Committee on the Rights of the Child

Sixty- fourth session

16 September–4 October 2013

Item 4 of the provisional agenda

Consideration of reports of States parties

List of issues in relation to the initial report of Tuvalu (CRC/C/TUV/1)

The State party is requested to submit in writing additional, updated information, if possible before 1July 2013.

The Committee may take up all aspects of children’s rights contained in the Convention during the dialogue with the State party.

Part I

In this section, the State party is requested to submit its responses to the following questions (30 pages maximum).

Please provide information on the measures taken by the State party to harmonize its domestic legislation with the principles and provisions of the Convention, and on the status of the draft Family Protection Bill.

Please provide information on the measures taken by the State party to promote the best interest of the child and the respect for the views of the child in decision-making processes at the community level.

Please clarify what birth registration procedures are in place and provide information on the measures taken to ensureeffective birth registration of all children, particularly in outer islands.

Please provide information on the measures taken by the State party to prevent children from access to harmful information, such as violent and pornographic materials, through the Internet and media.

Please indicate whether the State party intends to repeal all provisions that condone corporal punishment; to adopt legislation prohibiting corporal punishment in all settings; and to promote alternative disciplinary methods.

Please indicate whether the State party considers adopting comprehensive legislation on domestic violence to provide its domestic violence unit with the necessary means to effectively investigate all domestic and sexual violence cases. Please also inform the Committee of the measures taken to improve reporting of domestic and sexual violence against children.

Please provide information on the content and the implementation of the inclusive education policy within the Tuvalu Education Strategic Plan II (2011-2015). Please also provide detailed information on the measures taken by the State party to improve education for all children with disabilities, including access to school buildings and facilities.

Please provide information on the measures taken to reduceunder-five child mortality; to improve children’s health conditions, including nutrition; and to ensure equitable health services and facilities in all outer islands.

Please provide information on sexual and reproductive health education and services available for adolescents and on the measures taken to reduce teenage pregnancy. Please also provide information on the progress made by the State party with the implementation of and follow-up to the 1984 Alcoholic Drink Act and the 2008 Tobacco Control Act and other measures taken to tackle the issues of drug and alcohol abuse, and tobacco use, among children.

Please provide information on the measures taken and foreseen to minimize the impact of climate change on the enjoyment of children’s rights, in particular measures to protect children in emergency situations and to secure safe drinking water and sanitation.

Please provide information on the measures taken to eliminate hidden costs and extra fees that have a negative impact on school attendance of children from the most disadvantaged families. Please also provide updated information on the measures taken to improve the quality of education, including teacher training.

Please provide updated information on the case of a child sentenced to life in prison in 2003 (High Court case No. 5 of 2003, 26 September 2003), and on the measures taken to reform the legislation with a view to prohibitingthe sentencing of children to life imprisonment.

Part II

In this section the Committee invites the State party to briefly (three pages maximum) update the information presented in its report with regard to:

(a)New bills or laws, and their respective regulations;

(b)New institutions (and their mandates) or institutional reforms;

(c)Recently introduced policies, programmes and action plans and their scope and financing;

(d)Recent ratifications of human rights instruments.

Part III

Data, statistics and other information, if available

Please provide, if available, updated statistical data (disaggregated by age, sex, geographic location and socioeconomic background) for the last three years on:

(a)The number of children with disabilities and the number of those who enjoy access to education;

(b)The number of children adopted through the customary adoption system;

(c)The numbers of children with obesity, and children affected by non-communicable disease, including diabetes;

(d)The number of adolescents affected by sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS, and by tobacco use and drug and alcohol abuse;

(e)The number of teenage pregnancies;

(f)The numbers of enrolment and retention of children in preschool, primary, secondary and vocational education establishments.

2.Please provide updated statistics of violence against children (both boys and girls), including sexual abuse, for the last three years, including the number of cases reported to the police, the number of cases brought to trial and the number of prosecutions.

3.Please provide the Committee with an update of any data in the report which may have been outdated by more recent data collected or other new developments.

4.In addition, the State party may list areas affecting children that it considers to be of priority with regard to the implementation of the Convention.