20 November 2015, 09:02
When opening the meeting, Committee chairman Artur Palatnyi said among other things: "Our meeting that we carry out on the proposal and with the support of the Coalition of NGOs "Children's Rights in Ukraine," is held on the eve of November 20 - the 26th anniversary of the signing of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. So today we want to discuss the state of compliance with the Convention in the country and identify ways of perfecting the State’s policy in this field."
"Children are our future. However, unfortunately, these words is just a slogan and do not correspond to the real policy of the state. On the contrary, in recent years the standing of children in Ukraine has significantly deteriorated. Of course, this is mainly a consequence of the Russian aggression and economic turmoil, but this extremely difficult situation does not justify permanent attempts to save money on children. Therefore, the Committee members believe that it is necessary to change the vector of the state policy for investing by the State in its future, to pay more attention to the problems of children," the head of the Committee said.
In his opening speech A. Palatnyi focused attention of the attendees on the following.
The issue of displaced children protection, especially orphans and children deprived of parental care. Unfortunately, in dealing with this issue the State permanently stands behind. As far as on July 1, 2014, the Committee at its meeting examined the issue of implementation by the Government of legal requirements concerning ensuring protection of children’s rights in the zone of military activities and armed conflicts, including ensuring safe displacement from the zone of military activities or armed conflicts, accommodation and catering in a non-combatant territory. The Committee had provided specific recommendations to address these issues, but unfortunately they were not taken to account in due time.
Thus, the Procedure for supporting the activities of foster families, and family-type orphanages, which dislocated from the temporarily occupied territory or ??ATO zone was approved as far back as in June this year. Only in August child relatives were granted a right to register her/him as internally displaced person. Yet to be approved the Cabinet of Ministers’ Resolution entitling the relatives of a child displaced without legal representatives, to receive a monthly targeted assistance to cover living expenses, including housing and utility services.
I want to emphasize that when approving Government Resolutions concerning children it takes a lot of time to make all sorts of coordination and approvals, and this makes children suffer. So I ask representatives of all ministries present at the Committee meeting to facilitate the approval of children's legislation and to get rid of unnecessary bureaucracy.
A. Palatnyi also said that due to the shift-over to decentralization, children's programs supporting children and youth sports, rehabilitation, children recreation and spa treatment were transferred to financing from local budgets. However, these programs are financed even worse than in previous years, on left-over principle. For example, if this year the sphere of children rehabilitation and recreation received over UAH 500 million less from the state budget and the Social Insurance Fund, then the financing from local budgets increased by only UAH 59 million. And the sad thing is that this year local budgets’ revenues significantly exceeded expenditures, but unfortunately local councils had no desire to increase funding of budget programs aimed at supporting childhood.
The Committee believes that continuing the policy of transferring the powers to local self-government bodies, it is necessary to preserve the State's responsibility for making sure children’s rights are fulfilled, as the Ukrainian government signed the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The Committee Chairman also said that the flagrant example of violation of children’s rights is a critical situation with vaccination. Frankly speaking, the Committee members do not care who is responsible for the fact that even having money children are not provided with vaccines. However, we already have numerous cases of poliomyelitis among children, and I am sure that if this problem is not settled, we’ll have sad consequences.
"It is already the second half of November on the calendar, and students of the fourth and seventh grades have not received textbooks yet. And I want to remind you that the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine as far back as in July decided to direct the funds saved on reduction of people's deputies’ salaries, at the printing of textbooks. However, the issue is yet to be settled," A. Palatny said.
"From all this, arises a strategic question – if the Ukrainian State is about to invest in its future? The ill-considered issue concerning full payment by parents for children rehabilitation and recreation, and sports. However, we should understand what we get tomorrow. First of all, the destruction of the existing system of organization of leisure-time activities for children, which has an important function of prevention of crime, and health deterioration. I am sure that in this case even direct financial losses of the State on the treatment of children, sick pay for parents, and the fight against child crime will exceed the amount of money that the country allegedly managed to save," the Committee chairman summarized.
During the round-table talks they elaborated the following recommendations to the bodies of legislative and executive power.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is offered to accelerate examination and adoption of draft laws of Ukraine:
On amendments to some laws of Ukraine what concerns strengthening of social protection of children and support of families with children (Reg. No.2254);
On amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On Protection of Childhood" (what concerns strengthening of social guarantees to large and foster families and family-type orphanages) (Reg. No.2305a-1);
On amendments to certain legislative acts of Ukraine (what concerns provision of social services) (Reg. No.2245);
On amendments to some legislative acts on the organization of children rehabilitation and recreation, preservation of a network of children's health institutions (Reg. No. 2917);
On amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine concerning ensuring of steady development of physical culture and sports (Reg. No. 2068).
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine is proposed to:
consider at its meeting in January-February 2016 the issue of children's rights protection in Ukraine;
In the sphere of legal framework improvement:
By June 1, 2016 to elaborate and submit to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine draft laws of Ukraine:
On amendments to the Family and Civil Codes of Ukraine concerning determination of authorities of child relatives carrying out her/his alimentation and training;
On amendments to the Housing Code of the Ukrainian SSR on taking orphans and children deprived of parental care, who have reached the age of 16, and those forcibly displaced persons among them, on file of citizens who need better housing, at the place of residence of the internally displaced person;
On amendments to some legislative acts concerning establishment of the system of juvenile justice to strengthen children's rights protection;
On the all-Ukrainian Program "National Action Plan on implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child" for the period till 2021;
On amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine on provision of information to the guardianship authority (Service for Children) in the case of detention of a person having dependent children;
By February 1, 2016 to approve the following Cabinet of Ministers resolutions:
On approval of the Order of identification of children separated from their families, and cooperation of executive power bodies and local self-government authorities in fulfillment of their social protection;
On amendments to the Procedure for supporting activities of foster families, family-type orphanages, which displaced from temporary occupied territory or zone of ??the antiterrorist operation, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers Resolution dated June 4, 2015 No.356, concerning clarification of positions regarding provision of information on family displacement, conclusion of agreement on ensuring foster family or family-type orphanage functioning;
On amendments to the Procedure for carrying out of activities engaging adoption and supervision over fulfillment of the rights of adopted children, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers Resolution dated October 8, 2008 No. 905, concerning the list of documents necessary for adoption of orphans and children deprived of parental care, and are forcibly displaced persons;
On amendments to the Procedure for provision of a monthly targeted assistance to people dislocating from the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine, zones of antiterrorist operations and populated settlements located on the contact line to cover living expenses, including housing and utility services, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers Resolution dated October 1, 2014 No.505, concerning the payment of monthly benefits to children displaced and unaccompanied by legal representatives;
On amendments to the Procedure for carrying out by child protection services of activities connected with protection of children's rights, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers Resolution dated September 24, 2008 No.866, concerning the powers of the national police in the sphere of guardianship arising from the Law of Ukraine "On National Police."