CRC/C/FIN/CO/4
15.
The Committee recommends that the State party raise awareness among the
general public, especially children, about the different complaints procedures within
national mechanisms and enhance the cooperation between the Parliamentary
Ombudsman and the Ombudsman for Children. Drawing attention to its general
comment No. 2 (2002) on the role of independent national human rights institutions in
the promotion and protection of the rights of the child, the Committee also calls upon
the State party to ensure that this national mechanism is provided with the necessary
human, financial and technical resources to guarantee its independence, efficacy and
accessibility.
Allocation of resources
16.
The Committee notes that municipalities enjoy extensive autonomy in providing and
financing public services, and is concerned that this might lead to insufficient allocation of
resources to services for children and adolescents by some municipalities resulting in
regional and local disparities in resource allocation to children. In the light of the State
party’s obligation under the Convention to fulfil the rights of children under its jurisdiction,
the Committee regrets the lack of comprehensive national assessment, documentation and
oversight, which leads to a weak system of control at national level.
17.
The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a)
Provide municipalities with sufficient resources allocated specifically for
ensuring the implementation of rights of children, taking into account resources
available to each municipality;
(b)
Establish an effective monitoring of budget allocations for the needs of
children in each municipality separately, ensuring appropriate levels of allocation;
and
(c)
Introduce child budgeting (budget tracking from a child right’s
perspective) with a view to monitoring budget allocations for children and take into
account the Committee’s recommendations resulting from its 2007 day of general
discussion on resources for the rights of the child – responsibility of States.
Data collection
18.
The Committee is concerned at the insufficient data available on the living
conditions of children in vulnerable situations, including children affected by poverty,
children with disabilities, minority/immigrant children and children in alternative care. It is
also concerned at the limited statistics on abuse, neglect and violence against children and
on services provided to them.
19.
The Committee urges the State party to strengthen the statistical system and
analysis on the implementation of the Convention, and to ensure that data is collected
and used to inform policies and programmes in relation to poverty, violence, children
with disabilities, minority/immigrant children and children deprived of a family. It
recommends that the State party continue to strengthen its capacity for the systematic
collection and analysis of data throughout its territory disaggregated by, inter alia,
age, sex and ethnic background on all persons under the age of 18 on all areas covered
by the Convention.
Dissemination, awareness-raising and training
20.
The Committee welcomes the information about the dissemination of the
Convention and related training, which have been adopted as one of the objectives of the
Government’s Policy Programme for the Wellbeing of Children, Youth and Families, and
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