Committee on the Rights of the Child

Sixtieth session

29 May–15 June 2012

Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child

List of issues concerning additional and updated information related to the consideration of the combined third and fourth periodic reports of Cyprus (CRC/C/CYP/3-4)

The State party is requested to submit in writing additional, updated information, if possible before 1 March 2012.

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).

1.Please provide detailed updated information on measures taken by the State party to enact comprehensive legislation to implement all rights under the Convention in its national law and policy.

2.Please provide information on measures taken by the State party to ensure the adequacy and autonomy of the human, technical and financial resources provided to the Commissioner for the Protection of Children’s Rights for the effective and independent monitoring of the Convention’s implementation.

3.Please provide information on measures, if any, taken by the State party to establish a coherent system for comprehensively collecting and analysing disaggregated data covering all areas of the Convention that, inter alia, takes into account ethnicity, gender, age, geographic location and socio-economic background.

4.Please indicate measures taken by the State party to ensure the effective dissemination of the Convention and to measure the level of awareness among all professionals working with or for children, particularly:

(a)Professionals in the education system, including in the context of the right of the child to participate and to be heard in the managing and structuring of the education system and in disciplinary proceedings in schools;

(b)Social welfare services professionals, including in the context of giving full consideration to the best interests of the child;

(c)Law professionals, including in the context of ensuring that the principle of the best interests of the child is taken into account as a procedural and substantial issue, and with regard to the direct applicability of the Convention;

(d)Health service and immigration and asylum service professionals, with particular focus on children in vulnerable situations.

5.Please provide detailed information on the eligibility of children between 16 and 18 years of age for care by the Social Welfare Servicesand protection from cruelty under section 54 of the State party’s Children’s Law.

6.Please provide information on the mechanism, if any, that the State party has for specifically coordinating and ensuring the implementation of measures for addressing the needs of children with disabilities.

7.Please provide information on measures, if any, taken by the State party to ensure the right of the child to be heard both inside the family as well as in public life, particularly in judicial, administrative or other procedures relevant to children.

8.Please provide detailed updated information on the State party’s adoption laws and policies, including specific information on:

(a)The provision of pre- and post-adoption services, including preparation and/or training for prospective parents;

(b)Adoption procedures and protection measures for children in migration situations, both regular and irregular;

(c)Any measures undertaken to revise and update its relevant legislation, giving priority to the principle of the best interests of the child and the right of the child to be heard.

9.Please provide updated information on progress, if any, to enact legislation regulating surrogate motherhood and intercountry adoption. In doing so, please also provide information on current practices and socio-cultural perceptions regarding the above.

10.Please provide detailed information on measures taken, if any, to address the problems of increasing obesity and consumption of alcohol, tobacco, drugs and other harmful substances among children.

11.Please provide information on the provision of a Refugee Identity Card and its related benefits for children of displaced persons.

12.Please provide details on measures taken to ensure adequate labour standards, in particular for children above 15 years of age and in the context of short-term domestic work in private households.

13.Please provide updated information on the status of the State party’s 2009 draft law on juvenile offenders.

Part II

Under this section, the State Party is to briefly (three pages maximum) update the information provided in its report with regard to:

(a)Newly implemented policies, programmes and plans and their scope;

(b)Newly established institutions or institutional reforms and the respective mandates;

(c)Newly developed training programmes for professionals working with children;

(d)Newly enacted bills and their regulations;

(e)Newly ratified human rights instruments.

Part III

Data, statistics and other information, if available

1.Please provide data, including the rates of occurrence and prosecution of offenders, on racially motivated attacks against children in situations of ethnic minority or migration.

2.Please provide data, disaggregated by age, sex, ethnic origin and socio-economic status, on the prevalence of child trafficking.

3.Please provide data on the number of children separated from their families. In doing so, please include information on:

(a)Reasons for the separation;

(b)Type of placement allocated;

(c)Body/organization providing such placement;

(d)Duration of such placement.

4.Please provide data, disaggregated by age, sex, ethnic origin and socio-economic status, on cases of violence in the family.

5.Please provide data, disaggregated by age, sex, ethnic origin and socio-economic status, on cases of exploitation of children, including in the context of economic and sexual exploitation.

6.Please provide data on the numbers of unaccompanied minors being placed in detention and the duration of such detention.

7.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.