Brasília, 11 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The president of the National Council for Child and Adolescent Rights (Conanda), Cláudio Vieira, praised rules established in the Child and Adolescent Statute saying they improve assistance for minors in Brazil. However, Vieira said that if the system is to be more efficacious and efficient it will have to be even more decentralized. "Decentralization is the path to progress in our assistance for adolescents. Without centralization the situation will be worse," he said.

The Brazilian Child and Adolescent Statute will be 12 years old on Saturday, July 13. Vieira described it as "legislation which deals with the problem of minors through the use of socio- educational measures." (AB)