TASHKENT, January 21. /“Dunyo” IA/. The Child Rights Ombudsperson, together with the Oliy Majlis and UNICEF, has held a roundtable discussion with the participation of parliament members, representatives of state bodies, non-governmental organizations, and leading international experts, reports “Dunyo” IA correspondent.
According to UNICEF Country Office in Uzbekistan, the roundtable seeks to share experiences from international children’s rights institutions and to establish legal grounds to support activities performed by the Child’s Rights Ombudsperson in Uzbekistan.
“This is a vital step in promoting a child rights agenda in Uzbekistan”, said Munir Mammadzade, UNICEF Representative in Uzbekistan. “Once enacted the law will further strengthen the rights of the children in Uzbekistan, especially the most vulnerable, in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child”, he added.
As it was noted during the roundtable, with more than a third of Uzbekistan's population under the age of 18, investment in children’s rights remains a strategic priority, one that can raise the country to a new level of economic and social development.
The participants of the roundtable emphasized that the activities of the Ombudsman for the Rights of the Child help to increase respect for the personality of the child and protect his/her honor and dignity, freedoms, and legal rights.
“Children are the future of Uzbekistan. It is our responsibility to promote and protect children's rights and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential and adoption of the Law will contribute to this important agenda”, said Aliya Yunusova, Child Rights Ombudsperson.
The roundtable tallies well with Uzbekistan’s progressive agenda and strong political will that has seen recently the establishment of the Child Rights Ombudsperson under the Presidential Decree of April 22, 2019 “On additional measures to further strengthen the guarantees of the rights of the child” and the Presidential Decree of May 29, 2020 “On additional measures to improve the system of protecting the rights of the child”, which aimed at further strengthening the role and expanding the mandate of the Child Rights Ombudsperson.
“It is vital that the Child Rights Ombudsperson has all necessary powers, capacities, and resources to carry out its tasks efficiently and independently”, Munir Mammadzade said.
