COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD

Thirty-sixth session

SUMMARY RECORD OF THE 960th MEETING

Held at the Palais Wilson, Geneva,

on Wednesday, 26 May 2004, at 3 p.m.

Chairperson: Mr. DOEK

CONTENTS

CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS OF STATES PARTIES (continued)

Second periodic report of Myanmar (continued)

The meeting was called to order at 3.05 p.m.

CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS OF STATES PARTIES (continued)

Second periodic report of Myanmar (continued) (CRC/C/70/Add.21; CRC/C/Q/MMR/2; CRC/C/RESP/59)

At the invitation of the Chairperson, Ms. Aye Aye Mu, Mr. Ba Hla Aye, Ms. Khin Aye Win, Mr. Khin Maung Lay, Ms. Khin Myo Myint, Mr. Kyaw Thu Nyein, Ms. May May Yi, Mr. Mya Than, Mr. Myint Thu, Mr. San Shwe Win, Mr. Sit Aye, Mr. Sit Myaing, Mr. Tha Aung Nyun, Mr. Tin Nyo and Mr. Win Mra (Myanmar) took places at the Committee table.

Ms. ORTIZ asked what measures had been taken to ensure that children remained with their families, and what policies had been implemented to help parents to fulfil their responsibilities. She enquired what support was available to parents who separated, and whether such support was free of charge and accessible nationwide. Additional information on assistance to single mothers should be provided. The State party should clarify the allegedly high incidence of violence against women, particularly among communities living in the interior. She did not understand why mothers returned to work in the Yangon glass factories only days after giving birth; moreover, they took their infants with them, even though there was no protection from intense heat and dust. Further details on the trafficking of girls for labour and prostitution would be useful.

She asked whether any measures had been taken to encourage children living in institutions to maintain links with their families, and what progress had been made in reducing the number of children in institutions. She wondered whether there were any plans to separate children living in institutions according to their situation, in order to provide more appropriate solutions to the problems faced by children and adolescents. The reporting State should clarify whether the quality of care and facilities in such institutions was monitored, and whether there was a body that ensured that children remained in institutions only on a temporary basis. It was difficult to understand why Myanmar’s adoption laws were still not in conformity with the Convention. The State party should ratify the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in respect of Intercountry Adoption and cooperate with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in order to bring its legislation into line with the Convention.

Ms. MAY MAY YI (Myanmar) said that human rights education was taught only at secondary school, since the authorities considered that younger children would not be able to understand the principles involved. Human rights had only been introduced into the curriculum in the 2003/2004 academic year.

The number of women permitted to study medicine and engineering had not been restricted on the grounds of gender but because of the nature of the work involved, and because few women wanted to work as medics in remote areas of the country. Men’s access to nursing school was also restricted.

Mr. MYA THAN (Myanmar) said that the methodology used to assess health systems published by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2000 had since been discredited. The results of the assessments that had been carried out were therefore unreliable.

A number of independent non‑governmental organizations (NGOs) also operated in Myanmar, and the Government promoted such organizations.

Measures had been taken to encourage children’s creativity. Nationwide programmes had been broadcasted in which children of all ages participated in games, songs and quizzes, and voiced their opinions.

The draft resolution on Myanmar considered at the sixtieth session of the Commission on Human Rights had been amended after attention had been drawn to the Government’s cooperation with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and other organizations. Although there had been reports that about half a million people had been infected with HIV in Myanmar, a WHO survey on HIV/AIDS in the Asia-Pacific region indicated that in 2001 there had been between 177,279 and 238,605 people living with HIV in Myanmar.

Mr. WIN MRA (Myanmar) said that there was no discrimination on the grounds of religion. There was no racial group known as Rohingya in Myanmar.

Mr. KHIN MAUNG LAY (Myanmar) said that, as a practising Muslim, his presence before the Committee as a representative of Myanmar was testimony that discrimination on the grounds of religion did not exist in his country. Reports that Muslim girls were obliged to obtain permission to marry, and had to pay for their birth certificates, were unfounded.

The CHAIRPERSON said that the origin of the people living in the northern part of Rakhine state should be clarified. He asked whether they required permits to travel within Myanmar.

Mr. KHIN MAUNG LAY (Myanmar) said that, since they were foreigners, the people living in northern Rakhine state required permission to travel from one locality to another.

