Opinions & Interviews

Belarus submits report under Convention on Rights of Child in Geneva

Igor Karpenko. An archive photo

MINSK, 21 January (BelTA) - Belarus submitted the combined fifth and sixth periodic report under the Convention on the Rights of the Child under Article 44 of the Convention at the 83rd session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child in Geneva, BelTA learned from the press center of the Education Ministry.

When addressing the UN committee, Belarus Education Minister Igor Karpenko noted that Belarus constantly analyzes the national legislation for its compliance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In January 2019, for example, the government adopted the resolution “On recognizing the children as being in a socially dangerous situation”. It has changed the way it works with disadvantaged families to help them deal with the situation more effectively and keep the child at home. In order to develop long-term state support for large children, stimulate fertility and strengthen the institution of the family, the president issued a decree to institute the family capital program.

In December 2019, some codes and laws of Belarus were amended to promote pre-trial settlement of disputes, including with the help of mediators, to improve the legislative regulation of marriage-family relations. The report notes that the National Commission on the Rights of the Child plays a coordinating role in ensuring the protection of children's rights and legitimate interests in Belarus. Last year, it addressed a wide range of issues related to the preservation of health and life of children, recognizing them as being in a socially dangerous situation, shielding them against drug consumption and trafficking. At the on-site sessions, the members of the commission visit various institutions and organizations where they study the work to create a conducive environment for living and development of children.

Belarus pays great attention to improving the legal literacy of children and parents, which is facilitated by the children's legal website (mir.pravo.by). In 2019, it was visited by more than 295,000 people. The number of page views amounted to almost 730,000.

Belarus protects the rights of every child to life and to have a family. The country has been promoting family-type settings for raising children who have been deprived of parental care due to various reasons. According to the Belarusian legislation, the primary form is national adoption. Fourteen family-type children’s homes were opened last year alone. They take care of 80 children, 20% of whom used to reside in children's care institutions. Over nine years, the number of family-type children’s homes and children in them increased 1.8 times. This approach allows reducing the number of  children's care institutions. For the past nine years, their number decreased by 57%, and the number of children in them by 80%.

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