Committee on the Rights of the Child

Eighty-fifth session

11–29 May 2020

Item 4 of the provisional agenda

Consideration of reports of States parties

Replies of Cyprus to the list of issues in relation to its combined fifthand sixth periodic reports*,**

[Date received: 14 February 2020]

Abbreviations

MJPOMinistry of Justice and Public Order

MLWSIMinistry of Labour, Welfare and Social Insurance

MOECSY Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth

MOH Ministry of Health

MARDE Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment

MFA Ministry of Foreign Affairs

MOD Ministry of Defence

MOF Ministry of Finance

MOIMinistry of Interior

CCR Commissioner for Children’s Rights

SWS Social Welfare Services

MHS Mental Health Services

COSV The Cyprus Observatory on School Violence

CCP Cyprus Children’s Parliament

CH Children’s House

GHS General Health System

I.Introduction

1.The present document provides responses to the issues and questions submitted to the Government of Cyprus with regard to its combined fifth and sixth periodic report (CRC/C/CYP/Q/5-6) – hereinafter “the responses to the questions”.

2.The present document was prepared by the Law Commissioner of the Republic who, pursuant to a Decision of the Council of Ministers, is entrusted with ensuring compliance of the reporting obligations of Cyprus under the international human rights instruments. The Ministry of Labour, Welfare and Social Insurance (MLWSI) the competent Ministry for the purposes of the Convention, through the Social Welfare Services (SWS), was very much involved in the preparation of the present document. The information and data on the basis of which it was compiled was provided by the Ministries having competence for the specific matter [i.e. the Ministry of Justice and Public Order (MJPO), the Ministry of Interior (MIO), the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth (MOECSY), the Ministry of Health (MOH), the Ministry of Finance (MOF) the Statistical Service of Cyprus], as well as the Police and the Department of Social Inclusion for Persons with Disabilities.

3.The information contained in the present document was discussed with all the above at ad hoc meetings with the Law Commissioner during the drafting stages. The present document will be communicated to all the above upon submission.

II.Replies to the list of issues (CRC/C/CYP/Q/5-6)

Reply to paragraph 1 of the list of issues

4.Two new draft laws [ (1) The Handling of Children under the Care of the Director and the Institution of Foster Care Law (the title of the older draft was Law Providing for the Custody and Protection of Children and related matters) and (2) The Protection and Care of Children Law and Regulations]have been prepared by the SWS of the MLWSI, with the involvement of all relevant bodies, ministries and government departments, as well as non-governmental organisations. The draft Laws, which will replace the existing Children’s Law (Cap. 352, as amended) conform fully with the principles and provisions of both the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols and the European Convention on the Exercise of Children’s Rights. The welfare and best interests of the child are of paramount consideration in the draft Laws.

5.Many provisions that have originally been included in the abovementioned draft Laws were later included in a bill revising the Parents’ and Children’s Relations Law. Those provisions refer to the right of the child to access to rights independently of parents’ consent, such as child’s access to SWS and the Mental Health Services (MHS). The bill also provides for parents’ obligatory cooperation with the SWS and the MHS.

6.One the new draft Laws are vetted by the Law Office of the Republic of Cyprus, they will be submitted to the Council of Ministers for approval and then to the House of Representatives. The MLWSI, is currently pressing for an expedited vetting of the bills, which were delayed due to necessary consultation that needed to take place with all key partners and civil society and the numerous amendments that were deemed necessary in order to ensure conformity with ongoing enactment of relevant legislation.

7.The Adoption Law of 1995 is currently under amendment and will include provisions that fully safeguard the rights of the child through the process of adoption, in compliance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child and The Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption.

Reply to paragraph 2 of the list of issues

8.As mentioned in paragraph 25 of the Report (CRC/C/CYP/5-6), the National Action Plan (NAP) for the Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child is adopted by the Commissioner for the Protection of the Rights of the Child. Cyprus has adopted a number of national strategies and action plans concerning children’s rights. For example:

•A Strategy on the rights of child in health (2017-2025);

•National Strategy and Action Plan for Combating Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation and Child Pornography (2016-2019) (a new strategy is under preparation);

•NAP on the Prevention and Combating of Violence in the Family 2017-2019 (a new NAP is under preparation);

•National Strategy for the Prevention and Combating of School Violence (2018-2022);

•Action Plan for the Integration of Pupils with Migrant Background to the Cyprus Educational System (2019-2022);

•Code of Conduct against Racism and Guide for Managing and Reporting Racist Incidents (MOECSY).

9.Furthermore, the following Action Plans include provisions for children:

•National Strategy for the Prevention of Illegal Substance Abuse and the Harmful Use of Alcohol (2013-2020);

•NAP on the Prevention and Combating Trafficking and Exploitation of Persons (2016-2018);

•National Strategy on Social Policy for the period 2014-2020;

•National Disability Strategy 2018-2028 and NAP for Disability 2018-2020.

Reply to paragraph 3 of the list of issues

10.Each Ministry/Service/Department collects disaggregated data relevant to the policy area of its competence.

11.The SWS have an internal system of collecting data concerning children in need of care, children in care of the Director of SWS in foster or institutional care, violence and abuse against children, etc. Currently the Children’s House collects data of child sexual abuse and/or exploitation and within 2020 the CAN-MDS II Programme (Child Abuse and Neglect via a Minimum Data Set) will be implemented across all Services involved for the collection of data concerning child abuse.

12.The Asylum Service in order to improve the data collection system concerning unaccompanied children arriving in Cyprus, since 2019 has created a separated data collection file, where specific information is gathered and saved. This information in related to the asylum procedures that were followed and the decision of the application. Data is also available concerning families with children seeking international protection arriving in Cyprus.

13.The MOECSY collects data on children with disabilities and migrant children. Concerning children with disabilities, the available data concerns children with disabilities attending public schools. The data is validated by data collected by the Special Education Coordinators, using information from the District Committees of Special Education.

14.Since 2019 a new National Health Care System (NHCS) has been introduced by the MOH. Within the framework of the implementation of the NHCS desegregated data on children’s health will be available.

15.As regards the collection of statistical and other data by the Police, and in order to improve the way in which such data is collected for all criminal offences, technological arrangements have been made to the Police system, and as of January 1st 2020, for all victims of crimes, special fields have been included so as to have an indication on the sex, age, nationality, district where the offence took place and district where complaint was received. This will enable the Police to collect data in a more suitable manner.