The CHAIRPERSON asked why such people were still stateless, given that they had lived in Myanmar for many years. It was unclear whether children born to those people in Myanmar were also stateless.

Ms. VUKOVIC-SAHOVIC said that, in paragraph 62 of its report (CRC/C/70/Add.21), the State party had asserted that there was “no cause for any child in Myanmar to be stateless”.

Mr. MYA THAN (Myanmar) said that, on crossing the border into Myanmar, foreigners were issued identity cards. Foreigners who resided in Myanmar for five years could apply for associate citizenship; State systems provided for their welfare.

Ms. KHIN MYO MYINT (Myanmar) said that the 1982 Citizenship Act provided for three categories of citizenship. Both associate and naturalized citizens enjoyed the same rights as full citizens, except as stipulated by the Government.

Ms. CHUTIKUL asked whether a child one of whose parents was a citizen of Myanmar while the other was a foreigner, was automatically granted citizenship of Myanmar.

Ms. KHIN MYO MYINT (Myanmar) said that such children were not automatically entitled to citizenship. If the foreign parent obtained Myanmar citizenship, the child would automatically be granted citizenship.

Mr. SAN SHWE WIN (Myanmar) said that many measures had been taken to combat discrimination on the grounds of religion, particularly with regard to Muslim children. There had been a significant increase in the number of schools and teachers in the two townships where most Muslims lived, and school enrolment figures for Muslim children had risen sharply. While the Myanmar language was the medium of instruction in all schools, children of minority groups were permitted to use their own language and maintain their traditions, and teachers who spoke minority languages had been recruited to enable young children to communicate at school.

A joint project had been launched with UNICEF to promote a shift from traditional teaching methods to a child-centred approach. Monastic education institutions were affiliated to State schools to ensure adequate quality of instruction; such institutions were open to children of all religions. The plan developed by the Education for All project, with assistance from NGOs and UNICEF, had been adopted by the Government. Internet access had been provided in 100 schools nationwide, and several electronic learning centres and multimedia classrooms had been set up.

While birth registration was managed by the Department of Health, local councils had the authority to issue birth certificates. In order to extend coverage to the whole country, the registration procedure had been revised for the period 2001-2005.

The presence of armed groups in the Kayin state made it very difficult for the Government to gain access to half of that region. It was hoped that the current peace talks would lead to a ceasefire, and that the Government would be able to launch an educational campaign in that region.

Government spending accounted for only 13.6 per cent of the total expenditure on health; the vast majority of health spending was funded by private sources. The Ministry of Health was currently working with WHO to set up a national health account for Myanmar. A National Health Plan for the period 2001-2006 was being implemented.

A recent survey by the Ministry of Health indicated that the under-five mortality rate was 66.1 per 1,000 live births, the infant mortality rate was 49.7 per 1,000 live births and the maternal mortality rate was 1.8 per 1,000 births.

Although there was only one specialized hospital for the disabled in Myanmar, each of the country’s 26 general hospitals had a physical medicine unit and all of the 63 district hospitals were equipped to provide physiotherapy.

Shortly after the first report of HIV infection in 1988, an HIV/AIDS prevention programme had been launched. More recent developments included the introduction of a programme to prevent mother-to-child transmission and a scheme to provide antiretroviral treatment to people infected with HIV. Confidential counselling and testing services were provided throughout the country. In 2002, a workshop for people with HIV/AIDS had been organized with the support of UNAIDS and various governmental and non-governmental organizations. It had been estimated that, at the end of 2001, 177,279 people had been living with HIV/AIDS in Myanmar. Although, in one area of the country, 2.2 per cent of mothers were infected with HIV, the national rate of infection among mothers was much lower. An exhibition on HIV/AIDS prevention and control had recently been inaugurated. It was expected that US$ 30 million would be made available to Myanmar over a five-year period for HIV/AIDS control and prevention activities under the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Approximately 70 per cent of the population currently had access to safe drinking water, and 90 per cent had access to adequate sanitary disposal facilities. The sanitation coverage rate fluctuated because most facilities were built using local materials such as bamboo, which were not durable.

