COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD

Thirty-eighth session

CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES
UNDER ARTICLE 44 OF THE CONVENTION

Concluding observations: Bolivia

1. The Committee considered the third periodic report of Bolivia (CRC/C/125/Add.2) at its  1019th and 1020th meetings (see CRC/C/SR .1019 and 1020 ), held on 25 January 2005, and adopted, at its 1025th meeting (see CRC/C/SR.1025), held on 28 January 2005, the following concluding observations.

2. The Committee welcomes the submission of the State party’s third periodic report, which follows the guidelines for reporting (CRC/C/15/Add.95), the written replies to its list of issues (CRC/C/Q/BOL/3) and additional information provided. The Committee also notes with appreciation the frank and open dialogue with the high-level delegation of the State party, which allowed for a better understanding of the situation of children in Bolivia.

3. The Committee welcomes a number of positive developments in the reporting period, including:

(a) The entry into force of the Code for Children and Adolescents in June 2000 (Law 2026 of 1999);

(b) The promulgation of the Law on Municipalities (Law 2028 of 1999) under which municipal governments are to establish local children’s authorities for the implementation of children’s rights (defensorías municipales de la niñez y adolescencia);

(c) The amendment to article 4 of the Civil Code, which sets the age of majority at 18;

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(d) The establishment of the Vice-Ministry for Youth, Children and the Elderly under the Ministry for Sustainable Development;

(e) The implementation in cooperation with ILO/IPEC, of a programme to eradicate the worst forms of child labour;

(f) The ratification of the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption in January 2002;

(g) The ratification of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in May 1999 and of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families in July 2003;

(h) The ratification of the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, in July 2003, and on the involvement of children in armed conflict, in December 2004.

4. The Committee notes that a number of factors continue to negatively affect the situation of children and impede the full implementation of the Convention, including political instability, difficulties and conflict in the social and economic spheres, structural poverty and large disparities in income distribution.

1. General measures of implementation

The Committee’s previous recommendations

5. While noting that the first part of the report provides specific reference to the concluding observations, the Committee regrets that some of the recommendations it made (see CRC/C/15/Add.95) on the State party’s second periodic report (CRC/C/65/Add.1) have not been sufficiently addressed, including those contained in paragraphs 23 (conditions of children living in institutions), 28 and 29 (economic and sexual exploitation of children) and 30 (juvenile justice).

6. The Committee urges the State party to make every effort to address the previous recommendations, which have been only partly implemented or not implemented at all, and the list of recommendations contained in the present concluding observations.

7. While welcoming the measures taken to bring national legislation into conformity with the Convention, such as the adoption of the Code for Children and Adolescents, the Committee is concerned that national legislation in some areas is still not in full conformity with the Convention. It is also concerned that new legislation is not fully implemented in practice.

8. The Committee urges the State party to take all necessary measures to fully harmonize its legislation with the Convention and to ensure the effective implementation of all legislation relevant to the rights of the child, taking into account training needs, monitoring mechanisms and the provision of adequate resources. The Committee also urges the State party to ensure that the rights of the child are incorporated into the new Constitution currently under consideration.

9. The Committee expresses concern at the limited capacity of existing institutions, such as the Vice-Ministry for Youth, Children and the Elderly, to ensure an intersectoral and integrated approach to the implementation of policies for children. It regrets, in this respect, that the National Council for Children, provided for in the Code for Children and Adolescents of 1999, has not been established yet. The Committee takes note that the Council is due to be established in February 2005 by a presidential decree specifying the multisectoral composition of the Council, which will include civil society organizations as well as children and youth.

10. The Committee recommends that the State party strengthen the institutional capacity of existing institutions, including the Vice-Ministry for Youth, Children and the Elderly, inter alia by increasing their human and financial resources. It also recommends that the State party pursue its efforts towards the creation of the National Council for Children, and of subnational councils in all departments and municipalities of the country. The State party is encouraged to seek technical assistance from, among others, UNICEF and the Inter-American Children’s Institute in this regard.

11. While appreciating the work done by the Office of the Ombudsperson (Defensor del Pueblo) in the area of children’s rights, the Committee notes the absence of a national independent mechanism with a specific mandate to receive complaints from children and regularly monitor and evaluate progress in the implementation of the Convention.