Reply to paragraph 4 of the list of issues

16.In 1993, the Council of Ministers appointed the Law Commissioner for the preparation and monitoring of all the Periodic Reports of the Republic of Cyprus submitted to the United Nations’ Committees. Due to the fact that in 2007 the person appointed as Commissioner for the Protection of the Rights of the Child was the same person as the Law Commissioner, the Council of Ministers appointed in 2018 the MLWSI, for the preparation and monitoring of the Periodic Reports on the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Within this framework, in 2012, the Council of Ministers approved the establishment of a Monitoring Committee for the implementation of the Convention of the Rights of the Child, consisting of representatives of the MLWSI, the MOECSY, the MJPO, the MOH, the MOI and the MOF. The Committee meets twice a year to monitor the developments made on the implementation of the Convention and on the Final Recommendations of the Committee of the Rights of the Child and it consists only by representatives of Governmental Authorities and the work undertaken is implemented from existing human, technical and financial resources available. Since its creation, the Monitoring Committee met three times during the period 2014-2016. In 2017 the preparation of the 5th and 6th Periodic Report began, which was submitted in 2018 to the Committee on the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

17.Concerning the financial resources provided to the Commissioner for the Protection of the Rights of the Child, within the Budget 2020 and the Medium-Term Budget Framework (MTBF) 2020-2022, there is a separate chapter in the Government Budget, regarding the “Office of the Commissioner for the Protection of Children’s Rights”, which was previously classified under the “Office of Law Commissioner”. This has been necessitated, since as from October 2019 a new Commissioner has been appointed solely for the protection of Children’s Rights. The approved budget of the Commissioner for the Protection of Children’s Rights is €399.950 for 2020, and for the MTBF is expected to increase to €531.583 in 2021 and €540.234 in 2022. Also in 2019, in order to increase the human resources of the Commissioner, four permanent positions have been approved for the Office of the Commissioner for the Protection of the Rights of the Children. The service plans are under legal vetting in order to be approved by the Council of Ministers.

Reply to paragraph 5 of the list of issues

18.Laws, policies and plans applied by the SWS, state explicitly that a child’s interest is of primary concern without any discrimination based on disability, religious beliefs, ethnic background, etc.

19.All children residing in the Republic of Cyprus, irrespective of ethnic origin, religious beliefs, the residential status of their parents, etc., are entitled to have access to free education and are eligible for additional educational support. In keeping with current philosophy, the MΟECSY favours the inclusion of children with disabilities in mainstream classrooms. The majority of children with disabilities are educated within the mainstream classroom, at their local school. Since 2011, Cyprus has ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and promotes the respect and protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all persons with disabilities without discrimination of any kind.

20.Special emphasis is given to ensuring curriculum access with the use of assistive technology (computers, specialized software, tablets, joysticks and tracker balls, easy-to-use keyboards, communication devices), changes to special teaching and learning arrangements, classroom organisation, extra time during exams etc. Furthermore, information that is normally provided in writing is made more accessible by providing it in Braille or in large print for children with visually disability, whereas sign language interpreters are available for deaf children. The MΟECSY ensures that schools have suitable infrastructure to accommodate the needs of pupils with disabilities. Schools increase access for individual pupils by making various adjustments to the physical environment, such as lighting and paint schemes to help children with visual disabilities, lifts and ramps to help children with physical disabilities or carpeting of classrooms to help children with hearing disabilities. The MΟECSY also provides schools with special equipment, such as wheelchairs and walking aids. In addition, it provides for transportation to all children with disabilities who do not attend schools of their educational district.

21.Special educational provision is also provided in Special Units within mainstream schools, as well as in Special Schools. A very small percentage of children with disabilities (less than 1% of the school population) are educated in Special Units. Special Units provide more intensive educational support to a small number of pupils in a class, whilst maintaining contact and integration with a specific reference class of the school, following the regular curriculum in specific subjects. Less than 1% of the school population is educated in Special Schools. Some Special Schools are built within the boundaries of mainstream schools. All Special Schools develop networks of contacts and joint activities with mainstream schools to minimize segregation. They have the specialised personnel (special teachers, speech therapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, music therapists, physiotherapists, nurses and other specialists as well as auxiliary staff) in order to support and provide the essential means to meet the needs of all children. In addition to their educational programme, the Special Schools’ programme contains a major element of self-help and independence skills, social and emotional skills development, recreational skills, communication skills and vocational training. Special Schools also have pre-vocational and vocational training programmes designed to assist the transition from school to work or from school to other vocational training authorities.

22.In 2018, the MOECSY has designed and developed the National Strategy for Preventing and addressing School Violence (2018-2022) (includes any form of violence such as bullying, acts of hatred, etc.), which has a four-year timeframe of implementation. The Strategy’s areas include: a) creation of information systems regarding the extent and forms of violence in schools, b) designing and implementation of legislative and administrative measures for child-protection, c) empowerment of parents, teachers and headteachers, d) training of children in positive and non-violent behaviors, e) child participation in the development and implementation of policies and measures and f) development of an inter-disciplinary model of services.

23.The Cyprus Observatory on School Violence (COSV) has developed and implemented actions that aim to prevent and address bullying and violence in schools. The COSV provides support to school units for the implementation of actions and programmes aimed at improving the school climate, with the ultimate aim of reducing violence in schools. The COSV supports schools in the implementation of anti-bullying programmes, which deal with recognising, preventing and combating bullying. A national-level research has been assigned by the COSV, after an open call announcement, to an academic, at the beginning of October 2019 and it will be completed in 2023. It aims to collect quantitative and qualitative data about violence in education, from all schools. In the meantime, the schools are requested to record bullying incidents online in a specific platform that has been created for this purpose. The COSV collects data concerning good practices for the prevention of violence in schools, evaluates these practices and organises an annual conference where the best practices are awarded, thus receiving visibility and outreach.

24.For the period under review the "Code of Conduct against Racism and Guide for Managing and Recording Racist Incidents" was implemented as follows:

•2017-2018: implementation across schools (reports received from 100 schools for a total of 266 racist incidents);

•2018-2019: implementation across schools (reports received from 124 schools for a total of 357 racist incidents);

•2019-2020: implementation across schools (reports expected in June 2020).

25.The Pedagogical Institute has offered support to schools in various ways, such as the following, for the implementation of the anti-racist policy in 2018-2019:

•Continuous update of website (presentations, FAQs, supportive material etc.);

•Support helpline (phone and e-mail);

•Parents’ information leaflet in five languages (Greek, English, Arabic, Turkish, Russian);

•Focused training opportunities (school-based seminars, optional afternoon seminars, network meetings, conferences in collaboration with relevant NGOs and bodies, e.g. UNHCR, Commissioner for Children’s Rights etc.);

•Creation of a school network across Cyprus for the support of the implementation of the anti-racist policy with central and local training and support meetings held every few months;

•Anti-racist education/policy conference titled "Identifying and dealing with racisms in school: Implementation of the anti-racist policy of the Ministry".

