III. CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS, CONTINUED

CERD

•          Côte d’Ivoire, CERD, A/58/18 (2003) 19 at para. 27.

27. Taking note of the conclusions of the Forum on National Reconciliation on the elimination of economic and social disparities between the north and the south of Côte d’Ivoire, the Committee encourages the State party to continue its campaign to reduce regional disparities.

•          Fiji, CERD, A/58/18 (2003) 25 at paras. 85 and 86.

85. The Committee notes that despite reports that levels of poverty among all Fijian nationals, including Indo-Fijians and Banabans, have worsened over the years, the State party’s affirmative action programmes, as adopted under the Social Justice Act of 2001 and the 50/50 by year 2020 plan, mainly target indigenous Fijians and Rotumans. The Committee strongly recommends that the State party ensure that its poverty alleviation programmes benefit all poor Fijian citizens, irrespective of their ethnic origin, to avoid undue stress on already strained ethnic relations. It also recommends that the adoption of any affirmative action programme be preceded by consultations involving all ethnic communities.

86. The Committee is concerned about current perceptions amongst some Fijians that the State party is not paying enough attention to the issue of reconciling the different population groups in Fiji. It encourages the State party to explicitly promote a national identity that unites rather than divides indigenous and Indo-Fijians, as well as other communities, and to include this objective in its development plans.

•          Suriname, CERD, A/59/18 (2004) 36 at para. 194.

194. The Committee notes with concern complaints by indigenous and tribal peoples in the interior about the deleterious effects of natural-resource exploitation on their environment, health and culture. It regrets that the State party does not seem to have attached the highest priority to dealing with the problem of mercury contamination in parts of the interior.

The Committee wishes to point out that development objectives are no justification for encroachments on human rights, and that along with the right to exploit natural resources there are specific, concomitant obligations towards the local population; it recommends adoption by the State party of a legislative framework that clearly sets forth the broad principles governing the exploitation of the land, including the obligation to abide by strict environmental standards. It recommends the State party to set up an independent body to conduct environmental impact surveys before any operating licenses are issued, and to conduct health and safety checks on small-scale and industrial gold-mining.

•          Madagascar, CERD, A/59/18 (2004) 58 at para. 319.

319. The Committee notes with concern that some regions of the country are harder hit than others by the low level of economic development, with lower literacy rates and life expectancy in particular, even if the lack of technical and financial resources objectively contributes to these disparities.

The Committee points out that the principle of non-discrimination is not subject to the availability of resources, and calls on the State party to ensure that existing resources are distributed fairly among the various regions of the country. As indirect discrimination is forbidden under the Convention, the Committee draws the attention of the State party to the ethnic dimension that these inequalities could have, and invites it to adopt special measures that could be necessary under article 2, paragraph 2, of the Convention.

ICCPR

•          Thailand, ICCPR, A/60/40 vol. I (2005) 83 at para. 95(24).

(24) The Committee expresses its concern about the structural discrimination by the State party against minority communities, in particular the Highlanders with regard to citizenship, land rights, freedom of movement and the protection of their way of life. The Committee notes with concern the treatment of the Highlanders by law enforcement officials, in particular their forced eviction and relocation in the context of the 1992 Master Plan on Community Development, Environment and Narcotic Crop Control in Highland Areas, which gravely affected their livelihood and way of life, as well as the reports of extrajudicial killings, harassment and confiscation of property in the context of the “war on drugs” campaign. The Committee is also concerned about the construction of the Thai-Malaysian Gas Pipeline and other development projects which have been carried out with minimal consultation with the concerned communities...

The State party should guarantee the full enjoyment of the rights of persons belonging to minorities that are set out in the Covenant, in particular with respect to the use of land and natural resources, through effective consultations with local communities. The State party should respect the rights of persons belonging to minorities to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practice their own religion, and to use their own language in community with other members of their group.

ICESCR

•          Sweden, ICESCR, E/2002/22 (2001) 106 at para. 714.

714. The Committee acknowledges that the State party for many years has allocated 0.7 per cent or more of its GNP to development assistance, thereby meeting and sometimes surpassing the United Nations goal and contributing to the realization of economic, social and cultural rights in other countries.

•          France, ICESCR, E/2002/22 (2001) 121 at paras. 863 and 873.

