UNITED NATIONS Press Release -------------------------------------------------------------------- xxxxxxxxxxCOMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD REVIEWS INITIAL REPORT OF LIBERIA xxxxxxxxxx 25 May 2004 The Committee on the Rights of the Child today reviewed the initial report of Liberia on how that country is implementing the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Vabah K. Gayflor, Minister of Gender and Development of Liberia, said that over the past 14 years, Liberia had been engulfed in successive periods of civil war which had taken their toll on the status of the nation's children. As a consequence, and due to the high unemployment rate, the dependency burden had reached cataclysmic proportions with families finding it extremely difficult to feed, clothe, shelter, educate and provide basic medical care for their children. More than 80 per cent of the population now lived in abject poverty. Ms. Gayflor also said that the Liberian child had been adversely affected by the conflict and had not been able to access adequate safe drinking water, sanitation, immunization, proper nutrition and basic primary education. Access to primary education was very low and in most instances non-existent, particularly in towns and villages in the rural areas; the Liberian children had indeed been robbed of their childhood; and as a result, infant and child mortality continued to be very high and were rated the worst in the world. Committee Experts asked the delegation, among other issues, about rehabilitation and integration of ex-combatants; the magnitude of the rehabilitation programme in terms of staff and vocational training; the role of the National Commission for Human Rights; the actual situation of the rehabilitation programmes for disabled children, and if such children were in the streets or in centres; whether the facilities for the deaf and blind were still operational or were destroyed in the war; the reunification of children with their families; the absence of a plan of action for children; the debate on the criminal responsibility of children who participated in the armed conflict; the implementation of an integrated management against malaria; and the lack of a strategy in the fight against HIV/AIDS. In preliminary remarks, Lothar Friedrich Krappmann, the Committee Expert who served as country Rapporteur to the report of Liberia, thanked the delegation for coming before the Committee to present the report and answer the questions put by the Experts. The presence of the delegation was a sign of the State party's political will to comply with the provisions of the Convention. The Committee now had good knowledge of the potential of Liberia to protect the rights of the child. Remarkable efforts had also been made since October last year in demobilization, rehabilitation and reconstruction with regard to children. Further efforts should be made to bring back children to normal life, Mr. Krappmann said. The Committee would use its authority to request the international community to cooperate with Liberia. Members of the high-level Liberian delegation also included Kabineh Ja'neh, Minster of Justice; Peter S. Coleman, Minister of Health and Social Welfare; Ruth Caesar, of the National Transitional Legislative Assembly; and Lois Lewis Bruthus, of the Governance Reform Commission. The Committee will reconvene at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 26 May, to consider the second periodic report of Myanmar (CRC/C/70/Add.21). Report of Liberia The initial report of Liberia (CRC/C/28/Add.21) provides information on the overall situation of the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the promotion and protection of the rights of children. It notes that the population is young: 55.6 per cent is below the age of 20 years. Liberia's population growth pattern is influenced by the widespread practice of polygamy, the large proportion of women of reproductive age, the practice of early marriage, the high rate of fertility and the low utilization of contraceptive services. Projections based on pre-war population parameters indicate that Liberia's population is expected to stand at 3.6 million and grow at an annual rate of 3.4 per cent. The leading causes of mortality in children are mainly preventable causes such as neonatal tetanus, acute respiratory infections and malaria, the report says. Infant mortality stands at 117 per 1,000 live births and under-five mortality stands at 163 per 1,000 live births. These high rates place Liberia among the 10 most underdeveloped countries in the world. The maternal mortality rate of 578 women per 100,000 live births is also an indication of serious safe motherhood and child-survival problems in post war Liberia. The report notes that measures are being taken to translate the Convention into the various local vernaculars. While the translation process is ongoing, it has been slowed down by impediments of inadequate human, logistic and financial resources. Even though the civil war has hindered smooth implementation of the Convention since its ratification in 1993, some measures are already being undertaken by the Government to harmonize its provisions with other existing national laws. Introduction of Report VABAH K. GAYFLOR, Minister for Gender and Development of Liberia, said that over the past 14 years, Liberia had been engulfed in successive periods of civil war, which had taken their toll on the status of the nation's children. As a consequence of that long period of instability, a compound complex emergency situation had evolved, resulting in the complete breakdown of the socio-economic and political fabric of the society. That had been exemplified by the lack of basic services, the displacement of about 50 per cent of the population, massive unemployment and the migration of skilled workers and professionals; currently, there existed 400 health professionals as compared to 2,033 in 1989. Given the high unemployment rate, the dependency burden had reached cataclysmic proportions