E/C.12/CRI/CO/5 Situation of children and adolescents 37. While the Committee appreciates the efforts made by the State party in terms of protecting children and adolescents from economic exploitation and all forms of violence, it is concerned by information received about child labour and the fact that many children are the victims of physical and psychological violence, including within the family (art. 10). 38. The Committee urges the State party to continue adopting effective measures to combat child labour by, inter alia, ensuring that the law protecting children against economic exploitation is vigorously enforced, strengthening child labour oversight mechanisms and increasing support for poor families so that they can keep their children in the education system. The Committee urges the State party to take the necessary measures to prevent and penalize all forms of violence against children. Poverty and inequality 39. The Committee is concerned that the measures taken to combat poverty have not been sufficiently effective in reducing the levels of poverty and extreme poverty in recent years or in tackling the rising levels of inequality that affect the most disadvantaged and marginalized groups (art. 11). 40. The Committee recommends that the State party: (a) Ensure that the National Poverty Reduction Strategy contains specific targets, is implemented using a human rights-based approach, is allocated sufficient resources for its implementation and pays due attention to existing disparities and gaps between different social groups; (b) Take effective steps to substantially reduce the inequality gap, taking into account the needs of the most disadvantaged and marginalized social sectors in both rural and urban areas and of indigenous peoples and persons of African descent in particular. 41. The Committee refers the State party to its statement on poverty and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (2001) (E/C.12/2001/10). Asylum seekers and refugees 42. While the Committee welcomes the progress made by the State party with regard to the procedure for recognizing refugee status, it is concerned that excessive delays continue to occur in the processing of asylum applications and issuance of relevant documentation. It is also concerned that the high cost of renewing migration-related documentation and the fact that the issuance of identity documents is contingent on the obligation to become affiliated to and contribute to the Costa Rican Social Security Fund are an obstacle for refugees to gain effective access to their economic, social and cultural rights, in particular the right to an adequate standard of living (arts. 2 and 11). 43. The Committee recommends that the State party take the necessary measures to comply with the time limits prescribed in the procedure for recognizing refugee status and to ensure the timely issuance and renewal of documentation for persons who have been granted refugee status, including by doing away with or reducing fees for the renewal of documents and for other administrative procedures. The Committee urges the State party to take specific measures to promote the integration of persons who have been granted refugee status in order to ensure that they have equal access to employment, education, housing and health care. GE.16-18309 7