863. The Committee expresses its concern that, along with the reform of official development assistance by the State party, such assistance as a percentage of GNP has been in decline since the 1980s.

...

873. The Committee recommends that the State party increase its official development assistance as a percentage of GNP to a level approaching the 0.7 per cent goal established by the United Nations.

•          Ireland, ICESCR, E/2003/22 (2002) 29 at paras. 151 and 152.

151. The Committee encourages the State party, as a member of international organizations, including international financial institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank, to do all it can to ensure that the policies and decisions of those organizations are in conformity with the obligations of States parties under the Covenant, in particular the obligations concerning international assistance and cooperation contained in article 2, paragraph 1, and articles 11, 15, 22 and 23.

152. The Committee urges the State party to ensure that its contribution to international development cooperation reaches 0.45 per cent of GNP by the end of 2002 (see paragraph 4 of the Committee's concluding observations on the State party's initial report) and that this annual figure increases, as quickly as possible, to the United Nations target of 0.7per cent of GNP.

See also:

•          United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, ICESCR, E/2003/22 (2002) 40 at para. 229.

•          Slovakia, ICESCR, E/2003/22 (2002) 50 at para. 326.

326. The Committee...recommends to the State party that human rights, including economic, social and cultural rights, be reflected in its official development assistance policy.

•          Georgia, ICESCR, E/2003/22 (2002) 60 at paras. 410, 429 and 446.

410. The Committee is deeply concerned that the State party has not been able to address adequately the widespread and rampant problem of corruption, as it is one of the primary causes of the decrease in, and the inappropriate allocation of, revenue and resources, thus adding to the extremely difficult economic, social and cultural situation in the State party. The Committee is particularly concerned about the limited effectiveness of the use of foreign funds received in the context of international cooperation.

...

429. The Committee strongly urges the State party to take effective measures to combat corruption and, in particular, to increase transparency and consultations at all levels of decision-making and concerning the evaluation of distribution of funds, especially with regard to the determination of the use of aid, the monitoring of fund distribution and the evaluation of impact.

...

446. The Committee recommends that, in its efforts to implement the rights contained in the Covenant, the State party continue to seek international assistance and engage in international cooperation with donors and relevant international organizations, including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. In this regard, the Committee recommends that the State party ensure that its international human rights obligations are taken fully into account when entering into technical cooperation and other arrangements.

•          Luxembourg, ICESCR, E/2004/22 (2003) 24 at para. 67.

67. The Committee notes with satisfaction that Luxembourg allocates more than 0.7 per cent of its GNP to official development assistance and is thus one of the few countries to have gone beyond the United Nations target for development aid. The Committee also welcomes the goal set by the Government to gradually increase its official development assistance contribution to 1 per cent of its GNP by 2005.

•          Iceland, ICESCR, E/2004/22 (2003) 39 at paras. 222 and 231.

222. The Committee regrets that Iceland devotes only 0.16 per cent of its GNP to international cooperation, while the United Nations recommendation in this regard is 0.7 per cent for developed countries.

...

231. The Committee recommends that the State party continue its activities in the area of international cooperation and increase its official development assistance to 0.7 per cent of its GNP, as recommended by the United Nations. The Committee also urges the State party to take into account the provisions of the Covenant in its bilateral project agreements with other countries.

•          Lithuania, ICESCR, E/2005/22 (2004) 18 at paras. 84 and 106.

84. The Committee is concerned about the unequal distribution of social benefits and social services depending on the place of residence.

...

106. The Committee urges the State party to promote equal access to social benefits and social services by striving to correct regional imbalances.

•          Ecuador, ICESCR, E/2005/22 (2004) 39 at para. 322.

322. The Committee strongly recommends that the State party’s obligations under the Covenant should be taken into account in all aspects of its negotiations with the international financial institutions and other regional trade agreements to ensure that economic, social and cultural rights, particularly of the most disadvantaged and marginalized groups, are not undermined.

•          Denmark, ICESCR, E/2005/22 (2004) 49 at para. 379.

379. The Committee notes with appreciation Denmark’s commitment to official development assistance (ODA) and its level of contributions, which stands at 0.85 per cent of its GNP (2004), and that it is therefore one of the few countries to have exceeded the United Nations target of 0.7 per cent of GNP.

•          Italy, ICESCR, E/2005/22 (2004) 54 at paras. 426 and 445.

