CRC/C/15/Add.99
page 3
9.
While noting the efforts of the National Committee for Families and
Children in facilitating the coordination and monitoring of child rights
issues, the Committee is concerned that involvement and coordination at the
local level are still somewhat limited. The Committee is also concerned that
the State party has not yet implemented its National Plan of Action for
Children or its National Plan of Action for Human Development. The Committee
recommends that the State party seek to use a comprehensive approach to the
implementation of the Convention by, inter alia, ensuring the introduction of
measures at the local level to promote and protect children's rights. The
Committee also recommends that further steps be taken by the State party to
strengthen its coordinating efforts through the National Committee for
Families and Children, particularly at the local level. The Committee also
encourages the State party to implement its National Plan of Action for
Children and the National Plan of Action for Human Development.
10.
The Committee notes the recent formation of a Social Indicators
Committee responsible for monitoring quality data collection throughout the
State party and ensuring its comprehensive analysis. The Committee is still
concerned, however, that the current data-collection mechanism is insufficient
to afford the systematic and comprehensive collection of disaggregated
quantitative and qualitative data for all areas covered by the Convention in
relation to all groups of children in order to monitor and evaluate progress
achieved and assess the impact of policies adopted with respect to children.
The Committee recommends that the system of data collection be reviewed with a
view to incorporating all the areas covered by the Convention. Such a system
should cover all children up to the age of 18 years, with specific emphasis on
those who are particularly vulnerable, including children with disabilities;
children belonging to minority and indigenous groups, such as Maya and
Garifuna children; children living in remote rural areas; children living
in poverty; children living and/or working on the street; refugee and
asylum-seeking children; illegal immigrant children; children in the juvenile
justice system; children of single-parent families; children born out of
wedlock; sexually abused children; and institutionalized children.
11.
The Committee also expresses concern at the absence of an independent
mechanism to register and address complaints from children concerning
violations of their rights under the Convention. The Committee suggests that
an independent child-friendly mechanism be made accessible to children to deal
with complaints of violations of their rights and to provide remedies for such
violations. The Committee further suggests that the State party undertake an
awareness-raising campaign to facilitate the effective use by children of such
a mechanism.
12.
The Committee notes the impact of economic policies and the structural
adjustment programme which have had adverse effects on social investment. The
Committee remains concerned, in the light of article 4 of the Convention, that
not enough attention has been paid to allocating budgetary resources in favour
of children to the maximum extent of available resources. In the light of
articles 2, 3 and 6 of the Convention, the Committee encourages the State
party to pay particular attention to the full implementation of article 4 of
the Convention by prioritizing budgetary allocations to ensure implementation