Committee on the Rights of the Child

Combined sixth and seventh periodic reports submitted by Tajikistan under article 44 of the Convention, due in 2022 *

[Date received: 25 May 2022]

Introduction

1.This report is being submitted in accordance with the treaty-specific guidelines regarding the form and content of periodic reports to be submitted by States parties under article 44 (1) (b) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC/C/58/Rev.3).

2.The report covers the period 2017–2022 and includes a review of legislation to protect the rights of the child and measures taken to give effect to the concluding observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5, CRC/C/OPSC/TJK/CO/1 and CRC/C/OPAC/TJK/CO/1).

3.The report was drawn up by a working group of the Government Commission on International Human Rights Obligations and the Government Commission on the Rights of the Child in broad consultation with civil society. The draft report was discussed at public hearings and was also sent to government bodies and civil society institutions for comment.

Follow-up information relating to articles 4, 42 and 44 (6) of the Convention, paragraph 6 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5 and paragraphs 6–7 and 20–21 of concluding observations CRC/C/OPAC/TJK/CO/1

4.In 2018 and 2020, amendments to the Children’s Rights Act provided for additional guarantees for orphans and children left without parental care. A procedure for identifying and registering children left without parental care has been approved and laws and regulations designed to strengthen and protect children’s rights have been adopted (for more details, see the relevant sections of this report).

5.A working group set up in 2020 to consider the introduction of amendments to the Family Code with regard to foster families is drawing up a bill on tutorship and guardianship.

Follow-up information relating to paragraph 5 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5 and paragraphs 10–11 of concluding observations CRC/C/OPSC/TJK/CO/1

6.On 19 April 2018, the Government Commission on the Rights of the Child approved a national action plan to implement the recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child covering the period 2018–2022. It sets out a list of measures, implementation deadlines and responsible government agencies. The implementation of the action plan is being monitored by the Children’s Rights Unit of the Human Rights Guarantees Department in the Executive Office of the President of Tajikistan (see annex).

7.In 2018, on the instruction of the Deputy Prime Minister, a 15-person interdepartmental working group was set up to devise a common children’s rights programme in cooperation with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and civil society institutions. A comprehensive programme and related action plan have been drawn up but, as the programme requires substantial funding, its adoption has been postponed until the country’s economic and financial situation improves. Nonetheless, the question of mustering the necessary funds to implement the programme is being discussed with the UNICEF office in Tajikistan.

8.Children’s rights issues are one of the priorities of the Human Rights Strategy that is being formulated for the period up to 2030. Its adoption is expected in the first half of 2022.

Follow-up information relating to paragraph 7 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5, paragraphs 12–13 of concluding observations CRC/COPSC/TJK/CO/1 and paragraph 9 of concluding observations CRC/C/OPAC/TJK/CO/1

9.In 2016, the Ministry of Education and Science was designated as the State body responsible for the protection of children’s rights. Its functions include the adoption of laws and regulations to protect children’s rights, monitoring the indicators of the State minimum social standards of living for children, creating and maintaining a single State database on children with disabilities, orphans and street children, as well as supervising the provision of full State material and social support for orphans and street children. In 2019, a child protection department with eight members of staff was created at the headquarters of the Ministry of Education and Science.

10.The Children’s Rights Unit in the Executive Office of the President, which has four members of staff, carries out the overall coordination of the activities of government bodies and ensures their interaction at the interregional and interdepartmental level. The unit also serves as the secretariat of the Commission on the Rights of the Child and coordinates the activities of provincial, municipal and district children’s rights commissions.

11.The children’s rights commissions have been established with a view to comprehensively protecting children’s rights and legitimate interests, providing legal, social, material and other assistance to families with children and children in conflict with the law, and coordinating the relevant activities of central and local State authorities, government agencies and self-governance bodies in settlements and villages (dehot), enterprises, institutions and other organizations.

12.Children’s rights commissions comprise the Government Commission on the Rights of the Child (hereinafter referred to as the “National Commission on the Rights of the Child”) and the children’s rights commissions of Kŭhistoni Badakhshon Autonomous Province, the provinces, the city of Dushanbe, towns and districts (hereinafter referred to as “local children’s rights commissions”).

13.Local children’s rights commissions carry out duties and functions related to tutorship and guardianship of children, protect children’s rights and interests and monitor issues connected with the education and upbringing of children, and liaise with the National Commission on the Rights of the Child. Local children’s rights commissions are made up of representatives of government bodies, institutions and organizations active in the fields of education, social protection, health care, prevention of child neglect and juvenile delinquency, as well as representatives of the self-governance bodies in settlements and villages and of organizations.

14.Children’s rights units with a total of nine members of staff have been established within the State authorities of Kŭhistoni Badakhshon Autonomous Province, the Provinces of Sughd and Khatlon and the city of Dushanbe, and children’s rights commissions with a total of 68 members of staff have been set up in towns and districts.