426. While the Committee takes note of the State party’s commitment to raising the level of official development assistance from the current 0.23 per cent of GNP to 0.33 per cent by 2006, it expresses concern that the level of development assistance still falls short of the United Nations target of 0.7 per cent of GNP.

...

445. The Committee recommends that the State party continue its activities in the area of international cooperation and increase its ODA to 0.7 per cent of its GNP, as recommended by the United Nations. The Committee also urges the State party to take into account the provisions of the Covenant in its bilateral project agreements with other countries.

•          Azerbaijan, ICESCR, E/2005/22 (2004) 59 at paras. 492 and 518.

492. The Committee is deeply concerned that despite the sizeable amount of foreign investment (14.5 billion United States dollars) and efforts by the State party to eliminate poverty, including the State Programme on Poverty Reduction and Economic Development for 2003-2005, poverty is estimated by the World Bank to affect approximately 50 per cent of the population (2003 data).

...

518. The Committee urges the State party to integrate economic, social and cultural rights into its poverty reduction policies and measures, and in this regard refers the State party to the Committee’s Statement on Poverty and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The Committee also recommends that the State party allocate larger portions of its oil revenues to the social sector and continue to seek international technical assistance, as provided for in article 23 of the Covenant. In this connection, the Committee calls upon the State party to ensure that its international human rights obligations are taken fully into account when it enters into technical cooperation and other arrangements with international organizations.

•          Zambia, ICESCR, E/2006/22 (2005) 19 at paras. 77, 105 and 118.

77. The Committee welcomes the existence of the Pilot Social Cash Transfer Scheme financed by international assistance to promote a safety net for poor households which are not able to engage in labour-based projects or programmes owing to extreme poverty.

...

105. The Committee recommends that the obligations of Zambia under the Covenant be taken into account in all aspects of its negotiations with international financial institutions, such as the IMF and the World Bank, so as to ensure that the rights enshrined in the Covenant are duly protected for all Zambians and in particular, for the most disadvantaged and marginalized groups of society. The Committee refers the State party to its statement to the WTO Third Ministerial Conference adopted at its twenty-first session in 1999.7/

...

118. The Committee recommends that the State party continue to examine ways and means of supporting the Pilot Social Cash Transfer Scheme even after the present international assistance comes to an end. It also recommends that the project be used as a tool for the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines to Support the Progressive Realization of the Right to Adequate Food in the Context of National Security adopted by the hundred and twenty-seventh session of the FAO Council and transmitted to the Commission on Human Rights at its sixty-first session in connection with item 10 of the agenda (E/CN.4/2005/131, annex).

_________________

Notes

...

7/ Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2000, Supplement No. 2, (E/2000/22-E/C.12/1999/11 and Corr.1), annex VII.

_________________

•          China, ICESCR, E/2006/22 (2005) 25 at paras. 160, 190 and 198.

160. The Committee is concerned about the reports of forced evictions and insufficient measures to provide compensation or alternative housing to those who have been removed from their homes in the context of urban development projects as well as of rural development schemes such as the Three Gorges Project. The Committee is concerned about the number of forced evictions and demolitions that have occurred in anticipation of the 2008 Olympic Games to be hosted by the State party. The Committee further expresses concern about the lack of effective consultations and legal redress for persons affected by forced evictions and demolitions, including those of historic structures, buildings and homes in Lhasa, Tibet. The Committee also regrets that insufficient information was provided on the extent and causes of homelessness in the State party.

...

190. The Committee recommends that the State party take immediate measures to enforce laws and regulations prohibiting forced evictions and ensure that persons evicted from their homes be provided with adequate compensation or offered alternative accommodation, in accordance with the guidelines adopted by the Committee in its general comment No. 7 (1997) on the right to adequate housing (art. 11, para 1 of the Covenant): forced evictions. The Committee also recommends that, prior to implementing development projects, the State party should hold open, effective and meaningful consultations with affected residents. In this connection, the Committee wishes to draw the attention of the State party to its general comment No. 4 (1991) on the right to adequate housing (art. 11, para 1 of the Covenant)...

...

198. The Committee strongly recommends that the State party’s obligations under the Covenant be taken into account in all aspects of its negotiations with the international financial institutions and other regional trade agreements in order to ensure that economic, social and cultural rights, particularly of the most disadvantaged and marginalized groups, are not undermined.