Although Myanmar had a sufficient food supply, lack of knowledge about proper nutrition and the prevalence of communicable diseases meant that a significant percentage of the population suffered from some form of protein energy malnutrition, or iodine, iron or vitamin A deficiency. A recent survey had shown that 56 per cent of pregnant women were anaemic. Various programmes, supported by the Australian Government, were addressing the problem.

Although over 90 per cent of mothers in Myanmar breastfed their babies, the rate of exclusive breastfeeding was low: between 20 and 40 per cent.

Health committees had been established in all townships and districts throughout the country. All hospitals had a supervisory health committee comprising representatives of both the public and private sectors, and religious leaders.

Ms. AL-THANI asked why there was such a marked difference between urban and rural mortality rates and why marginalized areas that became inaccessible during the rainy season did not have their own health services. She wished to know why over half of all women preferred to give birth at home. Further information should be provided about adolescent health, including mental health, tobacco and drug abuse, and teenage pregnancy.

The CHAIRPERSON asked what steps were being taken to reduce disparities between rural and urban health care.

Mr. SIT AYE (Myanmar) said that a very small percentage of the 70,000 drug users in Myanmar were children. Between 2000 and 2003, only nine children had received medical treatment for drug abuse. In addition to the 40 drug treatment centres run by the Ministry of Health, 2 detoxification and rehabilitation centres had been established specifically to help young drug users. Another centre was currently being built in the northern part of Shan state, where there was a particularly high rate of drug consumption. One of the aims of the national drug elimination programme for the period 1999-2014 was to reduce the illicit supply of drugs in Myanmar by providing drug substitutes for users and introducing replacement crops for opium producers. Since 1996, opium production had been reduced by over 80 per cent. It was hoped that the northern part of Shan state would be opium-free by 2005. Drug-related harm reduction programmes, sponsored by the European Union and the Government of Australia, had been introduced in 20 townships.

Mr. SAN SHWE WIN (Myanmar) said that the number of rural health centres had recently doubled, and there were currently more than 1,400 such centres. Each centre was staffed by a trained health assistant. There were also some 5,000 sub-rural health centres staffed by trained midwives. It was hoped that such improvements would encourage health professionals to accept jobs in rural areas.

It was customary for women in Myanmar to give birth at home. Women who chose home delivery were assisted either by a midwife or one of the country’s 400,000 auxiliary midwives, who worked on a voluntary basis.

Myanmar’s adolescent health programme was still in its initial stages. One of its aims was to raise awareness among young people of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Mr. LIWSKI asked to what extent health committees had the authority to take decisions regarding the provision of local health services. He wished to know whether those committees consulted young people with a view to designing health policies that met the needs of adolescents.

Mr. SAN SHWE WIN (Myanmar) said that health committees prioritized the health problems specific to their region and made suggestions on how to address those problems. To date, no young people had been directly involved in the work of those committees.

Mr. SIT MYAING (Myanmar) said that, although most disabled children in Myanmar lived with their families, 12 institutions provided care for some 1,342 children with disabilities. Ten of those institutions provided residential care. Although all of the institutions provided free primary education, a number of children from those institutions attended mainstream schools.

A programme to promote early childhood care and development education at the community and family levels had been implemented by the Government in cooperation with a number of NGOs. Efforts were being made to encourage private-sector involvement in that area.

Children who were unable to attend regular schools were encouraged to attend evening classes. Those classes were run by voluntary organizations with the Government’s support.

Ms. KHIN AYE WIN (Myanmar) said that children who lost both parents were usually cared for by a member of their extended family and were sent to institutions only as a last resort. The Government’s efforts to promote a system of foster care had been unsuccessful.

There was no government service to support families - including single mothers, of which there were very few in Myanmar - in need of financial assistance. However, most families received the help they needed from the community. In cases of divorce, a woman could apply for maintenance payments from her husband.

To the best of her knowledge, there were no cases of violence against women.

Although some of the women working in Yangon glass factories chose to take their newborn infants to work, most working mothers left them in the care of a member of the community or the extended family. Some communities had set up nurseries.

The duty of parents to give their children in marriage to suitable persons was part of Buddhist tradition and was not a legal obligation.

Mr. TIN NYO (Myanmar) said that measures had been taken to reduce the number of untrained teachers in Myanmar. The country’s teacher training colleges had recently been upgraded and currently provided two-year pre-service training courses and correspondence courses. To date, 83 per cent of primary school teachers had received professional training. School curricula were reviewed on an annual basis to ensure that the subjects taught were relevant to students. Textbooks were designed accordingly.

