CRC/C/ARM/CO/3-4
remove administrative barriers for the enrolment of refugee and asylum-seeking
children. Further, the Committee recommends that the State party amend its
legislation to ensure that no children under its jurisdiction can become stateless as a
result of its regulations and practices.
Economic exploitation, including child labour
49.
The Committee is concerned that significant numbers of children, including those
below the age of 14, are dropping out of schools to work in informal sectors such as
agriculture, car service, construction and gathering of waste metal and family businesses. It
is particularly concerned about the increasing number of children involved in begging in the
streets and in heavy manual labour such as labourers and loaders. It is further concerned
that labour inspectorates are not effective in controlling child labour.
50.
The Committee urges the State party to ensure that labour legislation and
practices comply with article 32 of the Convention, including effective implementation
of existing laws, strengthen and involve labour inspectorates and establish child
labour reporting mechanisms. The Committee further recommends that the State
party ensure the prosecution of perpetrators of child exploitation with commensurate
sanctions, and in doing so ensure that such reporting mechanisms are known to and
accessible by children. The Committee also recommends that the State party seek
technical assistance from the International Programme on the Elimination of Child
Labour of the International Labour Organization in this regard.
Administration of juvenile justice
51.
While noting that every court in the State party has a judge specialized in dealing
with cases of children and that issues of children in conflict with the law are regulated in
the criminal legislation, the Committee remains concerned that:
(a)
There is no holistic juvenile justice system, including juvenile courts and
comprehensive law on juvenile justice, with provisions for diversion mechanisms and
efficient alternatives to the formal justice system;
(b)
Children are detained during the pretrial investigation for lengthy periods;
(c)
Children may be subjected to 5 to 10 days of solitary confinement as a
punishment;
(d)
The Abovyan penitentiary institution where children are detained lacks basic
hygienic supplies and beddings. Children in such institutions are not provided with proper
education;
(e)
There are no effective rehabilitation and reintegration programmes for
children when they leave penitentiary institutions.
52.
The Committee urges the State party to establish a clear timeline for
considering its draft Criminal Procedure Code, which provides for the establishment
of a holistic juvenile justice system, and ensure its full compliance with the
Convention, in particular articles 37, 39 and 40, and with other relevant standards,
including the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of
Juvenile Justice (Beijing Rules), the United Nations Guidelines for the Prevention of
Juvenile Delinquency (Riyadh Guidelines), the Rules for the Protection of Juveniles
Deprived of their Liberty (Havana Rules), the Guidelines for Action on Children in
the Criminal Justice System, and the Committee’s general comment No. 10 (2007) . In
particular, the Committee recommends that the State party:
12