CRC/C/THA/CO/3-4
Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the International Parliamentarian
Union.
Training
27.
While noting that the State party organizes several trainings for law-enforcement
officials, local government and the judiciary on human rights and child rights in particular,
it remains concerned that such trainings are not systematic and are not included in the core
curriculum of regular professional development programmes.
28.
The Committee recommends that all professional groups working with and for
children be adequately and systematically trained on children’s rights, in particular
judges, lawyers, the police and the army, health, education and social welfare
personnel and personnel working in all forms of alternative care at national,
provincial and local levels.
Child rights and the business sector
29.
The Committee welcomes the State party’s information that business and industry
contribute resources and facilities to social welfare, including health care and education of
children. The Committee is however concerned that the impact on children of business and
fast growing heavy industries, manufacturing, textiles and export agriculture has not been
fully assessed. The Committee is particularly concerned that, while tourism constitutes a
large part of the country’s economy, the State party has not yet adopted comprehensive
measures to protect children from violations of their rights, such as in child sex tourism,
child prostitution, child pornography and child labour, arising from tourist activities and
facilities. The Committee also regrets the lack of legal institutional framework to regulate
the activities of companies doing business in Thailand and of Thai companies operating
abroad to ensure effective responses to issues of health and nutrition, economic and sexual
exploitation, pollution and environmental degradation that can undermine the well-being of
children.
30.
In light of Human Rights Council resolutions 8/7 of 2008 adopting the report
¨Protect, Respect and Remedy¨ Framework and 17/4 of 16 June 2011 requesting the
new Working Group to follow-up on this matter, both of which note that the rights of
the child be included when exploring the relationship between business and human
rights, the Committee recommends that the State party:
(a)
Provide a legislative framework, including Codes of Conduct, that
require companies domiciled in Thailand, with particular attention to tourism
industries, to adopt measures to prevent and mitigate adverse human rights impacts
in their operations in the country and abroad;
(b)
Promote the inclusion of child rights indicators and parameters for
reporting and provide specific assessments of impacts of business and industry on
child rights;
(c)
Take measures to ensure that its companies respect child rights in its
territory and when engaging in projects abroad and that appropriate remedies,
including reparations are pursued in cases of violations;
(d)
Ensure that prior to the negotiation and conclusion of free trade
agreements, human rights assessments, including child rights, are conducted and
measures adopted to prevent violations.
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