Reaffirming also the fact that all migrant children, including adolescents, are entitled to equal protection by the law and that all persons, regardless of their migration status, are equal before the courts and tribunals and, in the determination of their rights and obligations in a suit at law, are entitled to a fair and public hearing by a competent, independent and impartial tribunal established by law,

18. Reiterate with profound concern that Africa, in particular sub -Saharan Africa, remains the worst-affected region and that urgent and exceptional action is required at all levels to curb the devastating effects of this epidemic, particularly on women and adolescent girls, and recognize the renewed commitment of African Governments and regional institutions to scale up their own HIV and AIDS responses;

3. Expresses its deep concern at the continued plight of unaccompanied refugee minors, and emphasizes once again the urgent need for their early identification and for timely, detailed and accurate information on their number and whereabouts;

6. Urges States parties to comply strictly with their obligations under the Convention, including their obligation to submit reports in accordance with article 19 of the Convention, in view of the high number of reports not submitted, and invites States parties to incorporate a gender perspective and information concerning children and juveniles when submitting reports to the Committee;

Recognizing that undocumented and unaccompanied migrant children, including adolescents, should be promptly placed in the least restrictive setting, for the shortest possible period of time, that is in the best interest of the child and respects their human rights,

62 (j). Commit to eliminating barriers, including stigma and discrimination in health-care settings, to ensure universal access to comprehensive HIV diagnostic s, prevention, treatment, care and support for people living with, at risk of a nd affected by HIV, persons deprived of their liberty, indigenous people, children, adolescents, young people, women, and other vulnerable populations;

Recognizing that early childhood is a critical stage for cognitive, emotional and behavioural development and that the parent-child relationship is a significant factor in predicting bullying behaviour in adolescents, as well as the existing evidence of a link between domestic violence and bullying in schools,

33. Urges all States parties to the Convention that have not yet done so to make the declarations provided for in articles 21 and 22 of the Convention concerning inter-State and individual communications, to consider the possibility of withdrawing their reservations to article 20, to notify the Secretary-General of their acceptance of the amendments to articles 17 and 18, with a view to enhancing the effectiveness of the Committee against Torture as soon as possible, and to comply strictly with their obligations under the Convention, including, in view of the high number of reports not submitted in time, their obligation to submi t reports in accordance with article 19 of the Convention, and invites States parties to incorporate a gender perspective and information concerning persons who are marginalized and most vulnerable, including children and juveniles and persons with disabilities, when submitting reports to the Committee;

7. Also expresses its grave concern that, in some countries, the socioeconomic conditions of family members, particularly women and children, are adversely affected by unilateral coercive measures, imposed and maintained contrary to international law and the Charter, that create obstacles to trade relations among States, restrict movement through various means of transport, impede the full realization of social and economic development and hinder the well-being of the population in the affected countries, with particular consequences for women, children, including adolescents, the elderly and persons with disabilities;

Aware of the decision of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, in its resolution 3/2 of 6 May 1994, 9/ to consider the international traffic in minors at its fourth session in the context of its discussion on the question of organized transnational crime,

(c) To further revisit the revised Islamic Penal Code to make it consistent with its obligation, under article 37 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to abolish executions of minors and persons who at the time of their offence were under the age of 18;

(b) To support adolescents to be able to deal positively and responsibly with their sexuality in order to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS infection and to implement measures to increase their capacity to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS, through, inter alia, the provision of health care, including for sexual and reproductive health, and through prevention education that promotes gender equality;

(a) To ensure that the right to the highest attainable standard of sexual and reproductive health is fully realized by giving full attention to the sexual and reproductive health needs of children and adolescents, consistent with their evolving capacities, through providing information, education and services, in accordance with the Beijing Platform for Action and the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, 3 and the outcomes of their review conferences, on an equitable and universal basis, with their full involvement and the support of the international community, with full respect for their privacy and confidentiality, free of discrimination, and to provide them with youth-friendly and evidence-based comprehensive education, consistent with their evolving capacities, on sexual and reproductive health, human rights and gender equality to enable them to deal in a positive and responsible way with their sexuality;

Recognizing further that adolescent girls, in particular those who live in poverty or who are marginalized, are at particular risk of maternal death and morbidity, including obstetric fistula, and concerned that the leading cause of death among girls aged 15 to 19 in many low- and middle-income countries is complications from pregnancy and childbirth and that women aged 30 and older are at increased risk of developing complications and of dying during childbirth,

7. Also expresses its grave concern that, in some countries, the socioeconomic conditions of family members, particularly women and children, are adversely affected by unilateral coercive measures, imposed and maintained contrary to international law and the Charter, that create obstacles to trade relations among States, restrict movement through various means of transport, impede the full realization of social and economic development and hinder the well-being of the population in the affected countries, with particular consequences for women, children, including adolescents, the elderly and persons with disabilities;

14. Expresses grave concern at the disproportionate and differentiated impact of the crisis in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on the human rights of women and girls, the lack of comprehensive health-care services and the insufficient provision of underlying determinants of health, including water and adequate nutrition, the deterioration of immunization and preventative health programmes, and accounts of increased rates in maternal mortality, adolescent pregnancy, malnutrition and preventable diseases;

