E/C.12/GAB/CO/1
The Committee urges the State party to expedite the implementation of the abovementioned orders so as to achieve the extended coverage provided for and guarantee
access to a health insurance and social security scheme for all, especially for lowincome or marginalized persons and groups.
23.
The Committee is concerned about the large number of persons trafficked from,
through and within the State party for purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labour, the
low rate of prosecutions and convictions of traffickers, and the limited access to witness
protection programmes (art. 10).
The Committee urges the State party to step up its efforts to combat trafficking in
persons, including by ensuring:
(a)
The systematic collection of data on the various forms of trafficking in
persons in the State party;
(b)
The investigation, prosecution and punishment of those responsible in a
manner proportionate to the seriousness of the acts committed;
(c)
The allocation of sufficient funds for the implementation of the National
Programme to Combat Trafficking in Persons;
(d)
Adequate access for victims to assistance, rehabilitation
reintegration programmes and to witnesses protection programmes;
and
(e)
Mandatory training for police officers, prosecutors and judges on the
prevention of trafficking in persons and on the strict application of the criminal
provisions punishing it.
24.
The Committee notes with concern that child labour is still widespread, especially in
the agricultural and informal sectors, despite the State party’s efforts in this regard. The
Committee notes with concern that the legal framework does not fully reflect the relevant
international legal standards in the area of child labour, particularly in relation to the
specification of categories of hazardous work (art. 10, para. 3).
The Committee recommends that the State party intensify its efforts to combat all
forms of child labour, including by:
(a)
Conducting labour inspections in the agricultural and informal sectors;
(b)
Ensuring that employers who exploit child labour are prosecuted;
(c)
Strengthening the domestic legal framework by bringing it into line with
the Covenant and other applicable international legal standards, including the
International Labour Organization (ILO) Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention,
1999 (No. 182);
(d)
Ensuring that child victims of such exploitation and their families are
systematically supported and included in a rehabilitation programme adapted to their
specific needs.
25.
The Committee notes with concern that the great majority of the population of the
State party, including women, older persons and young people, live in poverty despite the
implementation of a poverty reduction strategy. The Committee also notes with concern
that poverty takes extreme forms and affects more people in urban areas, where inequalities
in income distribution remain particularly worrying (art. 11).
The Committee recommends that the State party ensure that the poverty reduction
and employment promotion strategy prioritizes and allocates resources to the fight
against poverty in urban areas and in the poorest regions, with a view to, inter alia,
reducing inequalities in the distribution of wealth. The Committee draws the State
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