Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, U.N. Doc. CRC/C/15/Add.184 (2002).

 

 

COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD

Thirtieth session

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

Concluding Observations of the Committee on the
Rights of the Child: St. Vincent and the Grenadines


A. Introduction
1. The Committee considered the initial report of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (CRC/C/28/Add.18) at its 796th to 797th meetings (see CRC/C/SR.796-797), held on 2nd June 2002, and adopted At the 804th meeting, held on 7th June 2002. the following concluding observations.

2. The Committee welcomes the submission of the State party's initial report and the written replies to its list of issues (CRC/C/Q/SVG/1). The Committee notes the constructive dialogue it had with the State Party's high-level delegation.

B. Positive factors
3. The Committee welcomes the strengthening of the State Party's health care infrastructure.

4. The Committee welcomes:
a) the State Party's abolition of the death penalty for all persons below age 18.
b) the setting up of a family court under the Domestic Violence Act of 1995 to deal specifically and speedily with cases of domestic violence.
c) the programme to strengthen parental skills and empower the family.

5. The Committee notes, in addition, the State Party's good cooperation with NGOs.

C. Factors and difficulties impeding the implementation of the Convention
6. The Committee notes:
a) the difficult geographic and demographic conditions.
b) that difficult socio-economic conditions place limitations upon the State party's financial and human resources.
c) that severe unemployment has led to high emigration, leaving many single parent and grandparent headed households.
d) that poverty and long-standing economic and social disparities have a negative impact on respect for the rights of individual children.

D. Subjects of concern and Committee recommendations

D1. General measures of implementation (arts. 4, 42 and 44, paragraph 6 of the Convention)

Legislation

7. While noting that the State Party has begun, within the framework of the Organisation of Eastern Carribean States (OECS), a process harmonizing its legislation with regard to children and the family, the Committee is nevertheless concerned that this process is slow, that some existing legislation is outdated and does not fully take into consideration the Convention's principles and provisions, and that there has not been a general review of legislation of direct relevance to children since before the State party ratified the Convention.

8. The Committee recommends that the State Party:
a) continue and strengthen its ongoing efforts to conduct a general review of the conformity of its legislation with the principles and provisions of the Convention.
b) where needed, amend existing legislation or adopt new legislation with a view to strengthening the legislative framework for the Convention's implementation and, in this context, make every effort to proceed with the OECS (and partners') programme for the hamonization of laws relating to families and children (as described in the replies to the list of issues).
c) Proceed with the commitment, as mentioned by the delegation, to consider the adoption by Parliament of a rights based Children's Code, compiling the main elements of domestic legislation of direct relevance to children and incorporating the provisions and principles of the Convention including the best interests principle.
d) seek technical assistance from UNICEF and OHCHR.

Implementation, co-ordination, national plan of action and monitoring

9. While noting the establishment of the National Committee on the Rights of the Child, the adoption of the National Youth Policy, that the Ministry of Social Development, Cooperation, the Family, Gender and Ecclesiastical Affairs is the institution charged with ensuring the coordination of governmental bodies working to implement the Convention and the State Party's adoption of a new programme of action in cooperation with UNICEF for the period 2003 to 2008 with a set of defined priorities, the Committee remains concerned that:
a) the State party lacks a clearly defined and comprehensive child rights policy and plan of action for the Convention's implementation.
b) coordination of the Convention's implementation between different Government Ministries remains insufficient.
c) there is no effective independent mechanism which can receive and act upon complaints of child rights violations, including from children.

10. The Committee recommends that the State party:
a) With a view to integrating the Convention's child rights perspective into all relevant programmes and activities, strengthen its children's rights policy and develop a National Plan of Action for the implementation of the Convention ensuring that it has been prepared through an open, consultative and participatory process.
b) strengthen the coordination of State party efforts to implement the Convention, including through strengthening the resources of those organs responsible for the coordinating role and through the use of multi-sectoral programmes.
c) establish an independent structure to receive complaints of violations of children's rights, which has the authority and capacity to receive and investigate individual complaints in a child-sensitive manner and effectively address them, such as through empowerment of the National Human Rights Association.
d) Seek technical assistance from UNICEF and OHCHR.

