At its 112th session (7-31 October 2014), the Human Rights Committee raised the issue of corporal punishment of children with the Governments of Burundi, Haiti, Malta, Montenegro and Sri Lanka. Following examination of each of these states, the Committee made the following remarks and recommendations in its concluding observations:

• To Burundi, the Committee expressed concern at corporal punishment in schools and the family and recommended that measures – including legislative measures – be taken to stop corporal punishment in all circumstances, together with relevant information campaigns and the promotion of non-violent forms of discipline.
• The Committee welcomed the achievement of prohibition in all settings in Malta.
• To Montenegro, the Committee expressed concern at the traditional acceptance of corporal punishment by parents and guardians and recommendation that legislative and other measures be taken to end it in all settings. During the review, the Government of Montenegro reported that legislative amendments were planned to explicitly prohibit corporal punishment in the home and other settings.
• The Committee welcomed the prohibition of corporal punishment in schools and the penal system in Sri Lanka but expressed concern at its acceptance by parents and guardians and recommended that legislative and other measures be taken to end it in all settings

For further details see the Global Initiative’s individual country reports for Burundi, Haiti, Malta, Montenegro and Sri Lanka.