Welcome to the United Nations 
OHCHR 
Press releases Treaty bodies
Default title
03 October 2000
Share
CRC
25th session
3 October 2000
Morning
The Committee on the Rights of the Child started this morning its consideration of an initial report submitted by Slovakia on that country's efforts to give effect to the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Introducing the report, Edit Bauer, State Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of Slovakia, noted that the Constitution guaranteed fundamental rights and liberties, as well as political, economic, social and cultural rights. It also provided rights to national minorities and ethnic groups, and the right to judicial and other legal protection.
She said that since 1998, legislation had been passed which considerably contributed to the improvement of the protection of children's rights and interests; among the numerous acts was the one which modified the social and legal defence of children.
Discussion over the morning meeting focused on the main subjects of general measures of implementation of the Convention; general principles; and family environment and alternative care.
The Slovak delegation also included Kalman Petocz, Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the United Nations Office at Geneva; Peter Guran, Director General, Division for Family Policy, Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family; Barbara Illkova, Director, Department of Human Rights, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Jaroslav Pal'ov, of the Presidium of the Police Force, Ministry of Interior; Nadezda Sebova, Division of Family, Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family; Katarina Ondrasova, Department of School System for National Minorities, Ministry of Education; and Adriana Lamackova, Division for Human Rights and Minorities, Office of the Government.
As one of the 191 States parties to the Convention, Slovakia must present periodic reports to the Committee on its performance to implement the provisions of the treaty.
The Committee will continue its consideration of the report when it reconvenes at 3 p.m.
Report of Slovakia
The initial report of Slovakia (document CRC/C/11/Add.17) enumerates the administrative measures undertaken by the Government in order to implement the provisions of the Convention on an article-by-article basis. It says that the legislation of Slovakia does not provide for a separate codification of the basic rights of a child. The basis for the legal position of a child is laid down in the Constitution, which provides rights and fundamental freedoms to all citizens without distinction.
The report notes that the Slovak law awards equal rights to children born in or out of wedlock. Legislative discrimination against children born out of wedlock was abolished by the Constitution of the Czechoslovakia Republic in 1948, and the principle of equality of rights of all children was confirmed by the Constitution of Slovakia. Human rights and fundamental freedoms are protected by the Constitution, which says "everyone may do what is not prohibited by law and no one shall be compelled to do what is not mandated by law".
Introduction of Report
EDIT BAUER, State Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of Slovakia, noted that the Constitution of Slovakia guaranteed fundamental rights and liberties, as well as political, economic, social and cultural rights. It also provided rights to national minorities and ethnic groups, and the right to judicial and other legal protection. Everybody had the right to life.
Mrs. Bauer said that since 1998, legislation had been passed which considerably contributed to the improvement of the protection of children's rights and interests. Among the numerous acts was the one which modified the social and legal defence of children.
In 1998, the criminal law was amended, modifying punishable offences such as endangering morality, production, circulation and harbouring publications of child pornography and illegal child employment, Mrs. Bauer said. In addition, the country's parliament had given its agreement to the ratification of the agreement of civil rights aspects of international child abduction which would provide important measures for the prevention and protection of children from abduction.
Further, the process of ratification of the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in International Adoption was currently under preparation, Mrs. Bauer said. Already, Slovakia had ratified the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention on the Prohibition of the Worst Forms of Child Labour.
The Government of Slovakia had set up the Slovak Committee on the Rights of the Child in June 2000 to deal with coordination in the field of child protection and promotion of rights and interests of children, Mrs. Bauer continued to say. Representatives of non-governmental organizations also sat on the committee together with Government appointees.
Because of negative developments in the field of criminality such as drug dependence and other social phenomenon since 1990, the Government of Slovakia had taken measures designed to reverse the situation, Mrs. Bauer said.
The Roma issue was a specific problem in Slovakia, Mrs. Bauer said, adding that Roma children were subjected to the worst forms of social conditions. However, the Government had taken the necessary measures to improve the situation of the 80,000 Roma living in the country.