Resources for children

11. The Committee is concerned that the State Party has not fully complied with the provisions of article 4 of the Convention in terms of the allocation of resources to the Convention's implementation.

12. Toward strengthening its implementation of article 4 of the Convention, and in the light of articles 2, 3, and 6, the Committee recommends that the State party prioritise budgetary allocations to ensure implementation of the rights of children, to the maximum extent of available resources and, where needed, within the framework of international cooperation.

Data collection

13. The Committee joins the State party (as indicated in the replies to the list of issues) in expressing concern at the lack of an adequate data collection mechanism the absence of up to date, comprehensive and accurate data.

14. The Committee urges the State party to:
a) establish an effective mechanism for the systematic collection of disaggregated quantitative and qualitative data incorporating all the areas covered by the Convention and covering all children below the age of 18 years.
b) make use of indicators and data in the formulation of policies and programmes for the effective implementation of the Convention.
c) seek technical assistance from, inter alia, UNICEF.

Dissemination of the Convention

15. Noting the efforts made, including through annual celebration of the month of May as the Month of the Child and with the strong involvement of NGOs, the Committee remains concerned that additional progress needs to be made by the State Party with regard to the Convention's dissemination.

16. The Committee recommends that the State Party:
a) strengthen its efforts to disseminate the principles and provisions of the Convention, as a measure to sensitise society on children's rights.
b) undertake systematic education and training on the provisions of the Convention for all professional groups working for and with children, in particular administrative personnel, parliamentarians, judges, lawyers, law enforcement officials, civil servants, municipal and local workers, relevant personnel working in institutions and places of detention, teachers and health personnel, including psychologists, paediatricians and social workers.
c) seek technical assistance from, inter alia, UNICEF.


D2 Definition of the child (article 1 of the Convention)

17. The Committee is concerned that:
a) a variety of different ages and related terms are applied to children within the State party and that these can lead to confusion with regard to the Convention's implementation.
b) the difference in the minimum legal age of marriage for girls (15) and boys (16) is discriminatory and both ages are low.

18. The Committee recommends that the State party:
a) clarify the ages and terms applied to children.
b) raise the minimum legal age of marriage of girls to the one of boys (16).


D3. General principles (Arts. 2, 3, 6 and 12 of the Convention)

Discrimination

19. The Committee is concerned that:
a) the Constitution of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines does not fully reflect the provisions of the Convention's article 2 and, in particular, does not make specific reference to prohibition of discrimination on the grounds of language, national, ethnic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status.
b) with reference, inter-alia, to the findings of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, there are occurrences of racial discrimination affecting children, including the children of some minorities, such as the Amerindians and Asians who form a disproportionate proportion of the population with lower-income levels.
c) children with disabilities are de facto discriminated against by the absence of specific legislation to cater for their special needs and to provide them with appropriate facilities and the absence of effective policies and programmes to facilitate their integration into regular schools.
d) children who are known to be infected with HIV/AIDS are discriminated against in schools by some teachers.

20. The Committee recommends that the State party:
a) amend legislation, including the Constitution, to ensure that it fully corresponds with the provisions of the Convention's article 2, and ensure the full implementation of non-discrimination provisions, giving special attention to children infected or affected by HIV/AIDS, children with disabilities and to racial discrimination.
b) adopt legislation making provision for protection of the rights of children with disabilities, including with regard to special services and facilities for those children in need of such support.

21. The Committee requests that specific information be included, in the next periodic report, on the measures and programmes relevant to the Convention on the Rights of the Child undertaken by the State party to follow up on the Declaration and Programme of Action adopted at the 2001 World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, and taking account of General Comment no 1 on article 29(1) of the Convention (aims of education).