with families finding it extremely difficult to feed, clothe, shelter, educate and provide basic medical care for their children. More than 80 per cent of the population now lived in abject poverty. Through all of that, Ms. Gayflor continued, the Liberian child had been adversely affected and had not been able to access adequate safe drinking water, adequate sanitation, full immunization, proper nutrition and basic primary education. Access to primary education was indeed very low and in most instances non-existent, particularly in towns and villages in the rural areas. As it related to the girl child, the situation was even more dismal. To date, of the 1.5 million children, only 46 per cent were enrolled in schools. The Liberian children had indeed been robbed of their childhood. As a result, infant and child mortality continued to be very high and were rated the worst in the world. During the last 5 minutes of the Committee's deliberations, 300 children had died of preventable childhood diseases. No amount of words could effectively describe the actual state of Liberian children, Ms. Gayflor said. Their situation lacked similarities, for indeed since the year 2000, the situation of Liberian children had deteriorated drastically. A considerable number of children had become members of fighting forces for the second or third times of their childhood. The estimated number of children associated with the fighting forces was 20,000. Ms. Gayflor said the juvenile justice system in the country needed to be strengthened as a matter of national urgency. The issue of reintegration of children associated with the fighting forces needed to be addressed considering the slow pace at which funding was being made available. Despite the shortfalls, appropriate actions were being taken to address those limitations. The present Government was committed to providing an enabling environment that would ensure the adherence to the provisions of the Convention. However, limited resources continued to hinder and restrict the widespread dissemination of the treaty. The present environment was one of hope in which commitments undertaken had a fair chance of being implemented, the Minister said. The international community had galvanized its support for the peace process in Liberia and that expression had been reinforced through the pledges made during the recent donors' conference on Liberia in New York. The Disarmament, Demobilization, Rehabilitation and Reintegration Process had recommenced with special emphasis and focus on children associated with the fighting forces. To date, more than 2,000 children had been admitted to the process. That number was increasing daily as the disarmament, demobilization, rehabilitation and reintegration continued. The process would soon spread to the interior and border countries. Questions Raised by Committee Experts LOTHAR FRIEDRICH KRAPPMANN, the Committee Expert who served as country Rapporteur to the report of Liberia, said the Committee had followed the conflict raging in Liberia for many years. He congratulated the delegation for coming before the Committee in spite of the burdens of the demanding tasks of peace building, reconciliation, and reconstructing the society, the political system, the economy and the entire infrastructure. Liberia was a potentially rich country that possessed diamonds, iron, timber, fish and food. However, the revenue from those resources had disappeared. Mr. Krappmann said that during the dialogue, they would discuss child mortality rates and the lack of immunization, malnutrition, children without parents, and the many children who had never seen the inside of a school. The discussion would also focus on the situation of child soldiers and the many brutalized and misused child victims. It meant that the discussion would be about almost a generation of children traumatized in one way or the other. Mr. Krappmann said that the Government of Liberia was willing to mobilize extreme efforts for the improvement of children's living conditions, their development, education, rehabilitation as well as to provide therapy for the maimed, deeply wounded, and psychologically affected children. He was convinced that the demobilization, rehabilitation and reintegration of the numerous child soldiers were the most pressing problems that would need the Government's first and most firm attention. On the issue of respect for the view of the child, Mr. Krappmann asked how it was possible to deal with the issue of respecting the child's view and fairly integrating children in decisions affecting their lives, when the same children had been terrorizing their communities and regions with gangs and guns. He wondered if the usual view of the child had been totally destroyed in Liberia? Mr. Krappmann said the State party should consider the establishment of a powerful unit in the public administration that had resources to care for children's affairs. He asked about the Children's Unit that had already been established in the Ministry of Gender and Development. The launching of a national plan of action was an urgent issue. Why was Liberia waiting until the end of 2005 to elaborate such a plan, especially as it had been indicated that many important activities would start only after the launching of the plan. KAMEL FILALI, the Committee Expert who served as Co-rapporteur to the report of Liberia, said that Liberia was now being reconstructed thanks to the international efforts. The rehabilitation and integration of the ex-combatants continued. What was the magnitude of the rehabilitation programme in terms of staff and vocational training? What was the role of the Human Rights Commission? Other Committee Experts also raised questions. They asked, among other things, about the actual situation of the rehabilitation programmes for disabled children, and if these children were in the streets or in centres; whether the facilities for the deaf and blind were still operational or if they were destroyed in the war; reunification of children with their