Discussion
In response to several questions raised by the Committee experts under the main subjects of general measures of implementation of the Convention, general principles and family environment and alternative care, the members of the Slovak delegation said, among other things, that because of the census system of the former Communist regime, members of the Roma population were not allowed to confess their ethnic origin. According to a recent census, it was estimated that 80,000 Roma people lived in the country. However, other estimates put their number at about 350,000. The Hungarian population in Slovakia represented 11 per cent of the population.
Taxes collected on a national basis were subdivided among the various local governments, the delegation said. Local authorities were not allowed to levy special taxes other than the ones fixed by the law. The Government was planning to reform the social and educational systems to bring them nearer to the population by further decentralizing its efforts.
The Government was planning to ratify the European Convention on the Rights of the Child, the delegation said. The Convention had already been signed and it would be ratified soon. The process of ratification could also correspond with the establishment of the office of an ombudsman. In addition, the Government envisaged to set up a centre for monitoring racism and xenophobia in the near future.
The views of the child were essential in the process of adoption without which it could not take place, the delegation said. For younger and older children, parents should be present before the court together with the adopting family to finalize the adoption process.
A 10-year-long primary education was obligatory for Slovak children, the delegation said. Education started at 6 and continued until the age of 15 years. A child who did not complete compulsory education was not allowed to take any employment before the age of 15 years.
The Government was not interested in putting children in special school systems if there was no particular need to do so, the delegation said. Children from Roma families were encouraged to go to regular schools and the Government was taking measures to suppress special schools for Roma children. Mentally retarded children were still placed in special schools while socially retarded children, lacking language efficiency, were kept in regular educational institutions.
Responding to a question on the issue of skinheads, the delegation said that they were connected to racial discrimination cases, the delegation said. The existence of the skinhead movement was not considered to be a great concern to the Government. Although they were part of the "white power movement", not registered officially, they existed in small groups which allowed the police to monitor their movements. The skinhead movement was introduced into the country after the fall of the Communist block. Cases concerning the skinheads were treated as criminal acts.
* *** *
25th session
3 October 2000
Morning
The Committee on the Rights of the Child started this morning its consideration of an initial report submitted by Slovakia on that country's efforts to give effect to the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Introducing the report, Edit Bauer, State Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of Slovakia, noted that the Constitution guaranteed fundamental rights and liberties, as well as political, economic, social and cultural rights. It also provided rights to national minorities and ethnic groups, and the right to judicial and other legal protection.
She said that since 1998, legislation had been passed which considerably contributed to the improvement of the protection of children's rights and interests; among the numerous acts was the one which modified the social and legal defence of children.
Discussion over the morning meeting focused on the main subjects of general measures of implementation of the Convention; general principles; and family environment and alternative care.
The Slovak delegation also included Kalman Petocz, Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the United Nations Office at Geneva; Peter Guran, Director General, Division for Family Policy, Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family; Barbara Illkova, Director, Department of Human Rights, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Jaroslav Pal'ov, of the Presidium of the Police Force, Ministry of Interior; Nadezda Sebova, Division of Family, Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family; Katarina Ondrasova, Department of School System for National Minorities, Ministry of Education; and Adriana Lamackova, Division for Human Rights and Minorities, Office of the Government.
As one of the 191 States parties to the Convention, Slovakia must present periodic reports to the Committee on its performance to implement the provisions of the treaty.
The Committee will continue its consideration of the report when it reconvenes at 3 p.m.
Report of Slovakia
The initial report of Slovakia (document CRC/C/11/Add.17) enumerates the administrative measures undertaken by the Government in order to implement the provisions of the Convention on an article-by-article basis. It says that the legislation of Slovakia does not provide for a separate codification of the basic rights of a child. The basis for the legal position of a child is laid down in the Constitution, which provides rights and fundamental freedoms to all citizens without distinction.