Ms. LEE said that the delegation should comment on reports of the use of forced labour, especially in areas near the border. The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar had drawn attention to indications that children had been forcibly conscripted into Myanmar’s armed forces and into insurgent armies. She requested information on measures taken to prevent that practice. She wished to know why the Special Rapporteur’s request to visit Myanmar in 2003 had been refused on two separate occasions.

Ms. VUKOVIC-SAHOVIC asked whether Myanmar had specialized juvenile judges. She was concerned that child beggars and homeless children were punishable by law, and she wished to know what measures the Government had taken to change its legislation in that regard. Reports that minors were being conscripted into military service and were being used as porters were a matter of grave concerns.

She commended Myanmar on the establishment of the Committee on the Prevention of the Recruitment of Child Soldiers.

She asked whether the Government was aware of any human rights violations perpetrated by members of the armed forces against the civilian population. If so, she wished to know what measures had been taken to prevent such conduct.

Ms. SMITH asked whether it was true that juveniles were detained in prison labour camps for minor offences. She requested information on alternative measures to imprisonment. Although Myanmar legislation prohibited the pre-trial detention of minors, cases had been reported of detention exceeding two weeks. She asked whether legal counsel for minors was free of charge in cases other that those involving capital punishment.

Ms. SARDENBERG asked whether there were demobilization and integration programmes for former child soldiers and whether Myanmar intended to ratify the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict. She wished to know what measures the Government was taking to prevent trafficking in women and children.

The delegation had not replied to her question concerning the expulsion of pupils. She asked whether children’s right to be heard was respected in such cases.

Mr. KOTRANE asked what measures had been taken to reduce the high numbers of working children between the ages of 10 and 14. He asked whether Myanmar had a labour inspection system to protect children from unsafe or unhealthy working conditions and to reduce child labour.

He was concerned at the extremely low minimum age of criminal responsibility. The application of capital punishment to 16- and 17-year-olds contravened the provisions of the Convention. He wished to know whether law enforcement officers and members of the judiciary received training in children’s rights and child protection.

Mr. CITARELLA expressed concern that 16-year-olds could be sentenced to death or life imprisonment and that children as young as 7 could be sentenced to a maximum of seven years imprisonment. He was also concerned at the absence of a juvenile justice system.

It was alarming that children whose character was deemed to be in need of reform were sent to training schools that appeared to be de facto detention centres. Over 3,000 children were currently detained in such centres and they had no right of appeal.

He asked whether whipping was used as a punishment for children tried in adult courts.

Ms. CHUTIKUL asked whether there was a national action plan against trafficking in children, and whether the Government planned to conclude multilateral agreements on that subject with other countries in the region.

Ms. KHATTAB said that she was concerned at allegations of the systematic forcible recruitment of children into the national army. Those children were reportedly routinely beaten and humiliated during their training and later forced to engage in combat against armed ethnic opposition groups and to perpetrate human rights violations against the civilian population.

There also appeared to be no rehabilitation and reintegration programmes for former child soldiers. She requested information on cases where persons involved in the recruitment of under-age children had been prosecuted and punished.

She wished to know whether there were any programmes to assist street children and to facilitate the return of Muslim children who had fled to Bangladesh.

The CHAIRPERSON said that the delegation should explain why the number of children in detention centres had increased substantially between 2001 and 2003.

He wished to know the extent of Myanmar’s cooperation with ILO and what progress had been made in the appointment of an independent facilitator for receiving and handling labour-related complaints.

He requested information on programmes to improve the situation of the large number of internally displaced persons.

The meeting was suspended at 16.45 p.m. and resumed at 16.55 p.m.

Mr. MYA THAN (Myanmar) said that considerable progress had been made in the elimination of forced labour, and the Government was cooperating with ILO in that endeavour. Pursuant to the recommendations made by a high-level ILO team that had visited Myanmar in 2001, an ILO liaison officer had been appointed in 2002 and an agreement had been reached on a joint plan of action. The Government had taken legislative, executive and administrative measures to eradicate forced labour, and a pilot project had been launched in consultation with ILO.

