COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILDFifty first session25 May - 12 June 2009

OPTIONAL PROTOCOL ON THE INVOLVEMENT OF CHILDREN IN ARMED CONFLICT

List of issues to be taken up in connection with the consideration of the initial report of Slovenia (CRC/C/OPAC/SVN/1)

The State party is requested to submit in written form additional and updated information, if possible, before 6 April 2009.

With reference to paragraph 13 of the State party’s report, please indicate whether the proposed change to the Slovenian Armed Forces Act prohibiting persons under 18 from joining the armed forces in all circumstances, including state of war and state of emergency, has entered into force.

Please inform the Committee whether Slovenia assumes extra-territorial jurisdiction over war crimes which involve conscripting or enlisting children under the age of 15 into armed forces or using them to participate actively in hostilities. Please also indicate whether Slovenian courts have jurisdiction in case of compulsory recruitment or involvement in hostilities of a person under 18 if committed outside Slovenia or against a Slovenian citizen.

Please clarify whether the State party’s legislation recognizes the criminal liability of legal persons for the acts and activities enumerated in the Optional Protocol.

Please provide information on the role played by the Ombudsperson on the Rights of the Child, in implementing the Optional Protocol and/or monitoring its implementation. Please indicate, in particular, whether the Ombudsperson or any has the mandate to receive complaints from, or on behalf, of children on violations of the Optional Protocol.

GE.09-41011

Please provide disaggregated data (including by sex, age and country of origin) covering the years 2007 and 2008 on the number of asylum-seeking children coming to Slovenia from areas where children may have been recruited or used in hostilities. In this respect, please also provide information on measures adopted with regard to physical and psychological recovery and social reintegration of refugee, asylum-seeking and migrant children entering Slovenia who may have been recruited to armed forces or used in hostilities abroad.

Please provide information on methods used to identify children who may have been recruited into armed forces or used in hostilities abroad among asylum-seeking children from countries affected by armed conflict.

Please inform the Committee whether national legislation prohibits the sale of arms when the final destination is a country where children are known to be, or may potentially be, recruited or used in hostilities and if not, whether a consideration is given to the possibility of adopting such legislation.

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