under 16 who are working,and the type of work in which they are engaged

58.See table 39 below.

Table 39

Incidence of child labour among children and adolescentsaged 5 to 15 years, 2005-2007

	2005	2006	2007
	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number
(i) By sex
Male	0.0603	69 541	0.0572	66 563	0.0485	55 952
Female	0.0174	19 727	0.0183	20 701	0.0121	13 342
Total	0.0390	89 269	0.0380	87 264	0.0308	69 294
(ii) By age group
5-9 years	0.0028	2 823	0.0036	3 602	0.0018	1 835
10-15 years	0.0669	86 446	0.0648	83 661	0.0542	67 459
Total	0.0390	89 269	0.0380	87 264	0.0308	69 294
(iii) By residential area
Urban	0.0386	54 708	0.0361	51 787	0.0292	41 829
Rural	0.0397	34 561	0.0412	35 477	0.0335	27 465
Total	0.0390	89 269	0.0380	87 264	0.0308	69 294
(iv) By type of workplace
Agriculture and livestock	0.1724	15 386	0.1951	17 025	0.2031	14 071
Mining and quarrying	0.0025	224	0.0000	0	0.0000	0
Industrial manufacturing	0.1443	12 884	0.1687	14 725	0.0784	5 430
Construction	0.0089	796	0.0278	2 426	0.0023	159
Trade, restaurants and hotels	0.4837	43 178	0.4333	37 812	0.5350	37 075
Transport and communications	0.0227	2 026	0.0257	2 245	0.0101	702
Finance and insurance	0.0000	0	0.0023	204	0.0079	545
Public administration, defence and other services	0.1655	14 774	0.1470	12 826	0.1633	11 313
Total	1.0000	89 268	1.0000	87 263	1.0000	69 295

Source: Prepared by the Economic and Social Analysis Consultancy Unit of the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Development with data from the labour force surveys of the Central Bank.

2.The number of children living or working in thestreet, and the type of assistance they receive

59.As noted in the general policy outline for the comprehensive protection of street children and adolescents in the Dominican Republic, published by the National Council for Children and Adolescents (preliminary version, p. 36), the National Survey of Child Labour has estimated that in 2000 there were a total of 436,000 children and adolescents engaged in some type of work in the Dominican Republic.

60.This total estimate, which constitutes one of the bases of the National Strategic Plan for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour in the Dominican Republic, 2006-2016, is greater than the one cited above and predates Government efforts to eradicate the worst forms of child labour, which are those that generally affect street children and adolescents. It implies a floating population that has not been covered by any study that would make it possible to quantify it separately from the general labour force. For the ILO/IPEC programme, the focus on the worst forms of child labour offers the most strategic focus for dealing with the situation of street children.

61.On the basis of the diagnosis set out in the aforementioned policy outline, institutional responses to the phenomenon of street children are those indicated below.

62.Chapter II of this report contains data on programmes dealing with the worst forms of child labour, many of which are implemented by the institutions mentioned in this section.

63.The Directorate-General of the armed forces providing shelter and accommodation for the social re‑education of children and adolescents (DIGFARCIN), which is attached to the Ministry of the Armed Forces, was established in 2003 under Decree No. 446-03. It operates three care centres:

(a)Ciudadela Libertador de Nazaret, in Las Matas de Farfán;

(b)Albergue Virgen de la Altagracia, in Barahona;

(c)The San Miguel work space, in Boca Chica.

64.Hogar Renacer provides care for girls and adolescents aged 11 to 17 years who are victims of physical, emotional or sexual abuse and/or negligence through an educational therapeutic programme comprising four phases based on psychosocial, pedagogical, work and art strategies.

65.The Movement for International Self-Development of Solidarity (MAIS-ECPAT), based in Puerto Plata, deals specifically with situations of commercial sexual exploitation which exist in that province in a context of poverty in a major tourist location. Its programmes for children and adolescents involve various forms of educational support and social awareness.

