Initial reports of Georgia on implementing additional protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child discussed in Geneva
By Inga Kakulia
Thursday, September 19
Georgian Delegation presented the report on the implementation of the additional protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the reforms initiated by the Georgian Government.
The Georgian delegation was led by Deputy Foreign Minister Khatuna Totladze, who is also co-chair of the Inter-Agency Commission for the Implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The delegation consisted of high-level representatives from the relevant agencies.
Above mentioned reports were prepared in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the participation of relevant agencies and submitted to the Committee on the Children’s Rights in 2017.
During her speech, the Deputy Minister Totladze highlighted the importance of protecting the rights of children living in the occupied territories of Georgia and talked about the difficult situation regarding this matter in those regions. The Deputy Minister then talked about all the efforts of the Georgian Government directed towards fixing this problem and stressed that even though the efforts are there, the challenges persist and the Committee's current deliberations and received recommendations are intended to better the implementation of the country's commitments under the Protocols.
The reports were discussed in the format of a dialogue in front of the Committee. According to the questions asked, the members of the delegation provided the Committee with detailed information on topics such as child trafficking, sexual exploitation and pornography, measures to protect the rights of children living and working on the streets, child protection referral mechanisms, Children’s rights New Code, Issues Related to the Prevention of Child Participation in Armed Conflict, the System of Military Recruitment, Protocol Awareness Measures and more.
The committee members positively assessed the implemented legislative reforms. In addition, issues that require additional efforts were also identified.
In her concluding address, Khatuna Totladze emphasized the importance of implementing the Committee's recommendations for the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its additional Protocols. It was noted that an important coordination mechanism in this regard is the Interagency Commission on the Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Committee on the Rights of the Child.
The streaming of accounts was streamed live, allowing stakeholders to keep an eye on the dialogue.
In the end, the members of the Committee thanked the Georgian delegation for their participation, involvement, and openness in the dialogue.
The Committee on the Rights of the Child is established in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which oversees the State's compliance with its obligations under the Convention and its Additional Protocols. After reviewing the State reports, the Committee will develop recommendations for the effective implementation of the Convention and the Additional Protocols by the State.
