COMMITTEE ON RIGHTS OF CHILD CONCLUDES REVIEW OF UKRAINE REPORT

Press Release
HR/4208

COMMITTEE ON RIGHTS OF CHILD CONCLUDES REVIEW OF UKRAINE REPORT

GENEVA, 3 November (UN Information Service) -- The Committee on the Rights of the Child this afternoon concluded its examination of the report of Ukraine by encouraging that State party to pay more attention to parents with less income who could not bear the burden of bringing up their children. The Committee also recommended that the Government adopt legislation aimed at implementing the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

In preliminary concluding observations, the Committee underlined the need to strengthen the orientation of social work and to train social workers in a professional manner. Social departments had to be created in all Government agencies, reaching all children with different problems. The phenomenon of street children should be prevented through a consistent policy on the part of the Government. Also, children should be able to participate in all affairs and activities concerning them.

The members of the Committee noted that several legislative acts aimed at implementing the rights of the child were still in the drafting stage. In the period of transition through which Ukraine was passing, they said, special attention should be paid to parents with low incomes. The Government should draft a strategy to grant assistance to families so that they might assume their proper responsibilities in bringing up their children.

The Committee also favoured the launching of a national campaign to promote wide understanding of the principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. A national policy should be drawn up to enhance its dissemination among the population. Study of its principles should be part of the general educational system, the experts said.

The Committee was of the view that the Government was not giving special attention to family planning and that primary health care needed further improvement. The Government of Ukraine should follow a preventive policy as regards children rather than applying corrective measures. In any case, a profound sociological study should be carried out concerning children, the members said.

The members of the Committee this afternoon also exchanged views on the roles of the Centre for Human Rights and the Committee on the Rights of the Child during the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing last

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September. Committee members underlined that their participation in the Conference, although limited in scope, had contributed much through the contacts they had had with Government delegations which were directly responsible for implementing the Convention.

Two of the Committee members, Akila Belembaogo, expert from Burkina Faso, its Chairperson; and Marilia Sardenberg, expert from Brazil, who participated in the Conference, gave an account of their contributions on behalf of the Committee. The meeting organized by the Centre for Human Rights and the United Nations Development Fund for Women in which the Committee members took part was aimed at developing an approach and methodology for drafting gender-sensitive guidelines for the integration of the human rights of women and girls into United Nations activities and programmes.

This afternoon's exchange of views also focused on the preference accorded to boys in many societies. The attitude of some governments in tending to take less care for girls was also questioned, along with recommendations for change.

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