CRC/C/CYP/CO/3-4
care. In that context, the Committee is also concerned about the inadequacy of training
provided to the care professionals at these care facilities.
32.
The Committee recommends that the State party strengthen the support
provided to foster parents. In doing so, it recommends that the State party pay
particular attention to improving the proportion of children over the age of 5 years
deprived of a family environment, and children with behavioural difficulties, being
placed in foster care. It further recommends that the State party ensure that adequate
training, including on the Convention, is provided to caregivers at institutional
childcare facilities. In doing so, it recommends that the State party establish a system
for the regular evaluation of the quality of care provided at such facilities and ensure
that children in such care are ensured access to effective complaints and remedy
mechanism for abuse and/or neglect.
Adoption
33.
The Committee notes that the State party is in the process of seeking legislative
approval of a new Adoption Bill. However, the Committee remains concerned that, pending
the adoption of the new Bill, the State party’s adoption law is not in full compliance with
the Convention and the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in
respect of Intercounty Adoption.
34.
The Committee recommends that the party expeditiously seek the enactment of
its new Adoption Bill and, in doing so, ensure that all aspects of its national and
intercountry adoptions are in full compliance with the Convention and the Hague
Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in respect of Intercountry
Adoption.
Violence against children, including abuse and neglect
35.
The Committee notes the State party’s nationwide awareness campaign for 2007–
2008 to sensitize the public on the issue of domestic violence and child abuse and
campaigns organized by the Advisory Committee for the Prevention and Combating of
Violence in the Family. However, the Committee remains concerned at the continued
prevalence of domestic violence against women and children and the sociocultural
tolerance thereof. In particular, the Committee is concerned that:
(a)
Existing measures taken against domestic violence are inadequate, with the
rates of such violence remaining high, and no evaluation on the effectiveness of such
measures is conducted;
(b)
protection;
Large numbers of victims remain without support or shelters for their
(c)
There remains a lack of statistical data on violence in the family, in spite of
the Committee’s previous observation (CRC/C/15/Add.205, para. 45);
(d)
An effective and accessible system for reporting and investigating cases of
domestic violence is absent.
36.
The Committee urges the State party to expeditiously adopt an effective
strategy to combat domestic violence and allocate the necessary human and financial
resources for the implementation of this strategy. In particular, the Committee urges
the State party to:
(a)
Undertake an independent and systematic evaluation on the effectiveness
of current measures to eradicate domestic violence, with a view to using the results of
the evaluation to improve such measures;
7