CRC/C/15/Add.269
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(b)
Promote and facilitate the reunification of street children with their families,
when that is in the best interests of the child;
(c)
Ensure that street children are reached by trained street counsellors;
provided with adequate nutrition, clothing and shelter as well as with social and health
services and educational opportunities, including vocational and life-skills training, in
order to support their full development; and provided with adequate protection, assistance,
and recovery and social reintegration services; and
(d)
Collaborate with and support non-governmental organizations working with
and for street children and continue cooperation with UNICEF.
Sexual exploitation and trafficking
78.
The Committee expresses its deep concern at the information that child prostitution is
increasing and that not only girls, but also boys who work as vendors, couriers or domestic
servants, are particularly vulnerable to sexual exploitation. The Committee also notes with
concern reports of trafficking in children and that Algeria is becoming a place of transit for
trafficking between Africa and Western Europe. It deeply regrets the absence of a specific legal
framework to protect children from trafficking and the insufficient measures to prevent and
eliminate this phenomenon. The lack of statistical data on trafficking and the absence of adequate
recovery and reintegration services for child victims are cause for serious concern.
79.
In light of articles 34, 35 and other related articles of the Convention, the
Committee recommends that measures be taken, on an urgent basis:
(a)
To provide a specific legal framework to prevent and protect children from
trafficking for sexual and other exploitative purposes and define “trafficking” as a special
criminal offence under domestic law in line with the definition in the Protocol to Prevent,
Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children,
supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime;
(b)
To collect data on trafficking and sexual exploitation of children and ensure
that all data and indicators are used for the formulation, monitoring and evaluation of
policies, programmes and projects;
(c)
To ensure that all cases of sexual exploitation and trafficking are investigated
and that perpetrators are charged, convicted and punished in accordance with due process
of law;
(d)
To ensure that victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking are not
criminalized and that they are provided with adequate recovery and social reintegration
services and programmes;
(e)
To seek to establish bilateral and multilateral agreements and cooperation
programmes with countries of origin and transit to prevent the sale and trafficking of
children;