COMMITTEE ON RIGHTS OF CHILD EXAMINES UKRAINE REPORT
Press Release
HR/4205
COMMITTEE ON RIGHTS OF CHILD EXAMINES UKRAINE REPORT
19951107 GENEVA, 2 November (UN Information Service) -- The Committee on the Rights of the Child this morning began its examination of the initial report of Ukraine.The Ukrainian delegation is headed by Liliya Grygorovytch, member of Parliament of Ukraine, Chairperson of the Subcommission on Health Care of Children and Mothers, Commission on Health Care of the Parliament of Ukraine, Deputy Head of the Committee on Women, Maternity and Childhood.
Ms. Grygorovytch presented Ukraine's report on its fulfillment of the objectives of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child. She declared that the Convention was fully integrated into Ukraine's internal legislation. Since Ukraine ratified the Convention in 1991, a set of measures on the protection of the child had been adopted. She mentioned the State Aid to Families with Children Act, the Status and Social Protection of Citizens Affected by the Chernobyl Disaster Act, the new Civil Code, the Criminal Code and the Law on Preventive Detention, which included dispositions ensuring the protection of Ukrainian children.
The draft of the new Ukrainian Constitution, to be submitted to the Parliament in the near future, also contained a section on the legal protection of the child, she said. She stressed that the new Constitution had been welcomed by the Council of Europe. Parallel to the drafting of the Right of the Child Act, to be completed in 1996, a new version of the Marriage and Family Code of Ukraine was being undertaken. In addition, a national programme called The Children of Ukraine would be finalized soon. The programme, to remain in effect until the year 2000, was aimed at the promotion of child development in all areas, especially health, education and legal protection.
Ms. Grygorovytch also noted the effort of the Presidential Committee on Women's, Maternal and Children's Affairs to raise awareness among the Ukrainian population of the Convention. The Committee was created to help deal with the exceptional situation of the country during its transitional period, in order to coordinate activities of governmental and non-governmental organs.
Ms. Grygorovytch drew the attention to the difficult economic situation of the country, as well as the catastrophic effects of the Chernobyl disaster, both on health and demographic growth. She pointed out that in the territories that had been polluted, only 27 per cent of the children were in
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good health. She noted in particular the alarming increase of diseases related to the nervous system, as well as the increase in the number of cancers of the thyroid. Apart from the problems linked to economic transition and environmental degradation, the Ukrainian delegate also mentioned efforts to deal with "a changing mentality", stressing that youth faced problems related to "deficiency of their intellectual development", "lack of will", the increase of the number of "social orphans", the rise of delinquency, cases of poor nutrition and the growth in sexually transmitted diseases and cases of AIDS.
Ms. Grygorovytch assured the Committee of her country's concern, and its willingness to take measures aimed at dealing with the problems faced by its youth, as well as ensuring the protection of its children. Those measures, in accordance with the Convention, and with the support of the international community, should ensure a dignified life for all Ukrainian children.
Answering requests for additional information, Ms. Grygorovytch noted that not all social institutions dealing with childhood were operational, like the Ukrainian Funds for Childhood. Members of the Committee stressed the necessity of anticipating the financial requirements of fulfilling its mandate.
Concerning questions on sexual discrimination and equality between boys and girls, Ukraine's representative reiterated the intention of the authorities to distribute copies of the Convention to the Tartar, Greek, Polish, Bulgarian and Moldav minorities in their own languages, even though the official language was Ukrainian. It also declared that, contrary to the fact that it was legally acceptable, marriage by girls aged 17 or younger was in fact more the exception than the rule. Moreover, it indicated that abortion was authorized only in exceptional circumstances, and not after the first 12 weeks.
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