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/></td> <td> <p style="font-size:1.4em;">United Nations</p> </td> <td> <p> <span style="font-size:2em;">CRC</span>/C/BWA/CO/2-3</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> <td> <p style="font-weight:bold;font-size:2em;">Convention on theRights of the Child</p> </td> <td> <p>Distr.: General</p> <p>26 June 2019</p> <p>Original: English</p> </td> </tr> </table> <div class="content"> <p style="font-weight:bold;font-size:1.2em;">Committee on the Rights of the Child</p> <h2 style="font-weight:bold;">Concluding observations on the combined second and third reports of Botswana *</h2> <h2>I.Introduction</h2> <p>1.The Committee considered the combined second and third periodic reports of Botswana (CRC/C/BWA/2-3) at its 2388th and 2389th meetings (see CRC/C/SR.2388 and 2389), held on 23 and 24 May 2019, and adopted the present concluding observations at its 2400th meeting, held on 31 May 2019. </p> <p>2.The Committee welcomes the submission of the combined second and third periodic reports of the State party, despite the fact that it was submitted with considerable delay, and the written replies to the list of issues (CRC/C/BWA/Q/2-3/Add.1), which allowed for a better understanding of the situation of children s rights in the State party. The Committee expresses appreciation for the constructive dialogue held with the high-level and multisectoral delegation of the State party. </p> <h2>II.Follow-up measures taken and progress achieved by the State party</h2> <p>3.The Committee welcomes the ratification of the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict and the adoption of legislative, institutional and policy measures to implement the Convention, including the Children s Act, the amended Penal Code, the Domestic Violence Act, the amended National Registration Act, the National Plan of Action for Children 2006 2016, the Child Protection Regulations and the National Plan of Action for Orphans and Vulnerable Children 2006 2016. It also welcomes the progress achieved in improving vaccination coverage and in reducing rates of under-5 mortality and mother-to-child transmission of HIV.</p> <h2>III.Main areas of concern and recommendations</h2> <p>4.The Committee recommends that the State party ensure the realization of children s rights in accordance with the Convention, the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict and the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography throughout the process of implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It also urges the State party to ensure the meaningful participation of children in the design and implementation of policies and programmes aimed at achieving all 17 Sustainable Development Goals as far as they concern children.</p> <h3>A.General measures of implementation (arts. 4, 42 and 44 (6))</h3> <h3>Reservations</h3> <p style="font-weight:bold;">5. In view of the information provided by the State party that there is  no legal impediment to lifting its reservation to article 1 of the Convention (CRC/C/BWA/2-3, para. 20), the Committee recalls its previous recommendations (CRC/C/15/Add.242, para. 9) and urges the State party to expedite the withdrawal of its reservation to article 1.</p> <h3>Legislation </h3> <p>6.The Committee welcomes the adoption of the Children s Act in 2009 and amendments to the Penal Code in 2018 to align it with the Convention but remains concerned that several laws relevant to children, including the Adoption of Children Act, the Marriage Act, the Affiliations Proceedings Act, the Deserted Wives and Child Protection Act and the Wills Act, are not in line with the Convention.</p> <h3>Legislation </h3> <p style="font-weight:bold;">7. The Committee recommends that the State party:</p> <p style="font-weight:bold;">(a) Fully harmonize its legislation with the principles and provisions of the Convention, in close consultation with children and civil society organizations;</p> <p style="font-weight:bold;">(b) Conduct child rights impact assessments of all new legislation adopted at the national level.</p> <h3>Comprehensive policy and strategy </h3> <p>8.The Committee welcomes the National Plan of Action for Children 2006 2016 and the National Plan of Action for Orphans and Vulnerable Children 2010 2016 but is concerned about the ineffective implementation and evaluation of the plans, in part due to a lack of sufficient resources.</p> <h3>Comprehensive policy and strategy </h3> <p style="font-weight:bold;">9. The Committee recommends that the State party conduct an evaluation of its national plans of action regarding children, with a view to adopting a new national plan of action that is sufficiently resourced, encompasses all areas covered by the Convention and includes specific time-bound and measurable goals and targets to effectively monitor and evaluate progress in the implementation of children s rights.</p> <h3>Coordination</h3> <p style="font-weight:bold;">10. Noting with concern that the National Children s Council and the village child protection committees are not fully operational, primarily due to a lack of resources, the Committee recommends that the State party strengthen its coordination efforts to implement the Convention, including by ensuring that the Council has the sufficient authority to coordinate all activities related to the implementation of the Convention at the cross-sectoral, national, regional and local levels and that the Council and the village child protection committees are provided with the necessary human, technical and financial resources for their effective operation.