CRC/C/15/Add.56 page 3 11. The Committee is concerned about the prevailing disparities between urban and rural areas and between regions in relation to the provision of and access to social services, including education, health and social security. 12. It is the Committee’s view that inadequate measures taken in the field of social security may have led to an over-reliance on children providing future care and support to their parents. This may have contributed to the perpetuation of harmful traditional practices and attitudes such as a preference for boys, to the detriment of the protection and promotion of the rights of girls and of disabled children. 13. The Committee feels there is a need to consider questions relating to the definition of the child, including in relation to the age of criminal responsibility, so as to ensure that national legislation and related procedures duly take into consideration the provisions and general principles of the Convention, including the best interests of the child. 14. In the view of the Committee, insufficient steps have been taken to create awareness of the provisions and principles of the Convention, notably its articles 2, 3, 6 and 12, among adults, including professionals working with or for children, and children themselves. 15. While noting the measures taken to confront the problems of discrimination on the grounds of gender and disability, the Committee remains concerned at the persistence of practices leading to cases of selective infanticide. 16. Serious concerns remain as to the effectiveness of measures taken to ensure the registration of all children, through the household registry. As acknowledged by the State party, absence of registration may be due to parents’ lack of knowledge of the relevant law and policy and of the negative effects of non-registration on children’s legal status. The migration of people from their traditional place of residence may cause similar difficulties. Deficiencies in the registration system lead to children being deprived of basic safeguards for the promotion and protection of their rights, including in the areas of child trafficking, abduction, sale and maltreatment, abuse or neglect. In this connection, the situation of "unregistered girls" as regards their entitlement to health care and education is a matter of concern to the Committee. 17. The Committee remains concerned about the actual implementation of the civil rights and freedoms of children. The Committee wishes to emphasize that the implementation of the child’s right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion should be ensured in the light of the holistic approach of the Convention and that limitations on the exercise of this right can only be placed in conformity with paragraph 3 of article 14 of the Convention. 18. The Committee is extremely concerned about the situation of children provided with care in welfare institutions. The Committee observes that the very high mortality rate in such institutions is a cause for serious alarm. While the Committee appreciates the steps being taken to ensure, inter alia, the separation of children from adults in institutions and in providing