19. Moreover, the Committee recommends the State Party to address the challenges in
relation to infanticide and baby dumping by increasing women's and adolescent's
access to reproductive health services: encouraging and promoting domestic adoption
and foster care; and providing shelters to cater for neglected children.
Child Participation
20. Commending the Government of Namibia for establishing Children's Parliament, the
Committee recommends the State Party to continue its support to the Children's
Parliament and to take into consideration the views of the Children's Parliament in
making decisions that have impact on children.
21. Further, the Committee recommends the State Party to establish and strengthen child
friendly courts and procedures for child victims and witnesses; ensure that children are
heard in civil judicial proceedings affecting them, including divorce, separation, and
adoption; ensure that children have the opportunity to use broadcast media to
communicate their own views; and set in place confidential reporting mechanisms for
children who are victims of abuse and violence.
D. Civil Rights and Freedoms
Name, Nationalityj Identity and registration at birth
22.The Committee commends the State Party for launching several initiatives to eradicate
barriers to birth registration by opening hospitai-based offices and sub-regional offices
in rural areas and regular mobile registration campaigns. However, the Committee has
concerns about the legal uncertainty in relation to children born in Namibia to stateless
parents and migrants and refugees. In addition, the Committee is concerned about the
legal barriers on children's access to birth registration created under the Births,
Marriages and Deaths Registration Act, the Marriage Act, and the Migration Control Act.
23.Therefore, Committee recommends the Government of Namibia to circumvent all legal
and administrative barriers on access to birth registration through legislative
amendment and other appropriate measures. Moreover, the Committee recommends
the State Party to fulfill its obligation of ensuring that every child is registered
immediately after birth, is named, and acquired nationality by playing a pro-active role
such as launching education and sensitization campaigns on birth registration; and
ensuring proper coordination between the central civil registration authority and other
civil registration offices across the country. To this effect, the Committee highly
encourages the State Party to use as guidelines the Committee's General Comment on
Article 6 of the African Children's Charter.