26.The creation of the school network appears to be the most effective support strategy for schools implementing the policy. The schools’ teams established in the various districts have the opportunity to exchange experiences and views on policy implementation processes and reflect on their role and ways of managing the behaviours of colleagues, children and parents. The support to schools and teachers for the implementation of the anti-racist policy has been multi-dimensional and ongoing throughout the year (e.g. educational activities in various contexts and lines of communication). The positive response received by the support actions can be seen through the feedback from the network participants, mainly regarding the substantive help and interaction they experience. Despite the improvement in numbers of implementation, some challenges remain in terms of the following:

•Insufficient reporting on racist incidents;

•Lack of schools’ accountability for the policy implementation;

•Insufficient reporting leads to failure to develop contextually appropriate pedagogical interventions based on the racisms operating;

•Further support is needed for schools to deal with racist behaviours by teachers themselves.

27.The MOECSY has developed and implemented an upgraded educational policy aiming at the smooth integration of pupils with migrant background into the educational system of Cyprus. The policy document was approved by the Minister and the departments of the MOECSY have developed an action plan with a variety of targeted actions, through the prism of an intercultural approach, anti-racist education and the methodology of teaching Greek as a second language. The action plan for 2016-2018 has been evaluated and based on this evaluation the action plan for 2019-2022 has been prepared. In March 2019, a European Commission peer counselling session was implemented. The focus was on the integration of pupils with a migrant background into school education, with particular attention to the reception phase. The MOECSY’s aim was that the peer counselling session would allow it to: (i) collect examples of good practice; (ii) learn from the experiences of its EU peers; (iii) better understand the challenges to integration of pupils with a migrant background; and (iv) receive recommendations for a reception phase tailored to the Cyprus context and its education system which will prepare newcomers for entering smoothly in schools. The activity’s results were a set of concrete policy suggestions for the design of a reception phase as well as other issues regarding the wider field of integration of pupils with a migrant background.

28.The Pedagogical Institute has continued its support to the HOMBAT project. The project was funded by the European Commission and its objective was to contribute to the prevention and combating of Homophobia and Transphobia (HT) in Greece, Cyprus and Lithuania. The project was mainly targeted at school advisors, school professionals, teachers, pupils, parents at primary and secondary levels and educational authorities, civil society and other professionals. In particular, HOMBAT:

•Promoted and strengthened the prevention and tackling of HT bullying in schools;

•Built the capacities of teachers and school advisors on preventing and addressing HT bullying;

•Enhanced multi-actor cooperation and exchange on combating HT bullying in schools;

•Raised awareness about HT bullying in the educational environment and support prevention through counter narratives development and promotion.

29.The MOECSY continued its support to the IMAGINE programme, implemented by the Association for Historical Dialogue and Research. The programme includes experiential activities related to human rights and anti-racism within education, for promoting a culture of peace. Following the successful completion of the activities of the programme (2017-2019) and the participation of approximately 2000 pupils and 200 teachers from all the communities of Cyprus, the programme team has announced its continuation for the school year 2019-2020 and has enriched it with more activities and meetings between children. During the programme, pupils engage in pedagogical activities in which Greek Cypriot pupils come into contact with Turkish Cypriot pupils of the same age, accompanied by their teachers. The programme pillars include an anti-racist workshop in schools and contact preparation (before the meeting with pupils from the Turkish Cypriot/Greek Cypriot community). IMAGINE trainers visit classrooms and engage children in experiential activities discussing issues of stereotyping, discrimination and racism as components of the culture of violence.

Reply to paragraph 6 of the list of issues

30.The principle of the best interest of the child is enshrined in legislation, policy and practice concerning children. It is noted that the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was ratified in 1991, as well as any other Convention ratified, has superior force of any national law. Therefore, the principle of the best interest of the child is in effect in practice.

31.All Services involved are required by legislation to make decisions based on the best interest of the child. A multidisciplinary approach is considered as best practice in deciding on the best interest of the child taking into consideration, among others, the opinion of the child concerned.

32.The Republic of Cyprus fully endorses and promotes the principle that children and young people should have the opportunities to express their opinion in matters that affect their lives. This applies to all national policy making and to decisions affecting individual children.

33.Further to the information provided in the report concerning the participation of children and the right to be heard, the President of the Republic of Cyprus organized in 2019, a committee that consists of representatives of the President, the Commissioner for Volunteerism and Non-governmental Organizations, the Commissioner for the Protection of Children’s Rights, the MOECSY, the MLWSI, the MOH, the MJPO and the Cyprus Children’s Parliament (CCP). The subjects discussed during the meetings of the committee are those raised by the CCP. Once a year, the members of the CCP are invited to have an open dialogue with the Ministers mentioned above and the President of the Republic of Cyprus.

34.As soon as an unaccompanied child enters the Republic of Cyprus and applies for international protection, an “Identification of persons with Special Needs Form” is completed by the competed Officer of the Asylum Service, stating any form of vulnerability (i.e. sexual abuse, trafficking, forced marriage, pregnancy, etc.) in order to determine the needs of the child and secure access to all the relevant services. According to the Refugees Laws 2000-2017, the unaccompanied child is placed under the care of the Director of the SWS, who acts as his/her guardian and a Social Services Officer is assigned to the unaccompanied child in order to ensure access to all his/her rights based on the best interest of the child.

35.The unaccompanied child is informed about the procedures (asylum application, Dublin procedures, medical examinations, etc.) to be followed in a language he/she understands. The interviews with the unaccompanied child, for the purpose of the examination of the international protection procedure, is undertaken in the presence of the his/her guardian, by qualified and trained Officers of the Asylum Service. The interview is undertaken in a child friendly manner and during the interview, having in mind the child’s age and maturity, the child’s views are heard, ensuring the participation of the child in the procedure. The examination of the application is given priority and the decision is based on the vulnerability of the child and his/her protection from any form of violence and any potential risk, the family environment, the right of the child to education, health, etc.

36.For the purpose of the interview, the Asylum Service takes into account the EASO module for interviewing children and the EASO practical guide on the best interest of the child in asylum procedures.

Reply to paragraph 7 of the list of issues

37.There is no specific procedure for the determination of the statelessness status. Any application for residence or temporary stay is examined on its own merits and takes into account any humanitarian issues. The examination of such a claim, takes into account the best interest of the child. If the stateless person lodges an application for international protection, then the claim is examined, and statelessness is also considered as a factor.

Reply to paragraph 8 of the list of issues

38.The Children’s House (CH) has been in operation since September 2017, under the supervision and in cooperation with the SWS of the MLWSI. The CH adopts a multidisciplinary approach in a child friendly environment, while all services (forensic interview, medical/psychological/social services) are provided under one roof. A multidisciplinary/interagency team discusses the cases referred to the House once a week and also in emergency cases. This team consists of the Coordinator, the Social Worker and the Psychologist of the CH and representatives from the SWS, the Police, the MHS and the MOECSY. The CH provides support and prepares the children for their testimony in Court. Furthermore, a recent development in legislation (the Witness Protection (Amended) Law of 2019 and the Violence in the Family (Prevention and Protection of Victims) (Amended) Law of 2019) allows a judge to use the CH for chid testimony during trial through a teleconferencing system. This development is considered a step forward towards child friendly justice and highlights the significance of the CH in that direction.

