The Right to Life, Survival and Development
19. The Committee is concerned about ‘ritual crimes’ that pose danger on children’s
rights to life, survival and development. Therefore, the Committee urges the State
Party to take action to ensure that the children are not endangered under the guise
of rituals. In this regard the Committee recommends the State Party to improve the
technical and financial capacity of institutions that works for children, to closely work
with community and religious leaders in raising awareness, and to bring to justice
the perpetrators of the acts.
20. The Committee recommends the State Party to ensure universal access for pre
natal and neonatal health services throughout the country; promote exclusive breast
feeding for the first six months and strictly regulate commercials of supplementary
products; and in collaboration with CSOs to ensure the provision of micronutrient
products in regions where there is moderate and acute malnutrition. To this effect,
the Committee recommends the State Party to make reference to the African Union
Regional Nutrition Strategy (2015-2025).
Child Participation
21. The Committee appreciates the State Party for establishing the children parliament
and recommends the State Party to ensure that the children parliament is a platform
for children to express and disseminate their opinion freely in all matters. In this
regard, the Committee recommends the State Party to ensure that all children from
all parts of the country are represented in the parliament, to allocate sufficient
budget, and to take into account in decision making process the resolution of the
children parliament.
22. In addition, the Committee recommends the State Party to promote respect for the
views of the child in the family, in schools, and before administrative authorities and
courts.
D. Civil Rights and Freedoms
Name, Nationality, Identity and registration at birth
23. The Committee commends the State Party for the provision of the civil code which
ensure children’s rights to birth registration immediately after birth and for the
establishment of registration centers at municipality and district levels. However, the
Committee is concerned that the 30 days period might end up to be a barrier for
parents or caregivers not to register children after the lapse of the 30 days period.
Therefore, the Committee recommends the State Party to lift all barriers that are
cumbersome on birth registration. In this regard, the Committee recommends the
State Party to refer to the Committee’s General Comment on article 6 of the African
Children’s Charter.