Communication plans and awareness raising for behaviour change exist for each project to
protect disadvantaged groups, indigenous people, street children, HIV positive children, girls
and women, persons with disabilities. But, there is no overall strategy to reach the general
public. Each project benefits from the skills and experience of the UNICEF communication
programme to develop and implement a communication plan without any major coordination
with other sectors.
In fact, efforts are visible through the multiplicity of governmental and non-governmental
institutions dealing with its elimination and specific programmes for the protection and
promotion of social groups threatened or discriminated against.
It must be recalled that, as emphasized by the Committee, the principle is well reflected in the
Family Code, the Penal Code and the Child Protection Act, and through all the judgments in
favour of the rehabilitation and reintegration of children, even in the most severe cases. This
principle also applies to indigenous children.
Equal access to services tailored to the cultural specificity of indigenous people is a difficult
goal to achieve, while the national effort has so far consisted only in reducing exclusion,
notably through a standardisation process in accessing health care, educational services
provision, social benefits, housing, drinking water and sanitation.
An approach that takes into account the cultural specificity of indigenous people can only be
considered as part of the implementation of the UN Declaration on Indigenous Issues to
which the Republic of Congo is strongly committed through its representation mandate on
behalf of the African States Group to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous
Issues.
B-The best interests of the child
"The best interests of the child are the primary consideration in all actions and decisions
concerning them." Article 4 of the Child Protection Act insists that "in all decisions taken in
respect of the child, his/her maintenance within the family unit is important in the interest of
his/her harmonious development and in order to consolidate parental responsibility of or that
of any other person entrusted with his/her care. However, if it appears that it is contrary to
the child’s interests to remain in his family unit, the court may decide otherwise. "
In Title 5, the Child Protection Act clearly states, in Articles 73, 74, 75, 76 and 77 that in the
administration of juvenile justice, the judge must take into account the following principles:
"a / the decision should always be proportionate not only to the circumstances and severity of
the offense but also to the circumstances and needs of the juvenile as well as the needs of
society;
b / deprivation of liberty is imposed on the child guilty of an offense if there is no other
appropriate solutions;
c / death penalty does not apply to offenses committed by children;
d / the well-being of the child shall be the guiding factor in the consideration of his/her case;
The child victim has the right to confidentiality, dignified treatment. If he/she is an asylum
seeker, refugee or a victim of trafficking or sale, he/she is entitled to return, within a
reasonable time in his home country.)
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