15.The Interdepartmental Commission to Combat Trafficking in Persons was established on 4 January 2005 to coordinate the activities of government agencies combating human trafficking and organize their interaction. In 2017, new members were appointed to the Commission and its regulations were approved.

Follow-up information relating to paragraph 8 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5 and paragraphs 16–17 of concluding observations CRC/C/OPSC/TJK/CO/1

16.In line with the priorities of the National Development Strategy and the Millennium Development Goals, the Government’s budget policy is distinctly socially oriented, with total spending on the social sector constituting at least 50 per cent of all consolidated budgetary expenditure.

17.Preschools and general education establishments are funded from the State budget. In 2021, 3,212.1 million somoni (SM) were made available, namely SM 286.7 million for preschools and SM 2,925.4 million for general education establishments. The State budget for 2022 allocated SM 3,331.1 million for these purposes, with SM 3,027.2 million going to general education establishments and SM 323.1 million going to preschools, an increase of SM 119.0 million, or 3.7 per cent, over the figures for 2021.

18.Funding for preschool, primary, general elementary and general secondary education for 2017–2022:

Title	Approved budget	Revised budget	Disbursed
Preschool education	1 457 887 985	1 574 224 481	1 280 043 928
2017	179 729 065	198 855 792	193 681 565
2018	191 846 532	234 993 938	226 000 632
2019	222 332 659	243 662 585	237 809 165
2020	252 649 609	234 949 290	228 432 516
2021	296 543 319	312 079 039	308 565 961
2022	314 786 801	349 683 837	85 554 089
Primary education	974 057 281	987 791 031	817 486 764
2017	171 739 109	167 688 380	155 557 910
2018	133 076 001	145 869 955	142 441 032
2019	148 554 284	150 318 953	145 829 901
2020	155 183 380	155 320 182	152 060 291
2021	179 875 959	182 568 601	178 519 373
2022	185 628 547	186 024 959	43 078 258
General elementary education	667 161 939	676 089 479	553 368 291
2017	88 609 246	89 183 384	86 937 917
2018	89 524 215	93 473 706	90 878 846
2019	101 313 465	102 625 155	99 559 633
2020	113 045 559	112 709 582	110 369 752
2021	132 320 580	135 800 852	132 942 524
2022	142 348 874	142 296 801	32 679 617
General secondary education	13 811 325 788	14 730 382 859	12 243 817 894
2017	1 782 692 229	1 946 325 542	1 908 802 938
2018	1 914 895 131	2 108 226 877	2 061 196 457
2019	2 211 409 707	2 344 206 540	2 291 042 868
2020	2 323 512 008	2 390 827 866	2 357 720 081
2021	2 727 473 726	2 911 281 187	2 875 424 937
2022	2 851 342 987	3 029 514 848	749 630 613
Total	16 910 432 992	17 968 487 850	14 894 716 877

19.In 2021, SM 73.1 million of appropriations to support the running of health-care and social protection institutions were directly targeted on the treatment and rehabilitation of children and adolescents, and SM 81 million for this purpose were included in the draft national budget for 2022.

20.The Ministry of Internal Affairs was allocated SM 1,273.8 million from the State budget for the period 2019–2021, with 912.3 million coming from budgetary funds and SM 361.5 million from special funds. The budget for the current year allocated SM 480.0 million, with SM 346.1 million and SM 133.9 somoni coming from the above-mentioned funds, respectively.

21.The appropriations for the activities of children’s rights units and the Commission on the Rights of the Child for the period 2019–2021 amounted to SM 209.9 million. The appropriation for 2022 is SM 74.1 million.

Follow-up information relating to paragraph 9 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5, paragraphs 6–7 of concluding observations CRC/C/OPSC/TJK/CO/1 and paragraph 13 of concluding observations CRC/C/OPAC/TJK/CO/1

22.An interdepartmental working group has been set up at the Statistics Agency, an entity reporting to the President, to improve statistical reporting forms in order that data can be disaggregated to meet the requirements of the Sustainable Development Goals. Its duties include:

The reviewing of existing forms for reporting education and health-care statistics, juvenile justice statistics, crime statistics and statistics on vulnerable groups of children

The consideration of ways to improve the mechanism for collecting statistical data on juvenile offenders and child witnesses or victims of crime and violence

The consideration of questions related to the compilation of a database on orphans and children left without parental care

23.The following were approved by order of the Director of the Statistics Agency:

Methodology for assessing child poverty in Tajikistan

Statistical report form No. 1, entitled “Report on Victims of Crime”, to collect data disaggregated by the sex, age, social status, etc., of crime victims, which has been used since 2020

Draft six-monthly statistical report form No. 2, entitled “Report on Offenders”, for collecting data disaggregated by the sex, age, social status, etc., of persons who have committed crimes; the form was drawn up in coordination with the Ministry of Internal Affairs in order to improve the collection of information on orphans and children left without parental care

Statistical report form No. 103-RIK entitled “Report on the number of children and adolescents left without parental care”, which was reviewed and amended to take account of a UNICEF proposal

24.The Office of the Procurator General has prepared draft provisions on the mechanism for collecting statistical data on juvenile offenders and child witnesses or victims of crime and violence, which have been submitted to the Government with a view to improving the effectiveness of situation assessments, determining the dynamics of the process and obtaining the basic objective information required to develop effective State measures in the field of juvenile justice, juvenile crime prevention, mentoring, defending minors’ rights and legitimate interests and optimizing the relevant interaction between State and non-governmental entities.

