Committee on the Rights of the Child recommends prohibition and elimination of corporal punishment at 75th session
At its 75th session, the Committee on the Rights of the Child examined seven states on their implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and issued recommendations on the prohibition and elimination of corporal punishment of children.
- To Antigua and Barbuda, the Committee recommended that the state end all forms of corporal punishment in all settings, repeal the provisions authorising corporal punishment in the Education Act and undertake awareness-raising campaigns and training.
- In its concluding observations on Bhutan’s third/fifth report, the Committee recommended the review of all domestic legislation to fully prohibit corporal punishment in all settings, including the home and monasteries. Article 109 of the Penal Code 2004, which provides a legal justification to the use of corporal punishment, was particularly highlighted.
- The Committee expressed concern at the prevalence of corporal punishment in families and schools in Cameroon, and urged the state party to explicitly prohibit corporal punishment in all settings and introduce public education and awareness-raising programmes on the harmful effects of corporal punishment and the benefits of positive discipline.
- Similarly, the Committee issued a recommendation to Lebanon to amend its legislation to explicitly prohibit corporal punishment in all settings and to conduct awareness-raising programmes.
- The Committee called for urgent measures to be taken in relation to corporal punishment in Qatar, expressing concern at the widespread use and legality of corporal punishment, including as a sentence for a crime. It recommended that corporal punishment is prohibited in all settings in the Children’s Bill currently being considered.
To Romania and Mongolia, where corporal punishment is already prohibited, the Committee issued recommendations on the effective implementation of the ban, including through public education and awareness-raising campaigns and training of parents and teachers, and thorough monitoring of the implementation.