CRC/C/15/Add.120
page 8
8. Special protection measures
Protection from economic exploitation (art. 32)
26.
With regard to the Committee’s recommendation (A/49/41, para. 164), the Committee
takes note that the State party has submitted a proposal to Congress to raise the minimum legal
age for admission to employment from 12 to 14 years. Nevertheless, the Committee is still
concerned that economic exploitation of children remains one of the major social problems in the
State party (e.g. in the indigenous communities in the highlands) and that law enforcement is
insufficient to address this problem effectively. The Committee encourages the State party to
complete as soon as possible its legislative reform to raise the minimum legal age for
admission to employment to at least 14 years. The Committee also encourages the State
party to consider ratifying the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138), and the new
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) of the ILO. The Committee
further recommends that the State party take effective measures to address the situation of
children involved in hazardous labour, especially in the informal sector. Furthermore, the
Committee recommends that child labour laws should be enforced, the labour
inspectorates strengthened and penalties imposed in cases of violation. The Committee
recommends that the State party continue working in cooperation with ILO/IPEC.
Sexual exploitation and abuse (art. 34)
27.
With regard to the sexual exploitation of children, while noting with appreciation the
reforms to the State party’s Children and Adolescents Code, Penal Code and Penal Procedures
Code, as well as other measures in this area, the Committee remains concerned at the absence of
a national plan of action to combat and prevent sexual exploitation of children. The limited
awareness among the population on sexual exploitation and abuse and on the available measures
to identify and report cases of abuse is also a matter of concern. In light of article 34 and other
related articles of the Convention, the Committee recommends that the State party conduct
a national study on the issue of commercial sexual exploitation of children as a basis to
design and implement a comprehensive national plan of action to prevent and combat this
phenomenon, and continue conducting awareness-raising campaigns on this issue. The
Committee recommends to the State party to take into account the recommendations
formulated in the Agenda for Action adopted at the World Congress against Commercial
Sexual Exploitation of Children held in Stockholm in 1996.
Administration of juvenile justice (arts. 37, 40 and 39)
28.
With regard to the administration of the juvenile justice system, the Committee welcomes
the creation of Family Courts and of specialized prosecutors to deal with children’s cases. But
the Committee remains concerned that the provisions of the Children and Adolescents Code
regarding the administration of juvenile justice are not fully implemented, inter alia that the
various services in this area are not adequately staffed and trained; that conditions in detention
centres are poor and not adequately monitored; that alternative measures to detention are not
sufficiently developed. In light of articles 37, 40 and 39 and other relevant United Nations
standards in this field, such as the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the
Administration of Juvenile Justice (the Beijing Rules), the United Nations Guidelines for