CRC/C/15/Add.190 page 6 2. Definition of the child 24. The Committee is concerned that the definition of the child is unclear under Sudanese law and is not in conformity with the principles and provisions of the Convention. For example, minimum ages may be determined by arbitrary criteria, such as puberty, and discriminate between girls and boys, and in some cases are too low (e.g. the minimum age of marriage is as low as 10 years). 25. The Committee recommends that the State party review its legislation so that the definition of the child, the age of majority, and other minimum age requirements conform to the principles and provisions of the Convention, and that they are gender neutral, and ensure that the laws are enforced. 3. General principles Non-discrimination 26. The Committee is concerned that: (a) There are significant inequalities regarding access to basic health and education services between children living in different parts of the country, most especially between southern Sudan and the rest of the country; (b) There is discrimination with regard to children born out of wedlock, children with disabilities and refugee children, and discrimination on religious and ethnic grounds; (c) Throughout the State party traditional patterns of discrimination limit the opportunities available to girls and women. 27. The Committee recommends that the State party: (a) Ensure that all children, regardless of the region of the country in which they live, enjoy equal respect for their rights, including with regard to basic services; (b) End all discrimination against children, giving particular attention to discrimination based on religious beliefs; (c) Conduct a study to asses the scope and causes of discrimination between boys and girls and take steps to address such discrimination, giving particular attention to the impact of traditional and cultural practices upon girls and women with a view to adopting a proactive and comprehensive strategy for the elimination of discrimination against them. 28. The Committee requests that specific information be included in the next periodic report on the measures and programmes relevant to the Convention on the Rights of the Child undertaken by the State party to follow up on the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action adopted at the World Conference against Racism, Racial