25.The Statistics Agency, working with UNICEF, has participated in a global peer review of the draft International Classification of Violence Against Children for Statistical Purposes (ICVAC), the aim of which is to improve the recording and comparability of various forms of violence against children within and between countries.

26.The Ministry of Education and Science has improved its system for collecting and analysing data on children, with a special focus on vulnerable children. The results are included in the Preschool Education Report (TM-1) as part of the EMIS programme. The report provides information on persons under the age of 18, including children from vulnerable groups, children with disabilities, orphans and homeless children, as well as children from low-income families, disaggregated by age, sex, region, ethnicity and socioeconomic status. The report is published annually in the Yearbook of Education Statistics of the Republic of Tajikistan.

27.Since 2011, the State Agency for Social Protection has been running a project to provide targeted social assistance for low-income families. A single national register of low-income families and persons with disabilities (ASIST) has been created as part of this project. The low-income family database includes sections on the social situation of children, including their type of disability. For example, as at 1 January 2022, the ASIST database covered 83,183 children under the age of 7 from low-income families and 40,981 families with children between the ages of 7 and 16.

28.The Ministry of Health and Social Protection has introduced report form SOT-1, which contains information on persons under 18 years of age, including children with disabilities and children from low-income families, disaggregated by age, region and type of services provided to them, as well as their category of vulnerability (orphan, without parental care, etc.). The data in report form 7-VTEK (initial disability) also cover the cause of the disability and measures to rehabilitate children.

29.In 2021, a unit for the medical and social assessment of children and adolescents was established within the State Medical and Social Assessment Service of the above-mentioned Ministry to secure transparency when determining children’s disability and improve record keeping, and an arrangement was made for exchanging information with the Government’s Social Insurance and Pension Agency.

30.In order to safeguard the labour rights of workers under 18 years of age, the Ministry of Labour, Migration and Employment has developed a draft procedure for compiling a list of workers under 18 years of age and a model list of workers under 18, indicating the sex, ethnicity and social status of the workers, to be used by enterprises and organizations regardless of their form of ownership. The procedure is in the process of approval.

Follow-up information relating to paragraph 10 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5

31.The Commissioner for Children’s Rights is the Deputy Commissioner for Human Rights. The legal, organizational, scientific, analytical and information duties of the Commissioner for Children’s Rights are entrusted to the Unit for State Protection of Children’s Rights in the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights. The Commissioner for Children’s Rights is assisted in his or her work by units of the central and local offices of the Commissioner for Human Rights.

32.The budget of the Commissioner for Human Rights for 2018–2021 was SM 6,969,117. Of this amount SM 6,551,340 were allocated to the central office of the Commissioner for Human Rights and a total of SM 417,777 to the local budgets of the branches of the Commissioner’s Office in Kŭhistoni Badakhshon Autonomous Province and the Provinces of Sughd and Khatlon. Grants amounting to SM 1,673,162 went to support the community liaison offices of the Commissioner for Human Rights, SM 200,955 of which were provided by the UNICEF office in Tajikistan in order to monitor children’s institutions and strengthen the activities of the Commissioner for Human Rights in the field of protecting children’s rights.

33.The Commissioner for Children’s Rights cooperates with local children’s rights commissions and other government bodies, including the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Committee for Women and the Family.

34.In order to provide additional support for the Commissioner for Human Rights, training seminars are organized and conducted for the staff of the Unit for State Protection of Children’s Rights and of branches and community liaison offices. Between 2018 and 2021, more than 15 training sessions were held on: international and national mechanisms to protect children’s rights including their right to submit complaints; psychological aspects of the professional activities of staff working to protect children’s rights; and the rights of children with disabilities, in particular their access to education.

35.One of the primary activities of the Commissioner for Human Rights is receiving and considering submissions concerning the rights of the child from individuals and legal entities. Between 2018 and 2021, the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights registered 819 submissions, of which 222 were written and 590 were oral, concerning the following rights and freedoms of the child: the right to a fair trial; the right to an adequate standard of living, parental care and upbringing in the family; the right to inviolability of the person, freedom from torture and other ill-treatment; the right to health; the right of a child to preserve his or her identity; the right to submit complaints; the right of defence; the right to personal relationships with parents and the preservation of kinship; the right to education; the right to work and to decent working conditions; the right to leave and enter the country, and other rights.

36.The procedure for considering children’s submissions to the Office of the Commissioner for Human rights was approved by Order No. 72 of the Commissioner for Human Rights of 18 September 2020.

