30 years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child – looking back at the legacy

On June 1, many countries around the globe celebrated International Children's Day.

The holiday was established back in 1925, when the first ever World Conference for the Wellbeing of Children was conducted in Geneva, Switzerland. However, no specific date was provided; therefore the participating countries mark this day at different times.

UN General Assembly set November 20 to mark the official international Children's Day in 1959. However, many countries, including most post-Soviet states, celebrate the day on June 1.

In Georgia, 2019 was no exception, and the people celebrated children and their rights with various activities taking place all over the country.

This year also marks 30 years from the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) – an international agreement on childhood. With the approval of CRC, the world leaders made a historic commitment to the world's children. According to The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), CRC "has become the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history and has helped transform children's lives around the world."

Despite the advancements, there is still a long way to go, since not every child gets the opportunity to enjoy their childhood. Due to violent conflicts and poverty all over the world, countless childhoods are cut short.

In recent years, the rights of children in Georgia have improved significantly, but there need to be more steps taken to guarantee that every child gets equal protection in Georgia.

The Public Defender of Georgia, Nino Lomjaria, issued a statement on International Children's Day, saying that the steps undertaken by the state toward promoting rights of the child are insufficient. The Ombudsman particularly underlines the protection of children from all forms of violence.

"Unfortunately, the empathy of our society toward different forms of violence against children - psychological, physical, or early marriages - is very low. We fail to consider the whole spectrum of ill-treatment against a child as violence until it crosses red lines and is not noticeably damaging," reads the statement.

According to the Ombudsman, there is a small number of people working with children, and they "lack proper skills to identify and reveal facts of violence in due time."

According to Lomjaria, "the phenomenon of violence must first be overcome in its small and early manifestations. This is the basic principle of preventing violence."

The statement also talks about the child care system, stating it's in a "crisis." The Ombudsman's Office recently published a special report on this topic.

The document reports the outcomes of monitoring of child care system. The results are staggering; they show that in every segment of the child care system, there is a deep-rooted violation of the rights of the children.

According to the report, a portion of children in the foster care system (24.2%) spoke about physical or psychological violence from foster parents. "There were instances identified of ear pulling, putting in the corner, hair pulling, slapping on the head, shouting and locking in the room."

It was also revealed that the caregivers fail to assist beneficiaries in developing a positive outlook on the future. "Self-esteem was low among children, affecting, among other things, their motivation to set future plans and accomplish them," states the report.

Aside from the foster care system, the report also talks about the children in small family-type homes. It was observed that caregivers "do not treat children kindly and cannot create a safe and reliable environment that is oriented on the interests of children."

These are only a few examples of the problems in the system. Furthermore, many children lack access to proper nutrition, healthcare, and education, which puts them in a disadvantaged position compared to their peers.

In the report, the Ombudsman's office gives numerous recommendations to the responsible authorities that ensure the protection of the rights of the children in the system.

The full report is accessible for the public at the Ombudsman's website.

It is important for all children to have prosperous and happy childhoods, yet the current regulations and childcare systems can't guarantee that.

A recent instance of a 16-year old killing her infant child and the reactions of the public to the case show that the society needs to raise awareness on the issues of violence, early marriage and the rights and protections of children.

With ensuring that the children and the general public get the proper education around the issues, while all the responsible parties work together to ensure the appropriate development of children, maybe in the next 30 years, the lives of children in Georgia, and around the world, can ensure their well-being.