•          Norway, ICESCR, E/2006/22 (2005) 48 at para. 330.

330. The Committee appreciates the State party’s commitment to international cooperation as reflected in the volume of official development assistance, standing at 0.92 per cent of GNP. The Committee also welcomes the importance attached to human rights in the State party’s Action Plan for Combating Poverty in the South towards 2015.

CEDAW

•          Sri Lanka, CEDAW, A/57/38 part I (2002) 31 at paras. 296 and 297.

296. The Committee is concerned about the high percentage of households headed by women, many of whom are elderly, many illiterate and with meagre means of living.

297. The Committee urges the State party to develop policies and programmes to improve the situation of women-headed households and elderly women, including recognizing women-headed households as equal recipients and beneficiaries of development programmes.

•          Yemen, CEDAW, A/57/38 part III (2002) 200 at paras. 404 and 405.

404. While acknowledging the economic difficulties faced by the State party, the Committee notes the close connection between the success of development policies and the promotion of gender equality. The Committee considers that the combined effects of high illiteracy rates among women and girls, the high rate of school dropouts and early marriage of girls, the high rate of child labour among girls and the low level of women’s political participation negatively impact on the implementation of national development policies.

405. The Committee encourages the State party to ensure that measures to achieve the goal of gender equality are fully integrated into all national development policies and programmes in line with the provisions of the Convention and welcomes the National Women’s Committee’s plan to increase awareness of the human rights of women within the public at large.

•          Switzerland, CEDAW, A/58/38 part I (2003) 20 at para. 104.

104. The Committee commends the State party for systematically integrating a gender dimension into the various aspects of its development cooperation programmes.

See also:

•          Luxembourg, CEDAW, A/58/38 part I (2003) 47 at para. 299.

•          Canada, CEDAW, A/58/38 part I (2003) 53 at para. 340.

340. The Committee commends the State party’s policy, at the international level, in setting women’s human rights standards, providing financial and other assistance to women’s rights projects in developing countries as well as mainstreaming gender in its development assistance programmes and projects.

•          Norway, CEDAW, A/58/38 part I (2003) 61 para. 406.

406. The Committee welcomes the State party’s policy of strengthening the promotion and protection of women’s human rights and of integrating a gender dimension into its development cooperation programmes.

•          Japan, CEDAW, A/58/38 part II (2003) 130 at para. 355.

355. The Committee commends the State party for allocating, under the Initiative on Women in Development, approximately 10 per cent of its official development assistance over the last decade for women’s education, health and economic and social participation, to a number of developing countries in various parts of the world.

•          Ethiopia, CEDAW, A/59/38 part I (2004) 42 at paras. 259 and 260.

259. The Committee, while welcoming the implementation of the Women’s Development Initiative Project and the Ethiopian Women’s Development Fund, is concerned that the Fund currently reaches only a small percentage of women, and that poverty among women, in particular rural women, continues to persist at a high level.

260. The Committee urges the State party to expand its specific programmes aimed at enhancing the socio-economic well-being of women and step up its efforts to fully integrate gender perspectives in its sustainable development and poverty reduction programme. It also urges the State party to take measures to ensure that the rights, needs and concerns of rural women are given greater attention and visibility and that rural women participate fully in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of all sectoral policies and programmes. It calls upon the State party to put in place policies to protect women’s right to property and to ensure that women have access to land and water resources on an equal basis with men.

•          Germany, CEDAW, A/59/38 part I (2004) 62 at para. 382.

382. The Committee welcomes the State party’s policy of integrating a gender dimension into its development cooperation programmes and promoting women’s human rights in that framework.

•          Equatorial Guinea, CEDAW, A/59/38 part II (2004) 126 at paras. 189 and 190.

189. The Committee is concerned that widespread poverty among women and poor socio-economic conditions are among the causes of the violation of women’s human rights and discrimination against women. The Committee is especially concerned about the situation of rural women, particularly in view of their extreme poverty and lack of access to health care, education, credit facilities and community services.

