The Code on the Rights of the Child Enters into Force

The Code on the Rights of the Child became effective from September 1.

At a special event dedicated to this important occasion, representatives of Parliament and the diplomatic corps spoke about the importance of the Code on the Rights of the Child and reviewed the work undertaken thus far. The event was also attended by the representatives of municipalities, civil society, and religious leaders who have been actively involved in discussions on the Code.

The Code on the Rights of the Child was developed at the initiative of the Chair of the Human Rights and Civil Integration Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, Sopho Kiladze, with active support from UNICEF. The Parliament of Georgia adopted the Code on September 20, 2019.

“I would like to congratulate Georgia on this groundbreaking achievement, and we believe that the Code on the Rights of the Child will have a long-lasting effect on the lives of children in Georgia”, said Dr. Ghassan Khalil, UNICEF Representative in Georgia. “We commend the efforts of the Human Rights and Civil Integration Committee, and appreciate the leadership of its Chairperson, Ms. Sopho Kiladze, in the process of development and adoption of the Code. The implementation of the Code will require significant efforts, and UNICEF is ready to support this process by helping to bring Georgian legislation in line with the requirements of the Code, creating various implementation mechanisms, enhancing specialization of professionals, and developing specific instruments and guidelines to work with children in different areas,” added Dr. Khalil.

The following activities were conducted over a one-year period of preparation for the enactment of the Code on the Rights of the Child:

• Normative acts were prepared for the municipalities.
• A new system of coordination between central authorities and local self-governments was designed.
• Structural units for child protection and child support were established at 64 municipalities of Georgia.
• Up to 200 social workers and 64 Code coordinators were trained in each municipality.
• Judges, lawyers, and Legal Aid Service staff were trained.
• Up to 400 civil servants from various agencies were trained.
• At the initiative of the Committee Chair, and with the financial and technical support from UNICEF, a child hotline – 111 – was launched.
• An effective mechanism for the coordination and monitoring of the Code on the Rights of the Child, called the Standing Parliamentary Council for the Protection of the Rights of the Child, was established within the Parliament of Georgia.

Along with the Committee, UNICEF, USAID, the EU, and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) have all actively been involved in the development of the Implementation Plan of the Code on the Rights of the Child.