CRC/C/15/Add.124
page 13
situation, declining school enrolment and attendance rates, and the increasing number of children
living and/or working on the streets, the Committee is concerned about the lack of information
and adequate data on the situation of child labour and economic exploitation within the State
party, including in the informal sector. Concern is also expressed at the significant number of
children begging on the streets and their vulnerability to exploitation and abuse.
61.
The Committee encourages the State party to introduce monitoring mechanisms to
ensure the enforcement of labour laws and protect children from economic exploitation,
particularly in the informal sector. The State party is encouraged to continue its
cooperation with IPEC to finalize, by the end of 2000, a child labour survey to assess the
situation of children in this regard. The Committee encourages the State party to consider
ratifying the ILO Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, No. 182.
Children living and/or working on the streets
62.
Concern is expressed at the large and increasing number of children living and/or
working on the streets.
63.
The Committee recommends to the State party to establish mechanisms to ensure
that children living and/or working on the streets are provided with identity documents,
food, clothing and housing. Moreover, the State party should ensure that these children
are provided adequate access to health care, rehabilitation services for physical, sexual,
and substance abuse, protection from police brutality, services for reconciliation with their
families and education, including vocational and life-skills training. The Committee
recommends to the State party to cooperate and coordinate its efforts in this regard with
civil society.
Drug abuse
64.
The Committee is concerned at the increasing incidence of drug, alcohol and substance
abuse among youth as well as the lack of financial and human resources, inadequate monitoring
mechanism and insufficient psychological, social and medical programmes and services
available in this regard.
65.
In light of article 33 of the Convention, the Committee recommends that the State
party take all appropriate measures, including administrative, social and educational
measures, to protect children from the illicit use of alcohol, narcotic drugs and
psychotropic substances and to prevent the use of children in the illicit production and
trafficking of such substances. It encourages the State party to support rehabilitation
programmes dealing with child victims of alcohol, drug and substance abuse. In this
regard, the Committee encourages the State party to consider seeking technical assistance
from UNICEF, WHO, the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board, among
others.