The Isle of Man government, an enthusiastic participant in Commonwealth affairs, is gearing up to host the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games. This week the seven sports for the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games were announced at an official launch in Douglas, Isle of Man
The event will be a celebration of the Commonwealths commitment to young people. But how do individual Commonwealth countries treat their young people?
It is clear that the reality of life for young people in many Commonwealth countries will not match some of the rhetoric which will attend events such as the Youth Games.
It would also be interesting to learn how much money will be expended by Members of Governments and Officials in preparation, attendance and other involvement in the Games - money that in many instances could be better expended supporting social programmes in their home countries.
The Celtic League have carried out extensive research and produced this major report. It complements the earlier two part report we produced on 'Human Rights in the Commonwealth'. Once again and we have used as a benchmark the US State Department 2006 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. We trust that most people will accept the veracity of this document.
We have set out a short indicator(s) from each Commonwealth Country report together with the link to the specific web page for that country.
It is vitally important to read the introduction quote we have used in conjunction with the full section in each countries report under 'children'. Often a countries aspirations can seem positive but this is not matched by the reality. In many countries where there is an avowed commitment to children's rights abuse or child labour are recorded as problems.
Commonwealth Countries - Children - 2006 US State Department Human Rights Reports on Human Rights Practices.
(Full report at (voir le site)
(Please note the introductory quotes should be read in context with the full section on Children in each Country Report - this can be accessed on the URL below the quote)
Antigua and Barbuda
While the government repeatedly expressed its commitment to children's rights, its efforts to protect those rights in practice were limited. (voir le site)
Australia
The government demonstrated its strong commitment to children's rights and welfare through its publicly funded educational and medical care systems. (voir le site)
Bahamas
The government claimed child welfare and education were priorities but did not allocate sufficient funding to maintain and improve standards. (voir le site)
Bangladesh
The government was generally responsive to children's rights and welfare. Many of these efforts were supplemented by local and foreign NGOs, and these joint efforts allowed the country to make significant progress in improving health, nutrition, and education; however, slightly more than half of all children were chronically malnourished. (voir le site)
Barbados
The government was committed to children's human rights and welfare, although violence and abuse against children remained serious problems. (voir le site)
Belize
The government was committed to children's rights and welfare....Child labor was a problem (see section 6.d.). (voir le site)
Botswana
The law provides for the rights and welfare of children, and the government continued to allocate the largest portion of its budget to the Ministry of Education and the second largest portion to the Ministry of Local Government, which distributed books, food, and materials for primary education. The country also has a court system and social service apparatus designed solely for juveniles....There were reports of child labor (see section 6.d.). (voir le site)
Brunei
No statistics were published regarding the welfare of children. The strong commitment to family values within society, the high standard of living, and government funding for children's welfare provided most children a healthy and nurturing environment. (voir le site)
Cameroon
During the year the government made some efforts to protect children's rights and welfare, including participation in seminars on children's rights. (voir le site)
Canada
The government demonstrated its commitment to children's rights and welfare through well-funded systems of public education and medical care. (voir le site)
Cyprus
The government was strongly committed to children's rights and welfare. (voir le site)
Dominica
The government was committed to children's rights and welfare....Lack of staff and resources continued to hamper enforcement of children's rights laws.... (voir le site)
Gambia
The government was committed to children's welfare.....On July 23, a government shelter for children, including victims of trafficking, began operating in the Greater Banjul Area. The Department of Social Welfare indicated they were able to admit only around 100 children to the shelter at a time, and that several children had to be turned away due to funding constraints....Child labor was a problem (see section 6.d.). (voir le site)
Ghana
Within the limits of its resources, the government was committed to protecting the rights and welfare of children, although its efforts were constrained by its limited financial and logistical resources. (voir le site)
Grenada
The government was committed to children's rights and welfare. (voir le site)
Guyana
The government generally was committed to children's rights and welfare. The constitution provides for a commission on the rights of the child, but implementing legislation had not been passed. (voir le site)
India
The constitution provides for free, compulsory education for children between the ages of six and 14 years of age. However, the government did not enforce this provision. In practice, children in poor and rural areas often did not attend school....Child labor was a problem (see section 6.d.). (voir le site)
Jamaica
The government was committed to improving children's welfare. The Ministry of Education, Youth, and Culture is responsible for implementation of the government's programs for children. In January the government established an Office of the Children's Advocate, mandated under the 2004 Child Care and Protection Act. The position has broad responsibilities for reviewing laws, policies, practices, and government services affecting children; providing legal services and investigating complaints against government; and publishing reports and issuing best practice guidelines regarding any matter concerning the rights or best interests of children.