Best interests of the child

22. Noting the recognition of the best interests principle in the Adoption and Domestic Violence Acts, the Committee remains concerned that the principle is not fully recognised and implemented in other relevant legislation and in decisions relevant to children, including with regard to education and health.

23. The Committee recommends that the State Party ensure that the best interests principle is reflected in all relevant legislation, policies, programmes and otherwise in the implementation of the Convention..

Respect for the views of the child

24. While noting the State Party's efforts to ensure child participation, including through a mock parliament and debates in school, the Committee remains concerned that children have limited opportunities in school, in courts, administrative processes or in the home to express their views.

25. In the light of article 12 of the Convention, the Committee recommends that the State party ensure that children's views are given due consideration in courts, schools, relevant administrative and other processes concerning children and in the home through, inter-alia, the adoption of appropriate legislation, the training of professionals working with and for children and through the use of information campaigns.


D4. Civil rights and freedoms (arts. 7, 8. 13-17 and 37 (a))

Name and nationality

26. The Committee is concerned that many children born out of wedlock do not know the identity of their father, inter-alia, because of societal pressures leading to the reluctance of mothers to file a paternity action.

27. Noting the supportive role that the department of Family Services is already playing in this regard, the Committee recommends that the State party further facilitate and support the activities (including paternity procedures) which will contribute to the full implementation of the rights of children to know their parents.

Ill-treatment and other forms of violence

28. The Committee is deeply concerned that corporal punishment is widely practiced in schools, in the administration of justice, in other institutions and within the family and that its use is regulated by law and sanctioned against children from an early age.

29. The Committee recommends that the State party urgently:
a) Prohibit through legislative and administrative provisions the use of corporal punishment in all contexts, including in schools, in the administration of justice, in other institutions within the family.
b) Make use of information and education campaigns to sensitise parents, professionals working with children and the public in general of the harm caused by corporal punishment and of the importance of alternative, non-violent, forms of discipline, as foreseen in article 28.2 of the Convention.


D5. Family environment and alternative care (arts. 5; 18 (paras. 1-2); 9-11; 19-21; 25; 27 (para. 4); and 39)

Family environment

30. Noting the assistance provided to families by, inter-alia, the Public Assistance Board under the Ministry of Social Development and through the Ministries of Education and Health, the Committee remains concerned that:
a) a large proportion of Vicentian families are living in poverty.
b) the difficult domestic employment situation has obliged many parents, and sometimes both parents, to migrate leaving children in the care of grandparents or under the responsibility of an older child.
c) almost half of all families are headed by women as single parents and their related poverty places children within these families at particular risk of violations of their rights.
d) mothers are only able to claim child maintenance for a child aged over 5 if the claim process was initiated before the child had reached age 5, and that there are disparities between the child maintenance awards made to the children of unmarried mothers (domestic court) and married mothers (magistrates court).

31. The Committee recommends that the State party:
a) make every effort to provide support to children within the context of the family and consider, inter-alia, means of improving employment prospects within the State party for parents.
b) give particular attention to the situation of children within single parent families, especially those families led by mothers, and to grandparent and child headed families.
c) strengthen its efforts to secure child maintenance payments of adequate amounts, ensuring also that there are no disparities between those accorded to the children of married and unmarried mothers.
d) implement the recommendations made in paragraphs 238-240 of the State Party report.
e) consider ratification of the 1973 Hague Convention No. 23 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Decisions relating to Maintenance Obligations.

Alternative care

32. Acknowledging the State Party's efforts to establish an adequate foster care service, the Committee is concerned that:
a) there is no legislative basis for foster care procedures
b) the alternative care services for children who have been abandoned by, or who are otherwise separated from, their parents are not sufficient.
c) in some instances of "adoption" (especially international adoption) children are sold for money or with promises of financial assistance to those giving up the child.