The report notes that the Slovak law awards equal rights to children born in or out of wedlock. Legislative discrimination against children born out of wedlock was abolished by the Constitution of the Czechoslovakia Republic in 1948, and the principle of equality of rights of all children was confirmed by the Constitution of Slovakia. Human rights and fundamental freedoms are protected by the Constitution, which says "everyone may do what is not prohibited by law and no one shall be compelled to do what is not mandated by law".
Introduction of Report
EDIT BAUER, State Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of Slovakia, noted that the Constitution of Slovakia guaranteed fundamental rights and liberties, as well as political, economic, social and cultural rights. It also provided rights to national minorities and ethnic groups, and the right to judicial and other legal protection. Everybody had the right to life.
Mrs. Bauer said that since 1998, legislation had been passed which considerably contributed to the improvement of the protection of children's rights and interests. Among the numerous acts was the one which modified the social and legal defence of children.
In 1998, the criminal law was amended, modifying punishable offences such as endangering morality, production, circulation and harbouring publications of child pornography and illegal child employment, Mrs. Bauer said. In addition, the country's parliament had given its agreement to the ratification of the agreement of civil rights aspects of international child abduction which would provide important measures for the prevention and protection of children from abduction.
Further, the process of ratification of the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in International Adoption was currently under preparation, Mrs. Bauer said. Already, Slovakia had ratified the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention on the Prohibition of the Worst Forms of Child Labour.
The Government of Slovakia had set up the Slovak Committee on the Rights of the Child in June 2000 to deal with coordination in the field of child protection and promotion of rights and interests of children, Mrs. Bauer continued to say. Representatives of non-governmental organizations also sat on the committee together with Government appointees.
Because of negative developments in the field of criminality such as drug dependence and other social phenomenon since 1990, the Government of Slovakia had taken measures designed to reverse the situation, Mrs. Bauer said.
The Roma issue was a specific problem in Slovakia, Mrs. Bauer said, adding that Roma children were subjected to the worst forms of social conditions. However, the Government had taken the necessary measures to improve the situation of the 80,000 Roma living in the country.
Discussion
In response to several questions raised by the Committee experts under the main subjects of general measures of implementation of the Convention, general principles and family environment and alternative care, the members of the Slovak delegation said, among other things, that because of the census system of the former Communist regime, members of the Roma population were not allowed to confess their ethnic origin. According to a recent census, it was estimated that 80,000 Roma people lived in the country. However, other estimates put their number at about 350,000. The Hungarian population in Slovakia represented 11 per cent of the population.
Taxes collected on a national basis were subdivided among the various local governments, the delegation said. Local authorities were not allowed to levy special taxes other than the ones fixed by the law. The Government was planning to reform the social and educational systems to bring them nearer to the population by further decentralizing its efforts.
The Government was planning to ratify the European Convention on the Rights of the Child, the delegation said. The Convention had already been signed and it would be ratified soon. The process of ratification could also correspond with the establishment of the office of an ombudsman. In addition, the Government envisaged to set up a centre for monitoring racism and xenophobia in the near future.
The views of the child were essential in the process of adoption without which it could not take place, the delegation said. For younger and older children, parents should be present before the court together with the adopting family to finalize the adoption process.
A 10-year-long primary education was obligatory for Slovak children, the delegation said. Education started at 6 and continued until the age of 15 years. A child who did not complete compulsory education was not allowed to take any employment before the age of 15 years.
The Government was not interested in putting children in special school systems if there was no particular need to do so, the delegation said. Children from Roma families were encouraged to go to regular schools and the Government was taking measures to suppress special schools for Roma children. Mentally retarded children were still placed in special schools while socially retarded children, lacking language efficiency, were kept in regular educational institutions.
Responding to a question on the issue of skinheads, the delegation said that they were connected to racial discrimination cases, the delegation said. The existence of the skinhead movement was not considered to be a great concern to the Government. Although they were part of the "white power movement", not registered officially, they existed in small groups which allowed the police to monitor their movements. The skinhead movement was introduced into the country after the fall of the Communist block. Cases concerning the skinheads were treated as criminal acts.
* *** *