families; the absence of a plan of action for children; the reintegration of child soldiers; the complex situation of the demobilization efforts; the function of the joint implementation unit; the problems of landmines and the de-mining efforts; cooperation with civil society in building the nation; the acceptance of children by their families; and debate on criminal responsibility of children who participated in the armed conflict. Response by Delegation of Liberia Responding, the members of the Liberian delegation said, among other things, that in conjunction with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), an emergency plan of action had been set up for children. Children were encouraged to come forward to benefit from the plan of action, which also aimed at reintegrating children affected by the conflict. The security risk in many areas did not allow carrying out awareness campaigns on the Convention. Lately, with the help of UNICEF, a national conference had been held on the issue of children and the Convention. As a result of the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Accra in August 2003, the transitional Government was making efforts to demobilize child combatants and reintegrate them into the society, the delegation said. So far, about 2,000 of them had been integrated, after being demobilized. However, the pace of mobilization was slow due to the extent of the difficulties related to the prolonged conflict. Asked whether child combatants could be recruited by neighbouring countries, the delegation said that a discussion been held with officials of Sierra Leone and Co^te d'Ivoire on the issue and on how to prevent Liberian ex-combatants from being recruited by armed groups in those countries. The transitional Government had established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the delegation said, adding that legislation still had to be adopted in that regard. The process of demobilization and reintegration would also continue parallel to the Commission's work. Twenty per cent of the Liberian population suffered from disabilities, mainly due to the conflict, the delegation said. The number of paraplegics had increased, requiring special measures to accommodate them. The Government was running short of wheelchairs for those persons. Handicap International, a non-governmental organization (NGO), was helping the Government in its efforts. By providing training in skills, the authorities were attempting to remove all disabled children off the streets. In that regard, an inter-agency unit of the United Nations system was active in training disabled children and adolescents to facilitate their integration. The reunification of children was a concern for the Government, the delegation said. The issue of refusal by parents was also another concern that had prompted the authorities to hold a dialogue with partners to take care of such children to ensure their integration. The provision of vocational training did not distinguish between children who had or had not participated in the war; and it would be open to all children. During the last five years, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS had been high, particularly with regard to the girl child, the delegation said. During the war, girls had been victims of abuse and sexual violence. As a result, the number of female HIV carriers had multiplied. The Government, in partnership with NGOs, had taken measures to combat the disease and to protect the victims. A women's committee was dealing with the combat against traditional practices harmful to girls, such as female genital mutilation, the delegation said. Efforts were being deployed to change people's attitudes towards such harmful traditions. Questions by Committee Experts Committee Experts continued to raise questions. They asked, among other things, about the effective monitoring of the efforts to contact children's families; the conditions of children kept in camps; the decentralization of projects of integration; if efforts were made to rebuild school facilities; the care for orphans and abandoned children; the lack of health services for the majority of people; the implementation of an integrated management against malaria; the lack of strategy on the fight against HIV/AIDS; the support for breastfeeding; the prevention against drug abuse; the functions of the Children's Parliament and the National Consultative Council for Children; the provision of training for traditional midwives; the improvement of birth registration; the teaching of human rights, particularly the rights of the child; and the system of adoption and the illicit transfer children. Response of Delegation Responding, the delegation affirmed that the Children's Unit of the Ministry of Gender and Development was functional and that it had been strengthened to serve as an HIV/AIDS focal point. The Government had put in place legislation for compulsory free primary education, the delegation said. The new law provided for a penalty of $ 500 against those who failed to send their children to school. The lenient $ 10 fine in the past had not discouraged people from failing to send their children to school. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and other international agencies were cooperating in the implementation of compulsory primary education. Article 27 of the Liberian Constitution provided that only Negroes or descendents of Negroes were qualified to have access to Liberian citizenship, the delegation said. However, the people would decide on this issue in the future. The issue of devolution of power or decentralization depended on the country's Constitution, which vested much of the power in the Head of the State, the delegation said. Such policies could be enacted through a constitutional reform. Children who committed offences were put in special facilities, the delegation said. Children between 16 and 18 could be sentenced by courts and were placed in social facilities. Liberian officials had started a process with the view to ratify the two optional protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child relating to the sale of children, child pornography and child prostitution, and children involved in armed conflicts, the delegation said. Facilities for the disabled children in Liberia were inadequate and limited, the delegation said. Recently, a petition had been submitted by the Union of the Disabled for the creation of environmentally friendly facilities, both in the public and private sectors. There were five institutions for the disabled which were operated by non-governmental organizations. The school for the blind, deaf and mentally and physically challenged needed to be revitalized and similar facilities needed to be created around the country. The number of orphans had increased during the last few years due to the war and the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the delegation said. The Government was now revisiting its strategy for HIV/AIDS in order to better tackle the phenomenon. The supply of drugs against the disease would be strengthened as part of the new strategy. Outside the capital city Monrovia, a number of health care services had been destroyed while the medical staff had dispersed, many of them leaving the country to seek employment abroad. Reacting, a Committee Expert said that if medical professionals were leaving the country on security grounds, the State should try to give them security guarantees; and if it was a question of salaries, it should try to tempt them to stay behind by revisiting their salaries to discourage them from leaving the country. In order to encourage people to register new births, birth certificates and vaccination certificates had become obligatory for school enrolment, the delegation said. Birth registration forms were widely distributed to health posts across the country. No fee was required for birth registration. Nutrition had been neglected during the conflict with many regions of the country being affected, the delegation said. With regard to breastfeeding, Liberian mothers were traditionally used to breastfeed their children, and the Government was encouraging this practise as a matter of policy. Responding to a question on education, the delegation said that the number of students enrolled in schools had grown from 289,883 in 1998 to 794,337 in 2001, while the number of primary education teachers went up from 9,659 to 17,210, for the same period. Several schools had also been reconstructed and equipped with the necessary educational facilities. In all the 15 counties, schools were made to function regularly from elementary to higher college levels. The 2003 law on compulsory and free education was designed in connection with the Millennium Goal for Development. The target was to enrol 1.5 million students in all schools. Issues concerning the girl child were taken care of by the Ministry of Gender and Development, in collaboration with UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund, the delegation said. The Children's Parliament and the National Child Rights Observatory Group were advocating the protection and advancement of children and youth in all spheres, the delegation said. Children often asked for recreational programmes and availability of time for playing instead of serving their parents, mainly to collect water which was a rare commodity due to the lack of a running water supply in the country. The use of children as slaves in plantations was not a problem in Liberia and therefore was not of concern to the Government, the delegation said. Even Liberian children who sought refuge in neighbouring Co^te d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone were not involved in such acts, according to the information supplied by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Asked about the use of drugs by former child combatants, the delegation said that the Government was now working with its partners to enhance the programme which dealt with children who abused drugs and intoxicating substances. At the ministerial level, a committee was working to find ways to tackle the problem at its roots. Preliminary Remarks LOTHAR FRIEDRICH KRAPPMANN, the Committee Expert who served as country Rapporteur to the report of Liberia, thanked the delegation for coming before the Committee to present the report and answer the questions raised by the Experts. The presence of the delegation was a sign of the State party's political will to comply with the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Committee now had a good knowledge of the potential of Liberia to protect the rights of the child. The constructive dialogue and the spirit manifested during the discussion would be reflected in the Committee's conclusions and recommendations. The Committee acknowledged the progress made in peace building and rights empowerment. Remarkable efforts had also been made since October last year in demobilization, rehabilitation and reconstruction with regard to children. Further efforts should be made to bring back children to normal life, Mr. Krappmann said. The Committee would use its authority to request the international community to cooperate with Liberia. The process of family reunification should be intensified for a successful result. Although health care facilities were not fully accessible to the population, the delegation had given reassurances that the situation would change soon. In the field of education, the authorities should bring all children back to school, reconstruct schools and education should be made more attractive. Protection measures should be taken to maintain the security of the many vulnerable groups of children so that they were not misused and maltreated. -- The "child-rights" mailing list provides information on issues related to children's human rights. Archives of "child-rights" messages, as well as instructions on how to (un)subscribe to the list, can be found at: http://www.hrea.org/lists/child-rights/markup/maillist.php
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