Committee Against Torture recommends prohibition at 63rd session

The Committee Against Torture held its 63rd session in April-May 2018 and issued recommendations on corporal punishment of children:

  • To Belarus, the Committee expressed concern at the levels of violence against children in institutions, and regretted that there was no explicit prohibition of all corporal punishment of children. It recommended a clear and explicit prohibition in all settings.
  • The Committee recommended that Qatar enact legislation to clearly prohibit corporal punishment of children in all settings, including as a sentence for a crime.
  • Although the Government of Tajikistan misleadingly declared that corporal punishment of children was prohibited in domestic legislation, the Committee expressed concern at the reports of corporal punishment in the juvenile justice system and recommended that Tajikistan take effective measures to prevent it. It also recommended that the Government amend legislation to clearly prohibit and prevent all corporal punishment of children, and promote non-violent disciplinary methods through awareness-raising and public education.

 

For further details, see the Global Initiative’s individual country reports for Belarus, Qatar, and Tajikistan.

For further information on the obligation to prohibit corporal punishment under the Convention Against Torture and to see the Committee’s recommendations in full, see the Global Initiative’s page on the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.