Expressing grave concern that, in some countries, the situation of children is adversely affected by unilateral coercive measures not in accordance with international law and the Charter that create obstacles to trade relations among States, impede the full realization of social and economic development and hinder the well-being of the population in the affected countries, with particular consequences for women, children, including adolescents, the elderly and persons with disabilities,

13. Calls upon States to address as a priority the vulnerabilities faced by children and adolescents affected by and living with HIV, providing those children and their families with support and rehabilitation, including social and psychological rehabilitation and care, including pediatric services and medicines, and intensifying efforts to develop early diagnosis tools, child-friendly medicine combinations and new treatments for children, particularly for infants living in resource-limited settings, and building, where needed, and supporting social security systems that protect them;

Expressing grave concern further at the reported use of forced labour, including of conscripts and minors in the mining industry,

Underlining that, although the crime of smuggling of migrants may share, in some cases, some common features with the crime of trafficking in persons, Member States need to recognize that they are distinct crimes and that they require separate and complementary legal, operational and policy responses, and recalling further its resolutions 68/179 of 18 December 2013 and 69/167 and 69/187 of 18 December 2014, in which it called upon all Member States to protect and assist migrants, including migrant children and adolescents, and Economic and Social Council resolutions 2014/23 of 16 July 2014 and 2015/23 of 21 July 2015,

(b) The continuing imposition and carrying-out of the death penalty against minors and persons who at the time of their offence were under the age of 18, in violation of the obligations of the Islamic Republic of Iran under the Convention on the Rights of the Child 6 and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; 2

61 (c). Pledge to eliminate gender inequalities and gender-based abuse and violence, increase the capacity of women and adolescent girls to protect themselves from the risk of HIV infection, principally through the provision of health care and services, including, inter alia, sexual and reproductive health, as well as full access to comprehensive information and education, ensure that women can exercise their right to have control over, and decide freely and responsibly on, matters related to their sexuality, including their sexual and reproductive health, free of coercion, discrimination and violence, in order to increase their ability to protect themselves from HIV infection, and take all necessary measures to create an enabling environment for the empowerment of women and to strengthen their economic independence, and, in this context, reiterate the importance of the role of men and boys in achieving gender equality;

7. Expresses grave concern that, in some countries, the situation of children is adversely affected by unilateral coercive measures not in accordance with international law and the Charter that create obstacles to trade relations among States, impede the full realization of social and economic development and hinder the well-being of the population in the affected countries, with particular consequences for women, children, including adolescents, the elderly and persons with disabilities;

Reaffirming that the general principles of, inter alia, the best interests of the child, non-discrimination, participation and survival and development provide the framework for all actions concerning children, including adolescents,

1. Urges all States to eliminate preventable maternal mortality and to respect, protect and fulfil sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, in accordance with the Beijing Platform for Action and the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and their review conference and outcome documents, and the right to have full control over and decide freely and responsibly on all matters relating to sexuality and sexual and reproductive health, free from discrimination, coercion and violence, including through the removal of legal barriers and the development and enforcement of policies, good practices and legal frameworks that respect bodily autonomy and guarantee universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, evidence-based information and education within a human rights-based approach, including for family planning, safe and effective methods of modern contraception, emergency contraception, universal access to health care, including quality maternal health care, such as skilled birth attendance and emergency obstetric care, safe abortion in accordance with international human rights law and where not against national law, the prevention and treatment of reproductive tract infections, sexually transmitted infections, HIV and reproductive cancers, and the integration of sexual and reproductive health into national health strategies and programmes for all women and girls, including adolescents;

Concerned by the increase in the abuse of illicit drugs among children, including adolescents, and young people,

12. Urges Governments to respect and protect the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health through the development and enforcement of policies and legal frameworks and the strengthening of health systems, including health information systems, that make universally accessible and available quality, gender-responsive, adolescent-friendly health services, sexual and reproductive health-care services, information and commodities, HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment and care, mental health services and nutrition interventions;

59. Also encourages Member States, in cooperation with relevant United Nations humanitarian organizations, to ensure that women and girls have access to basic health-care services, including reliable and safe access to sexual and reproductive health-care services and mental health and psychosocial support, from the onset of emergencies, in this regard recognizes that such assistance protects women, adolescent girls and infants from preventable mortality and morbidity that occur in humanitarian emergencies, and calls upon Member States, the United Nations and other relevant actors to give such programmes due consideration;

(d) To promote an educational setting that eliminates all barriers that impede the schooling of pregnant adolescents and adolescent mothers;

16. Subsections A and B both provide additional rules for the treatment of juvenile female prisoners. It is important to note, however, that separate strategies and policies in accordance with international standards, in particular the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (the Beijing Rules), 22 the United Nations Guidelines for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency (the Riyadh Guidelines), 23 the United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of Their Liberty 24 and the Guidelines for Action on Children in the Criminal Justice System, 25 need to be designed for the treatment and rehabilitation of this category of prisoners, while institutionalization shall be avoided to the maximum possible extent.