AKIPRESS.COM - UNICEF and OHCHR urge the new Parliament of Kyrgyzstan to re-establish the Conciliation Group, in line with parliamentary rules of procedures, in order to review and address the objections raised by the President’s Office regarding a new version of the Child Code and its accompanying legislation guided by the principles of “best interests of the child”.

The revised Child Code is as a key legal framework to strengthen the rule of law and build a robust child protection system to ensure the protection and wellbeing of all children, and their families, in the Kyrgyz Republic, UNICEF and OHCHR said in a joint statement.

This result was the culmination of three and half years of work by Parliament, ministries and departments and the judiciary.

Through open discussion, it is possible to find a way forward in order that the Child Code can be signed and implemented with the objective to increase the protection of children against all forms of violence, abuse and exploitation, particularly the most vulnerable. This would be a direct response to the 2014 concluding observations of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, the 2020 recommendations from the Universal Periodic Review and the 2021 concluding observations on the Convention Against Torture.

The revised version of the Child Code introduces important measures. Notably, the Code will introduce a specialized child protection social work unit at the municipal level, to provide timely, regular and effective case management and services to children at risk and their families. This is in alignment with other social services where health facilities and schools are also located at the municipal level. Having trained social workers at the municipal level will ensure the provision of comprehensive social services and efficient coordination with all involved sectors which will be particularly important to comprehensively address violence.

The existence of a local unit will also promote the importance of family in a child’s life, as the revised version of the Child Code prioritizes support to children in a family environment. It recognizes the need for short term, emergency and specialized care in specific circumstances when the child cannot be maintained in its own family and proposes family-type institutions for no more than twelve children. Reinforcing the importance of family is also the reason why the Code provides for parents migrating for labour purposes to formalize guardianship of their children.