ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS COMMITTEE COMPLETES CONSIDERATION OF COUNTRY REPORTS AFTER TAKING UP ALGERIA
Press Release
HR/4258
ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS COMMITTEE COMPLETES CONSIDERATION OF COUNTRY REPORTS AFTER TAKING UP ALGERIA
19951207 GENEVA, 1 December (UN Information Service) -- The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, after ending its review today of Algeria's report on its implementation of the Covenant on those rights, concluded its consideration of country reports. Discussion of the Algerian report centered on such issues as violence against women, juvenile delinquency, abandoned children, as well as adequate living standards and the right to housing.During the discussion, the Algerian delegation, headed by Hocine Meghlaoui, Permanent Representative of Algeria to the United Nations at Geneva, told the Committee that a new kind of violence against women, attributed to armed bands, had emerged in Algeria. When asked why sociological factors hindered the measurement of the extent of violence against women, the Algerian representative said persons against whom the violence had been perpetrated often refused to come forward to complain about it because of social constraints. There were no official statistics on the scale of violence against women within the family. But violence of that kind did undoubtedly exist. In that context, the principal source of protection for women consisted of their right to request divorce, following one of the three procedures set forth by law, namely, mutual consent of the spouses, return of the dowry or a court decision.
The new kind of violence against women which had emerged might be described as "social" or "terrorist". Women were being ordered to adopt a particular pattern of behaviour or to give up their work or studies. Since 1992, 191 women had been murdered and 218 injured, and several thousand others had been subjected to physical violence of all kinds by organized armed bands.
On Algerian laws, the delegation underlined that the legislative system was similar to that of France, and was in fact the only such legislature in the Maghreb region.
On delinquency in Algeria, the delegation told the experts that juvenile delinquency did exist, but that there was no large-scale juvenile banditry. Such acts involved mainly young persons over the age of 18. Consumption of cannabis was also widespread among the youth. The cannabis consumed in Algeria was normally imported from a neighbouring country, the delegation said. Nevertheless, a national committee had been established to combat drug
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abuse, and a programme of education in schools was also arranged to prevent drug abuse by schoolchildren.
Concerning children born out of wedlock, the delegation said that they did not have the same status as children born within a valid marriage if one of the parents did not recognize the child. Children deprived of families were cared for either in an institutional framework or by being placed in families under fostering or adoption arrangements. The homes for assisted children were designed to receive, accommodate and educate them. Abandoned children were considered those whose parents were not known and those taken away from incapacitated parents.
Regarding food, the delegation noted that there were no reliable data on the food situation of the most vulnerable social groups. However, the State had established a system of direct support for them with financial benefits paid out of the State budget. That system included social assistance for the handicapped, orphans and aged persons suffering from incurable disease and without means of support. It also included direct support for disadvantaged groups to reduce the risk of exclusion or marginalization of vulnerable groups and to constitute a coherent system of social integration.
With regard to individual standards of living, the delegation said the middle class constituted the overall majority in Algeria; hence the population's standard of living was in the median range. In 1990, their per capita income was slightly over $2,000; but had fallen sharply in 1991 to about $1,400, largely because of the depreciation of the Algerian dinar. Basic products and staple foods, such as milk, sugar, flour and oil were subsidized by the State. In addition, the State imported 40 billion dinars' worth of food products annually to supplement national production.
On housing, the delegation stated that it had not been possible to implement the right to housing as extensively as the State would have wished, despite efforts made to that end. The housing shortage had persisted mainly because of the lack of resources, the deterioration of the financial situation and population growth. However, the State continued to finance housing for low-income families. As to eviction, the Algerian representatives said the Government paid an appropriate amount calculated at market price to the person whose house was expropriated for public interest.
With respect to HIV/AIDS, the delegation said measures had been undertaken for all blood donors to detect the infection. In addition, information concerning modes of transmission and preventive measures had been disseminated to the general public.
The Algerian representatives said the rate of illiteracy among the adult population was 17 per cent. The State provided free schooling for all young persons up to age 16. There were actually 3,223,397 girls and 4,109,000 boys in elementary and secondary schools. Since the beginning of the 1995-1996 school year, teaching of the Amazigh (Berber) language had been introduced in the ninth year and in the third year of secondary education.
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