39.All professionals are trained through courses organised by the CH by applying to the European Programme Promise I and Promise II, in cooperation with other European professionals, coming from Croatia, England, Scotland, Iceland and Sweden. Best practices are shared and cooperation is developed among the countries participating in this programme.

SWS participated in the following trainings for the period 2017-2019

Year	Number of trainings/seminars	Number of Social Services Officers
2017	6	67
2018	-	-
2019	5	65

Source : SWS .

40.The Police investigates all reported criminal cases involving children, as well as domestic violence cases. In order to empower police officers in dealing more effectively with these types of crimes several steps have been taken. More specifically and as regards criminal offences against children, other than sexual abuse, video-recorded statements are taken and cases are investigated by trained police officers. The Police maintain specially designed, furnished and equipped rooms at the Police Divisions and at the Police Headquarters for handling vulnerable witnesses and for video recording statements. Furthermore, there are official orders by the Chief of Police, which regulate video-recorded statements. It should be emphasized that such statements may only be taken by officers who have undergone extensive training as regards the handling of children and taking video-recorded statements. In addition to that, the Police participates in numerous funded programmes directed towards the handling of children in the criminal justice system, preparation of risk assessment tools, etc. Moreover, all police recruits and police officers are trained at the Cyprus Police Academy on the handling of children, rights of vulnerable victims of crimes, on how to complete the Risk Assessment Protocol of Intimate Partners Violence, which was recently introduced in the Police, and it is done, in accordance with relevant legislation.

41.On behalf of the MOECSY, parenting skills are mainly disseminated and taught, during general trainings upon request from parents’ associations or upon specific requests by schools. However, specialized training is offered to parents by professionals, such as educational psychologists, during the handling of a case of child abuse. Upon the needs of the child, parents are given consultation and guidance in order to overcome the family crisis and facilitate the child’s everyday routine, including protecting their rights, dignity and going back to school without delays, after the child has revealed the abuse.

42.In relation to the above, the Committee for the Prevention and Combating of Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children and the Pedagogical Institute organised the following activities:

•Specialized trainings for strengthening teachers in their work of protecting children by realizing early the signs of sexual abuse and tackle the problem as soon as possible;

•Specialized training for psychologists and school counselors as these personnel are the people in the "first line" of contact and should have the appropriate skills to recognize cases of child sexual abuse and to correctly handle child support and protection, as well as guide schools in their management.

43.Training actions have also been provided (compulsory and optional) for teachers on sexuality education, as well as for special teachers to strengthen their pupils from sexual violence and sexual abuse. As part of this training, the educational programme "Keep me Safe" will be implemented, in cooperation with the NGO Cyprus Family Planning Association. The programme is about empowering young people (10-25 years) with learning disabilities, in order to be able to protect themselves from sexual abuse and violence. The training manual "An Integrated Toolkit: Keep Me Safe" was tailored specifically to the needs of the programme by expert trainers in Europe and includes a series of exercises aimed at professionals, parents and young people with intellectual disabilities, with the aim of empowering and preventing sexual abuse and violence.

44.Τhe COSV organises in-service teachers’ training seminars on a school-basis in order to empower teachers and headteachers. The seminars are offered for pre-primary, primary and secondary education and cover issues related to conflict prevention and conflict management in order to promote better understanding, tolerance and friendship among all groups and bullying prevention and bullying management. During school year 2018-2019, 55 pre-primary and primary schools and four secondary schools received training and support on the aforementioned topics. Guidelines on how to handle conflicts or bullying were developed and disseminated at the training courses. Moreover, educational material to assist teachers on how to organise activities with children to enhance their competences needed for prevention and management of school violence was produced and disseminated. The curriculum of this course includes activities to enhance anger management, team-building, empathy, emotional intelligence, social and communicative skills, tolerance, acceptance of diversity, mediation skills, anti-bullying skills, conflict management etc. All booklets are available online on the website of the COSV. For the school year 2019-2020, the COSV is conducting a number of training activities, which include:

•Optional seminars which teachers can attend in the afternoon, with an aim to enhance their competences in managing violence and delinquency;

•A school-based seminar on prevention and management of challenging pupil behavior;

•Creation of a school network on the same topic, where the participating schools are trained and supported in handling challenging behavior by using systemic tools.

45.The Immediate Intervention Team responded to the following requests from schools in order to utilize and implement various intervention/prevention programmes:

School year	Requests from primary schools	Requests from secondary schools
2016-2017	140	126
2017-2018	140	131
Sep.-Dec. 2019	154	190

Source: MOECSY .

46.During September-December 2019, the Team has implemented the following actions:

Action	Primary schools	Secondary schools
Number of alternative programmes with school assistant (part time)	52	20
Number of alternative programmes with school assistant (full time)	36	55
Total number of alternative programmes with school assistant	88	75
Number of alternative programmes without a school assistant	11	2

Source : MOECSY .

47.Indicatively, during 2019, some in-service seminars offered by the Pedagogical Institute, for both primary and secondary education, were:

•Implementing the anti-racist policy at our school: Challenges in the management of racist incidents;

•Human relations and crisis management in the school community: From conflict to respect of diversity;

•Teaching Greek as a second language;

•Stereotypes, prejudices, racism: Towards an education on the basis of human rights;

•Teaching Greek as a second language: How I teach to pupils with a migrant background;

•Teaching Greek as a second language: Suggestions and practical applications for the automation of the four language skills;

•Teaching Greek as a second language: Suggestions and practical applications for teaching grammar and vocabulary;

•What if it was you? An approach for human rights and peace education;

•Integration of migrant pupils in the general classroom;

•Management of pupils’ problematic behaviors - Preventing and dealing with offensive behavior;

•Bullying;

•Empowering new generations: Encouraging and cultivating creativity and critical thinking;

•Integration of pupils with migrant background into the mainstream classroom;

•Greek as a second language for children with a migrant background: Organising the school, organising the host classroom and organising the general classroom;

•"I do not forget" and critical education for peace: New openings;

•Supporting teachers for the smooth integration of children with migrant background;

•Cultivating empathy;

•Human relations and crisis management in the school community: From conflict to respect of diversity;

•Stereotypes, prejudices, racism: Towards an education on the basis of human rights;

•Sexuality education and prevention of abuse incidents;

•Developing positive home-school relations;

•Promoting gender equality in children of the 5th and 6th grades.

48.The MOH is one of the partners in the operation of the CH and offers yearly training to health professionals who are involved in the provision of services.

