Georgia marked International Day of Children with various challenges in children protection
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Tuesday, June 2
The Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili, hosted the children whose treatment was financed by the Solidarity Fund on the International Day of Children marked on June 1.
Gharibashvili stressed that each citizen of Georgia is obliged to care about the future of children.
Gharibashvili stressed that more than 3 million GEL were accumulated in the fund and 112 children were saved from various, mortal diseases.
Special events attended by the PM, his wife and children were organized for the children.
Meanwhile, UNICEF and Public Defender of Georgia Ucha Nanuashvili stress that children’s rights and welfare still face multiple challenges in Georgia.
Psychological and social support for vulnerable children and families, strengthening social protection system, ensuring accessible health and educational services, day care centres – these are some of the services that are important to strengthen families, UNICEF states.
“Today is the Child Protection Day in Georgia and we would like to highlight the key role families are playing in relation to their children and to the entire society,” says Sascha Graumann, UNICEF Representative in Georgia.
“Strong families mean they take adequate care of their children, use positive, non-violent methods of upbringing and that children have all the possibilities to realize their potential. Strong families also mean prevention of child abandonment. The State should ensure there are robust family support services in the country as supporting families will ensure that children have a better quality of life in childhood and are successful citizens as adults,” Graumann added.
UNICEF states that thanks to the Child Care System reform that has been conducted by the Government of Georgia, in partnership with UNICEF, USAID, other NGOs and various international organizations, thousands of children were moved out of large institutions back to family environment.
However, according to the organization, there are still 85 children in the Tbilisi Infants’ Home and the Kojori Institution for Children with Disabilities.
“It should be noted that there are some large institutions uncontrolled by the state, with no accurate information available regarding the number of children or conditions there,” UNICEF states.
The Public Defender stresses that the work carried out by his office has revealed that the international and national standards of protection of children’s’ rights are being carried out improperly in Georgia.
“There is an alarmingly high rate of infant mortality and teenage suicide, we are still facing the problem of protecting the rights of children living in extreme poverty, the right of access to health care for children living in regions, provision of the needs of the children living in mountainous areas, including disabled minors,” Nanuashvili statement reads.
He called on the state agencies, which are responsible for protection of the child's rights and freedoms, to strictly meet their obligations taken under international and national legal instruments and to pay attention to ensure “the best interests of the minors”.