12. The Committee recommends that the State party establish either a deputy ombudsperson, a section within the Office of the Ombudsperson, or a separate children’s ombudsperson, supported with sufficient human and financial resources, for an independent and effective monitoring of the implementation of children’s rights in accordance with the Committee’s general comment No. 2 (2002) on the role of independent national human rights institutions in the promotion and protection of the rights of the child.

13. While welcoming the establishment of local children’s authorities for the implementation of children’s rights (defensorías municipales de la niñez y adolescencia), the Committee regrets that this decentralized service designed to protect the rights of the child still does not cover all regions, and that adequate funding has not been allocated to these institutions to ensure their effective functioning.

14. The Committee recommends that the State party take the necessary measures to achieve the establishment of defensorías in all municipalities, as envisaged in the Code for Children and Adolescents, and to ensure their effective functioning, including by raising awareness among municipal authorities of the importance of these bodies to the protection of children.

15. While noting the existence of various parallel national programmes and plans of action, such as the National Plan of Action on Children and Adolescents at Risk and the Project for the Defence of the Rights of Children and Adolescents, the Committee regrets that subsequent to the Ten‑Year Plan of Action for Women and Children (1992-2002), no new national plan of action on children has, as yet, been formulated.

16. The Committee recommends that the State party adopt a comprehensive National Plan of Action on Children and ensure that it is rights based, reflects cultural diversity, covers all areas of the Convention, and takes into account the outcome document “A world fit for children”, adopted by the General Assembly at its special session on children held in 2002. The State party should allocate sufficient resources towards its realization and the effective functioning of the body that will be charged with its promotion, coordination and monitoring. The State party should also ensure the coordinated and integrated implementation of the different national programmes and plans of action for children and allocate sufficient resources to their implementation.

17. Despite some improvements in the system of data collection, the Committee remains concerned about inadequate mechanisms to collect, systematize and analyse disaggregated statistical data on children and adolescents. In particular, it regrets the lack of data on education, children with disabilities, children who need special protection and indigenous children.

18. The Committee recommends that the State party continue to strengthen its efforts to develop a system for the comprehensive collection of comparative and disaggregated data on the Convention. The data should cover all children below the age of 18 years and be disaggregated by sex and by groups of children who are in need of special protection. The Committee recommends that the State party develop indicators to effectively monitor and evaluate progress achieved in the implementation of the Convention and assess the impact of policies that affect children. The State party is encouraged to seek technical assistance from UNICEF and the Inter-American Children’s Institute in this respect.

19. The Committee notes with concern that budget allocations for children, including public policies for the protection of rights, social services and education, are insufficient to implement the rights of all children. The low execution rate of budgets in the social area is also a cause for concern.

20. The Committee recommends that the State party strengthen its efforts to significantly increase the proportion of the budget allocated to the realization of children’s rights to the “maximum extent … of available resources”, including through international cooperation, giving special attention to children belonging to economically disadvantaged groups. The State party should ensure that international cooperation in its various forms supports national plans to implement the Convention.

21. While welcoming the translation of the Convention into Aymará, Quechua and Guaraní and the production of a popular version of the Convention, the Committee remains concerned about the low awareness of the Convention among professionals working with and for children and among the general public, especially among children themselves .

22. The Committee encourages the State party:

(a) To take effective measures to disseminate information on the Convention and its implementation among children and parents, civil society and all sectors and levels of government;

(b) To develop systematic and ongoing training programmes on human rights, including children’s rights, for all persons working for and with children (e.g. judges, lawyers, law enforcement officials, civil servants, local government officials, teachers, social workers, health personnel and, especially, children themselves);

(c) To seek international assistance from UNICEF, the Inter-American Children’s Institute , international NGOs and other international organizations.

23. While welcoming the abandoning of the use of a biological criterion for puberty and the age of maturity, in line with its previous recommendations (CRC/C/15/Add.95, para. 16), the Committee is concerned at the low legal minimum age for contracting marriage and that different minimum legal ages for marriage are set for girls (14) and boys (16).

24. The Committee recommends that the State party set the minimum age for marriage for girls and for boys at a higher and equal level. The State party is also advised to undertake awareness-raising campaigns and other measures to prevent early marriages.

