CRC/C/15/Add.231 page 2 4. The Committee notes with appreciation that the State party is the largest donor of official development assistance in absolute figures, and the fact that a considerable amount of that assistance is allocated to social development, including health and education. 5. The Committee welcomes the ratification by the State party of ILO Conventions No. 138 concerning the Minimum Age for Admission to Employment in 2000 and No. 182 concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour in 2001. C. Principal areas of concern and recommendations 1. General measures of implementation The Committee’s previous recommendations 6. The Committee notes that some concerns and recommendations (CRC/C/15/Add.90 of 24 June 1998) made upon the consideration of the State party’s initial report (CRC/C/41/Add.1) have been addressed through legislative measures and policies. However, recommendations regarding, inter alia, non-discrimination (para. 35), the excessively competitive nature of the school system (para. 43) and violence in schools, including bullying (para. 45), have not been given sufficient follow-up. The Committee notes that those concerns and recommendations are reiterated in the present document. 7. The Committee urges the State party to make every effort to address those recommendations contained in the concluding observations on the initial report that have not yet been implemented and to address the list of concerns contained in the present concluding observations on the second periodic report. Declarations and reservations 8. The Committee is concerned about the State party’s declarations on articles 9 and 10 and its reservation to article 37 (c). 9. In accordance with the Vienna Declaration and Plan of Action adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights in 1993 (A/CONF.157/23), the Committee reiterates its recommendation that the State party withdraw its declarations on and reservation to the Convention. Legislation 10. The Committee is concerned that domestic legislation does not fully reflect the principles and provisions of the Convention (see, for instance, paragraphs 22, 24 and 31 of the present concluding observations), and that while the Convention can be invoked directly by the Courts, in practice this does not occur.