Reply to paragraph 9 of the list of issues

49.Institutions run by the SWS for children deprived of their family environment and other types of alternative care are under the supervision of the SWS according to legislation. A Social Services Officer, a Supervisor and a District Welfare Officer are responsible to safeguard that institutional care meets the administrative standards set by legislation concerning living conditions as well as the personal care plan of each child. Each child upon arrival at the institution is informed both orally and in writing about his/her rights and obligations within the institution, according to the child’s age and maturity. The Director of the Institution and the Institutional Officers in cooperation with the Social Services Officer assigned to the child have regular meetings concerning each child and a care plan is developed for each child in order to ensure that the child has full access to his/her rights based on the child’s best interest. Each child in the Institution has regular personal meetings with the Social Services Officer assigned to him/her in order to discuss his/her care plan, issues concerning everyday life at the institution and any issues raised about the child. Furthermore, in each institution there is a box where any child can drop a written complaint or any other issue that concerns him/her which is examined by the District Welfare Officer.

50.Concerning the placement in other alternative care, such as foster care, the Social Services Officer assigned to the child works in close cooperation with the foster parents in order to safeguard access to the child’s rights based on the best interest of the child. The Officer has regular contacts with the child in order to discuss any issues that may arise concerning everyday care. Furthermore, the SWS have signed a Cooperation Agreement with an NGO, responsible to educate, support and supervise foster parents on their suitability to provide proper and high quality care.

51.The SWS cooperate with all the involved services in order to provide children with all the necessary services (i.e. MOECSY, MOH and MHS, etc.).

Reply to paragraph 10 of the list of issues

52.Social services may be provided to all children in need, including children affected by the refugee crisis. In accordance with the existing legislative framework [Refugee Laws of 2000 – 2019] “the SWS provide material reception conditions of applicants for international protection who live in the areas under the effective control of the Government”. Αsylum seekers who cannot be accommodated at a Reception Centre, are entitled to apply for material reception conditions (special welfare assistance in the form of allowance and vouchers for food and clothing) provided by the SWS. Reimbursement for electricity, water supply and petty cash expenses takes the form of financial aid. In addition, rent is paid directly to the owner.

53.Unaccompanied children are placed under the care of the Director of the SWS who acts as the minor’s guardian, safeguarding access to his/her rights. A Social Services Officer is assigned to each child who acts on behalf of the Director, as the guardian of the child. The Social Services Officer represents the child throughout the asylum procedure. In cases where the child needs to be legally represented, i.e. in case of a rejection of the asylum application, the SWS will inform the Commissioner for the Protection of the Children’s Rights to legally represent the child, as stated in legislation.

54.Children residing with their families at the Kofinou Reception and Accommodation Center, enjoy rights as all the children residing in Cyprus, such as full access to education, health care (within the Center and through the NHCS), etc. Furthermore a network of volunteers (volunteer organisations and non-governmental organisations) has been established, that provides children residing at the Center “non-formal education” (educational activities not included in school curriculums) on a regular or ad-hoc basis.

55.The Center is also staffed with Social Workers on a daily basis and a psychologist on a weekly basis, security and reception personnel (24/7) and other support personnel. The Social Workers have daily contacts with the residents on issues concerning the residents and their children (i.e. liaise with public schools and other government services, volunteers, etc.).

56.In terms of infrastructure the Center provides accommodation, food, health services and is also equipped with open space playgrounds, study room/library, computer lab and mother and babies’ area. A monthly allowance of €50 is provided for every child, a free bus ticket and reimbursement for medicines not covered by the National Health Care System.

Reply to paragraph 11 of the list of issues

57.In case of a crime committed by a child (14-16 age), the Police Director must be informed immediately by the Police officer who investigate the case. The Police director then immediately notifies the SWS to prepare a report, which is taken into consideration for purposes of the course of the penal case and/or for the penalty imposed.

58.Upon completion, all police criminal files (with the exception of traffic violations) against minors under 16 years of age are forwarded to the Committee for the Treatment of Juvenile Offenders for review, evaluation and suggestions. The Committee consists of the SWS, the Police and a specialist (Psychologist or Criminologist) of the Police, if necessary. The Committee may invite the minor and his parents to participate in the meeting handling his case. The Committee prepares a report for each case which concludes with a suggestion to the Attorney General as to whether the juvenile offender should be prosecuted or not. The final decision as to the prosecution rests on the Attorney General according to the Constitution.

59.The bill prepared by the MJPO concerning children in conflict with the law, which is now under discussion in the Council of Ministers, aims at establishing structures and procedures to allow all children, aged 14-18 years old, who are in conflict with the law to be treated differently than adult offenders and to create a child-friendly justice system.

Reply to paragraph 12 of the list of issues

60.Currently children attend primary school at the minimum age of 5 years and 8 months and would normally complete secondary education at the age of 17 years and 6 months. As part of the policy for raising educational outcomes the MOECSY will gradually increase the minimum age of attending primary school to 6 years old, as of September 2021 and therefore school children will normally complete their secondary education at the age of 18 years approximately. The consequence of the above considerations for the enlistments in the National Guard in the future would be that most conscripts would be aged 18 years before joining the National Guard.

61.All professionals in the relevant fields receive training on issues concerning the implementation of the Convention of the Rights of the Child and its Protocols.

Reply to paragraph 13 of the list of issues

62.The SWS of the MLWSI, has the responsibility for the preparation and submission of the Report on the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography. Although it was due to be submitted in May 2008, the report was submitted inadvertently in July 2011 due to internal duty changes.

Reply to paragraph 14 (a) of the list of issues

63.T he Violence in the Family (Prevention and Protection of Victims) Laws of 2000 and 2004 [L.119(I)/2000 and L.212(I)/2004] were amended in 2019 [L. 95(I)/2019]. The amendment provides that the court can decide on a different place for the child victim’ testimony, other that the Court Room. For example, this amendment allows a child victim to testify from the CH.

64.The Refugees Law of 2000 was also amended in 2018 and 2019 [L. 80(I)/2018 and L.116(I)/2019].

65.As of 1st June 2019, the first phase of General Health System (GHS) was implemented, according to the GHS Law. The first phase begun with the introduction of personal doctor and specialist doctor services, laboratory tests and pharmaceutical products for outpatients. As of the 1st June 2020, the complete GHS will be implemented with the introduction of inpatient services, Accident and Emergency Department (A&Es) services, ambulance services, services by nurses, midwives, allied health professionals, palliative care, medical rehabilitation, preventive dental care and home visits.

66.Beneficiaries of GHS are all citizens who are permanent residents in the areas controlled by the Republic of Cyprus and come under one of the following categories:

•Cypriot citizens;

•European citizens who work or hold a permanent residence status in accordance with the provisions of the national legislation;

•Third country nationals (non-EU citizens) who hold a permanent residence status or a right of equal treatment in accordance with the provisions of the national legislation;

•Members of the families of the above categories in accordance with the provisions of the national legislation;

•Refugees and persons with a status of supplementary protection.