33. The Committee recommends that the State party:
a) establish a legal basis for alternative care, including foster care.
b) making use of existing structures, urgently establish alternative care procedures which can provide support, including long term solutions where needed, for children separated from their parents.
c) give particular attention to the possibility of the abuse of adoption procedures for trafficking in children and consider, inter-alia, strengthening monitoring of inter-country adoption, ratification of the 1993 Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption.
d) seek assistance through international cooperation, including from UNICEF.


D6. Basic health and welfare (arts. 6; 18, para. 3; 23; 24; 26; 27, paras 1-3)

34. While noting the progress made in the area of child health care, including in the numbers of health centres established and their staffing levels, the Committee remains concerned by:
a) the lack of basic medicines to meet the needs of sick children.
b) infant mortality rates.
c) levels of undernutrition
d) the gradual rise in obesity
e) the lack of an adequate number of dentists available to children

35. The Committee recommends that the State party:
a) continue and strengthen its ongoing efforts to establish Community Health Clinics in the countryside, and ensure that these and all other medical facilities are adequately stocked with appropriate basic medicines.
b) continue and strengthen efforts to reduce infant mortality and undernutrition and take preventive action to avoid a rise in the rates of obesity among children.
c) increase the numbers of dentists available to treat children.

Children with disabilities

36. The Committee is concerned that:
a) the State Party's statistics on the numbers of children with disabilities may be incomplete and, in particular, do not take into consideration those children who hardly ever leave their homes.
b) children with disabilities, including learning disabilities, are not integrated, as a matter of policy, into regular schools and that an insufficient number of teachers have received specialised training in this regard.
c) some children with disabilities are often obliged to remain at home and are unable to access many public buildings as a result of physical barriers such as stairs.

37. In the context of the Committee's comments under section D. 3 of these concluding observations, and taking note of the UN Guidelines on Disabilities and the results of the Committee's Day of General Discussion on "The Rights Of Children With Disabilities" (6th October 1997) the Committee recommends that the State party:
a) conduct a survey to identify the exact number of children with disabilities, including children who stay at home, and of the causes of, and ways to prevent, disabilities in children.
b) ensure the integration within the State party's child rights policy of perspectives of the rights of children with disabilities with regard to, inter-alia, non-discrimination, participation, survival and development, health, education (including vocational education for future professional employment) and integration in society.
c) ensure the access of children with disabilities to public transportation and public buildings, including all schools and hospitals.
d) train additional teachers to teach and counsel children with disabilities.
e) strengthen the assistance, including both financial assistance and counselling, provided to the families of children with disabilities.
f) seek international cooperation from, inter-alia, UNICEF, in this regard.

Abuse and neglect

38. Noting the recent establishment of a Register of Child Abuse, the annual celebration of Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month and the active involvement of the department of Family Services as the body that receives and handles reports of child abuse and neglect, the Committee remains concerned that:
a) instances of child abuse, including sexual abuse, are high and that, as noted in the State party report, the State party has made insufficient effort in addressing this concern.
b) that the abuse, including sexual abuse, of children often occurs within the family, committed by parents and siblings, and is often hidden.
c) that some perpetrators of sexual abuse are able to pay money to the families of victims to avoid prosecution and even to perpetuate the abuse.
d) there are many cases of neglect of children by parents, including the late presentation of a sick child at a hospital or clinic.
e) that only the police and not the social services have the authority to remove a child from a family situation in which the child is suffering abuse or neglect and that this may add to the trauma suffered by the child.