37.A working group of representatives of the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, the Ministry of Labour, Migration and Employment and the Committee for Women and the Family has been established to apply experience to date in other ministries and departments. A procedure for handling children’s submissions has been devised, taking into account the specific fields of each of the above-mentioned departments.

38.Between 2018 and 2021, the Commissioner for Children’s Rights inspected and monitored 43 institutions, including specialized schools, children’s convalescent centres, boarding schools, primary schools and preschools. The findings of these inspections and monitoring are discussed at round tables held annually as part of Human Rights Week, with the participation of the heads of local children’s rights commissions, representatives of the relevant ministries and departments, civil society organizations and journalists. In the light of these findings, recommendations have been made to address existing shortcomings. The Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights has two official websites on which the reports of the Commissioner for Human Rights and the Commissioner for Children’s Rights are posted.

Follow-up information relating to paragraph 11 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5, paragraphs 14–15 of concluding observations CRC/C/OPSC/TJK/CO/1 and paragraph 11 of concluding observations CRC/C/OPAC/TJK/CO/1

39.The relevant strategies have been adopted to carry out educative and awareness-raising activities. A programme for the legal education and training of citizens covering the period 2020–2030 was adopted by Government Decision No. 599 of 27 November 2019, and a coordinating council was established under the auspices of the Ministry of Justice.

40.On 30 December 2021, the (third) Human Rights Education Programme was adopted, covering the period 2022–2026. To implement this programme, an interdepartmental coordinating council has been created. It reports to the Commissioner for Human Rights.

41.Between 2018 and 2021, the Commissioner for Children’s Rights issued 274 statements on various topics relating to children’s rights and freedoms through the media (74 on television and 71 radio, 93 through the electronic media and 36 in the print media).

42.Between 2018 and 2021, the Commissioner for Children’s Rights met teachers and pupils of more than 25 general education establishments and provided instruction in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the history of the adoption, basic principles and mechanisms for the protection of children’s rights.

43.In order to improve citizens’ access to the activities of the Commissioner for Children’s Rights, there is a trilingual website www.vhk.tj with information on the Commissioner’s activities, international and national legal texts in the field of children’s rights, national reports of Tajikistan to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, Committee recommendations and other useful information in the field of children’s rights. Between 2018 and 2021, 22,720 users availed themselves of the site’s services.

44.The Ministry of Education and Science has revised 62 subjects, including the curricula, in the 2021–2023 programmes of the National Institute for Advanced and Refresher Training for Educational Staff, by making changes in and additions to their content to adapt them to the literacy approach to learning, approved by the board of the Ministry of Education and Science.

45.Teachers of history and law in general education establishments receive regular training at the Institute and its branches. In 2021, 34 advanced training courses were held for teachers of history and law in general education schools. A total of 905 persons took part in a 54-hour training programme, 24 hours of which were devoted to legal subjects.

46.The advanced training curriculum for 2021–2023 includes the following topics: “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights”, “The Convention on the Rights of the Child and its implementation in the activities of educational establishments”, “Theoretical foundations and stimulation of children’s activities (play, work)”, “Protection of the life and health of children” and “Working with children with special needs”. Some of the key issues when preparing the curricula of advanced training courses for kindergarten directors, head teachers and teachers of boarding schools, principals of educational establishments, deputy directors of education, counsellors and heads of education departments, leaders of student organizations, elementary school teachers and history and law teachers were the prevention of juvenile delinquency, addressing challenges, domestic violence and the subjecting of minors to forced labour.

47.The Supreme Court’s Judicial Training Centre held training seminars for judges in 2018–2022.

Follow-up information relating to paragraph 12 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5

48.The Government attaches great importance to interaction and cooperation with civil society institutions. Representatives of civil society are members of various interdepartmental and State commissions on diverse human rights issues and are also invited to participate in working groups to draft laws and regulations.

49.For example, the representatives of the Nota Bene Foundation have a standing invitation to meetings of the Government Commission on International Human Rights Obligations. They have also been invited to serve as national consultants to the working groups drafting the Human Rights Strategy for the period up to 2030 and drafting comprehensive non-discrimination legislation.

50.Representatives of the Legal Initiative Foundation are members of working groups dealing with the implementation of juvenile justice strategies.

51.The Civil Society Network on Access to Justice is a permanent partner of the Ministry of Justice in implementing the free legal aid plan.

52.Representatives of the Human Rights Centre, a voluntary association, are members of the working group set up at the Ministry of Health and Social Protection to promote the standards of the Istanbul Protocol.

53.Organizations of persons with disabilities are included in all the working groups set up at ministries and departments to implement programmes and projects aimed at improving legislation and mechanisms to promote the rights of persons with disabilities. For example, at the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, the working group on early childhood development has drawn up clinical guidelines entitled “Introducing Children with Down Syndrome” in cooperation with the voluntary associations Herod, Hayot Dar Oila, Marvorid, Ranginkamon, Nazari Digar and Dilhoyi Kushoda. Representatives of civil society have been involved and have actively participated in drafting the State Accessible Environment Programme for 2021–2025, the National Programme to Combat the HIV/AIDS Epidemic for 2021–2025 and the National Programme to Protect the Population from Tuberculosis for 2021–2025.