The complaints facilitator mechanism had been operative even before its formal adoption. For example, the death sentence for three men allegedly linked to ILO had been commuted to life imprisonment as a result of complaints filed on their behalf. During the proceedings, the facilitator had been granted full access to information related to the cases even though he had not yet been formally appointed.

Ms. CHUTIKUL asked what had caused the delay in signing the joint plan of action with ILO.

Mr. MYA THAN (Myanmar) said that, while Myanmar was prepared to implement the joint plan of action, ILO had decided to defer implementation owing to the political situation. The Government of Myanmar was of the view that cooperation with international organizations should not be contingent on the political situation in a given country.

The visit of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar had been delayed because the parties concerned had been unable to agree on a mutually convenient time.

Ms. SARDENBERG asked whether the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict visited Myanmar.

Mr. WIN MRA (Myanmar) said that the Myanmar army was an all-volunteer force open to persons who were at least 18 years old. Forced conscription was strictly prohibited and minimum-age requirements were observed. Action was taken under military law against persons found to contravene such instructions. Inspection procedures had been instituted, and 710 members of the armed forces had been demobilized in 2002 and 2003 because they did not meet minimum-age requirements; 1,756 applicants had been rejected by the armed forces in 2003.

The multidisciplinary Committee on the Prevention of the Recruitment of Child Soldiers monitored recruitment and had set up an inter-ministerial task force. The transparency of the recruitment process had been illustrated by the visit of UNICEF to recruitment units in 2004.

It was regrettable that a draft resolution currently before the United Nations Security Council referred to Myanmar as a country in a situation of armed conflict. All but one armed insurrection group had laid down their arms, which had considerably improved the security situation in Myanmar and the region as a whole. The Security Council’s classification of Myanmar therefore seemed unfair.

Checks were conducted at three stages - recruitment, training and initial active duty - to ensure that new military recruits were at least 18 years old. Such checks had led to the demobilization of 473 military recruits in 2002, and 237 in 2003, for failure to comply with minimum-age requirements. Under-age recruits were sent back to their parents. Much emphasis had recently been placed on improving the existing birth registration system, particularly in remote areas, in order to have a more reliable means of verifying the age of citizens. Those efforts were being conducted with the assistance of UNICEF and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

While armed rebel groups tended to recruit child soldiers, the Government did not use child soldiers to fight against ethnic groups. The Government was taking steps to improve the situation of ethnic groups, and had established a Ministry of Progress of Border Areas and National Races and Development Affairs for that purpose.

As far as the use of child porters in the military was concerned, the joint plan of action with ILO specified that mules should be used instead of child porters to carry ammunition and supplies. However, implementation of the joint plan of action had been delayed.

The CHAIRPERSON said that the system of financial incentives to encourage members of the Myanmar Defence Services to bring in new recruits was apparently one of the causes of child enlistment. He asked whether the Government, in its negotiations with armed rebel groups, had specified that no soldier should be under the age of 18, and whether the Government had provided assistance in demobilizing and rehabilitating under-age recruits. He enquired whether the Committee on the Prevention and Control of the Recruitment of Child Soldiers was developing a systematic plan to monitor the age of new recruits.

Mr. WIN MRA (Myanmar) said that, while there had been many allegations of forced recruitment, one of the centres referred to in such allegations was an educational establishment that had nothing to do with recruitment. Moreover, many young people were attracted to the armed forces because of the recognition and benefits that they received. The many allegations that children were being abducted at night had been brought to the attention of the Minister for Home Affairs and the matter had been resolved.

As part of an effort to promote harmony among Myanmar’s diverse ethnic groups, 17 armed rebel groups had been persuaded to cooperate with the Government. There had been anti‑Government insurgents in Myanmar since it had gained independence in 1948. The Government was currently meeting with the armed groups, and formal agreements with them would be concluded after the adoption of the draft constitution.

The Committee on the Prevention and Control of the Recruitment of Child Soldiers was dealing with all issues that were brought to its attention. Perhaps the development of a systematic plan to monitor the age of new recruits could be entrusted to a task force.

With the help of UNHCR, thousands of Bengali refugees had returned to Myanmar through an agreement concluded with the Government of Bangladesh. According to UNHCR, almost all the refugees had been repatriated. The Government was willing to receive the remaining refugees, provided that they respected the terms of the agreement. However, it appeared that those refugees had decided to remain in Bangladesh.