3. General principles

Non-discrimination

25. The Committee is deeply concerned about the significant disparities in the State party in the implementation of the rights enshrined in the Convention, reflected in a range of social indicators like enrolment in and completion of education, infant mortality rates and birth registration, indicating persistent discrimination against indigenous children, girls, children with disabilities and children living in rural areas.

26. In light of article 2 of the Convention, the Committee recommends that the State party intensify its efforts to prevent and eliminate all forms of de facto discrimination against indigenous children, children with disabilities, girls and children living in rural areas.

27. The Committee notes that the Code for Children and Adolescents stipulates that the principle of the best interests of the child, contained in article 3 of the Convention, is a primary consideration in all measures concerning children. However, the Committee is concerned that this principle is not given adequate attention in national legislation and policies and that awareness of its significance is low among the population.

28. The Committee recommends that the State party take measures to raise awareness of the meaning and practical application of the principle of the best interests of the child and ensure that article 3 of the Convention is duly reflected in its legislation and administrative measures.

29. The Committee welcomes the efforts of the State party to promote and implement the right of children to express their views and actively participate at various levels of society. However, it remains concerned at the persistence of traditional attitudes in the State party which, among other things, limit children’s right to participation and to express their views. It notes with concern the limited possibilities available to children to participate in and express their views in decision-making procedures affecting them, particularly in schools and communities.

30. In light of article 12 of the Convention, the Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Strengthen its efforts to promote within the family, schools, and other institutions respect for the views of children, especially girls, and facilitate their participation in all matters affecting them;

(b) Strengthen national awareness-raising campaigns to change traditional attitudes that limit children’s right to participation;

(c) Continue to strengthen children’s participation in councils, forums, children’s parliaments and the like;

(d) Regularly review the extent to which children’s views are taken into consideration, including their impact on relevant policies and programmes.

4. Civil rights and freedoms

Birth registration

31. While noting the efforts made by the State party to ensure that all births are registered and that all children are issued birth certificates, the Committee is concerned that a large number of children in the State party do not have a birth certificate. It also notes with concern the large proportion of indigenous children who are not registered with the Civil Registry.

32. The Committee recommends that the State party strengthen its efforts to ensure that children are registered at birth and organize, through special measures and in accordance with the law, the registration of children who were not registered at birth, giving special attention to indigenous children, including by providing for such registration free of charge. The Committee also recommends that the State party undertake efforts to raise awareness of the importance of birth registration for children for the full enjoyment of their rights.

33. The Committee is concerned at reported cases of police brutality against children in the State party.

34. The Committee recommends that the State party adopt measures to prevent and eliminate all kinds of institutional violence. It also recommends that the State party ensure that alleged cases of police brutality against children are duly investigated and that those responsible for such crimes are prosecuted.

35. The Committee expresses deep concern that, despite its prohibition in the Code for Children and Adolescents, corporal punishment is still widely used within the family and in schools and other institutions.

36. The Committee recommends that the State party take effective measures, including through public awareness campaigns, to promote positive, participatory and non‑violent forms of discipline as an alternative to corporal punishment at all levels of society, and to effectively implement the law prohibiting corporal punishment.

5. Family environment and alternative care

Children deprived of their family environment

37. The Committee is concerned about the large number of children separated from their parents who are living in institutions in the State party, despite the State party’s intention to reduce the number of institutionalized children. It also notes with concern that parents in some cases place their children in institutions for economic reasons.

38. The Committee recommends that the State party take effective measures to reduce institutionalization of children by undertaking well-targeted efforts to return children to their parents and by strengthening and supporting the system of foster care and, whenever appropriate, domestic adoption. The State party should ensure that placements in institutions are periodically reviewed.

39. The Committee reiterates its concern about the situation of children living in prisons with one of their parents and about the living conditions of these children and the regulation of their care if they are separated from their parent in prison.

40. The Committee recommends that the State party develop and implement clear guidelines on the placement of children with their parent in prison, in instances where this is considered to be in the best interest of the child (e.g. the age of the children, the length of stay, contact with the outside world and movement in and outside the prison) and ensure that the living conditions in prisons are adequate for the child’s development, as required by article 27 of the Convention. It further recommends that the State party develop and implement adequate alternative care for children who are removed from prison, which is regularly supervised and allows the child to maintain personal relations and direct contact with its parent remaining in prison .