54.In order to improve legislation to strengthen gender policy and protect women’s rights, a working group was created by order of the Head of the Executive Office of the President of Tajikistan of 29 June 2017 and was tasked with improving laws and regulations so as to eliminate gender stereotypes, protect women’s rights and prevent domestic violence. This group has been subdivided into the following subgroups:

Subgroup 1: Issues related to the improvement of laws and regulations with a view to eliminating gender stereotypes (under the auspices of the Committee for Women and the Family, in conjunction with the Prevention of Domestic Violence Project)

Subgroup 2: Issues related to the improvement of laws and regulations protecting women’s rights (under the auspices of the Ministry of Justice, in conjunction with the Rule of Law and Access to Justice Programme of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP))

Subgroup 3: Issues related to the improvement of laws and regulation with a view to preventing domestic violence (under the auspices of the Office of the Procurator General, in conjunction with the Prevention of Domestic Violence Project); laws and regulations are drafted in cooperation with civil society

55.The draft national strategy on enhancing the role of women in Tajikistan by 2030 and its draft action plan for 2021–2025, which define the main thrust of State policy to enhance the role of women by creating equal opportunities for women, preventing and eliminating violence against women and protecting the rights and interests of families, women and children, have been considered with the participation of civil society, including voluntary associations such as Zerkalo (Mirror), Gender and Development, the League of Women with Disabilities, the League of Women Lawyers, Khurshed and the Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia – Tajikistan.

56.The implementation of the Joint United Nations and European Union Spotlight Initiative, which seeks to protect women, young people, children, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups from all forms of discriminatory violence, was approved by Government Decision No. 186 of 24 May 2021. The national coordinator is the Committee for Women and the Family, with support from the United Nations (United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), UNDP, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and UNICEF) and 16 non-governmental organizations chosen by United Nations system entities.

57.Every year the Committee for Youth and Sport grants SM 100,000 to 10 voluntary associations on the basis of Government Decision No. 167 of 10 May 2005 on the establishment of grants from the Government of Tajikistan to civil society organizations active in the area of the patriotic upbringing of young people.

Follow-up information relating to paragraph 13 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5

58.In accordance with the Children’s Rights Act, “child” means any person under 18 years of age.

59.With regard to the prevention of early marriages, see paragraphs 128–136 of this report.

Follow-up information relating to paragraph 14 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5

60.There are two procedures for the provision of medical services to children in health-care institutions, depending on their age and illness. These procedures were approved by the government decisions on the procedure for providing health-care services to citizens of Tajikistan in State health-care institutions and on the Programme of State Guarantees for the Provision of Health-Care Assistance in Pilot Cities, Towns and Districts of Tajikistan for 2020−2022.,

61.Under these instruments, medical care is completely free for children under 1 year of age, persons who have had disabilities since childhood, children with disabilities under 18 years of age who are in orphanages, family-type (foster) care or boarding schools for orphans and children left without parental care, and members of low-income families.

62.For patients with acute myocardial infarction (in the first two weeks), terminal cancer, haemophilia, leprosy, rabies, diphtheria, tuberculosis (under the directly observed treatment, short-course (DOTS) programme), HIV/AIDS or insulin-dependent diabetes, including children in these categories, and for children under 5 years of age with diarrhoeal diseases and acute respiratory illnesses (under the Integrated Childhood Diseases Programme) medical services are completely free.

63.Under the Programme of State Guarantees for the Provision of Health-Care Assistance in Pilot Cities, Towns and Districts of Tajikistan for 2020–2022, children who fall ill with social diseases, in particular diarrhoeal diseases, acute respiratory illnesses, haemophilia, tuberculosis, insulin-dependent diabetes and HIV/AIDS, are provided with free medicines and substances for medical use. These are financed through the State budget, grants and humanitarian aid, additional funds allocated by local State authorities and other sources permitted under national legislation.

64.To enable social services to reach a greater number of vulnerable children, social service centres have been established and are operating under State social procurement contracts. There are 32 day-care centres for children with special needs, 13 integrated social service centres for children with special needs and persons with difficult conditions of life, and one rehabilitation centre (with a 21-day inpatient stay) for children with special needs and their mothers in Mir Said Ali Hamadoni District. These centres provided social services to 5,166 persons with disabilities in 2021, including 417 children with disabilities; 1,066 more people received services than in 2020.

65.Since 2011, the Social Protection Agency has been implementing a project to provide targeted social assistance for low-income families (for more details, see paragraphs 28–29 of this report).

66.To provide social services to children with disabilities, 48 day-care centres have been established in cities, towns and districts across the country, serving 3,999 persons with disabilities.