66.Rehabilitation of the Marginalized (REMAR) has specialized in providing support for children and adolescents at risk of ill-treatment and/or suffering from HIV; it can accommodate 120 children and adolescents in four homes:

(a)The Jeshua Children’s Home, for children aged 3 to 8;

(b)The Rebeca Home for Girls, for girls aged 3 to 17 who have been abandoned or suffered ill-treatment;

(c)The Siloé and Josué Homes for Adolescents, which can accommodate 50 and 18 adolescents respectively.

67.Consorcio NINA. With technical and financial support from Catholic Relief Services (CRS/Dominican Republic), this organization has vast extensive experience with street children in the Dominican Republic. With financing from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) it accounts for the largest volume of economic assistance provided to the Dominican Republic to date, for more than 3,000 street children and adolescents, and constitutes a model of inter-agency social coherence which promotes a systematic approach to dealing with the problem, starting with the creative professionalism and leadership of its institutional components, which are described in the table below.

Table 40

Programmes and services comprising the Consorcio NINA

Institution/target population	Programmes/services	Objectives/areas and phases of activity
Acción Callejera NGO Santiago (1989)* Working children aged 7-14 Average number of children and adolescents cared for per day: 30-50	Education in the street Youth centre Education in the neighbourhood Services : educational and emotional support, art education, recreation, legal support (documentation)	Identifying street children and observing their behaviour and activities Establishing relationships with children and adolescents Understanding the individual situations and circumstances of children and adolescents Introducing project activities and opportunities to children and adolescents Developing individual education plans for children and adolescents
Caminante NGO, Boca Chica (1994) Children and adolescents aged 8-18 at risk for commercial sexual exploitation	Services : scholarships for vocational/technical centres, schools supplies, study days, workshops and training courses, family and individual therapy, follow-up on cases of commercial sexual exploitation and abuse	Support for formal and vocational/technical education; fostering healthy family and community environments; recreational activities Comprehensive training: values, STDs, reproductive health, gender Promotion of rights: focus on teen mothers Preventive health (physical and mental) for children and adolescents Support for child and adolescent victims of commercial sexual exploitation: health, shelter, food, counselling, recreation, clothing.

Table 40 (continued)

Institution/target population	Programmes/services	Objectives/areas and phases of activity
Niños del Camino NGO Santo Domingo (1993)	Comprehensive intervention and care Prevention Awareness and political impact Services : Training, teaching materials, advocacy, legal assistance, family follow-up	Ensuring comprehensive health, humanistic education, vocational/technical training, sports, cultural activities, recreation, reintegration in society and the workforce Identification, referral and follow-up of situations of children at risk Promoting community alliances, strengthening protective mechanisms Developing strategic alliances and effective communication regarding rights
Quédate con Nosotros Programme run by the Salesian Order, Santo Domingo (2001) Children and adolescents aged 8-13 (less than 6 months on the street)	Street operation Shelter Reintegration in the family Services : Shelter (up to age  16), vocational guidance, psychological support, family support	Contacting and following up children who have recently left the streets Taking in such children and offering them a family environment and comprehensive education Preparing children’s reintegration in their families of origin or other home environment Providing children with “ Muchachos con Don Bosco ” training and education programmes
Yo También Pastoral youth programme organized by the Roman Catholic Church in Santo Domingo (1990) Temporary shelter for 30 children and adolescents	Services : Group, occupational, behavioural and educational therapy, humanistic and religious education, medical and legal assistance, recreation and sports facilities, support for integration in the workforce and the family	Helping all street children and adolescents to attain a sense of worth so that they can decide to return to their families, a foster family or an educational institution Making contact with street children and adolescents Providing a family environment within the programme shelter Promoting family reintegration

Source: Policy outline for the comprehensive protection of street children and adolescents in the Dominican Republic 2007-2012, National Council for Children and Adolescents.

* Dates in parenthesis indicate year established.

II. General measures of implementation

A.Please indicate which government body is responsible for coordinating the implementation of the Convention and the steps which have been taken to draw up a national plan for children (include existing sectoral plans).

68.Under Act No. 136-03 (art. 417 ff.), the National Council for Children and Adolescents is the Government body responsible for formulating, adopting, evaluating, inspecting, coordinating and following up public policies on children and adolescents, under the following terms of reference:

(a)Mission: to guarantee the fundamental rights of children and adolescents and foster full implementation of these rights in the Dominican Republic, through the formulation, coordination and follow-up of public policies;

(b)Vision: to act as lead agency in the national system for protecting of the rights of children and adolescents.