190. The Committee urges the State party to make the promotion of gender equality an explicit component of its national development plans and policies, and in particular those aimed at poverty alleviation and sustainable development. It urges the State party to pay special attention to the needs of rural women, ensuring that they participate in decision-making processes and have full access to education, health services and credit facilities. The Committee also urges the State party to take appropriate measures to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women with respect to ownership and inheritance of land. The Committee invites the State party to place emphasis on women’s human rights in all development cooperation programmes with international organizations and bilateral donors so as to address the socio-economic causes of discrimination against women, including those impacting women in rural areas, through all available sources of support.

•          Spain, CEDAW, A/59/38 part II (2004) 149 at para. 328.

328. The Committee welcomes the fact that gender equality and the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms are among the principles, objectives and priorities of the State party’s policy on international development cooperation.

•          Argentina, CEDAW, A/59/38 part II (2004) 155 at paras. 372 and 373.

372. While welcoming the adoption and implementation of social and economic policies and programmes aimed at offsetting the impact of the crisis in the country, including the National Plan for Food Security, the National Plan for Local Development and Social Economy, the Family Plan, the Economic Emergency Law, the Emergency Health Law, the National Programme on Food Emergency and the Unemployed Head of Household Programme, the Committee is concerned that women are mainly beneficiaries of these measures rather than being equal participants and actors in their design and implementation. The Committee is concerned that this approach will perpetuate stereotypical views of the role of women and men rather than effectively support women’s political and economic empowerment.

373. The Committee recommends that the State party emphasize a women’s- empowerment approach and incorporate gender perspectives in all its social and economic policies, programmes and projects so as to ensure that they support the goal of gender equality and women’s enjoyment of their human rights. It invites the State party to periodically assess such measures and their impact on women so as to ensure that they do not perpetuate discrimination against women.

•          Samoa, CEDAW, A/60/38 part I (2005) 9 at paras. 62 and 63.

62. While appreciating that proposals submitted to the Cabinet Development Committee must include a report on the gender implications and a gender analysis of the proposed project, insufficient information was provided about the attention given to the provisions of the Convention.

63. The Committee requests the State party to ensure that the Convention serves as the framework for assessing the suitability of development projects from a gender perspective. It also requests the State party to develop adequate capacity within the Government to undertake such assessments within the framework of the Convention.

•          Lao People’s Democratic Republic, CEDAW, A/60/38 part I (2005) 16 at paras. 92 and 93.

92. While noting that 80 per cent of the population lives in rural areas, the Committee is deeply concerned about the pervasive poverty and underdevelopment of women, especially in rural and ethnic minority communities. The Committee is also concerned that ethnic minority women, having no alternative sources of income, depend on the production of opium poppies for their livelihood. While welcoming the reinvestigation into the matter of land titling, the Committee is concerned that the current reinvestigation and the reissuance of land titles are limited to nine provinces. The Committee is also concerned that, while rural women carry out more than half of total agricultural production in every field, the additional workloads of housework and child-rearing also fall primarily on their shoulders. The Committee is very concerned that rural women are not fully represented in important decision-making regarding development programmes, nor on the village council.

93. The Committee urges the State party to accelerate its plan to eradicate poverty among women, especially rural and ethnic minority women, by more actively seeking international assistance and at the same time by applying gender perspectives in all development programmes and fully integrating women into decision-making on those programmes, as well as in their implementation processes. The Committee also urges the State party to step up its efforts to provide ethnic minority women who depend on opium poppy production with alternative and sustainable means of livelihood. The Committee recommends that the reinvestigation and re-registration of land titles be carried out in all provinces, with the expected result of eradicating discrimination against women...The Committee also recommends that the State party take measures to ease the double burden of women, including by providing new technologies for women farmers and educating men regarding the sharing of family responsibilities. The Committee strongly recommends that the State party ensure the full and equal representation of rural women on the various committees at the village level.

•          Guyana, CEDAW, A/60/38 part II (2005) 136 at paras. 307 and 308.

307. While noting that women are disproportionately affected by poverty, and noting the existence of the National Development Strategy and a poverty reduction strategy paper, the Committee is disappointed that these policies insufficiently address the gender dimensions of poverty and do not target women specifically, notwithstanding the participation of women’s groups in consultations for their preparation. The Committee is especially concerned about the consequences of this omission for Amerindian women and women living in rural and hinterland areas.