67.In 2018, 10,196 children under the age of 18 were tested for HIV on the basis of clinical evidence, with 85 of them testing positive; in 2019, 16,331 children were tested (of whom 62 tested positive); in 2020, 9,759 children were tested (of whom 92 tested positive); and in 2021, 10,921 children were tested (of whom 30 tested positive).

68.In 2019, an additional 120,000 tests were conducted among school children aged 7–17 in Dushanbe, Kŭlob and Tursunzoda, with 83 people being diagnosed with HIV.

Year	Number of children living with HIV	Antiviral therapy coverage	Effectiveness of treatment (percentage)
2018	872	848	64.3
2019	1 061	977	76.0
2020	1 079	1 041	86.7
2021	1 106	1 073	90.5

69.Of the total of 1,106 children between 0 and 18 years of age living with HIV, 676 are boys (61.1 per cent) and 430 are girls (38.9 per cent). There are 880 such children between 10 and 18 years of age, of whom 558 (63.4 per cent) are boys and 322 (36.6 per cent) are girls. Diagnostic and treatment services for HIV and other opportunistic infections (tuberculosis, pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, etc.) are free for all minors with HIV under 18 years of age. Treatment and laboratory diagnosis of HIV in both adults and children are provided through support from international donors (UNDP, Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria). There are no problems with the provision of tests to monitor HIV and of antiretroviral drug treatment in the country.

70.The Ministry of Education and Science is taking steps to train various types of social specialist, particularly those working with children with special needs, and to facilitate their training, as well as working with development partners to establish favourable conditions for the creation of new professions in the social sphere.

71.In cooperation with development partners, the National Medical College under the Ministry of Health and Social Protection began to offer training in social work in 2020. Within the framework of cooperation between the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, this specialism will be phased in at colleges with the necessary capacities, in line with societal needs.

72.At present, 128,827 teachers are involved in the education of students, including children with special needs, in general education establishments.

73.As general education establishments were in need of 2,166 teachers as at 1 August 2021, 2,179 young education specialists were assigned to 4,345 such establishments. By 4 January 2022, 2,555 (58.8 per cent) of young teaching professionals had been hired by the Ministry of Education and Science to work in educational establishments in cities, towns and districts around the country.

74.Of these, 72 teachers (19 speech therapists, 7 disability specialists, 16 teachers specializing in deaf education and 30 teachers specializing in oligophrenic education) were sent to establishments for the education of children with special needs.

75.In order to create ties between educational establishments and service providers for the development of special programmes, establishments in cities, towns and districts in Sughd Province initiated mutually beneficial cooperation with international organizations, namely UNICEF and the non-governmental organizations Ranginkamon, Manbai Mehr, Boychechak and Chamani Orzu, in 2020. In particular, in order to improve the skills of teachers in preschool education establishments in Bobojon Ghafurov District, representatives of Ranginkamon and Chamani Orzu held training sessions with teachers from kindergartens No. 14 and No. 10 this year. The teachers were trained in modern techniques and best practices for working with children with disabilities.

76.At preschool No. 26 in Khujand, Manbai Mehr created three groups of children with disabilities, for whom special programmes, such as early intervention, home visit, day-care and inclusive education programmes, are provided. An integration programme for young children was also introduced.

77.In the Sughd Province branch of the National Institute for Advanced Training for Educational Staff, an Inclusive Centre was established with the assistance of UNICEF. The Centre is now operational and has been supplied with modern medical and educational equipment. In 2022, 40 teachers and 9 educators from kindergarten No. 30 in Khujand, a special school for blind children, have received training.

78.In addition to a special curriculum, the Province’s Department of Education has developed and is using methodological guidelines to ensure comprehensive coverage for children with special needs. The tools available to teachers include guidelines on the fundamentals of special education, speech therapy exercises, a speech chart for children, a Braille alphabet for blind children, a mathematics textbook for grades 1–4 at a special boarding school for children with mental health problems, and the use of tests in Russian language classes.

79.Didactic materials and audio and video formats are widely used in educational establishments and kindergartens, in accordance with the age of the children. This allows children with disabilities to learn more successfully and increase their interest in activities.

80.Training has been established for social specialists, specifically professional educators working in the fields of oligophrenic education, speech therapy, special education and deaf education, to provide specialized teachers for preschools, general education establishments and boarding schools for children and students with disabilities. This was done using the material, technical and human resources of Sadriddin Ayni Tajik State Pedagogical University, Nosiri Khusrav State University in Bokhtar, Abuabdullo Rŭdakí State University in Kŭlob, Bobojon Ghafurov State University in Khujand and M. Nazarshoev State University in Khorugh These institutions enrolled 342 students in these subject areas between 2016 and 2020, with 15 graduating in 2016, 89 in 2017, 93 in 2018, 59 in 2019 and 86 in 2020.

