GENEVA (28 September 2023) - The UN Child Rights Committee (CRC) today issued its findings on Albania, Andorra, Dominican Republic, Kyrgyzstan, Liechtenstein and Togo, after
reviewing the six States parties during its latest session.
The findings contain the Committee's main concerns and recommendations on implementing the Child Rights Convention as well as positive aspects. Key highlights include:
Albania
The Committee voiced deep concern that one-third of the child population in Albania is living in poverty, and that the
country’s health, education, protection and welfare services are underfunded, and that the child protection system is
understaffed. It called upon Albania to review its social protection model and consider aligning the information
management systems related to health, education, and social protection, increase the budget allocations for children in
the health and social sectors, and ensure access to quality community-based social services.
The Committee was seriously concerned about torture and inhuman and degrading treatment of children by public officials
and the police in residential care and pre-trial detention centres. It also questioned the lack of due recognition,
underreporting and insufficient investigation of violence against and abuse of children, including online abuse and
corporal punishment, particularly regarding minority groups. The Committee urged Albania to immediately investigate all
abuse cases in residential care and pre-trial detention centres. It also asked the State party to ensure that
perpetrators, including public officials and the police, are prosecuted and sanctioned and that reparations are provided
to victims.
Andorra
The Committee expressed concerns about insufficient sexual and reproductive health services for adolescents and that
they need to travel outside the country for abortion. It recommended that Andorra improve adolescents' access to sexual
and reproductive health services and information on family planning and modern contraception. It further asked the State
party to decriminalise abortion and ensure adolescent girls' access to safe abortion within the country.
The Committee raised concerns about the lack of community-based mental health services and placement of children with
mental health issues in the Residential Centre for Intensive Education or in therapeutic centres outside of the State
party. It recommended that Andorra undertake a comprehensive study on mental health among children, develop
community-based, therapeutic mental health services and counselling in schools and homes, and phase out the practice of
sending children with mental health issues and addictions to residential care centres.
Dominican Republic
The Committee was deeply concerned by racial discrimination against Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian descent and the
continued irregular status of thousands of Dominican-born children of Haitian descent. It recommended that the state
party remove legal provisions and administrative practices that prevent birth registration and access to nationality for
children of Haitian descent.
The Committee raised alarm over the absence of a minimum legal age for sexual consent and the high number of cases
regarding sexual exploitation and abuse of children. It called on the Dominican Republic to establish a minimum age of
sexual consent in its domestic legislation and ensure that the new Criminal Code comprehensively defines the crime of
child sexual exploitation.
Kyrgyzstan
The Committee voiced deep concerns about the high incidence of gender-based violence, sexual exploitation and abuse
against children, including bride kidnapping, and the culture of impunity for perpetrators. It urged Kyrgyzstan to
strengthen legislation to punish gender-based violence, promptly investigate all cases of sexual exploitation and abuse,
gender-based violence and bride kidnapping, and ensure that all child victims receive adequate protection under the law
and have access to multisectoral remedies and comprehensive support.
The Committee was concerned about the large number of children attending schools with insufficient or unsafe
infrastructure, and the shortage of classrooms and teachers, which negatively affect school attendance rates and
learning outcomes. It asked Kyrgyzstan to provide inclusive education for all children, urgently improve the
infrastructure of schools and address schools in an emergency state. It also called on the State party to combat school
bullying and develop guidelines and training for teachers on addressing disturbances in schools through a
child-sensitive and non-violent approach.
Liechtenstein
Concerning the lack of reasonable accommodation in mainstream schools for children with intellectual and psychosocial
disabilities, the Committee urged Liechtenstein to adopt a human rights-based approach to disability, set up a
comprehensive strategy for the inclusion of children with disabilities and continue its efforts towards ensuring that
children with disabilities have access to education in mainstream schools with reasonable accommodation and individual
supports.
The Committee was concerned about the increasing rates of depression and anxiety among adolescents, particularly those
with difficult family situations, lower socioeconomic status, and with chronic conditions. It recommended that
Liechtenstein ensure mental health screening of children in consultation with primary care providers to allow early
detection and treatment and establish mental health prevention programs targeting particularly those disadvantaged
groups of children.
Togo
The Committee noted with concern that the population of Togo is affected by rising temperatures, sea level and rainfall,
which may lead to floods, droughts, coastal erosion and affect the availability of water resources. It called on Togo to
monitor children's health and ensure that health professionals are trained to diagnose and treat health problems caused
by the environment. It also recommended that Togo prepare children for climate change and natural disasters through
awareness-raising in school curricula and teacher training programmes.
The Committee was profoundly disturbed by the persistence of harmful practices, including female genital mutilation and
forced child marriage. It urged Togo to effectively implement the legislation prohibiting child marriage and female
genital mutilation and to establish mechanisms to detect and protect victims and provide them with the necessary
support. It also asked the State party to provide training to relevant professionals and religious and community leaders
and conduct awareness-raising campaigns on the harmful effects of these practices on young girls' physical and mental
health and well-being.
The above findings, officially known as Concluding Observations, are now available on the session webpage.