41. The Committee welcomes measures taken to strengthen the protection of the rights of adopted children. However, the Committee is concerned about the limited understanding and acceptance in the State party that domestic adoptions are more desirable than intercountry adoptions, the lack of mechanisms to prepare prospective adoptive parents, and the lack of mechanisms to follow up and monitor the situation of adopted children and children placed in foster care. The Committee is also deeply concerned about the continuing occurrence of illegal adoptions .

42. The Committee recommends that the State party develop and implement a comprehensive adoption policy and raise awareness of the importance of domestic adoption. As stipulated in article 21 (b) of the Convention, intercountry adoption should be considered an alternative means of childcare only if an adoptive family or foster care placement cannot be found within the country. Effective mechanisms to review, monitor and follow up adoption of children should be established. The Committee urges the State party to strengthen its efforts to prevent illegal adoptions and to ensure that its legislation and practice on national and international adoptions is brought into line with article 21 of the Convention and the Hague Convention, respectively. The central authorities should be provided with adequate resources to regulate and monitor the activities of international adoption agencies in the State party.

43. The Committee remains deeply concerned at the extent of abuse and violence within the family. While noting that new legal protection measures have been introduced by the Code for Children and Adolescents, the Committee regrets the lack of a clear national policy to combat these phenomena.

44. The Committee recommends that the State party strengthen its current efforts to address the problem of domestic violence and child abuse, including through:

(a) Ensuring the effective implementation of the relevant provisions of the Code for Children and Adolescents;

(b) Public education campaigns about the negative consequences of ill-treatment, and prevention programmes, including family development programmes, that promote positive, non-violent forms of discipline;

(c) Ensuring that all victims of violence have access to counselling and assistance with recovery and reintegration;

(d) Providing adequate protection to child victims of abuse in their homes.

6. Basic health and welfare

Children with disabilities

45. The Committee regrets the lack of official data on the number of children with disabilities in the State party and that children with disabilities continue to face various forms of discrimination. The Committee also notes with concern the lack of public assistance and special education for children with disabilities; the large number of children with disabilities who do not attend any form of school education, especially in rural areas; and the lack of an integration policy in general for these children.

46. The Committee recommends that the State party take all necessary measures:

(a) To address all issues of discrimination, including social discrimination and discrimination against children with disabilities in rural areas;

(b) To collect accurate statistical data on children with disabilities;

(c) To ensure and monitor the implementation of the Equality of Opportunity Act and Policy and to take into consideration the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (General Assembly resolution 48/96, annex);

(d) To provide equal educational opportunities for children with disabilities, including by providing the necessary support and ensuring that teachers are trained to educate children with disabilities within regular schools.

47. The Committee welcomes the improvement of primary health-care coverage, including the basic health insurance scheme (SUMI) that provides free medical care for children up to 5 years of age and their mothers. The Committee is concerned, however, that not all children, especially indigenous children, benefit from SUMI. It also remains deeply concerned that post‑natal health care is still inadequate and that mortality rates and other health indicators are significantly worse in rural areas. The Committee is further concerned that, despite a significant decrease, infant mortality rates remain very high, and well above the regional average. Furthermore, the Committee is deeply concerned at the high levels of malnutrition among children in the State party and at the limited use of breastfeeding. While noting that the prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS is relatively low in the State party, the Committee expresses concern at its considerable increase in recent years.

48. The Committee recommends that the State party continue to strengthen its efforts in improving the health situation of children in the State party and their access to quality health services in all areas of the country, particularly rural areas. It also recommends that the State party take measures to ensure that all children benefit from SUMI. Furthermore, the State party should ensure that mothers are encouraged to rely exclusively on breastfeeding for six months after birth, with the addition of appropriate infant diet thereafter. The Committee also recommends that the State party complete and implement the draft law on HIV/AIDS.

49. The Committee is concerned about the large number of teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), as well as the lack of programmes on sexual and reproductive health. It is also concerned at the high incidence of alcohol and tobacco abuse in the State party.

