June 1st: International Children's Day

This year, the International Children’s Day is a special day for all of us. It is celebrated as the Day of Protection of Children’s Rights, as this year, the 20th anniversary of the United Nations  Convention on the Rights of the Child is commemorated worldwide.

It was a year later, in 1990, when Russia ratified the UN Convention. A lot of changes have taken place over these years, and a new generation of children has grown up. The situation of children in Russia has improved noticeably: new laws have been adopted and the family support system has been upgraded; a sizable portion of budget funds is assigned towards the implementation of social programmes.    

One of the major achievements during this period has been the creation of the Association of Child Rights Ombudspersons, supported by UNICEF, which is operating efficiently in 24 Russian regions today (both at regional and municipal levels). The Child Rights Ombudspersons have been working closely with local and regional authorities; they carry out independent monitoring of child rights implementation and represent children’s interests in court; they facilitate the development of appropriate legislation. Russia should be rightfully proud of the fact that today, the Association of Child Rights Ombudspersons in Russia is one of the most efficient in Europe. 

However, there are still many problems that need to be addressed. The present day child mortality rate in Russia is four times higher than in Western Europe. Families with children are more than three times as likely to be poor as other population groups. Regardless of  the recent development of family-based care settings for children without parental care, the child population at institutions is not decreasing. There are 730,000 children (2.7% of the child population) without parental care in Russia today, with about 156,000 children living in institutions.   

Disparities are still important among regions and various population groups. In St Petersburg, where the under-five mortality rate is less than 6 deaths per 1,000 live births, all children are almost certain to celebrate their fifth birthday along with their peers from Australia and the UK.  For children from Tyva, like for those from Egypt and Mexico, surviving the 5 first years of their will be more challenging, as the under-five mortality rate in this region is 25 deaths per 1,000 live births, that is four-fold higher than in St.Petersburg.

Particularly vulnerable are children who often “fall through the cracks”: children in crisis, children living with HIV, street children, children from migrant families, etc.

“We understand that in the context of the current economic crisis, children, particularly those without parental care, as well as children from poor families and families at risk, will become even more vulnerable,” Bertrand Bainvel, UNICEF Representative in the Russian Federation, said. “We intend to further expand our activities aimed to protect child rights, prevent child abandonment and provide support to families. We sincerely appreciate the efforts of our corporate partners, who have not reduced their charity donations even at such a critical time; we call upon the government and business community to pay careful attention to the needs of extremely vulnerable children and families.” 

http://www.unicef.org/russia/media_12097.html