United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child CRC/C/ECU/CO/4 Distr.: General 2 March 2010 Original: English Committee on the rights of the Child Fifty-third session 11–29 January 2010 Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 44 of the Convention Concluding observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child: Ecuador 1. The Committee considered the fourth periodic report of Ecuador (CRC/C/ECU/4) at its 1472nd and 1474th meetings (see CRC/C/SR.1472 and 1474), held on 18 and 19 January 2010, and adopted at the 1501st meeting (CRC/C/SR.1501), held on 29 January 2010, the following concluding observations. A. Introduction 2. The Committee welcomes the submission of the fourth periodic report as well as the written replies to its list of issues (CRC/ECU/Q/4/Add.1). The Committee appreciates the presence of a high-level and multisectoral delegation and the constructive dialogue, which allowed a better understanding of the situation of children in the State party. 3. The Committee reminds the State party that these concluding observations should be read in conjunction with its concluding observations adopted on the State party’s initial reports to the Optional Protocols on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography and on the involvement of children in armed conflict, contained in CRC/C/OPSC/ECU/CO/1 and CRC/C/OPAC/ECU/CO/1. B. Follow-up measures undertaken and progress achieved by the State party 4. The Committee welcomes a number of positive developments in the reporting period, including the adoption of legislative and policy measures taken with a view to implementing the Convention, such as: (a) The new Constitution of 2008, establishing the plurinational and intercultural character of the State, which recognizes the respect and protection of a catalogue of human rights as the main duty of the State, including by enhancing attention to economic, social GE.10-40909