39. The Committee recommends that the State party:
a) undertake a study on the scope and nature of child abuse and neglect.
b) address the abuse, including sexual abuse, and neglect of children giving particular attention to their occurrence within the family, through, inter-alia, development of a strategy and programmes involving prevention, response and support to victims.
c) in the context of the Committee's recommendation under D.1 of these concluding observations,
a. strengthen further the capacity of the department of Family Services and the work of the Register of Child Abuse.
b. establish effective child-sensitive procedures and mechanisms to receive, monitor, and investigate complaints, and to intervene where necessary.
c. train teachers, law enforcement officials, care workers, judges and health professionals in the identification, reporting and management of ill-treatment cases;
d) Consider giving the necessary legal authority to the social services to take urgent action for the protection of children from abuse.
e) strengthen its efforts to prosecute those persons responsible for perpetrating abuse and provide medical help and counselling for those perpetrators in need of such assistance.
f) take all necessary measures to prohibit the payment and acceptance of money paid with the purpose of avoiding prosecution of perpetrators of sexual abuse against children and prosecute those persons involved.
g) provide child victims of abuse with the appropriate medical and psychological support, including recovery and social reintegration assistance for child victims and their families.
h) strengthen the education provided to young parents in the care and early attention they should give to their sick children and in the prevention of abuse and neglect.
i) Take into consideration the recommendations of the Committee adopted on its days of general discussion on children and violence ( CRC/C/100, para. 688, and CRC/C/111, paras. 701-745);
j) Seek assistance from, among others, UNICEF and WHO.

Adolescent health

40. The Committee is concerned that:
a) adolescents face health risks, including from sexual exploitation, maltreatment, drug and alcohol abuse, and HIV/AIDS.
b) the rate of teenage pregnancies is high.

41. The Committee recommends that the State party:
a) increase its efforts to promote adolescent health, including mental health, policies particularly with respect to reproductive health and substance abuse consumption and health education in schools, and ensuring the full participation of adolescents.
b) consider means of reducing teenage pregnancy, including through strengthened reproductive health education for adolescents, and ensure the provision of full health and counselling support for pregnant girls and that these girls are able to continue their formal education.


D7. Education, leisure and cultural activities (arts. 28, 29, 31)

42. Noting the significant increase in the numbers of pre-schools for children between the ages of 3 and 5 and efforts to set minimum standards for these schools, and noting also the increase in the proportion of trained teachers in primary and secondary schools (as indicated in the replies to the list of issues), the Committee remains concerned that:
a) pre-schools are unregulated by Government, buildings are insufficiently equipped and personnel inadequately trained.
b) the proportion of untrained teachers in primary schools - approximately 25% of the total – remains high.
c) despite passage of the 1992 Education Act compulsory education in primary schools is not yet enforced.
d) the number of children passing the secondary school entrance examination is extremely low.
e) children have insufficient access to books and other reading materials.

43. The Committee recommends that the State party:
a) adopt legislation regulating pre-schools, including with regard to the standards of buildings and other facilities and the training of staff and continue its current efforts in this regard.
b) continue the progress made so far in providing training for primary school teachers.
c) follow through with its commitment, as expressed by the delegation, to enforce compulsory education requirements from September 2002 and to consider raising the age of compulsory education from 14 to 16.
d) review the system of entrance examinations to secondary school and take action to address problems identified, including toward significantly raising the numbers of children graduating from primary to secondary school.
e) in the light of the Committee's general comment on article 29 (1) of the Convention and the aims of education (CRC/GC/2001/1, CRC), take measures to strengthen the accessibility, quality and management of schools and take action to address problems identified.
f) continue its ongoing efforts to increase the computerisation of schools and ensure that all children have access to appropriate books and other reading materials.
g) seek technical assistance from UNICEF and UNESCO in this regard.


D8. Special protection measures (arts. 22, 38, 39, 40, 37 (b)-(d), 32-36)

Economic exploitation

44. The Committee:
a) is concerned with the situation of child labour
b) joins the State Party in expressing concern that existing legislation with regard to working children is outdated and provides insufficient protection to children
c) notes that data with regard to child labour is scarce.

45. The Committee recommends that the State party:
a) undertake a survey to asses the scope and nature of child labour in all sectors.
b) conduct a review of legislation with regard to working children, and make amendments to ensure its compatibility with the principles and provisions of the Convention and adopt and implement ILO Convention 138 concerning the Minimum Age for Admission to Employment.
c) Take action to implement all legislation and policies relevant to addressing child labour concerns and protecting the rights of children in the context of their economic exploitation.

