The Committee welcomes the submission of the combined second and third periodic reports of the State party, which allowed for a better understanding of the situation of children’s rights in the State party. The Committee expresses appreciation for the constructive dialogue held with the high-level delegation of the State party.
The Committee is concerned that there is little support for children who abuse substances and that they face excessively repressive and harsh punitive measures (para. 47).
In paragraph 48, the Committee recommends that the State party increase access to programmes which focus on prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and social reintegration for children who abuse drugs. They also recommend that they consider alternatives to punitive and repressive drug control policies in relation to young people.
Citation: UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, 'Concluding Observations on the Combined Second and Third Reports on Saint Vincent and the Grenadines' (2017), CRC/C/VCT/CO/2-3