</p> <h3>Allocation of resources</h3> <p>11.The Committee commends the State party for the substantial resources allocated to the social sector, including child and family benefits, but is concerned that budget allocations do not match the needs. It also regrets the insufficient resources allocated to health and primary education, and the lack of a tracking system for the allocation and use of resources to implement children s rights. Furthermore, while the Committee notes the efforts of the State party to combat corruption, it is concerned about incidences of corruption and illicit financial flows that divert resources necessary for the implementation of children s rights.</p> <h3>Allocation of resources</h3> <p style="font-weight:bold;">12. Recalling its general comment No. 19 (2016) on public budgeting for the realization of children s rights, the Committee recommends that the State party: </p> <p style="font-weight:bold;">(a) Allocate adequate human, financial and technical resources for the implementation of all policies, plans, programmes and legislative measures directed at children;</p> <p style="font-weight:bold;">(b) Introduce a child rights perspective into the budgeting process that specifies clear allocations for children in the relevant sectors and agencies, and includes specific indicators and a tracking system to monitor and evaluate the adequacy, efficacy and equitability of the distribution of resources allocated for implementation of the Convention;</p> <p style="font-weight:bold;">(c) Strengthen long-standing measures to combat corruption in government procurement and illicit financial flows and strengthen existing institutional capacities to effectively detect, investigate and prosecute related cases.</p> <h3>Data collection</h3> <p style="font-weight:bold;">13. Recalling its previous recommendations (CRC/C/15/Add.242, para. 22), the Committee recommends that the State party:</p> <p style="font-weight:bold;">(a) Expeditiously establish the social registry and ensure that it functions as a comprehensive data-collection system that covers all areas of the Convention, with data disaggregated by age, sex, disability, nationality, geographic location and socioeconomic background in order to facilitate analysis on the situation of all children;</p> <p style="font-weight:bold;">(b) Ensure the effective coordination and harmonization of data collection by the ministries concerned, civil society organizations and development partners to avoid duplication and discrepancies in data, including by widely sharing the data and indicators available; </p> <p style="font-weight:bold;">(c) Ensure that data is used for the formulation, monitoring and evaluation of policies, programmes and projects for the effective implementation of the Convention;</p> <p>(d)<span style="font-weight:bold;">Strengthen its technical cooperation with, among others, the United Nations Children s Fund (UNICEF) and take into account the report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) entitled </span><span style="font-weight:bold;font-style:italic;">Human Rights Indicators: A Guide to Measurement and Implementation</span><span style="font-weight:bold;"> when defining, collecting and disseminating statistical information.</span></p> <h3>Independent monitoring </h3> <p style="font-weight:bold;">14. The Committee recommends that the State party:</p> <p style="font-weight:bold;">(a) Expeditiously amend the Ombudsman Act to create an independent national human rights institution in compliance with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles), and ensure that the institution has a clear mandate to effectively monitor children s rights and to receive, investigate and address complaints by children in a child-sensitive manner; </p> <p style="font-weight:bold;">(b) Seek technical assistance in establishing the institution from, among others, OHCHR, UNICEF and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).</p> <h3>Dissemination, awareness-raising and training</h3> <p>15.The Committee welcomes the measures taken to raise awareness of the Convention, including among law enforcement officials, parliamentarians and community leaders, but is concerned that the Convention and the Children s Act are not sufficiently known by the public at large and children in particular.</p> <h3>Dissemination, awareness-raising and training</h3> <p style="font-weight:bold;">16. Recalling its previous recommendations (CRC/C/15/Add.242, para. 24), the Committee recommends that the State party:</p> <p style="font-weight:bold;">(a) Strengthen its efforts to increase nationwide awareness of the Convention and the Children s Act, in close cooperation with civil society organizations, paying particular attention to remote and rural areas;</p> <p style="font-weight:bold;">(b) Provide adequate and systematic training to professional groups working with and for children, such as parliamentarians, law enforcement officials, teachers, lawyers, health professionals and community leaders; </p> <p style="font-weight:bold;">(c) Translate the Children s Act into Setswana and make it available in accessible and child-friendly versions.</p> <h3>Cooperation with civil society</h3> <p>17.The Committee notes that the State party cooperates with civil society through formal agreements. It is concerned, however, that civil society is not sufficiently consulted in aspects of children s rights beyond those that involve service delivery.</p> <h3>Cooperation with civil society</h3> <p style="font-weight:bold;">18. The Committee recommends that the State party:</p> <p style="font-weight:bold;">(a) Strengthen cooperation with civil society organizations working in the field of children s rights, provide them with the necessary protection and systematically involve them in the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of laws, policies and programmes related to children;</p> <p style="font-weight:bold;">(b) Provide civil society organizations with the support necessary to implement their activities in all areas relating to the promotion and protection of the rights of the child while respecting their freedom of association and assembly;</p> <p style="font-weight:bold;">(c) Formalize the engagement of civil society organizations in th