69.It therefore falls to the National Council for Children and Adolescents to initiate and promote procedures for the formulation and adoption of special protection policies, focused on caring for children and adolescents in situations of personal and social risk. Its National Board is a plural, inter-agency and intersectoral body National Board is responsible for managing administrative aspects of the national protection system, as described below.

Table 41

Management functions of the National Board of the National Council for Children and Adolescents (Act No. 136-03, art. 420)

I Managing the work of the national and regional offices, municipal boards and municipal offices that comprise the National Council for Children and Adolescents	III Ensuring the implementation in the context of administrative and judicial procedures, of mechanisms for the protection of children and adolescents whose rights are threatened or violated
II Coordinating and monitoring the design and implementation of the basic social welfare, care and protection policies of the National Board’s constituent bodies	IV Advising the State bodies responsible for ratifying international commitments, treaties, conventions and other instruments concerning children’s and adolescents’ rights to which the country adheres

Source: National Council for Children and Adolescents.

B.Please indicate the policies devised and programmes drawn up by the National Council for Children and Adolescents. Please indicate theprogrammes being implemented by the National Council.

70.In 2006 the national policy for the protection of children and adolescents living with HIV/AIDS was introduced jointly by the National Council and the Presidential Council on AIDS.

71.In 2007 the general policy outline for the comprehensive protection of street children and adolescents in the Dominican Republic 2007-2012 was introduced.

72.In conjunction with the programmes run by the National Council for Children and Adolescents as part of its strategy for early childcare services, the Comprehensive Care Programme - through its children’s centres for comprehensive care (CIANI) - provides services that systematically focus on a “comprehensive ecological model”.

73.The target population for this programme is children from 45 days to six years old who come from families with low incomes and/or belong to marginalized communities. Accordingly, its services are aimed at children, their families and the communities in which the centres are located. Governed by the principles of quality education for children (preschool level), the CIANI Comprehensive Care Programme, working with the corresponding bodies of the Ministry of Education, plays a role in ensuring mandatory school attendance from age six, providing the data for the multidisciplinary card and other information on children’s situations.

74.The total population covered by the CIANI Comprehensive Care Programme in 2004 is shown in the following table.

Table 42

Coverage of the CIANI Comprehensive Care Programme, 2004-2007

Sex	Year
2004	2005	2006	2007	Total
Male	3 432	2 783	2 260	4 956	13 431
Female	2 787	2 856	2 077	4 785	12 505
Total	6 219	5 639	4 337	9 741	25 936

Source: Children’s centres for comprehensive care (CIANI), National Council for Children and Adolescents

C.Please indicate how the sectoral and local action plans are coordinated, with specific regard to children.

75.The specialized regulatory framework established in the Dominican Republic in the last decade (see the second periodic report submitted to the Committee in January 2007) together with the body of basic legal instruments (conventions, acts, decrees and regulations) form the reference platform for the implementation of all rights-based policies, as shown in detail in the table below.

76.Local and sectoral action plans are coordinated through various inter-agency monitoring committees, which include the following:

(a)The Committee for the Right to a Name and Nationality;

(b)The Committee for the Execution of Justice for Children and Adolescents (CEJNNA);

(c)The Committee to Combat Commercial Sexual Exploitation;

(d)The Committee to Combat the Exploitation of Child Labour;

(e)The Committee to Combat Trade and Trafficking of Children and Adolescents.

77.As set out in the General policy outline for the comprehensive protection of street children and adolescents in the Dominican Republic 2007-2012, published by the National Council for Children and Adolescents (preliminary version, p. 38):

“these committees may identify existing departmental orders, resolutions and regulations that can be adapted to fully serve the rights of children and adolescents. The same holds for institutions of a collegiate nature, including established councils such as the National Council for Children and Adolescents, or the National Education Council, where each of the member institutions may bring influence to bear on each other”.

