1. Please provide more details about the process of preparing the report, in particular, with regard to popular participation and the involvement of non-governmental organisations.

2. With reference to information contained in para. 56 of the report, does the Government have any plans to publish the summary records and concluding observations of the discussions with the Committee, in conjonction with the publishing of the Norwegian State party report?

3. Please provide further details of the planned three year campaign to make the Convention widely known in the country.

4. In what languages spoken by the larger refugee and immigration groups is the Convention available?

5. Please describe in more detail the governmental administrative structure dealing with child refugee matters.

6. What is the status of the Convention in relation to national law? Can the provisions of the Convention be invoked in national courts?

7. Please describe the policy in place in relation to the implementation of article 4 of the Convention with regard to the allocation "to the maximum extent of (... ) available resources for the rights of the child". How has this principle been applied in budget discussions in recent times? What guarantees exist to ensure that local authorities are also guided by this principle in their policy decision making? How are children with special needs protected against the adverse effects of reductions in budgetary allocations?

8. Does the possibility exist for an adopted child to obtain information about his/her biological parents from the authorities even before the child reaches the age of 18?

9. In cases where the request for an abortion is from a minor and is contrary to the recommendation of the minor's parents or guardians please explain the criteria which guide the county medical officer's decision on this matter (see para. 74 of the report).

10. With reference to information contained in para. 28 of the report, please indicate whether an evaluation has been made on the progress achieved in the activities planned to combat racism.

11. How is the principle of non-discrimination interpreted in relation to the rights of refugee children and their enjoyment of the rights covered by the Convention? Are the rights to, inter alia, health, education and family reunification protected even in the case where children have not been granted asylum?

12. Have steps been taken to review the decision of denying to education and health care to asylum who sought who refuge in churches?

13. How is the principle of the best interests of the child protected in the asylum process?

14. How have the methods of interviewing children in the asylum process been adjusted to grantee the right of the child to express his/her views? What specific procedures have been adopted to ensure "a reassuring atmosphere" for the child in such situations (see para. 428 of the report)?

15. Information contained in paragraph 122 of the report indicates that the arrangement of appointing a municipal officer to protect the interests of the child in planning and development matters has not functioned satisfactorily in all municipalities, please provide details of the difficulties encountered in this regard.

16. There appears to be a differentiation made on the grounds of gender of the parent in relation to a child's acquisition of nationality (see paras. 123 and 124 of the report) particularly in situations where the child is born out of wedlock and/or one parent is non-Norwegian. Has this legislation been recently reviewed to ensure its conformity with articles of the Convention, particularly the provisions of articles 2, 3 and 7?

17. Please provide further background information with regard to the conclusion that there is no contradiction between the child's right to know his or her origin and the policy of keeping the identity of sperm donors secret (para. 130 of the report).

18. What steps are being taken to ascertain that stateless refugee children in Norway are granted their right to a nationality?

19. What were the main points covered in the report about the protection of the child in media policy which was presented to the Storting in 1993? (Para. 147 of the report.)

20. Is the right of a child to maintain contact with both parents a factor taken into account in refugee policy, including in cases where the parents are divorced or unmarried?

21. Has any recent evaluation been undertaken of the impact of parental guidance and counselling programmes? Do these programmes reach the parents most in need of such advice?

22. What procedures exist to cover those situations where there might be a conflict between the child's right to maintain contact with both parents and the need to protect the child from the danger of abuse?

23. Please indicate whether a report has as yet been prepared on the three-year national development programme under which special priority was given to child welfare services? What plans are foreseen for the continuation of this type of programme?

24. Has an overall and systematic evaluation been undertaken of Norway's experience as regards international adoptions? If the answer is yes, please provide details of the salient points of this evaluation.

25. Please provide details of the main features of the report on the issue of sexual abuse of children. What measures were taken as a consequence of the report's presentation to the Storting? (Para 249 of the report.)

26. Please provide clarification as to the type of institution being planned "to take care of children and adolescents who can not be held in normal homes and need special education and psychological follow-up", which is referred to as a "secured institution" in para. 257 of the report.

27. In richer countries attitudes and policies towards children with disabilities sometimes tend to focus on the provision of technical aids and neglect to address the emotional, intellectual and social needs of these children. Please indicate whether this problem has been focused upon in Norway, and if so, what conclusions have been drawn from such discussions?

28. What facilities exist in the field of the mental and psychological health of children?

29. Are more recent figures available on the incidence of suicide among teenagers? In connection with this issue, please indicate whether it is has been possible to implement the preventive plan drawn up by the Directorate of Health.

30. Has any systematic evaluation been undertaken of the effects on children of reduced budgets to the school sector? What measures have been taken to protect disadvantaged children from the harmful effects of such budget cuts?

31. To what extent has the Convention been made part of the school curricula?

32. Please describe the measures taken to ensure that the situation in refugee centres are child and family friendly, especially as regards facilities for suitable leisure and play activities.

33. Has an evaluation been undertaken regarding the functioning of the system of appointed custodians for unaccompanied refugee minors? If so, please provide details of that experience and any lessons learned.

34. What measures have been taken to avoid asylum-seeking children being kept in custody while they await deportation? In this connections what rules, regulations or guidelines exist to ensure that detention is used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time, as provided for in article 37 (b) of the Convention? What mechanisms exist to monitor such detention, if it exists? What alternative solutions have been developed to avoid the use of detention in such circumstances?

35. Does the Government plan to adjust or modify the status determination procedures vis a vis asylum-seeking children? Do these procedures make use of any special mechanisms to care for the psycho-social needs of the child? Has the Government sought advice from UNHCR in this regard?

36. Please provide information on the functioning of programmes developed as an alternative to imprisonment of juvenile offenders.

37. What initiatives have been taken to obtain reliable information about sexual offences against children committed by Norwegian citizens abroad, including through cooperation with INTERPOL? (Para. 458)