Administration of juvenile justice
The State Party has reported that in Tanzania Mainland a child under 12years cannot
be sentenced to imprisonment and in Zanzibar no child under 14 can be sentenced to
imprisonment. The Committee urge the State Party to work on the Concluding
Observations made by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child aimed at improving
the state of juvenile justice in its jurisdiction, by particularly enacting comprehensive
provisions in the juvenile justice standards; allocating sufficient human and physical
resources; and conduct regular training to juvenile justice personnel to ensure that
juvenile justice is administered in consonance with best practices and international
standards, in accordance with Articles 17 & 30 of the ACRWC.
Refugee children
The State Party has reported that it has adopted the National Refugee Policy in 2003
that covers various aspects of the management of refugee matters and their protection
in the State Party. It has further reported that it has undertaken various measures to
ensure that all refugee and asylum-seeking children (including unaccompanied ones)
are properly registered and documented upon arrival at entry points, before being sent
to their designated areas.
The Committee is concerned about the fact that established family-tracing programs are
not conducted by the State Party but by the Tanzania Red Cross Society, a nongovernmental organization. There is also lack of clear and updated information
necessary for reunification of these children with their families.
The Committee urges the State Party to enact a specific legislation and establish
appropriate and effective mechanisms toensure that the National Refugee Policy has
legal force as well as to ensure that it is practically implemented.
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