67.The healthcare services covered by GHS are:

•Healthcare services by personal doctors;

•Healthcare services by specialist doctors;

•Pharmaceutical products;

•Laboratory tests;

•Inpatient healthcare services;

•Healthcare services in cases of accidents and emergencies;

•Ambulance services;

•Healthcare services by nurses, midwifes, clinical psychologists, clinical dieticians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech pathologists;

•Preventive dental healthcare services;

•Palliative healthcare and medical rehabilitation.

68.The GHS covers all medical care needs of beneficiaries including chronic, rare and serious conditions.

69.The GHS provides life-long financial protection to all beneficiaries even for unexpected and costly healthcare needs.

70.The Committee for the promotion of the rights of children in health (par. 56 of the Report) has been replaced by the Monitoring Committee for the Strategy on the rights of children in health (2017-2025).

71.Two draft amending bills have been prepared concerning the Prevention and Combating of Sexual Abuse and Sexual Exploitation of Children and Child Pornography Law of 2014. The first is in amending bill is in the Council of Ministers under discussion and the second is under legal vetting.

72.The reform of the Family Law has been among the priorities of the Government of Cyprus during the period under review. The review of the Family Law has been seen as necessary both for effective implementation of the relevant laws and for the legislation to be able to respond adequately to the needs of modern society. In addition, the reform of the Family Law is aimed at strengthening and protecting the institution of the family in such a way that it can fulfil its role and mission more fully and more effectively in society. To this end, the MJPO, calling upon the expertise of judges, lawyers, the Commissioner for Children’s Rights and academics in the field proceeded to the preparation of bills, which aim to modernise the Family Law. These are now under discussion in the Parliament.

73.The bill prepared by the MJPO concerning children in conflict with the law, which is now under discussion in the Council of Ministers, aims at establishing structures and procedures to allow all children, aged 14-18 years old, who are in conflict with the law to be treated differently than adult offenders and to create a child-friendly justice system.

74.The bill prepared by the MJPO concerning children in conflict with the law, is now under discussion in the Parliament.

75.Preventing and combating violence against women is an issue of high priority for the Government. In this regard, important developments have taken place with of most important to be the ratification of the Istanbul Convention, in November 2017. Alongside, a draft of specific law on violence against women which is in line with the Convention is currently going through a legal vetting from the law office (Law on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women).

Reply to paragraph 14 (b) of the list of issues

76.The CH has been in operation since September 2017, under the supervision and in cooperation with the SWS of the MLWSI. The CH adopts a multidisciplinary approach in a child friendly environment, while all services (forensic interview, medical/psychological/social services are provided under one roof. A multidisciplinary/interagency team discusses the cases referred to the House once a week and also emergency cases. This team consists of the Coordinator, the Social Worker and the Psychologist of the CH and representatives from the SWS, the Police, the MHS and the MOECSY.

Reply to paragraph 14 (c) of the list of issues

77.Following the National Strategy and Action Plan for Combating Sexual Abuse and Sexual Exploitation of Children and Child Pornography, a new Law was enacted for the establishment of a Ministerial Committee and a Council responsible for the implementation of the National Strategy (the Implementation of the National Strategy and Action Plan for Combating Sexual Abuse and Sexual Exploitation of Children and Child Pornography Law of 2017). The Council “FONI” (which means “voice”) has been established and its members have been appointed by the Council of Ministers, from both governmental and non-governmental agencies. The Council is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the National Strategy, awareness raising activities, etc. The Council has also created a portal where people of all ages can be informed about sexual abuse and child victims can receive information and support in order to report their abuse.

78.Within the framework of the National Strategy on the rights of child in health (2017-2025), a written Guideline on the «Procedure for Informing Children about their health according to their age and maturity» has been developed.

79.In the process of writing and approval of the Guideline Health Care Professionals from both the public and the private sectors were involved, as well as representatives of children.

80.The final document was distributed to all healthcare professionals (public and private sectors) and to the Health Insurance Organization for implementation. This is also available on the website of the MOH.

81.A second Protocol was developed by the MOH and is related to the right of children to have their parents can be present during the provision of healthcare to them. This document is available on the website of the MOH.

82.Information material as the rights of children in health was developed by the MOH and is distributed to health professionals and the public to all public hospitals, on the website of the MOH.

Reply to paragraph 14 (d) of the list of issues

83.Currently, the MΟECSY is receiving technical assistance from the Directorate General for Structural Reform Support (DG REFORM) of the European Commission and, in cooperation with experts from the European Agency of Special Needs and Inclusive Education, is in the process of reforming the existing law of Special Education, so that the education system becomes more efficient and inclusive. The experts have submitted a new draft framework law which was discussed with all stakeholders and now the project is in its second phase, for the preparation of regulations that will accompany the law.

84.The Police enforce the Law 51(I) 2016, transposing EU Directive 2012/29 that establishes minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime. Within the framework of the implementation of the provisions this Law, the Police, are following the procedures mentioned below:

•All victims of crime are informed on their rights, support and protection measures that are entitled to, through a special informational booklet that is given to them at the initial stage of any investigation procedure;

•A special committee of the Police that has been appointed, and is currently working, in order to ensure that there is full compliance with the provisions of this Law. Furthermore, it is in the process of preparing a specific procedure/list of practices regarding the assessment of the individual needs of any victim of crime, and in accordance to the provisions of the above mentioned Directive;

•A Protocol on Risk Assessment of Intimate Partners Violence has been recently introduced within the Police, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the ratifying Law 14(III)2017 (Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, Article 51, and the Law 51(I)2016, Articles 20 & 21). Police Recruits and Police Officers are trained on how to enforce and complete this protocol.

Reply to paragraph 15 of the list of issues

85.The current budget structure does not allow identification of budget lines regarding children and social sectors. Most of the expenditure related to children are spread across the various Ministries/Departments (e.g. MOECSY, MLWSI, MOH, etc.) based on the type of expenditure (e.g. wages and salaries, operational expenses, transfers).

86.Within the framework of Public Financial Management reforms, the MOF will introduce a new “Enterprise Resource Planning” (ERP) software and at the same time, adopt a new budget structure, which will be based on objectives and activities. This will enable each Ministry to formulate its budget so that expenditures are linked to children’s rights actions/activities. Therefore, information on separate budget lines related to children is expected to be available by 2022, when the new Enterprise Resource Planning software will be introduced.

87.The SWS since 2018 have made several adjustments on the budget lines in order to be able to calculate the percentage of their budget which is allocated to children. It has been estimated that approximately 45% of their budget is allocated to children.

