CRC/C/15/Add.99
page 5
16.
While the Committee notes that the principle of non-discrimination
(art. 2) is reflected in the Constitution and in other domestic legislation,
it is still concerned that measures adopted to ensure that all children are
guaranteed access to education and health services and are protected against
all forms of exploitation are insufficient. Of particular concern are certain
vulnerable groups of children, 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 and
institutionalized children. The Committee recommends that the State party
increase its efforts to ensure implementation of the principle of
non-discrimination and full compliance with article 2 of the Convention,
particularly as it relates to the vulnerable groups.
17.
While the Committee notes the efforts made by the State party to
encourage the participatory rights of children, especially in schools, it is
concerned that traditional practices, culture and attitudes still limit the
full implementation of article 12 of the Convention. The Committee recommends
that the State party seek to develop a systematic approach to increasing
public awareness of the participatory rights of children and encourage respect
for the views of the child within the family and the care and judicial
systems.
18.
The Committee notes that the State party has enacted domestic
legislation to guarantee registration at birth (the Registration of Births and
Deaths Act), but is concerned that this legislation is not fully consistent
with the principles and provisions guaranteed under the Convention. The
Committee is also concerned that many children are still not registered,
particularly immigrant children and those living in remote rural communities.
The lack of awareness about registration procedures is also a matter of
concern for the Committee. In the light of articles 7 and 8 of the
Convention, the Committee recommends that the State party undertake
legislative reform with a view to ensuring that fathers are also made
responsible for the registration of their children and that children born out
of wedlock are guaranteed their right to preservation of identity, name and
family relations. The Committee also recommends that all necessary measures
be taken to ensure that birth registration is made accessible to all children
within the State party. In this regard, the Committee suggests that the State
party seek to implement, at the earliest opportunity, its proposal to
introduce a mobile birth registration programme, as well as additional
district facilities to reach those families in remote rural communities. The
Committee also recommends that the State party increase its efforts to raise
awareness among government officers, community leaders and parents to ensure
that all children are registered at birth. The Committee encourages the State
party to adopt measures to regularize the situation of immigrant children and
provide them with documentation to guarantee their rights and facilitate their
access to basic health, education and other services.
19.
The Committee expresses grave concern that corporal punishment is still
widely practised within the State party and that domestic legislation does not
prohibit its use within schools, the family, the juvenile justice and