At its 110th session (10-28 March), the Human Rights Committee raised the issue of corporal punishment of children with the Governments of Chad, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Sierra Leone and the USA. The Lists of Issues adopted by the Committee for these states asked for information on progress towards prohibiting corporal punishment in all settings, including the home. Following examination of the states, the Committee made the following remarks and recommendations in its concluding observations:

• To Chad, the Committee expressed concern at the continued use of corporal punishment in the home and in some Koranic schools, despite prohibition in education law, and recommended implementation of the prohibition in schools together with other measures to end the practice in all circumstances.
• To Kyrgyzstan, the Committee noted the prohibition of corporal punishment in schools and some institutional settings but expressed concern at its continued acceptance and practice in the home. The Committee recommended that practical steps be taken, including legislative measures, to end corporal punishment in all settings.
• To Nepal, the Committee expressed concern at corporal punishment of children, particularly in the home, and recommended that measures – including legislative measures – be taken to put an end to it in all settings.
• To Sierra Leone, the Committee noted that the Child Rights Act 2007 punishes torture and ill-treatment of children but expressed concern at the lack of explicit prohibition of corporal punishment. The Committee recommended that practical steps be taken, including legislative measures, to end corporal punishment in all settings.
• To the USA, the Committee expressed concern at corporal punishment of children in schools, penal institutions, the home and all forms of child care at federal, state and local levels. The Committee recommended that legislative and other measures be taken to end corporal punishment in all settings.

  For further details see the Global Initiative’s individual country reports for Chad, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Sierra Leone and the USA.