CRC/C/SAU/CO/3-4
including children. The Committee further notes as positive the large amount of funds
allocated to development assistance worldwide.
III. Main areas of concern and recommendations
5.
The Committee reminds the State party of the indivisibility and interdependence of
all the rights enshrined in the Convention and emphasizes the importance of all the
recommendations contained in the present concluding observations. The Committee would
like to draw the State party’s attention to the recommendations concerning the following
areas, in respect of which urgent measures must be taken: the definition of the child,
especially in relation to child marriage (para. 14), non-discrimination (paras. 16 and 18), the
right to life, survival and development (para. 21), torture and ill-treatment (para. 27),
children in armed conflict (para. 39) and juvenile justice (para. 44).
A.
General measures of implementation (arts. 4, 42 and 44 (6))
Reservations
6.
The Committee remains concerned about the State party’s general reservation
to the Convention, which provides for the precedence of sharia law over international
treaties and undermines the effective implementation of the Convention. The
Committee reiterates its previous recommendations that the State party review the
general nature of its reservation with a view to withdrawing it in accordance with the
Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action adopted at the World Conference on
Human Rights, held in 1993 (see CRC/C/SAU/CO/2, para. 8).
Legislation
7.
Noting that the comprehensive review of the legislation relating to children
announced during the last review, held in 2006, has yet to be concluded, that judges
rule on the basis of their personal interpretation of religion and that the State party’s
legislation lacks a child-rights perspective and reflects a vision of the child as an object
of protection rather than a subject of rights, the Committee recommends that the
State party develop without further delay and in cooperation with all segments of civil
society and children themselves a comprehensive law on children that equally
embraces child protection and the promotion of children’s rights and includes all
rights and principles enshrined in the Convention. The State party should rigorously
review all domestic laws concerning children and the relevant administrative
regulations with a view to ensuring that they are rights-based and in conformity with
the Convention.
Coordination
8.
In view of the recognition by the State party of the persistent challenges in
coordinating the implementation of the Convention, the Committee reiterates its
recommendation that the State party strengthen the existing coordination mechanism
by developing coordination at all levels of the administration, including at the
multisectoral, vertical and interregional levels (see CRC/C/SAU/CO/2, para. 12).
Allocation of resources
9.
Reiterating its concern about the lack of a system to identify and track budget
allocation and spending for children and with reference to its general comment No. 19
(2016) on public budgeting for the realization of children’s rights, the Committee
2