50. The Committee recommends that the State party pay close attention to adolescent health, taking into account the Committee’s general comment No. 4 (2003) on adolescent health and development in the context of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In particular, the State party is encouraged to strengthen sexual and reproductive health education for adolescents, especially in schools, with a view to reducing the incidence of teenage pregnancies and STIs, and to provide teenage pregnant girls with the necessary assistance and access to health care and education. The Committee also recommends that the State party continue and strengthen measures to address the issue of alcohol and tobacco abuse among children.

51. While welcoming the formulation of Bolivia’s poverty reduction strategy, which sets out a national plan of action up to 2015, the Committee notes with concern the persistent high rate of poverty in the State party, especially in rural areas.

52. The Committee recommends that the State party take the necessary measures to ensure the continuing implementation of the national poverty reduction strategy, targeting the most disadvantaged regions and groups and ensuring that the needs of all children are met and their rights duly protected. The State party is encouraged to seek international cooperation and assistance whenever necessary.

7. Education, leisure and cultural activities

Education, including vocational training and guidance

53. While welcoming the recent reform of the education system and the increase in coverage of both primary and secondary education achieved in the last years, the Committee is concerned at continuing low enrolment rates, especially among girls and indigenous children; the considerable disparities in the coverage and quality of education between urban and rural areas; and high dropout rates and persistently high illiteracy rates, particularly among rural and indigenous children and girls . The Committee is also concerned at the low percentage of children enrolled in pre-primary education . The lack of access to educational programmes for juvenile offenders is also a cause of concern.

54. The Committee encourages the State party:

(a) To provide sufficient funding to ensure free education at all levels of primary and secondary education;

(b) To strengthen efforts to bridge the gaps in the coverage and quality of education throughout the country;

(c) To strengthen efforts to bridge the gender disparity in education, giving special attention to promoting the education of rural girls;

(d) To take measures to identify the causes of the high dropout rate in schools, particularly in rural areas, and to take steps to address the situation;

(e) To strengthen educational and vocational programmes for children who do not attend regular school education;

(f) To ensure that all juvenile offenders have access to adequate educational and vocational programmes in detention centres;

(g) To ensure the accessibility of pre-school programmes with the assistance of communities at the local level;

(h) To take steps to provide adequate training to teachers and improve the quality of teaching and learning methods;

(i) To ratify the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education of 1960.

55. The Committee notes the absence of a national educational plan for human rights education in the State party .

56. The Committee recommends that the State party adopt and implement a national educational plan for human rights education, taking into account the Committee’s general comment No. 1 (2001) on the aims of education.

8. Special protection measures

Refugee children

57. The Committee notes with concern the lack of specific procedures for providing special care and assistance to children, in particular unaccompanied minors and separated children, under the refugee determination system.

58. The Committee recommends that the State party establish a fully functioning and comprehensive refugee status determination mechanism, ensuring full respect for the principle of non-refoulement, and, in particular, introduce specific procedures for the treatment of unaccompanied and separated minors.

59. While welcoming the measures taken by the State party to combat the worst forms of child labour, including through cooperation with ILO/IPEC, the Committee expresses its deep concerned at the widespread occurrence of child labour in the State party and at the absence of rights-based policies to protect the rights of children and adolescents involved in child labour. The Committee is particularly concerned about the large number of child domestic workers, who are vulnerable to abuse, and about children working in mines, on sugar cane plantations and in other hazardous conditions .

60. The Committee urges the State to strengthen measures to combat child labour. It recommends, in this regard, that the State party formulate, in a participatory manner, a strategy and plan of action to eliminate the worst forms of child labour as well as to safeguard the rights of working children. The Committee also recommends that the State party strengthen the labour inspectorate to ensure the effective implementation of child labour laws, including the prohibition against employing children under the age of 18 in harmful or hazardous work. The State party is encouraged to give priority to children working in the sugar cane and mining industries and to child domestic workers, with special attention to the rights of the girl child, and to continue to seek assistance from ILO/IPEC in this respect.

61. The Committee notes with concern the increasing number of children who use drugs and harmful substances in the State party.

62. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Formulate a rights-based plan of action for the protection of children and adolescents from the dangers of drugs and harmful substances, and involve children in its formulation and implementation;

(b) Provide children with accurate and objective information about the harmful consequences of substance abuse;

(c) Ensure that children using drugs and harmful substances are treated as victims and not as criminals;

(d) Develop recovery and reintegration services for child victims of substance abuse;

(e) Seek cooperation with and assistance from WHO and UNICEF.

63. The Committee is concerned about the extent of sexual exploitation and trafficking of children for this or other purposes, in particular economic exploitation, in the State party and about the lack of effective programmes to address this problem .

64. In light of articles 34 and 35 and other related articles of the Convention, the Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Conduct a comprehensive study to assess the causes, nature and extent of trafficking in children for various purposes including commercial sexual exploitation;

(b) Proceed with plans to amend the Penal Code so as to make the exploitation and trafficking of children criminal offences;

(c) Strengthen measures and adopt multidisciplinary and multisectoral approaches to prevent and combat trafficking in children and sexual exploitation of children and adolescents;

(d) Undertake awareness-raising campaigns, particularly for parents;

(e) Ensure that trafficked children and children who have been subjected to sexual and economic exploitation are always treated as victims and that perpetrators are prosecuted;

(f) Provide adequate programmes of assistance and reintegration for sexually exploited and/or traffickedchildren in accordance with the Declaration and Agenda for Action and the Global Commitment adopted at the 1996 and 2001 World Congresses against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children;

(g) Ratify the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, signed by the State party in December 2000;

(h) Collaborate with NGOs working on these issues and seek technical assistance from, among others, the Inter-American Children’s Institute and UNICEF.

65. The Committee expresses concern at the rise in the number of street children in the State party.

66. The Committee recommends that the State party strengthen its efforts to provide assistance to street children, including health care; reintegration services for physical, sexual and substance abuse; services for reconciliation with families; and education, including vocational and life-skills training. The Committee also recommends that the State party cooperate and coordinate its efforts with civil society and undertake a study on the nature and extent of the problem . The State party is encouraged to seek technical assistance from, among others, UNICEF.

67. The Committee welcomes the legislative improvements in the rules applicable to children in conflict with the law . However, it is concerned that the juvenile justice system still has serious shortcomings in practice, such as the lack of adequate alternatives to pre-trial and other forms of detention, the very poor living conditions of juveniles detained in police stations or other institutions, the length of pre-trial detention and the fact that according to the information provided in the written replies thousands of persons below the age of 18 are detained with adults.

68. The Committee recommends that the State party take the necessary measures to ensure that the rules, regulations and practice of the juvenile justice system are in conformity with articles 37, 39 and 40 of the Convention and other relevant international standards and are applied with respect to all persons below 18 years who are in conflict with the law. In this regard, the Committee more specifically recommends that the State party:

(a) Develop and implement alternatives to pre-trial and other forms of detention in order to ensure that deprivation of liberty is really a measure of last resort for the shortest time possible;

(b) Develop and implement adequate socio-educational programmes and appropriate probation and parole arrangements for juvenile offenders;

(c) Take the necessary measures to significantly improve the living conditions of juveniles deprived of their liberty and ensure that they are separated from adults;

(d) Ensure that new detention centres for juveniles are not located in remote areas and are equipped with the necessary facilities for the rehabilitation of juveniles;

(e) Continue and strengthen the training on the Convention and other relevant legislation for those responsible for administering juvenile justice;

(f) Seek assistance from, inter alia, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Centre for International Crime Prevention, regional institutions and UNICEF.

9. Follow-up and dissemination

Follow-up

69. The Committee recommends that the State party take all appropriate measures to ensure the full implementation of the present recommendations, inter alia by transmitting them to the members of the National Congress, departmental councils and municipal governments for appropriate consideration and further action.

70. The Committee further recommends that the third periodic report, the written replies submitted by the State party and the related recommendations (concluding observations) adopted by the Committee be made widely available, including (but not exclusively) through the Internet, to the public at large, civil society organizations, youth groups and children in order to generate debate and awareness of the Convention, its implementation and monitoring.

71. The Committee expects to receive the fourth periodic report of the State party, which should not exceed 120 pages (see CRC/C/118), on 2 September 2007, the date on which it is due.