88.Investing in education and training plays a key role in the present economic and demographic context, as underinvestment in human capital risks undermining the country’s prospect for sustainable and inclusive growth. The need for consolidating public budgets must be combined with the stimulation of growth-enhancing policies, such as education and training in close cooperation with all stakeholders, including the private sector. Since the budget reflects the agenda of the Government, the MOECSY allocates the available resources towards meeting its objectives and fulfilling children’s rights. The level of spending on education and training in Cyprus is above the EU average, as a percentage of GDP. More specifically, in 2017 the provisional public expenditure on education amounted to 6,3% of the GDP, which shows that the Government regards education as an investment for the future of the country and is considered as a high priority. The MOECSY has promoted the implementation of educational measures and policies to support children in need and facilitate the smooth integration of all vulnerable groups, especially children regardless of background. Particular attention has been placed on better investment of public resources, in which education priorities have been re-examined and adequate adjustments have been made. At the same time, all financial assistance schemes for pupils have been redesigned, on the basis of income-related criteria, and other schemes were introduced to satisfy new needs, thus providing the opportunity to better address the needs of the vulnerable groups. Budget data is not disaggregated by child rights related programmes and/or age, since by default the great majority of the MOECSY’s budget is spent on children.

Reply to paragraph 16 (a) of the list of issues

89.According to data collected by the Health Monitoring Unit of the MOH based on Death Certificates, during the period of 2004-2017, there are 2 reported cases of infanticide (killing an infant within the first year of life), one in 2008 and one in 2012.

Reply to paragraph 16 (b) of the list of issues

90.The Pedagogical Institute has collected data from the implementation of the MOECSY’s anti-racist policy for the past three years as follows.

91.For the school year 2016-2017, 41 reports were received from schools with details about the racist incidents they recorded. Out of these, 24 schools reported no incidents, while 17 recorded a total of 127 racist incidents. The most frequent criteria related to the racist behaviour were the victims’ appearance, age and gender. The victims in all cases were pupils except in nine incidents where the victims were teachers and one incident in which the victim was another member of the school community.

92.For the school year 2017-2018, 100 reports were received from schools with details about the racist incidents they recorded. Out of these, 57 schools reported no incidents, while 43 recorded a total of 302 racist incidents. The most frequent criteria related to the racist behaviour were the victims’ appearance, ethnicity and language. 268 pupils and 13 teachers/other members of the school community members were involved as victims, while 301 pupils and six teachers/other school community members were involved as perpetrators.

93.For the school year 2018-2019, 124 reports were received from schools with details about the racist incidents they recorded. Out of these, 76 schools reported no incidents, while 48 recorded a total of 357 racist incidents. The most frequent criteria related to the racist behaviour were the victims’ appearance, ethnicity and skills/abilities. 400 pupils and 27 teachers/other members of the school community members were involved as victims, while 319 pupils and three teachers/other school community members were involved as perpetrators. The table below shows the relevant numbers of incidents for the last three school years:

Criterion	School year 2016-2017	School year 2017-2018	School year 2018-2019
Appearance	47	102	97
Age	25	0	6
Gender	11	15	16
Gender identity	0	4	5
Ethnicity	8	50	54
Sexual orientation	7	10	19
Skin colour	7	15	24
Community	5	8	7
Behaviour	5	22	0
Religion	3	9	17
Language	3	28	22
Skills/abilities	2	14	51
Disability	1	9	8
Citizenship status	1	0	1
Family status	1	0	0
Sexuality	1	0	0
Political or other beliefs	0	0	4
Other characteristic	0	16	26
Total	127	302	357

Source: MOECSY .

94.No incidents/offences with racist or xenophobic motives against children were reported to the Police the last 5 years .

Reply to paragraph 16 (c) of the list of issues

95.The MOH is in the process of establishing a system for the collection of a minimum number of health data and mutilation is included in this data set.

Reply to paragraph 16 (d) of the list of issues

Therapy provided to minors for the period 2016-2018
Age of minors	Number of minors
12	1
13	2
14	14
15	32
16	70
17	113
18	151

Source : Cypru s National Addictions Authority .

Year	Number of minors
Boys	Girls
2016	124	17
2017	91	21
2018	98	32
T otal	313	70

Source : Cyprus National Addictions Authority .

Reply to paragraph 16 (e) of the list of issues

Domestic violence victims - including children

Sex	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019 *	Total	Percentage %
Male	189	195	192	152	206	165	1099	19,4
Boy <18	60	81	100	107	103	89	540	9,5
Female	622	660	519	501	566	609	3477	61,3
Girl <18	76	94	94	105	90	94	553	9,8
Total	947	1030	905	865	965	957	5669	100

Source: Cyprus Police .

Domestic violence incidents – type of violence

Type of Violence	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019*	Total	Percentage %
Sexual	19	50	41	27	14	13	164	3,1
Physical	566	556	513	506	596	630	3367	64
Psychological	308	345	281	253	288	251	1726	32,9
Total	893	951	835	786	898	894	5257	100

Source : Cyprus Police .

* As concerns the data collected for 2019, the official statistics for child victims will be published in April 2020 .

Reply to paragraph 16 (f) of the list of issues

Total number of cases reported to t he Children’s House concerning child s exual and/or exploitation for 2019 - 287 children

District	No . o f c ases
Boys	Girls
Nicosia	40	69
Limassol	31	55
Larnaca	22	30
Paphos	4	24
Ammochostos	3	8

Source: Children’s House .

Total n umber of cases reported to the Police as regards child sexual abuse

Y ear	R eported cases	Cases brought to court
2017	138	48
2018	165	48
2019	210	43

Source: Cyprus Police .

Reply to paragraph 16 (g) of the list of issues

Child victims of sexual a buse (Police statistics)

Year	Girls	Boys	T otal of victims
2017	105	35	140
2018	125	43	168
2019	149	68	217

Source: Cyprus Police .

Reply to paragraph 16 (h) of the list of issues

96.With regards to corporal punishment the MOECSY has issued a circular addressed to all headteachers of public schools (primary, secondary general, secondary technical and vocational education and training) indicating that any form of corporal punishment is strictly prohibited. Headteachers were asked to discuss the circular during a staff meeting and consider it as a high priority. The MOECSY’s services help school units in developing action plans that promote alternative forms of discipline which are non-violent. The school mediation programme in primary and secondary education is offered to teachers’ and pupils’ training on a school-basis, as an alternative way of discipline. In particular, the implementation of the programme gives the opportunity to pupils to resolve conflicts in a peaceful way, through compromise and restorative justice, thus avoiding penalties that schools use in such cases.

Reply to paragraph 16 (i) of the list of issues

	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018
Percentage of at risk of poverty (0-17 years old)	24,7	28,9	29,6	25,5	25,5

Reply to paragraph 16 (j) of the list of issues

New applications for i nterna tional protection submitted by unaccompanied c hildren

Year	Number of unaccompanied c hildren
2017	224
2018	259
2019	535

Source : Asylum Service .

97.In 2019, 20 children were granted refugee or subsidiary protection.

98.No child has been refused to enter the Republic of Cyprus.

