Burundi
Concern about children's rights in Burundi

afrol.com, 9 October - The UN Committee on Rights of the Child today presented its final concluding observations on reports submitted by Burundi and eight other signatory states. Among the major concerns were gross violations of the right to non-discrimination based on origin, gender, geographical origin and social status.

The Committee found as positive aspects the efforts of Burundi to introduce "education for peace" and "let us build peace" projects into national schools curricula and teacher training. It also noted the efforts of Burundi to provide unaccompanied children with adequate assistance and to help them in tracing their families. 

Armed conflict and its many repercussions on the respect for children's rights continued to cause serious human rights violations in Burundi and had been among factors and difficulties impeding the implementation of the Convention, the UN Committee on Rights of the Child said. It noted that, since ratification of Convention, there had been a serious deterioration in socio-economic conditions in the country, aggravated by the armed conflict; and the Committee noted the regional sanctions imposed on Burundi until 1999, and the negative impact of the sanctions on the situation of children in Burundi.

The Committee recommended, among other things, that Burundi continue efforts in the area of law reform with a view to ensuring full conformity with the principles and provisions of the Convention and that a children's rights policy and a new national plan of action based upon the principles of the Convention be established and implemented in consultation and coordination with all relevant ministries and with civil society. It further reommended that coordinating mechanisms be reviewed to facilitate the promotion and implementation of the Convention, and adequate human and financial resources were allocated for that purpose and that steps be taken to involve a wide range of non-governmental organizations in child rights policy-making and implementation. 

Further, Burundi should pursue its efforts to harmonize the minimum age of marriage for girls and boys and that recruitment to the armed forces be raised to 18 years.

The Committee was deeply concerned about gross violations of the right to non-discrimination and at the impact of discrimination upon children in Burundi. It noted that discrimination took different forms including, by ethnic origin, gender, geographical origin and social status.

The UN Committee on Rights of the Child noted that killings and other acts committed in the armed conflict, and which had affected children, had frequently been perpetrated on the basis of ethnic origin. It therefore recommended that every effort be made to end all discriminatory practices, to ensure the equal respect of the rights of all children in Burundi and to reinforce and ensure the implementation of existing laws related to non-discrimination; and that every effort be made to reinforce protection of the right to life, survival and development of all children of Burundi.

Deep concern was expressed at the severe violations of the rights of freedom of movement and to choose one's residence in the context of the Burundi's regroupment policy and at the high number of children in regroupment camps. The extremely poor conditions in which they had to live constituting, in many cases, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment was emphasized. It further expressed concern at the very high number of persons who had been displaced from their homes as refugees and internally within the country.

The Committee also noted with concern that corporal punishment continued to be practised at home and in some schools and that domestic legislation did not prohibit its use, and concern over the high incidence of HIV/AIDS in Burundi and its impact, either direct or indirect, on children and adolescents.

On this background, the Committee recommended that Burundi urgently develop, and implement, mechanisms to ensure the provisions of suitable alternative care for children in need of such assistance. Burundi should review the situation of children with disabilities in terms of their access to suitable health care, education services and employment opportunities.

There was need for a significant increase in the health budget be made, and additional efforts should be made to develop a comprehensive adolescent health care policy. The Committee also emphasized the Burundi should end the use of children as soldiers or in any other way related to the armed conflict and demand that opposition armed forces also ceased to use children as soldiers.

The Convention on Rights of Child
The UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on Rights of Child unanimously on 20 November 1989, 30 years after the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of the Child. The Convention makes states which accept it legally accountable for their actions towards children. Work on its drafting began in 1979 - the International Year of the Child - at the Commission on Human Rights.

Source: UN Committee on Rights of the Child

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