Street children

46. Noting the establishment of a programme to reintegrate street children into their families (as indicated in the replies to the list of issues), the Committee remains concerned at the situation of street children and at the lack of relevant data in this regard.

47. The Committee recommends that the State party:
a) undertake a study on the scope and causes of the phenomenon
b) create a legislative framework and continue and strengthen its ongoing efforts to assist street children, including with regard to their reintegration into their families.

Sexual exploitation and abuse

48. The Committee is concerned:
a) by the sexual exploitation of children, including boys and including street children, for payment.
b) that the State party lacks accurate data and an adequate policy in this regard.

49. The Committee recommends that the State party:
a) undertake a study to examine the sexual exploitation of children, gathering accurate data on its incidence.
b) develop an effective and comprehensive policy addressing the sexual exploitation of children, including the factors that place children at risk of such exploitation.
c) implement appropriate policies and programmes for prevention and for the recovery and reintegration of child victims according to the Declaration and Agenda for Action and the Global Commitment adopted at the 1996 and 2001 World Congresses against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children.

The illicit use of drugs and substances

50. The Committee is concerned that:
a) the illicit use of drug and substances by children is increasing, including the use of crack cocaine and marijuana as well as other substances, and that some of the children abusing drugs and using substances are placed, for this reason, in mental health institutions.
b) the State Party lacks adequate data and treatment programmes in this regard.

51. The Committee recommends that the State party
a) undertake a survey on the scope of substance abuse by children, including the collection of data.
b) take action to combat substance abuse by children, including through public education campaigns, and ensure that child drug and substance abusers are not placed in mental institutions unnecessarily and have access to effective structures and procedures for counselling and recovery and reintegration treatment.

Administration of justice

52. While recognizing the State Party's efforts in this domain the Committee remains concerned that:
a) the age of criminal responsibility, fixed at 8 years of age, is too low and that juvenile justice protections are not afforded to all persons under age 18.
b) with only very limited exceptions, the State Party does not provide legal assistance to children and that children from disadvantaged backgrounds are frequently left without such support.
c) children are sometimes forced to confess to criminal offences by police when they are held in custody at police stations and are sometimes subject to ill-treatment.
d) juveniles are not usually deprived of their liberty as a "last resort" and that, because legislation does not provide for a sufficient range of sentencing alternatives to deprivation of liberty, juveniles and young people, especially from 16 years upwards, are sometimes sent to prison when a lesser punishment could have been applied.
e) children who have been charged are detained with adult persons charged with crimes, in police stations and for long periods of time, because there are no juvenile criminal detention facilities.
f) children who are charged jointly with adults are tried in regular courts.
g) there is no institution used exclusively for children where children purging a prison sentence can be sent, that the "Approved Schools" provided for in the Juvenile Act do not exist and that, as a consequence, convicted children over 16 are sent to adult prison.
h) the Corporal Punishment of Juveniles Act allows for the caning of juveniles who have been found guilty of crime.

53. The Committee recommends that the State party:
a) significantly raise the age of criminal responsibility and ensure that all children under age 18 benefit from the special protection measures recognised by juvenile justice standards.
b) ensure that all children benefit from free legal assistance in the context of juvenile justice proceedings.
c) ensure that deprivation of liberty is used only as a last resort and that provision is made for adequate alternatives to deprivation of liberty, such as community service orders.
d) ensure the protection of child detainees from ill-treatment and/or forced confessions by the police
e) establish a system through which children who are detained or imprisoned are separated from adults and establish alternative institutions to prison suited to the education and rehabilitation of delinquents.
f) urgently prohibit the corporal punishment of children in the context of the juvenile justice system
g) in this regard and in light of the Committee's discussion day on juvenile justice, develop mechanisms and provide adequate resources to ensure the full implementation of juvenile justice standards and in particular articles 37, 40 and 39 of the Convention, as well as the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (the Beijing Rules) and the United Nations Guidelines for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency (the Riyadh Guidelines).
h) seek assistance from, inter alia, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human rights, the United Nations Centre for International Crime Prevention, the International Network on Juvenile Justice and UNICEF, through the United Nations Coordination Panel on Technical Advice and Assistance on Juvenile Justice.