81.In the 2016/17 academic year, there were 167 State-funded places (in-person), 10 State-funded places (remote) and 1 place under the presidential quota for the study of speech therapy, special education, deaf education and oligophrenic education; in the 2017/18 academic year, there were 155 State-funded places (in-person), 10 contractual places (daily), 22 State-funded places (remote) and 2 places under the presidential quota; in the 2018/19 academic year, there were 142 State-funded places (in-person), 22 contractual places (in-person), 22 State-funded places (remote) and 2 places under the presidential quota; in the 2019/20 academic year, there were 145 State-funded places (in-person), 40 contractual places (daily), 24 State-funded places (remote) and 3 places under the presidential quota; and in the 2020/21 academic year, there were 424 State-funded places (in-person), 92 contractual places (full-time), 24 State-funded places (remote) and 6 places under the presidential quota. At present, 688 students are studying these subjects at the educational establishments in question.

82.For information on access to education for Roma children, see paragraphs 244–249 of this report.

Follow-up information relating to paragraph 15 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5

83.An interdepartmental working group consisting of representatives of ministries and departments was set up to safeguard the best interests of the child. The working group’s consideration of the issue and analysis of its scientific aspects showed that there is no need to improve Tajik legislation on the best interests of the child, as legislation in this area meets international standards on children’s rights.

Follow-up information relating to paragraph 16 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3–5

84.In the period 2018–2020, as part of the Human Rights Education Programme for 2013–2020, the Commissioner for Human Rights conducted seminars and training courses for teachers of human rights in general education establishments in Dushanbe, Bokhtar, Khorugh, Kŭlob and Khujand, and in the Districts of Rasht, Bobojon Ghafurov, Tojikobod, Qubodiyon, Lakhsh, Shughnon, Hamadoni, and Farkhor, as well for trainee judges of the Supreme Court of Tajikistan, on respect for the views of children in the consideration of issues concerning them and methods of teaching human rights.

85.The Commissioner for Children’s Rights conducted training on protection of the rights of child victims and witnesses of crime. This training took place on 8 and 9 December 2020, with the aim of increasing the professional knowledge of secretaries of the children’s rights commissions in the city of Dushanbe and its districts, employees of internal affairs agencies and of the Office of the Commissioner for Children’s Rights.

86.According to information provided by the Supreme Court of Tajikistan, in 2021 educational seminars on international and national standards in juvenile justice were held, with the participation of 113 judges. In addition, judges held 94 outreach meetings at educational establishments and other children’s institutions.

87.Supervision of the application of laws on the protection of children’s rights is one of the priorities of the procuratorial authorities. During this period, to secure the implementation of measures to protect children’s rights to life and health, education, work, recreation and protection from abuse, sexual and other exploitation, employees of the procuratorial authorities held 2,204 meetings and discussions in educational establishments, rural subdistricts (jamoat) and organizations, and published 138 articles and reports in the media.

88.Work is ongoing on efforts to analyse and improve legislation reflecting the rights and interests of children in order to bring it into line with the requirements of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

89.Within the framework of international cooperation and professional development, employees of the Office of the Procurator General participated in a training workshop on the development of indicators for the action plan to implement the Juvenile Justice Reform Programme for 2017–2021, which was organized by UNICEF in Tajikistan.

90.In 2021, together with the Academy of Public Administration and the State authorities, 38 advanced training courses were conducted, including 4 refresher training courses, 2 internship courses and 32 advanced training courses for civil servants, at the Academy and in the following cities, towns and districts: Khorugh, Khujand, Guliston, Panjakent, Bokhtar, Tursunzoda, Khovaling and Darvoz. In total, 1,902 civil servants, 562 of whom were women, received training.

Follow-up information relating to paragraph 17 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5

91.To strengthen the civil registration system and expand public access to civil registration services, the Ministry of Justice has been implementing a project entitled “Supporting Civil Registration Reform in Tajikistan” since May 2016. The project is aimed at supporting the implementation of the Programme for the Development of Civil Registration Authorities in Tajikistan (2014–2019), the Programme for the Development of the Justice System (2015–2020) and the Judicial and Legal Reform Programme (2015–2017).

92.Since April 2019, all offices and departments of the civil registration authorities have been carrying out registrations electronically. Since 2018, more than 300 employees of the civil registration system have been trained at the Ministry’s Institute of Advanced Training in the basics of computer literacy and the skills needed to work with the electronic civil registration system. In February 2019, the civil registration department for Kŭlob, Khatlon Province, and Rŭdakí District started piloting the “single window” concept, approved by Order No. 11 of the Minister of Justice of 23 January 2019.

93.Act No. 1637 amending the State Civil Registration Act was adopted on 19 July 2019. This Act provides for the introduction of an electronic civil registration system and the creation and maintenance of an electronic database of civil status records. With the adoption of this Act, the Committee’s recommendations regarding the free issuance of children’s birth certificates no later than three months after birth have been fully implemented.

94.In, 2021, the births of 218,206 children under 1 year of age were registered (in 2020, 239,946; in 2019, 233,323; in 2018, 231,272).