It was difficult to confirm the number of internally displaced persons, since many lived near the Thai border and there was much crossing back and forth. Myanmar was working closely with the Government of Thailand in order to solve the problem and would provide further information at a later date. In connection with the establishment of opium-free zones, the Government had relocated a number of persons in order to improve their lives and provide them with an alternative livelihood.

Ms. MAY MAY YI (Myanmar) said that, under the Child Law, a person under the age of 16 was defined as a “child”, while a person between the ages of 16 and 18 was referred to as a “youth”. The legal rights of youths differed from those of children and adults. For example, youths had special rights under the juvenile justice system. The Child Law stipulated that no child could be sentenced to capital punishment. Judges could release children after giving them a warning, imposing a fine or entrusting them to the custody of their parents or guardians. The age of criminal responsibility had been set at 7 in order to discourage adults from using children to commit crimes.

The Rules that gave effect to the Child Law included a complaint procedure and the requirement that a lawyer had to be appointed at government expense for children who could not afford one. The Child Law prohibited whipping as a form of punishment for children; however, the Whipping Act was virtually obsolete, since whipping was no longer practised.

Some children in conflict with the law were sent to institutions because the juvenile courts preferred institutionalization to imprisonment. The Government was aware of the need to establish more juvenile courts in Myanmar. A number of workshops and seminars had been organized to train judges in human rights, including the rights of the child.

The CHAIRPERSON wished to know who made the decision to require a child to undergo character reformation and whether such children were sent to the same institutions as criminals.

Mr. SIT MYAING (Myanmar) said that children in conflict with the law were sent to institutions operated by the Social Welfare Department in order to change their attitudes and behaviour.

The CHAIRPERSON asked whether character reformation was intended for children who had committed a crime.

Ms. KHIN AYE WIN (Myanmar) said that character reformation was most often used for minors who had committed criminal offences. In some cases, children who had not committed criminal offences had been sent to training schools to receive counselling and vocational training and to change their behaviour.

The CHAIRPERSON wished to know how long children were required to stay at training schools.

Mr. SIT MYAING (Myanmar) said that children were sent to training schools for two years or until they reached the age of 18. However, such sentences could be reduced.

Ms. SMITH asked whether there were any children in prison labour camps.

Ms. KHIN AYE WIN (Myanmar) said that there were no children in labour camps.

The CHAIRPERSON asked whether children were ever sent to adult prisons.

Ms. KHIN AYE WIN (Myanmar) said that some children had been placed in adult prisons.

Mr. KHIN MAUNG LAY (Myanmar) said that the Government had established a Working Committee on Trafficking in Persons and had signed the International Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols. The Government also participated in the Asia Regional Cooperation to Prevent People Trafficking Project. In October 2004, it would host a ministerial meeting of the countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion in order to address the issue of trafficking in persons, and it was hoped that memoranda of understanding and agreement would be signed by the six-country group. Since 2000, the Government had arrested 680 traffickers and had prevented the trafficking of 839 children and youths. Repatriation centres, which had been established to receive the victims of trafficking, had repatriated some 300 children from Thailand and returned them to their parents.

Ms. LEE, speaking on behalf of the Committee, thanked the delegation of Myanmar for its thorough and informative presentation. The Committee’s conclusions and recommendations would stress the need for Myanmar to bring its domestic legislation into conformity with the Convention. The recruitment of child soldiers, forced and hazardous child labour and trafficking in children were issues of major concern. Human rights, particularly the Convention on the Rights of the Child, should be included in school curricula at all levels, and the State party’s second periodic report and the Committee’s concluding observations should be disseminated throughout the country.

Ms. MAY MAY YI (Myanmar) said that Myanmar looked forward to receiving the Committee’s conclusions and recommendations. She invited the members of the Committee to come to Myanmar and observe the efforts that the Government was making on behalf of children.

Mr. MYA THAN (Myanmar) said that the national convention to draft a new Constitution would contribute to the establishment of democratic institutions and to major political, economic and social advances. The Government of Myanmar would continue to cooperate with international organizations and to promote the rights of the child in Myanmar.

The meeting rose at 6 p.m.