308. The Committee urges the State party to make the promotion of gender equality an explicit component of its national development strategies, in particular those aimed at poverty alleviation and sustainable development. It encourages the State party to include programmes that target vulnerable groups of women, such as Amerindian women and poor women living in rural and hinterland areas. The Committee invites the State party to strengthen these policies so as to enhance compliance with the Convention, especially article 14 on rural women. It encourages the State party to place emphasis on implementation of the Convention and women’s human rights in all development cooperation programmes with international organizations and bilateral donors. It recommends that the State party channel resources available through the highly indebted poor countries initiative towards the empowerment of women, especially Amerindian women and women in rural and hinterland areas...

•          Burkina Faso, CEDAW, A/60/38 part II (2005) 144 at paras. 347 and 348.

347. The Committee is concerned about the situation of rural women, particularly in view of their extreme poverty and lack of access to adequate nutrition and sanitation, health care, education and income-generating opportunities. This situation leads to multiple forms of discrimination against rural women...

348. The Committee urges the State party to pay special attention to the situation of rural women so as to enhance compliance with article 14 of the Convention. In particular, the Committee calls upon the State party to ensure that rural women have full access to education, health services and credit facilities, and can fully participate in decision-making processes. The Committee also urges the State party to implement provisions of the Agrarian and Land Reform that give women equal access to arable land and housing and provisions of the Individual and Family Code so as to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women with respect to ownership and inheritance of land. It also urges the State party to place emphasis on women’s human rights in all development cooperation programmes with international organizations and bilateral donors so as to address the socio-economic causes of discrimination against women and sociocultural causes of poverty of women, especially those affecting women in rural areas, through all available sources of support. The Committee urges the State party to put into operation the principle of gender equality as a key factor in eradicating poverty as outlined in the strategic and regional frameworks for poverty reduction...

CRC

•          Portugal, CRC, CRC/C/111 (2001) 48 at paras. 218 and 219.

218. The Committee notes that the State party's contribution to international cooperation was 0.26 per cent of GNP in 1999, and that the United Nations recommended target for development aid by States is 0.7 per cent of GNP.

219. The Committee recommends that the State party progressively increase its contributions to international cooperation in accordance with United Nations targets, giving particular attention to children's rights.

•          Cameroon, CRC, CRC/C/111 (2001) 71 at paras. 377 and 378.

377. The Committee notes the challenging socio-economic situation and the comprehensive debt reduction package recently agreed under the International Monetary Fund/World Bank enhanced heavily indebted poor countries initiative. However, it is concerned about the increasingly high number of children who do not enjoy their right to an adequate standard of living, including children belonging to poor families, AIDS orphans, street children, children living in remote rural and other under-developed areas, and children belonging to marginalized groups of the population. In addition, while taking note of the State party's intention to improve the coverage of the social security system, it joins the State party in expressing concern at the limited access to such assistance, and the need to reform the social security system.

378. In accordance with article 27 of the Convention, the Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Reinforce its efforts to provide support and material assistance to economically disadvantaged families and to guarantee the right of children to an adequate standard of living;

(b) Pay particular attention to the rights and needs of children in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper and in all programmes intended to improve the standard of living in the country;

(c) Cooperate and coordinate its efforts with civil society and local communities;

(d) Reform the social security system, with a view to broadening its coverage after completion of the studies undertaken by the State party to this end.

•          Cape Verde, CRC, CRC/C/111 (2001) 135 at para. 614.

614. The Committee recommends that the State party:

...

(c) Consider its obligations under the Convention in all aspects of its negotiations with international financial institutions and other donors, to ensure that the economic, social and cultural rights of children are respected.

•          Guinea-Bissau, CRC, CRC/C/118 (2002) 12 at paras. 41 and 42.

41. The Committee is deeply concerned that budget allocations for services such as health and education are extremely low. In addition, sole dependence on foreign assistance raises concerns as to the sustainability of the required resources...

42. With a view to the State party’s strengthening of 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:

(a) Establish a clear policy on the allocation of resources in favour of children, including those resources allocated by international agencies or bilateral assistance;

(b) Prioritize 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;

...

•          Haiti, CRC, CRC/124 (2003) 95 at paras. 405 and 406.

405. The Committee notes the existence of the Economic and Social Programme 2001-2006, but expresses its concern at the limited budget allocations and resource mobilization for the social sector, in particular for those areas addressing the needs of the most vulnerable groups of children. In that regard, the Committee is concerned that insufficient attention has been paid to article 4 of the Convention regarding the implementation “to the maximum extent of...available resources” of the economic, social and cultural rights of children.

