Committee on the Rights of the Child

Fifty -seventh session

30 May–17 June 2011

Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child

List of issues concerning additional and updated information related to the consideration of the fourth periodic report of Costa Rica (CRC/C/CRI/4)

The State party is requested to submit additional and updated information in written form, if possible before 28 March 2011.

The Committee may take up any aspect of children’s rights recognized in the Convention during the dialogue with the State party.

Part I

Under this section the State party is requested to submit replies to the following issues, not exceeding 30 pages.

1.Please indicate whether the National Policy on Children and Adolescents, 2009–2021, covers all aspects of the Convention and its two optional protocols, from a perspective that views children and adolescents as subjects of rights. Please also indicate:

(a)Whether the application of this policy is viewed as a binding responsibility of the current administration and whether the State party intends, in the near future, to publish the decree by which the policy was instituted as part of the national development plan;

(b)The measures taken by the State party to give effect to the policy in terms of objectives, plans, strategies, budgetary implications, monitoring systems, participation schemes for children and adolescents, etc., at both national and municipal levels.

2.Please indicate what impact the Social Protection and Economic Stimulus Plan has had on reducing poverty and inequality and strengthening institutions and programmes for children. In future austerity plans, what protection will there be for children and appropriations for the National System for the Protection of Children? What plans will be adopted to reduce poverty levels affecting one out of every three children under 12 years of age?

3.Please indicate and describe the measures taken by the State party to improve coordination among the institutions that constitute the National System for the Comprehensive Protection of the Rights of Children and Adolescents and to ensure effectiveness at all levels of government. In particular:

(a)Please explain the role of the National Council on Children and Adolescents and how it relates to the leadership role of the National Child Protection Agency in the protection of children at risk;

(b)Please indicate how the Act on the transfer of powers to municipal authorities, 2010, will be implemented to ensure effective coordination and allocation of resources to the National Policy on Children and Adolescents and the National System for the Comprehensive Protection of the Rights of Children and Adolescents. In this regard, please provide more information on the National Child Protection Agency’s Institutional Strategic Plan, 2008–2012, with respect to expanding coverage to all of the country’s municipalities in order to improve local protection systems and strengthen committees to safeguard the rights of the child.

4.Please indicate the steps taken to implement the national statistical information system on the rights of children and adolescents, especially with respect to children at risk (indigenous children, migrant children, those living in poverty, with disabilities, etc.).

5.Please provide information on plans to expand the early childhood care network (National Care and Development Network) to cover all children in the target age group. How will this objective be achieved? How will it tie in with the transition to school? Are there any studies that can help shape this policy or any programmes adapted to the different circumstances that may allow a system of indicators to be established?

6.Please provide more information on the National Plan for the Prevention of Violence and the Promotion of Peace (2007), especially with regard to the implementation of the communities without fear networks. How does this plan relate to plans to prevent and control drug trafficking and consumption and trafficking in persons? What measures are being taken to ensure that the perpetrators of trafficking in persons are duly prosecuted, tried and punished in a manner commensurate with the gravity of the offence?

7.In view of recent legislation defining the most dangerous forms of child labour, please indicate any plans adopted for its application and for implementing the road map adopted at the Central American level. In particular, please provide more information on measures taken to improve and regulate domestic work and to prohibit commercial sexual exploitation, bearing in mind the recommendations of the Committee regarding implementation of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.

8.Please provide information on the extension and outcomes of multicultural bilingual education in various indigenous areas of the country.

9.Please indicate the specific steps the State party is taking to tackle school dropout. Please also indicate any plans the State party has to ensure that the primary education system is fully compatible with the secondary education system so that transition does not constitute an obstacle to children and adolescents continuing their studies. Please indicate whether the “Avancemos” (“Let’s get ahead”) programme has been evaluated and, if so, please provide information in this regard.

10.Please indicate what effective measures are being taken to eliminate the situation of discrimination and vulnerability to which children and adolescents from the indigenous group Ngobe Bugle are subjected.

11.Please provide information on programmes and policies specially designed to ensure respect for the rights of indigenous children, including those of Nicaraguan nationality.

12.Please explain why there is still a private adoption system parallel to the one run by the National Child Protection Agency and indicate what steps the State party is taking to strengthen mechanisms to monitor adoptions within the Agency system. Please elaborate on plans to implement international commitments and national legislation reforming family law.

13.Please provide specific information on progress in implementing the recommendations made by the Committee in its previous concluding observations regarding the implementation of the two optional protocols to the Convention.

Part II

In this section the Committee invites the State party to provide a brief update (no more than three pages in length) on the information presented in its report regarding:

(a) New bills or enacted legislation and any accompanying regulations;

(b) New institutions, their mandates and funding;

(c) Newly adopted and implemented policies and programmes and their scope;

(d) Newly ratified human rights instruments.

Part III

Statistical and other information, if available .

14.Please provide data for 2007, 2008 and 2009, disaggregated by age, sex, ethnic origin and municipality on:

(a)The number of child victims of violence, including victims of sexual abuse, the number of victims who have received assistance and the number of perpetrators convicted;

(b)The number of complaints received regarding deaths, torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment inflicted on children, and the number of complaints that have led to investigations and prosecutions, and the penalties incurred by the perpetrators;

(c)The number of pregnant girls and girl mothers, either attending school or not.

15.Please provide data for 2007, 2008 and 2009, disaggregated by age, sex, ethnic origin and region, on the number of child abuse victims, including victims of sexual abuse. Please also supply data on court decisions, the number of victims who have received assistance and the number of perpetrators convicted.

16.Please provide accurate, detailed data, disaggregated by age, sex, ethnic origin and region, for 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 on:

(a)The number of complaints received regarding deaths, torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment inflicted on children;

(b)The number of complaints that have led to investigations and prosecutions, and the penalties incurred by the perpetrators.

17.Please provide data for 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, disaggregated by age, sex, ethnic origin and region, on children receiving different types of alternative care in residential settings and specify the type of care being provided.

18.Please provide data for 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, disaggregated by age, sex, ethnic origin and region, on domestic and intercountry adoptions.