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P.O. Box 2100, Route de Ferney 150,CH-1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland Tel +41/22-791 61 11Fax +41/22-791 66 30, E-mail info@lutheranworld.org
CHILD RIGHTS IN THE DEMOCRATICREPUBLIC OF CONGO
Examination by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child of theSecond Periodic Report of the State Party (DRC) at its 50
th
session (12 -30 January 2009, Geneva)
 
On 21
st
January 2008, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child considered the secondperiodic report of the Democratic Republic of Congo on the implementation of theConvention on the Rights of the Child.
SUMMARY OF THE COMMITTEE’S CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONSCooperation with civil societyThe Committee
 recommends
that the State party ensure cooperation with NGOs on abroad level in all areas related to the promotion and protection of the rights of the child.To encourage involvement of civil society, the Committee also
 recommends
that the Stateparty:I.
 
Provide sufficient financial assistance;II.
 
Seeking civil society assistance in policy formulation, planning andimplementation, and in the promotion of children’s rights, including theircontribution to the implementation of the Convention and follow-up to theconcluding observations of the Committee.Corporal punishmentThe Committee recommends that the State party explicitly prohibit by law corporalpunishment, not only in schools, but in all settings, including in the family alternativechildcare and places of detention, and implement those laws effectively.It also recommends that the State promote the use of alternative forms of discipline in amanner consistent with the child’s human dignity.
 
 
Sexual violence against Children
The Committee is
deeply concerned 
over extremely high rates of sexual violence in the Stateparty and that in some areas up to half of the victims are children.
The Committee
 recommends
:I.
 
Prohibit all forms of violence against childrenII.
 
Enhance the capacity of all who work with and for childrenIII.
 
Ensure accountability and end impunityIV.
 
Seek technical cooperation in this respect from international agencies as well asNGO partners.Adolescent health and HIV/AIDSThe Committee
 recommends
that the State party elaborate clear policies addressing theprevention of adolescent health-related issues, in particular aiming at reducing the highlevel of early pregnancies and drug and alcohol abuse.The Committee
 recommends
the State party, to take measures to reduce HIV infection,particularly with regard to the young people through, inter alia:I.
 
Elaborate programmes to provide care and strengthen the capacity of families and the community to care for children infected with HIV/AIDSor orphans due to HIV/AIDSII.
 
Carry out activities to reduce stigma and discrimination related toHIV/AIDS and providing awareness-raising on human rights within thecontext of HIV/AIDS;III.
 
Continuing and strengthening efforts to disseminate information andmaterials to the public, particularly adolescents, on prevention andprotection methods, including safe sex practices.Children affected by armed conflict
The Committee
is gravely concerned 
that the State party, through its armed forces, bearsdirect responsibility for violations and that the State party has failed to protect children andprevent violations of children’s rights by non-State groups. The Committee
is particularlyconcerned 
over the very high number of children who have been abducted by armed groupsfor use in hostilities and are victims of violence, rape, sexual and commercial exploitation.
The Committee
urges
the State party to take all necessary steps to collaborate andensure that the Goma peace agreement is fully respected by all parties. The State partyshould take all available measures to ensure the protection of children by ensuring thathuman and financial resources are available, including through international assistance,for their demobilization.The State party
is encouraged 
to collaborate with the International Criminal Court(ICC) in order to seek accountability and prevent impunity for those who havecommitted grave violations against children.
 
 Refugee and internally displaced children
The Committee
expresses grave concern
that half of displaced persons on the State’s territoryare children. The Committee is deeply concerned that violence against child refugees or IDPscontinues in the eastern part of the country.
The Committee
urges
the State party to strengthen its efforts in order to ensure that allrefugees and displaced persons, particularly children, are provided with adequate andappropriate assistance, including food, medical and psychological care and access toeducationStreet childrenThe Committee
encourages
the State party to strengthen its programmes aimed athelping and reducing the very large number of children still living and/or working in thestreets. This can by done through:
-
 
Supporting poor and fragile families;
-
 
Preventing children from separating from their parents;
-
 
Reintegrating street children into their families and communities.The Committee
 strongly urges
the State party to ensure that the rights of street childrenare fully respected by the military and police, who reportedly regularly harass, threaten,beat or arrest street children. The Committee
 recommends
the State party to takeadditional measures to provide street children with adequate food, shelter, educationand healthcare services.Child labour
The Committee is
concerned 
that child labour persists, noting with particular concern thepresence of child workers as young as five years old, working in dangerous conditions in themining industry, particularly in the Katanga region.
The Committee
urges
the State party to take all appropriate steps to eliminateexploitative child labour, including through the implementation of legislation regulatingchild labour and the application of appropriate sanctions against persons violating suchlegislation. The Committee
 recommends
that the State party prioritize the improvementof primary school enrolment and the prevention of dropouts with a view to eliminatingthe worst forms of child labour.Sexual exploitation
The Committee is
seriously concerned 
that marginalized children, such as children involvedin armed conflict, refugees and internally displaced persons, are victims of sexual exploitationand abuse. Furthermore, the Committee is
concerned 
that young girls in urban centers areoften forced to engage in prostitution, sometimes by their parents, at a very low age.
The Committee
 recommends
that the State party:
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alhaji53

Describes the horror of what children face iin the Congo!

reply03 / 03 / 2010
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