CRC/C/NIC/CO/4
(c)
Earmark resources for the Ministry of Labour to monitor and enforce
labour laws and regulations, particularly in the informal sector.
Children in street situations
74.
While noting information from the State party that a study to evaluate the causes,
extent and character of street children and youth gangs is ongoing, the Committee is
concerned at the high number of children living in the streets, due to multiple factors such
as abandonment, maltreatment, domestic and sexual violence.
75.
The Committee encourages the State party to increase preventive and
protection action in the family and society, based on the understanding and
knowledge of cultural, social and economic determinants that push children to the
streets. In particular, the Committee recommends that the State party:
(a)
Develop and implement, with the active involvement of street children
themselves, a comprehensive strategy for the reduction of their numbers, and allocate
the necessary resources and developing guidelines for public services and NGOs to
implement and monitor such strategy;
(b)
Support, with the active involvement of children, family reunification
programmes or other foster care, ensuring the best interests of the child and
providing psychosocial and economic support to the family;
(c)
Ensure that children in street situations attend and stay in school and
provide them with adequate shelter, food and health services, bearing in mind the
different needs of boys and girls; and
(d)
Raise public awareness on the plight of children in street situations and
combat misconceptions and prejudices through targeted measures to prevent,
investigate and punish discrimination and violence.
Sexual exploitation and trafficking
76.
The Committee is concerned at the high number of children, particularly girls, who
fall victims to trafficking, and the insufficient priority given to combating this crime. The
Committee notes that the Penal Code establishes urgent protection measures for victims of
sexual violence and exploitation, but is concerned at the lack of effective strategies and
institutional developments to ensure rapid detection, protection and support for the victims.
77.
The Committee recommends that the State party allocate adequate resources
and enhance government action and coordination in order to combat sexual
exploitation and trafficking of children and women, and in particular:
(a)
Renew, through a participatory process, the National Plan against
Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents, which expired in 2008;
(b)
Intensify training of police officers, prosecutors, judges and other public
officials to identify, investigate and sanction sexual exploitation and trafficking of
children and women;
(c)
Implement appropriate policies and programmes for the prevention,
recovery and reintegration of child victims, in accordance with the outcome
documents adopted at the World Congress against Sexual Exploitation of Children
held in Stockholm (1996), Yokohama (2001) and Rio de Janeiro (2008); and
(d)
Refer to the concluding observations on the State party’s initial report
adopted by the Committee on the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the sale of
children, child prostitution and child pornography (CRC/C/OPSC/NIC/CO/1).
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