406. The Committee, while recognizing the difficult economic conditions, nevertheless recommends that the State party make every effort to implement the Economic and Social Programme 2001-2006 and to increase the proportion of the budget allocated to the realization of children’s rights, inter alia by taking the necessary steps for a resumption of international aid programmes. In this context, the State party should ensure the provision of appropriate human and financial resources to children, in particular to the most vulnerable among them, and guarantee that the implementation of policies relating to children is given priority.

•          Iceland, CRC, CRC/124 (2003) 109 at paras. 476 and 477.

476. The Committee notes with appreciation the State party’s contributions and various child rights-related activities in the area of international cooperation. However, it notes that while overseas development assistance is increasing in absolute terms, it is not increasing relative to its gross domestic product (GDP).

477. The Committee encourages the State party to continue and strengthen its activities in the area of international cooperation by, among other things, striving to achieve the United Nations target of 0.7 per cent of GDP for international development assistance.

•          Eritrea, CRC, CRC/C/132 (2003) 8 at paras. 36 and 37.

36. While noting the increased investment in social services infrastructure following the peace agreement, the Committee is concerned that budgetary allocations and international development assistance are insufficient to respond to national and local priorities for the promotion and protection of children’s rights.

37. The Committee recommends that the State party pay particular attention to the full implementation of article 4 of the Convention by prioritizing budgetary allocations to the implementation of the economic, social and cultural rights of children, in particular those belonging to economically disadvantaged groups, “to the maximum extent of...available resources and, where needed, within the framework of international cooperation”. Furthermore, the Committee calls on both the State party and international donors to reopen their dialogue, in particular with regard to programmes for the implementation of children’s rights.

•          Sri Lanka, CRC, CRC/C/132 (2003) 48 at paras. 244 and 245.

244. The Committee notes with great concern that the expenditure on education and health as a percentage of the country’s GDP decreased between 1998 and 2001. The Committee is further concerned at the lack of disaggregated data on budgetary allocations for the implementation of children’s rights at the national and district levels.

245. The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Pay particular attention to the full implementation of article 4 of the Convention by prioritizing budgetary allocations to ensure implementation of the economic, social and cultural rights of children, in particular those in conflict-affected areas, “to the maximum extent of … available resources and, where needed, within the framework of international cooperation”;

(b) Prioritize the provision of services to children in loan and structural adjustment negotiations with international donors;

...

•          Pakistan, CRC, CRC/C/133 (2003) 37 at paras. 226 and 229.

226. The Committee welcomes the measures taken to increase the attendance of girls at schools and the information that a national “Compulsory Primary Education Ordinance” has been promulgated (March 2002), and also notes the modest improvement in the gross primary enrolment rate. However, the Committee remains deeply concerned that:

(a) The public expenditure on education (as a percentage of the gross domestic product) in the State party is extremely low and has been sinking in recent years;

(b) The considerable amounts of international aid invested in the State party for the purpose of promoting education have not been used in an efficient or adequate way;

            ... 

229. The Committee recommends that the State party:

...

(c) Ensure, as a matter of urgency, that adequate resources are allocated for education, in particular for improving the quality of and access to education;

...

(f) Take measures to improve the quality of education, including non-formal education, inter alia by strengthening the current training of teachers, by ensuring that schools are adequately equipped and by introducing a monitoring system for the attainment of the education targets;

•          Singapore, CRC, CRC/C/133 (2003) 84 at para. 403.

403. While noting the international cooperation undertaken by the State party within the Association of South-East Asian Nations, the Committee encourages the State party to implement the United Nations target of allocating 0.7 per cent of gross domestic product to overseas development assistance.

•          Germany, CRC, CRC/C/137 (2004) 51 at paras. 272 and 273.

272. The Committee notes the approval of the Programme of Action 2015 for Poverty Reduction and the many other activities in the area of international cooperation and assistance, but remains concerned that the State party devotes only about 0.27 per cent of its gross national income to the official development assistance, and that the foreseen increase to 0.33 per cent in 2006 is very slow.