D 9.Optional protocols

68. The Committee encourages the State party to ratify the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, and on the involvement of children in armed conflict. D 10. Dissemination of the report, written answers, concluding observations, and next report

54. Finally, in light of article 44, paragraph 6, of the Convention, the Committee recommends that the initial report and written replies submitted by the State party be made widely available to the public at large and that the publication of the report be considered, along with the relevant summary records and concluding observations adopted thereon by the Committee. Such a document should be widely distributed in order to generate debate and awareness of the Convention and its implementation and monitoring within all levels of administration of the State party and the general public, including concerned non-governmental organizations.

Reporting

55. In light of the recommendation on reporting periodicity adopted by the Committee and described in its report of the 29th Committee session (CRC/C/114), the Committee, aware of the considerable delay in the State party's reporting, underlines the importance of a reporting practice that is in full compliance with the provisions of article 44 of the Convention. An important aspect of States' responsibilities to children under the Convention includes ensuring that the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has regular opportunities to examine the progress made in the Convention's implementation. In this regard, regular and timely reporting by State parties is crucial. The Committee recognises that some State parties experience difficulties in initiating timely and regular reporting. As an exceptional measure, in order to help the State party catch up with its reporting obligations in full compliance with the Convention, the Committee invites the State party to submit its 2nd and 3rd reports in one consolidated report by the 24th November 2005, which is the required date of submission of the 3rd periodic report. The Committee expects the State Party to report thereafter every 5 years, as foreseen by the Convention.
Changes made to the St. Vincent draft: - incorporating paragraphs that have been used in some past concluding observations and a few editing changes

10. a) With a view to integrating the Convention's child rights perspective into all relevant programmes and activities, strengthen its children's rights policy and develop a National Plan of Action for the implementation of the Convention ensuring that it has been prepared through an open, consultative and participatory process.

c) establish an independent structure to receive complaints of violations of children's rights, which has the authority and capacity to receive and investigate individual complaints of violations of child rights in a child-sensitive manner, and effectively address them, such as through empowerment of the National Human Rights Association.

14) The Committee urges the State party to:
a) establish an effective mechanism for the systematic collection of disaggregated quantitative and qualitative data incorporating all the areas covered by the Convention and covering all children below the age of 18 years.
b) make use of indicators and data in the formulation of policies and programmes for the effective implementation of the Convention.
c) seek technical assistance from, inter alia, UNICEF.

19) [19.c is to be deleted from the final draft]

23) [23 is one single paragraph with no section (a)]

31) (c) in the context of the Committee's recommendation under D.1 of these concluding observations,

b. establish effective child-sensitive procedures and mechanisms to receive, monitor, and investigate complaints, and to intervene where necessary.

(d) Consider giving the necessary legal authority to the social services to take urgent action for the protection of children from abuse.

41) The Committee recommends that the State party:
a. increase its efforts to promote adolescent health, including mental health, policies particularly with respect to reproductive health and substance abuse consumption and health education in schools, and ensuring the full participation of adolescents;

43) d. review the system of entrance examinations to secondary school and take action to address problems identified, including toward significantly raising the numbers of children graduating from primary to secondary school.

44) The Committee:
a. is concerned with the situation of child labour
b. joins the State Party in expressing concern that existing legislation with regard to working children is outdated and provides insufficient protection to children
c. notes that data with regard to child labour is scarce.

49) c. implement appropriate policies and programmes for prevention and for the rehabilitation and reintegration of child victims according to the Declaration and Agenda for Action and the Global Commitment adopted at the 1996 and 2001 World Congresses against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children.

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