At year's end, however, staffing shortages and lack of infrastructure limited the office's ability to address all the reports and calls it received. (voir le site)
Kenya
The government was generally committed to the rights and welfare of children, and there was legislation and developed policies to promote education and protect children's rights; however, the government did not implement its policies fully. (voir le site)
Kirbati
Within its limited financial resources, the government made adequate expenditures for child welfare. Primary education is compulsory, free, and universal for children between the ages of six and 14 years. In practice the government did not enforce primary school attendance. (voir le site)
Lesotho
The Child Protection Act (CPA) and the Sexual Offenses Act provide for the protection of children; however, limited resources hampered the government's ability to fully enforce these laws. (voir le site)
Malawi
The constitution protects children from any treatment that is harmful to their physical or mental development or may interfere with their education, and the government continued a high level of spending on children's health and welfare. (voir le site)
Malaysia
The government has demonstrated a commitment to children's rights and welfare and allocated approximately 25 percent of the national budget to education. The government provides free education for children through age 15. Although primary education is compulsory, there is no enforcement mechanism governing school attendance. Attendance at primary school was 96 percent, while secondary school attendance was 82 percent. There was no difference in the treatment of girls and boys at the primary and secondary levels. A variety of programs provided low cost health care for most children. (voir le site)
Maldives
Education is not compulsory, but there is universal access to free primary education. In 2004 the percentage of school-age children in school grades one to seven was 79 percent; in grades eight to 10 it was 62 percent; and in grades 11-12 it was 16 percent. Of the students enrolled, 49 percent were female and 51 percent male. In many instances, parents curtailed education for girls after the seventh grade by not allowing them to leave their home island for another island with a secondary school. (voir le site)
Malta
The government was strongly committed to children's rights and welfare. (voir le site)
Mauritius
The government placed strong emphasis on the health and welfare of children and displayed a commitment to expand educational opportunities for children. The ombudsman for children's issues ensured that the rights, needs, and interests of children were given full consideration by government, private authorities, individuals, and associations.
The Child Development Unit of the Ministry of Women's Rights was established in 1995 to enforce the Child Protection Act and implement policies and programs with regard to the welfare and development of children.
The National Children's Council served as a platform where government institutions and NGOs can work together. (voir le site)
Mozambique
The government's focus on children's rights and welfare increased during the year, but significant problems remained. (voir le site)
Namibia
The law enumerates children's rights, including those in the area of education and health, and the government dedicated approximately 21 percent of its budget for education and 9 percent for health care. However, resource constraints and untrained support staff resulted in inadequate attention to child welfare. (voir le site)
Naura
Government resources for education and health care for children were severely constrained by the country's economic crisis. Education is compulsory until age 16, but in practice not all school-age children attended school. The Asian Development Bank reported that in 2003, 83 percent of girls and 84 percent of boys of primary school age attended school. At the secondary school level, only 50 percent of eligible girls and 46 percent of boys attended school (voir le site)
New Zealand
The law provides specific safeguards for children's rights and protection. The government demonstrated its commitment to children's rights and welfare through its well-funded systems of public education and medical care. The government provides 14 weeks of government-funded, paid parental leave to care for children born after December 2005 or adopted children under the age of six. The government extended the paid leave benefit to self-employed parents beginning July 1. The Office of the Commissioner for Children played a key role in monitoring violence and abuse against children. (voir le site)
Nigeria
The government seldom enforced even the inadequate laws designed to protect the rights of children. Public schools continued to be substandard, and limited facilities precluded access to education for many children.
The law calls for the government, "when practical," to provide free, compulsory, and universal primary education; however, compulsory primary education rarely was provided. (voir le site)
Papua New Guinea
Independent observers generally agreed that the government did not dedicate significant resources to protecting the rights and welfare of children. (voir le site)
St Kitts and Nevis
The government was committed to children's rights and welfare. Education is compulsory, free, and universal, up to the age of 16. More than 98 percent of children completed secondary school. (voir le site)
Saint Lucia
The government gave high priority to improving educational opportunities and health care for children. (voir le site)
St Vincent and the Grenadines
The government was committed to children's rights and welfare. Primary and secondary education was compulsory, free, and universal through age 17, and the Ministry of Education estimated attendance rates of 98 percent for primary school-age children and 99 percent for secondary school-age children. However, of the secondary school-age children, 79 percent were in secondary school while 21 percent were still in primary school. (voir le site)
Samoa
The government made a strong commitment to the welfare of children through the implementation of various youth programs by the Ministry of Women, Community, and Social Development in collaboration with the ministries of Education and Health. Education is compulsory through age 14; however, the government did not enforce this law. Public education was not free, and students were required to pay some school fees.