273. In light of its previous recommendations ([CRC/C/15/Add.43], para. 25), the Committee encourages the State party to implement the United Nations target of allocating 0.7 per cent of gross domestic product to overseas development assistance as soon as possible and emphasize its concern about basic social services to attain the objectives of the Copenhagen 20/20 Initiative.

•          The Netherlands (Netherlands and Aruba), CRC, CRC/C/137 (2004) 63 at para. 322.

322. The Committee...notes with appreciation that the State party has met the United Nations target of allocating at least 0.7 per cent of gross national income to official development assistance.

•          Sao Tome and Principe, CRC, CRC/C/140 (2004) 54 at paras. 254 and 255.

254. The Committee welcomes the information about debt relief obtained through the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative and about the expected revenues from oil exploitation. However, the Committee is concerned by the worsening of the economic situation and by reports of allegations of poor management, including corruption, which have a negative impact on the level of resources available for the implementation of the Convention.

255. In light of articles 2, 3, and 6 of the Convention, the Committee encourages the State party to pay particular attention to the full implementation of article 4 of the Convention by prioritizing budgetary allocations to ensure implementation of the economic, social and cultural rights of children, to the maximum extent of available resources and, where needed, within the framework of international cooperation. In particular, the Committee recommends that the State party undertake all appropriate measures to improve transparency and the quality of management. Finally, the Committee urges the State party to do everything possible to use the income generated by the relief of external debt and by oil exploitation to increase the resources allocated for the full implementation of the Convention, in particular for the improvement of health-care services, and the education and protection of vulnerable groups of children.

•          Brazil, CRC, CRC/C/143 (2004) 10 at paras. 80 and 82.

81. While taking into account the high priority given by the State party in implementing policies and programmes with a view to fighting hunger and poverty, the Committee notes that Brazil is a country with a relatively high level of development, and shares the concerns of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights related to the persistent and extreme inequalities and imbalances in the distribution of wealth and resources (E/C.12/1/Add.87, para. 17). The Committee is concerned that the lives of a great number of children are marked by poverty, difficult access to, and deficient quality of, public services.

82. The Committee highly recommends that the State party:

(a) Continue to strengthen its policies and programmes to combat the factors responsible for the increasing number of children living in extreme poverty;

(b) Take measures in order to effectively reach the poorest segment of the population, by offering equal access to health, education, housing and other social services;

(c) Develop programmes and policies to ensure that all families have adequate resources and facilities.

•          Sweden, CRC, CRC/C/146 (2005) 8 at paras. 40 and 41.

40. The Committee notes with appreciation the State party’s outstanding performance in the area of international cooperation and development assistance. In this regard, the Committee notes that the State party allocates a significant percentage of its gross domestic product to foreign aid, of which 60 per cent is spent on children or professionals and others who work with, for or on behalf of children or safeguard their interests.

41. The Committee recommends that the State party continue and strengthen its leading role in international development cooperation projects relating to children, inter alia, by taking into account in its bilateral cooperation with developing countries the concluding observations and recommendations made by the Committee regarding those countries and provide support for their implementation.

•          Ecuador, CRC, CRC/C/150 (2005) 91 at paras. 406 and 407.

406. The Committee notes with deep concern that the resources allocated for social services, particularly with regard to the promotion and protection of children’s rights are relatively low and this seems to a large extent to be caused by considerable expenditure (more than 35 per cent of the national budget) on debt servicing. In addition, the Committee is concerned that the free trade agreements, currently being negotiated, may also negatively impact the allocation of budgets for social services.

407. The Committee urges the State party to increase budget allocations for the promotion and implementation of the rights of children in accordance with article 4 of the Convention and pay particular attention to investment for the implementation and protection of the rights of children belonging to vulnerable groups, including indigenous and Afro-Ecuadorian children, children living in poverty and those in remote areas. The Committee also recommends that the State party undertake maximum efforts to negotiate the rescheduling of payments on external and internal debts with a view to investing more in poverty reduction programmes including investment in the implementation of rights of children to, inter alia, education, the highest attainable standard of health and adequate standard of living and calls on the international and private financial institutions and bilateral and multilateral partners to support these efforts. The Committee finally recommends that the State party ensure that free trade agreements do not negatively affect the rights of children, inter alia, in terms of access to affordable medicines, including generic ones. In this regard, the Committee reiterates the recommendations made by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (E/C.12/1/Add.100).