Table 43

Framework of public policies for children and familiesin the Dominican Republic

International conventions
United Nations : Convention on the Rights of the Child Millennium Declaration World Declaration on Education for All Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS Declaration of the World Summit for Children Framework for the Protection, Care and Support of Orphans and Vulnerable Children Living in a World with HIV and AIDS International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 77 concerning Medical Examination for Fitness for Employment in Industry of Children and Young Persons ILO Convention No. 79 concerning the Restriction of Night Work of Children and Young Persons in Non-Industrial Occupations ILO Convention No. 138 concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment ILO Convention No. 182 concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour World Health Organization/Pan American Health Organization : Health Agenda for the Americas
Acts	Decrees	Plans and programmes
Labour Code (No. 16-92)	No. 144-97 establishing the National Steering Committee to Combat Child Labour, and No. 566-01 (modifying/expanding the Committee)	“Making Progress” programme (Office of the First Lady)
AIDS Act (No. 55-93)		National plan to combat poverty
Breastfeeding Act (No. 8-96)
General Education Act (No. 66-97)	No. 476-01 and No. 477-01, which make childhood a Government priority, initiate reform of Act No. 14-94 and order a national plan to be drawn up	Programmes for conditional allowances (Social Policy Department)
Act No. 24-97 on domestic violence	No. 1082-04 establishing departments for institutional policy, economic policy, social policy, environmental policy and physical development policy	National Plan to Guarantee the Rights of Children and Adolescents (under review)
Act No. 86-99 establishing the Ministry for Women
Disability Act (No. 42-00)	No. 1073-04 establishing the Standardized System of Beneficiaries (SIUBEN), identifying families eligible to receive benefits under social programmes and public subsidies	National Strategic Plan for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, 2006-2016
Young Persons Act (No. 49-2000)	No. 536-05 establishing the Solidarity Programme within the social protection system	National Plan of Action to combat the commercial sexual exploitation of children and adolescents
Act establishing the Dominican Social Security System (No. 87-01)	No. 1554 establishing the social protection programme run by the Office of the President of the Republic	Ten-Year Education Plan 2007-2017

Table 43 (continued)

Acts	Decrees	Plans and Programmes
General Health Act (No. 42-01)	No. 570-05 establishing the Committee for Rationalizing and Restructuring the Social Sector, on which the technical team and advisors of the Social Policy Department serve, under the Vice ‑President of the Republic
Code for the protection of the rights of children and adolescents. (No. 136-03) (replaces Act No. 14-94)		Multiphase Programme for Equality in Primary Education  - education quality support project (PACE)
Human Trafficking Act (No. 137-03 )		Strategic agenda for health sector reform
		Plan for the implementation of the social security system

Source: National Council for Children and Adolescents (non-exhaustive list).

D.Please provide further updated information on the implementationand results of the measures and programmes to combat economic and sexual exploitation.

78.Among the activities of the National Strategic Plan for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour 2006-2016, which are coordinated by the Ministry of Labour, is the establishment of an information system in which the following bodies participate:

(a)Ministry of Public Health (which will use data collection tools that will include child labour variables);

(b)The Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (which has included child labour variables in the annual labour force survey);

(c)The National Statistical Office, which will also include child labour variables in its surveys and field studies.

79.As an illustration of this undertaking, some of the tables in this report include data compiled through this public information system.

80.In 2002 the Inter-Agency Commission on Abuse and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, which is chaired jointly by the Ministry of Labour and the National Council for Children and Adolescents and whose members include an additional 20 Government institutions, NGOs and international bodies, reformulated the National Plan of Action to Combat Abuse and Commercial Sexual Exploitation, incorporating the recommendations of the second World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (held in 2001 in Yokohama, Japan).

81.This Plan of Action enjoyed the support of ILO, through its International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC), in the form of programmes and projects designed to remove children and adolescents from the worst forms of child labour. The areas/sectors where impact has been greatest are:

(a)Programmes in high-risk agricultural sectors in Constanza (vegetables), San Juan de la Maguana (beans), San José de Ocoa (coffee), Azua (tomatoes) and the provinces of Duarte and María Trinidad Sánchez (rice);

(b)Programmes to prevent and eliminate commercial sexual exploitation of children and adolescents in the municipalities of Boca Chica, Sosúa and Las Terrenas;

(c)Programmes to prevent and eliminate the worst forms of child labour on sugar cane plantations (bateyes) in Barahona and San Pedro de Macorís;

(d)Programmes to prevent and eliminate the employment of children as domestic staff in homes outside their families in Santiago, Villa Altagracia and Santo Domingo;

(e)Programmes to prevent and eliminate urban child labour in Santo Domingo.