Boys and girls were treated equally and attended school in approximately equal percentages. Most children attended school through junior high school. (voir le site)
Seychelles
The division of social affairs in the Ministry of Social Affairs and Manpower Development worked to protect children's rights, and in practice they were fairly effective. (voir le site)
Sierra Leone
The government was committed to improving children's education and welfare; however, it lacked the means to provide them with basic education and health services....Child labor, including forced child labor, occurred. According to the International Trade Union Confederation, an estimated 72 percent of children between the ages of five and 14 were engaged in some form of child labor (see section 6.d.)....The number and plight of street children were problems. (voir le site)
Singapore
The government demonstrated a strong commitment to children's rights and welfare through well-funded systems of public education and medical care, and access was equal for all children. Six years of public (or government-recognized private) education is compulsory for all children.
Virtually 100 percent of children were enrolled through grade 6, and the dropout rate for secondary school was low. (voir le site)
Solommon Islands
Within the limits of its resources, the government was committed to the welfare and protection of children. During the year major foreign assistance continued to bolster the educational system. Approximately 50 classrooms were added to existing primary schools, and 30 classrooms were added to existing high schools. (voir le site)
South Africa
The government was generally committed to children's welfare. The law provides for greater educational opportunities for disadvantaged children traditionally black children through a uniform system for the organization, governance, and funding of schools. It mandates compulsory education from ages seven to 15 and ensures that children cannot be refused admission to public schools due to a lack of funds. (voir le site)
Sri Lanka
The law requires children between the ages of five and 14 to attend school, and the government demonstrated its commitment to children through extensive systems of public education and medical care. Approximately 85 percent of children under the age of 16 attended school. Education was free through the university level. Health care, including immunization, was also free. (voir le site)
Swaziland
The government made efforts to protect children's rights and welfare, and these rights are provided for in the new constitution. However, the growing number of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC)--an estimated 120,000 according to the UN Children's Fund--challenged that commitment. (voir le site)
Tanzania
The law provides for seven years of compulsory education, through the age of 15. Primary education was compulsory, free, and universal on both the mainland and Zanzibar; however, there were inadequate numbers of schools, teachers, books, and other educational materials to meet the demand...Corporal punishment in schools was a problem...Child labor was a problem (see section 6.d.). (voir le site)
Tonga The government was committed to children's rights and welfare, and it provided some funding for children's welfare. Education is compulsory from ages six to 14. Education was available for all children through high school, and almost all children attended school. Education was free at the primary level, but students were required to pay school fees at the secondary level. (voir le site)
Trinidad and Tobago
A lack of funds and expanding social needs challenged the government's ability to carry out its commitment to protect the rights and welfare of children. (voir le site)
Tuvula
Government funding for children's welfare was reasonable within the context of its total available resources. Education was free, compulsory, and universal for children through age 13. (voir le site)
Uganda
The government demonstrated a commitment to improving children's welfare and education received the largest percentage of the national budget.
However, the government did not enforce effectively the Children's Statute, which outlines broad protections for children, due to the large proportion of children in the population (56 percent of the population was under the age of 18), staffing and fiscal constraints on the judiciary, and cultural norms. (voir le site)
United Kingdom
The government was strongly committed to children's rights and welfare.
The government provided free, universal, and compulsory education until age 16 and further free education until age 18. The most recent UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization statistics from 2004 recorded 100 percent enrollment of children of primary school age and over 90 percent for those of secondary school age.
The government amply funded medical care for children.
Child abuse remained a problem. Several NGOs and charities, the most prominent of which was the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, campaigned against child abuse and neglect. According to the organization, 6 percent of children experience frequent and severe emotional maltreatment during childhood, 18 percent of children experience some absence of care, (voir le site)
Vanuata
Access to education was limited, and school attendance was not compulsory....Child abuse was not believed to be extensive; however, the government did little to combat the problem. (voir le site)
Zambia
Although the government sought to improve the welfare of children through the Ministries of Labor and Social Security, Sport Youth and Child Development, as well as Education, scarce resources and ineffective implementation of social programs continued to adversely affect children. (voir le site)
END
(Note the US State Department Report does not include statistics for non independent dependencies such as the Channel Isles and Isle of Man which are also part of the Commonwealth)
J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League
02/02/08
■