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List of issues : Yemen. 05/06/2002.
E/C.12/Q/YEM/1. (List of Issues)
Convention Abbreviation: CESCR
COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS Pre-sessional
working group 21-24 May 2002
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL
AND CULTURAL RIGHTS
List of issues to be taken up in connection with the consideration
of the initial report of YEMEN concerning the rights covered by
articles 1 to 15 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social
and Cultural Rights (E/1990/5/Add.54)
I. GENERAL INFORMATION
1. Article II of the Constitution specifies that
Islam is the religion of the Yemeni State. However, the population
is divided into different Islamic communities such as the Shafeis,
the Zaidis, the Ismaili and the Baharas. What effects do these groupings
have on the peaceful and harmonious development of Yemeni society?
2. According to the report, Arabic is the official
language of Yemen, to be used in communication, education and information.
However, there exist minorities whose languages are Amharic and
Saktarian. Can these languages be used in official communications
with the authorities?
3. Yemen has one of the world's highest rates of
population growth at 3.7 per cent. What is the impact of this population
growth on the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights?
General legal framework within which human rights
are protected
4. Please explain what the Government's policy
is if or when there is a contradiction between Shariah and international
human rights law.
5. What is the status of the International Covenant
on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights vis-à-vis Yemeni legislation?
Can the provisions of the Covenant be invoked before the Yemeni
courts?
6. The report asserts that some 2,000 civil or
non-governmental societies and associations for the defence of human
rights exist in Yemen. Has the Government sought or relied on their
help in the preparation of public policies on economic, social and
cultural rights?
7. Has the Government taken any measures to better
acquaint the civil service, government employees, the judiciary
and the police with the provisions of the Covenant?
II. ISSUES RELATING TO THE GENERAL PROVISIONS
OF THE COVENANT (arts. 1-5)
Article 2 - Non-discrimination
8. In the light of the fact that Yemeni society
has different racial, religious, linguistic and ethnic groups, as
well as many traditional tribal groupings, please explain the measures
and policies taken by the State party to ensure the principle of
non-discrimination and equality as provided for in the Covenant.
9. According to reliable sources, social indicators
show the relative status of Yemeni women to be among the lowest
in the world. What legislation and administrative measures are in
place to improve the status of Yemeni women?
Article 3 - Equal rights of men and women
10. The report acknowledges that any discrimination
or differentiation that exists is a matter of traditional cultural
values which may disappear in time as a result of economic, educational
and cultural development. In this regard, what progress has been
achieved towards full equality between women and men in the enjoyment
of economic, social and cultural rights?
11. Please give examples of new legislation passed
by the State party in order to protect the rights of women and the
status of the family in civil society.
III. ISSUES RELATING TO SPECIFIC PROVISIONS
OF THE COVENANT (arts. 6-15)
Article 6 - Right to work
12. Please indicate what policies and measures
the Government envisages taking to effectively combat unemployment.
Please provide comparative statistics on unemployment over the past
five years.
Article 7 - Right to just and favourable conditions
of work
13. Please provide information about the laws and
regulations (their number, year, articles), if any, guaranteeing
equal pay for equal work for men and women, minimum wages, job security
and health protection of workers, equal chances for promotion for
all, daily and weekly limitation of working hours, and periodic
holiday with pay.
Article 8 - Trade union rights
14. Please provide detailed information in accordance
with the Committee's reporting guidelines in relation to article
8 of the Covenant. Where possible, please ensure that the information
provided is particularly specific.
Article 9 - Right to social security
15. Please provide information on the categories
of workers who do not belong to or benefit from the social security
law.
16. Please provide information on the development
of the Social Protection Fund of 1996 and in particular whether
its financial assistance to the needy is considered to be adequate.
What percentage of the gross national product (GDP) is spent on
social security?
Article 10 - Protection of the family, mothers and children
17. What legal and/or administrative measures are
being employed to protect the family from break-up in cases of polygamy,
arbitrary divorce and the use of violence against women or children?
18. How are children protected against violence
and sexual exploitation?
19. What is the incidence of child labour in Yemen?
20. What groups of women in Yemeni society do not
have access to proper care during pregnancy and childbirth?
Article 11 - Right to an adequate standard of living
21. Please provide information on the percentage
of the population living below the poverty line and also indicate
how the poverty line is defined.
22. Please indicate whether the State party has
a national strategy plan to combat poverty.
Right to adequate housing
23. Please provide statistical information on the
housing situation in Yemen and indicate any concrete measures adopted
to alleviate the housing shortage that exists in the country.
24. Please provide information with regard to homelessness
and housing that lacks access to water and sanitation facilities.
Please also include information on the number of people living in
unsafe housing or other conditions which affect their health.
Right to adequate food
25. Please indicate to what extent hunger and malnutrition
exist in Yemen. What is the situation of the more vulnerable and
disadvantaged groups, such as poor people, women and children, older
persons and persons with disabilities?
Article 12 - Right to physical and mental health
26. Please provide information on the measures
undertaken to address the high rate of maternal mortality, which
is attributed to, inter alia, teenage pregnancies, insufficient
time between births, an inefficient referral system and the lack
of emergency obstetric services and transport.
27. Please describe the international assistance
received by the State party and the use to which it was put.
28. Please provide information on the negative
effects of khat on the health of the population and its impact on
food production, considering that khat is planted rather than crops.
29. Please indicate what measures have been taken
to combat sexually transmitted diseases and to increase awareness,
especially among the young, of their dangers. How widespread is
the problem of HIV/AIDS in the country?
Article 13 - Right to education
30. Please provide information on progress achieved
in raising the school attendance rate for children between 6 and
15 years of age from 56 per cent in 1994 to 90 per cent in 2006,
and in reducing the illiteracy rate among girls from 76 per cent
in 1994 to less than 40 per cent in 2006 and for boys from 36.7
per cent in 1994 to 20 per cent in 2006.
31. Please describe the conditions of teaching
staff at all levels. How are teachers' salaries compared to other
civil servants?
32. What qualifications are required for teachers
in the different levels of formal education?
33. To what extent is human rights education integrated
into the school curricula?
34. What efforts has the State party made to establish
a system of basic education and functional literacy programmes for
those persons who have not received any form of education?
35. Please provide statistical information on the
extent of school dropouts, disaggregated by sex, age and areas of
residence (rural and urban), as provided in article 14 of the Covenant.
Article 14 - Right to free and compulsory education
36. Please provide information on the measures
that have been adopted by the State party in order to achieve compulsory
education free of charge for all.
Article 15 - The right to take part in cultural
life and enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and the protection
of intellectual property
37. What measures are being taken by the authorities
to promote and protect the culture of Yemen's minorities?
38. Please provide information on the number of
cultural institutions, libraries, radio and television stations,
movie companies, as well as newspapers and other periodical publications.
©1996-2001
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Geneva, Switzerland
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