82.Further details are to be found in the following table, provided by the Ministry of Labour and ILO/IPEC (2006), which lists the programmes and shows the links between the bodies implementing them.

Table 44

Programmes to combat the worst forms of child labour

Area of implementation	Implementing agencies
Commercial sexual exploitation
Boca Chica	(DIGFARCIN)Family Institute (IDEFA)Caminante educational project
Sosúa	MAIS-ECPAT
Las Terrenas	Fundación Azúcar, Inc.
	Hazardous child labour in agriculture
Azua	Grupo Ambiental Hábitat (GAH)Instituto de Desarrollo y Salud Integral, Inc. (INDESUI)World Vision
Constanza	Acción para la Educación Básica (EDUCA)Coordinadora Iberoamericana para la Acciónsociocultural (CASCO)

Table 44 (continued)

Area of implementation	Implementing agencies
San Francisco de Macorís	Caritas-Pastoral SocialInstituto de Desarrollo de la Economía Asociativa (IDEAC)
San José de Ocoa	Asociación para el Desarrollo de San José de Ocoa, Inc.(ADESIO)
San Juan de la Maguana	PLAN International
Worst forms of child labour on sugar plantations (BATEYES)
Barahona	World Vision
San Pedro de Macorís	Fundación Universo y Comunidad (FUNICOM)
Informal urban work
Santo Domingo	Muchachas y Muchachos con Don BoscoCentro de Investigación para la Acción Femenina (CIPAF)
Santiago	Acción Callejera
Villa Altagracia	Casa de la Mujer Villaltagraciana (CAMUVA)

Source: 2001-2006 Logros y Alcances (2001-2006 Achievements and advances), Ministry of Labour and ILO/IPEC.

E.Please indicate the status of the process of reform of the Criminal Code.What changes are proposed which affect children and adolescents?

83.In 2006 the revised Criminal Code was submitted to Congress, both chambers of which adopted it, after pressure was exerted by various sectors on issues such as the possible legalization of abortion.

84.The Committee for the Execution of Justice for Children and Adolescents and the Inter‑Agency Commission on Abuse and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children have called for offences of abuse or commercial sexual exploitation to be suitably punished. They have requested the abolition of the provision of the revised Criminal Code allowing criminal proceedings against a perpetrator of abuse to become void if the perpetrator marries the victim.

85.Offences against children and adolescents must therefore be defined and severe penalties must be provided, as is done in Act No. 136-03.

F.What steps has the State taken to collect statisticaldata froma children’s rights perspective?

86.National surveys continue to be published, such as the ENHOGAR survey conducted by the National Statistical Office, two editions of which (2005 and 2006) have already been produced. The preliminary version of the 2006 survey, conducted in conjunction with UNICEF, is now available and its findings will be used, inter alia, to assess attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.

G.What use has been made of allocations for children in the national budget?

87.The most significant achievement in this area is the establishment of “protected programmes”, as described in the reply to question 3 in section I.A, of the list of issues. In a country with a limited budget for social expenditure, guaranteeing the annual execution of the draft budget and public expenditure act presents a huge challenge in terms of the consistency of public policy.

H.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.

88.Linked as they are to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals, the goals of the National Plan to guarantee the rights of children and adolescentsand other regulatory frameworks referred to in this report, the following have been identified as synergetic priorities:

(a)Extending coverage of early childcare and preschool education;

(b)Increasing rates of continued school attendance through improved quality indicators at the preschool, primary and secondary levels;

(c)Significantly reducing, then eradicating, the worst forms of child labour;

(d)Providing a greater number of Dominican children and adolescents with birth certificates;

(e)Providing greater support to families living in extreme poverty, while taking all the above-mentioned priorities into account.

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