C. General principles Non-Discrimination 6. The Committee notes that the yet to be implemented Constitution proscribes discrimination. The Committee is however informed that children belonging to certain religions, economic status, and children affected with HIV/AIDS and minority groups face discrimination preventing them from accessing education and other basic services in their residence. The Committee recommends that the State Party take steps to urgently address such discrimination by undertaking awareness raising campaigns and implementing strategies to combat discrimination. The Committee also recommends that the State Party ensures the availability and accessibility of health, education and other social services in underserved communities. Best interest of the child 7. The Committee recognises that the State Party has enacted legal provisions pertinent to children. The Committee however notes that these provisions do not properly reflect the best interest of the child and it is also not clear the extent to which judicial and administrative bodies apply this principle. The Committee recommends that the State Party ensure that the principle is clearly reflected in all its legislation dealing with children and that judicial and administrative bodies strictly adhere and apply the principle. Survival and Development 8. The Committee notes that the State Party had taken measures to attain the Millennium Development Goals and that there exist laws protecting the lives of all children. The Committee however realises that data to track this progress is not available. It was also brought to the attention of the Committee that children are found at the Sawa Military Training Camp. The Committee further notes the growing number of Eritrean children crossing international borders which risks them being subjected to what various reports call ‘shoot to kill policy’. The Committee recommends that the State Party undertakes to take all measures to ensure that data on children is available and accessible and that children are not enlisted to the Sawa Military Camp. If the allegations regarding “the shoot to kill policy” are found to be real, the Committee recommends that as a matter of urgency, the State Party do the necessary to alert its military officers to refrain from this gross violation of children’s rights who are crossing Eritrean borders and establish accountability against the perpetrators. Moreover, the Committee recommends the State Party to assess the reason why children are fleeing the Country and provide sustainable financial assistance to children from poor households. 3