eng - World Organisation Against Torture

78. The Committee also recommends thatthe State party pay particular attention to theimplementation of guidelines forPhilippine Armed Forces on the treatment ofchildren in armed conflict and ensure thatchildren who are arrested are released frommilitary custody within the prescribed timelimits and that children are provided with adequatemedical treatment and informedabout their rights. As regards displaced childrenand children living in conflict areas, theCommittee urges the State party to take effectivemeasures to secure their access to basicservices, including adequate social andhealth services and education and development.Finally, the Committee recommendsthat the State party ensure that all childrenliving in areas affected by armed hostilitiesenjoy their human rights on equal footingwithout any discrimination.Economic exploitation79. The Committee welcomes the ratificationof the Minimum Age Convention, 1973(No. 138) in June 1998 and the WorstForms of Child Labour Convention, 1999(No. 182) in November 2000. TheCommittee notes with appreciation theState party’s efforts to combat childlabour, for example through implementingthe National Programme againstChild Labour, the Omnibus Rules implementingthe Labour Code, the establishmentof local-level ProgrammeImplementation Committees on ChildLabour and the fruitful cooperation withthe International Labour Organizationand its International Programme on theElimination of Child Labour. Despitethese positive efforts, the Committee isdeeply concerned at the high number ofchild workers (3.7 million working children)in the State party. TheCommittee is concerned about culturalattitudes and practices as regards childlabour and the weak enforcement oflabour laws.80. The Committee recommends to the Stateparty that it:(a) Effectively implement its domesticlabour laws and the NationalProgramme against Child Labour as wellas its subprogrammes, for example theElimination of Child Labour in theTobacco Industry Project and ensure thatchild workers participate in discussionsabout the solution to this problem;85