CRC/C/GTM/CO/3-4
62. The Committee welcomes the 2007 Adoption Act which established judicial
adoption proceedings, eliminated notary adoption proceedings, and incorporated the Hague
Convention (1993) provisions in domestic law. However, the Committee remains
concerned at the persistence of private adoptions, and at the fact that the National Adoption
Council is only present in the capital city, which makes it difficult to provide an adequate
response throughout the country.
63. The Committee recommends that the State Party decentralize the services of
the National Adoption Council, in order to make it accessible in all parts of the
country, raise awareness among the population on the new adoption system in order
to promote adoptions at national level, and continue suspension of international
adoptions until child rights can be totally guaranteed in the adoption proceedings.
64.
While noting that Article 14 of the PINA Law establishes the right of children to
identity, the Committee remains concerned at the lack of an adequate mechanism to search
for the origin of children deprived of their identity, especially those who have been subject
to international adoption and whose rights to preserve their identity have been violated.
65. The Committee recommends that the State party establish an adequate
mechanism to deal with identification of children deprived of their identity in order to
protect them from illegal adoptions and other human rights violations.
Abuse and neglect
66.
The Committee is concerned at the high level of sexual abuse of children, in most
cases committed at home. It is also concerned at the high level of underreporting of this
offence.
67. The Committee recommends that the State party carry out special
investigations into sexual abuse and provide adequate victim care and programmes
for the target population. These measures and programmes should be established
throughout the country. The participating agencies should coordinate their efforts to
prevent re-victimization. These should include entities such as public health or
education offices.
6.
Basic health and welfare (arts. 6, 18, para. 3; 23; 24; 26; 27, paras. 1-3,
of the Convention)
Children with disabilities
68.
The Committee is concerned at the limited access to education, health, community
and cultural life and services for children with disabilities, as well as at the lack of
sufficient measures undertaken by the State party in this regard.
69.
The Committee recommends that the State party guarantee the rights of all
children with disabilities in order to prevent them from becoming victims of abuse,
exclusion and discrimination and to give them the necessary support to enable them to
exercise their rights as active members of their communities. The State party should
take into account the Committee’s general comment No. 9 (2006) on the rights of
children with disabilities.
Health and health services
70. The Committee is concerned about the fragmented and segmented health service
delivery system in the State party, and at the lack of supplies of medicines, medical
equipment and technical and medical staff in hospitals. It is also concerned that economic,
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