Reply to paragraph 16 (k) of the list of issues

99.N/A.

Reply to paragraph 16 (l) of the list of issues

100.The Cyprus Roma pupils are mainly enrolled in Agios Antonios Kindergarten, Primary and Secondary Schools in Lemesos, since they live in the nearby surrounding areas. The right to education is guaranteed for all children, and for those belonging to vulnerable groups such as Cyprus Roma. School attendance is compulsory until the age of 15, and the MOECSY takes several measures in order to cater for their needs and further reduce school absenteeism and early dropouts. The table below shows the numbers of pupils enrolled in the past three years:

	Kindergarten	Primary School	Secondary School
Boys	Girls	Total	Boys	Girls	Total	Boys	Girls	Total
2017-2018	2	1	3	8	7	15	6	4	10
2018-2019	3	3	6	6	6	12	7	5	12
2019-2020	5	5	10	5	8	13	3	4	7

Source : MOECSY .

Reply to paragraphs 17 (a), (b) and (c) of the list of issues

Number of children placed in foster or institutional care 2017

Placement of a child	Cases from previous year	New cases	Cases that were ended	Active cases on 31/12/2017
Foster Care	171	76	144	103
Residential Care	154	169	108	215
T otal	325	245	252	318

Source : SWS .

Number of unaccompanied children placed in foster or institutional care 2018

Placement of a child (unaccompanied minors)	Cases from previous year	New cases	Cases that were ended	Active cases on 31/12/2018
Foster Care	74	50	17	107
Residential Care	143	108	68	183
T otal	217	158	85	290

Source : SWS .

Reply to paragraph 17 (d) of the list of issues

	Application brought forward from last year	New Applications	Completed Adoptions	Ended Otherwise	Pending Application at 31/12/2018
Domestic Adoption	53	49	63	8	31
Intercountry Adoption	19	21	5	-	16

Source: SWS .

Reply to paragraphs 18 (a) and (b) of the list of issues

Number and percentage of people (from birth to 20 years) who live in institutions or receive day care services

Year 2018	Number	Percentage
Live in Institution	1	0,2%
Receive Day Care Services	79	12%

Source: Committee for the Protection of the Rights of People with Mental Disability .

Reply to paragraphs 18 (c), (d), (e) and (f) of the list of issues

Year	Regular Schools Public/Private	Special School	No Attendance	Total
2017	371 (54%)	161 (24%)	152 (22%)	684 (100%)
2018	405 (60%)	179 (27%)	89 (13%)	673 (100%)
2019	436 (66%)	190 (29%)	30 (5%)	656 (100%)

Source: Committee for the Protection of the Rights of People with Mental Disability .

101.Appendix I – Statistical data from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth.

Reply to paragraph 18 (g) of the list of issues

102.N/A.

Reply to paragraph 19 (a) of the list of issues

103.N/A.

Reply to paragraph 19 (b) of the list of issues

Minors referred to diversion programs

Year	Number of Minors referred to Diversion Programs
2017	104
2018	113

Source : SWS .

Reply to paragraph 19 (c) of the list of issues

104.N/A.

Reply to paragraph 19 (d) of the list of issues

	2017	2018	2019
In pretrial detention	18	7	4
In detention	7	4	5

Source : MJPO .

Reply to paragraph 20 of the list of issues

105.The Sustainable Development Goals 2 and 3 and in particular 3.4 aims to reduce the premature mortality from NCDs by one third by 2030. Prevention and NCDs requires a life-course approach to nutrition, which is also one of key concepts of Health 2020. Thus, a focus of MOH in promotion, support and protection of breast feeding falls within these lines.

106.The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are integrated in the MOECSY’s educational policies as cross-cutting issues in all educational levels. For the effective implementation of the SDGs in a more participatory way and engaging children in the processes of decision-making, planning and implementation, the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) School Plan was introduced in schools, within the context of the "Sustainable Environmental Education Agenda". According to this policy, pupils with the rest of the school community design and implement their ESD School Plan, based on SDGs issues that are of high priority in their specific, social, geographical and economic context. The innovative elements of this ESD Plan is that pupils have the leading role, for improving their quality of life in the school context. Through this process pupils are co-planers, co-decision makers and key drivers for transforming, with specific actions, their school. The level of pupils’ participation in all the stages of the ESD School Plan is assessed at the end of the school year with specific indicators which aim to support schools for their self-improvement regarding the SDGs integration and school transformation to child-centred approaches. These indicators are qualitative and provide information regarding pupils’ participation and engagement in planning the ESD School Plan and their participation in activities and actions regarding the SDGs. 

Reply to paragraph 21 of the list of issues

107.Since the school year 2019-2020, the MOECSY has restructured its services related to violence and delinquency in schools, with a view to modernize them and improve the effectiveness of their work. Specifically, prevention services were separated from those for repression. With the new structure special emphasis is given on prevention, as the Pedagogical Institute, through the organisation of various in-service training programmes, promotes a variety of training activities to empower teachers and pupils (e.g. intervention and experiential programmes in schools).

108.Under the National Strategic Plan for Combating Violence in school, the Police in cooperation with the Pedagogical Institute organized in 08/11/19 a Day Seminar for high ranks officers of MOECSY for Handling Juvenile Delinquency issues. After the success of the seminar, the need of more training programs for MOECSY officers by the Police has been recognized and new seminars were planned for the year 2020 at Nicosia and Limassol Pedagogical Institutes.

Reply to paragraph 22 of the list of issues

109.The health of children is included among the priorities of the area of health of the MOH.

110.Through its three-year strategic plan for the period 2020-2022, the MOECSY is aiming to ensure the provision of learning opportunities to all learners, through the implementation of an educational policy which embodies the values of equality, inclusiveness, creativity and innovation. Our basic goal is to increase access to quality education and provide opportunities for all learners to become successful in their learning, through modernising teaching methods and approaches, designing and implementing modern developmental programmes and creating the infrastructure that can facilitate high quality education. The MOECSY’s vision is to form literate citizens with skills, responsibility, democratic ethos, historical identity as well as respect for diversity. As a result, education is considered as the means for social mobility, inclusion and active participation of all in our society and a basic tool for effectively combating inequalities, various social problems and achieving social cohesion.

111.Within the context of its strategic plan the MOECSY primarily focuses on five key strategic priorities, for which an action plan for all its departments and services is being developed. In particular, for each of these strategic priorities, the planning includes the specification of educational policy, the in-service training of the teaching staff, the preparation and allocation of the appropriate educational material, as well as the ongoing monitoring of these actions for the purpose of feedback and improvement. The priorities that are important for improving education in Cyprus are:

(1)Pupil evaluation across the whole range of the educational system;

(2)Teachers’ evaluation and evaluation of the educational work;

(3)Prevention of violence and delinquency;

(4)Integration of children with migrant background into the educational system;

(5)Special and inclusive education.