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| Monday, 16 June 2003 |
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The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child at its 33rd session concluded last week welcomed various legislative measures adopted by Sri Lanka aimed at improving the protection of children from domestic violence, child labour and commercial sexual exploitation. The Committee said that it was greatly encouraged by the ongoing peace process and the inclusion of human rights issues including the human rights of children in the peace talks, said a press release from the UN Information Centre, Colombo. It said: 'At the 33rd session the Committee which considered reports submitted by Eritrea, Cyprus, Zambia, Sri Lanka, Solomon Islands, Libya, Jamaica, Morocco, Syria and Kazakhstan issued its conclusions and recommendations on them. 'While praising Sri Lanka for ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, the Committee recognised that the armed conflict and the challenges of reconstruction, particularly in the North and East, posed difficulties to the full implementation of the Convention in Sri Lanka. The Committee urged the State party to make every effort to address its recommendations from the concluding observations of the initial report that had not yet been implemented, and to address the list of concerns contained in the present concluding observations on the second report. 'The Committee recommended that the State party undertake a systematic review of all the existing laws, to bring them into conformity with the Convention and to consult with the different ethnic communities regarding the inclusion of their personal laws in this process of reform. The Committee also recommended that one effective and identifiable governmental body for the coordination of all activities regarding the implementation of the Convention be established with adequate power and sufficient human and financial resources for an effective performance of its coordinating role. 'Further, among other things, the Committee recommended that the National Human Rights Commission be provided with sufficient resources to carry out its responsibilities effectively; that it consider establishing a bureau for children's rights within the Commission; that it prioritise the provision of services to children in loan and structural adjustment negotiations with several donors; that it enact, as soon as possible, a clear legal definition of the child applicable throughout the country and review existing age limits for various areas; and that it undertake well-targeted public awareness campaigns on the negative impact that corporal punishment has on children, and provide teacher training on non-violent forms of discipline as an alternative to corporal punishment; 'While acknowledging the improvements in mortality rates and immunization coverage, the Committee remained concerned at the high levels of child malnutrition, the significant proportion of children born with low birth weight, the prevalence of mosquito-borne diseases and the lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation, particularly in conflict-affected areas. The Committee was encouraged by the education reforms initiated in 1999, which focused on improving the quality of education and also emphasized early childhood development. 'Finally, the Committee recommended that the State party develop a comprehensive plan of action for implementing the rights of children during the reconstruction process. It reiterated its request for additional information on child combatants and child prisoners of war, and also recommended the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.' |
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