95.Of the 218,206 births of children under 1 year of age registered in 2021, 132,464 (67.72 per cent) were registered within three months of birth ( of the 239,946 births of children under 1 year of age registered in 2020, 176,999 (73.76 per cent) were registered within three months of birth).

96.In 2021, 53,015 births of children aged 1 year or older were registered, with 2,405 of those registrations concerning children over 16 years of age (in 2020, of 48,719 registered births of children aged 1 year or older, 2,519 concerned children aged over 16; in 2019, of 57,433 registered births of children aged 1 year or older, 4,051 concerned children aged over 16; in 2018, of 63,669 registered births of children aged 1 year or older, 5,410 concerned children aged over 16).

97.Since 2019, as part of the implementation of the Programme to Protect Children Affected by Migration in South-East, South and Central Asia, which is being carried out with financial support from the Delegation of the European Union to Tajikistan and the UNICEF office in Tajikistan and is aimed at reducing statelessness among children, the Ministry of Justice of Tajikistan has issued 9,500 children with birth certificates, provided assistance in completing appropriate documents and issued guidelines for their submission to the civil registration authorities of the Ministry of Justice.

98.Between 2018 and the end of 2021, the employees of the civil registration authorities of the Ministry of Justice held 20,110 information and educational events, meetings and talks on State civil registration. The aim was to explain the provisions of the Act on Parental Responsibility for the Education and Upbringing of Children, the Regularization of Traditions, Festivals and Ceremonies Act and the State Civil Registration Act (in 2018, there were 4,941 events; in 2019, 4,943 events; in 2020, 4,758 events; and in 2021, 5,468 events).

Follow-up information relating to paragraph 18 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5

99.New versions have been adopted of the Youth and Youth Policy Act (23 December 2021, No. 1830), the National Programme for the Social Development of Young People in Tajikistan for 2022–2026 (30 December 2021, No. 567), the Comprehensive Programme for the Development of Physical Activity and Sport in Tajikistan for 2022–2026 (30 December 2021, No. 568), the Tajikistan Football Development Programme for 2022–2026 (3 December 2021, No. 516) and the State Programme to Develop Patriotism and Strengthen National Feeling among Tajik Youth for 2018–2022 (1 March 2021, No. 79). In addition, a number of different public outreach activities have been conducted in recent years.

100.At the same time, these instruments enable those in charge to implement the Government’s goals and approve a number of branch-specific programmes, as well as organize targeted events including forums, festivals, conferences, round tables, training seminars and meetings.

Follow-up information relating to paragraph 19 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5

101.At present, the Imam Azam Abukhanifa Numon ibni Sobit Islamic Institute of Tajikistan, a State institution, teaches about 1,000 students, and more than 8,000 citizens have received religious education in Tajikistan and abroad.

102.The 2019 amendments to the Act on Parental Responsibility for the Education and Upbringing of Children include a ban on religious instruction of children outside the country without permission from authorized State agencies.

Follow-up information relating to paragraphs 20–22 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5

103.In accordance with the requirements of article 25 (3) of the Education Act, the educational process in educational establishments is based on mutual respect between students, teachers and other employees. The use of physical or psychological violence against students is prohibited.

104.Instructions for employees of educational establishments on preventing and responding to cases of violence against children, methodological guidelines for teachers on educational aspects of gender equality and domestic violence prevention and methodological training packages on human rights and on family law have been developed.

105.During the reporting period, amendments and additions were made to existing legislation, significantly strengthening the guarantees of children’s rights to freedom from torture and other ill-treatment. In January 2020, the Act No. 1658 on the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency was passed. In order to implement this Act, the Ministry of Education and Science conducted training seminars in all educational establishments.

106.In January 2020, amendments were made to article 32 of the Act on Procedures and Conditions for the Custody of Suspects, Accused Persons and Defendants. Paragraph 6 stipulates that “upon receipt of a report of the use of torture on a minor, a medical examination shall be conducted without fail to determine the degree of bodily injury and identify signs of violence, torture and ill-treatment; the examination shall be carried out by at least three medical workers who are not under the authority of the place of detention where the juvenile suspect, accused person or defendant is being held”.

107.According to the January 2020 amendments, minors may not be detained with adults (previously, this was allowed in exceptional cases with the permission of the procurator) or held in punishment cells, solitary confinement cells or guardrooms (arts. 34 (2) and 38 (2), respectively).

108.In 2019, the Committee for Women and the Family conducted a study with the UNDP Rule of Law and Access to Justice Programme and UNFPA on the situation with respect to gender-based violence against women and girls and the development of recommendations to eliminate such violence.

109.To ensure that children who are victims of violence have access to an appropriate rehabilitation and counselling centre, the construction of a support centre for juvenile victims of violence has begun.

110.Under the umbrella of the Coordinating Council on Drug Abuse Prevention, the Drug Control Agency under the President of Tajikistan is implementing plans for joint activities with the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, the Ministry of Labour, Migration and Employment, the Committee for Women and the Family, the Committee for Youth and Sport and the State authorities in the Sino, Ismail Somoni and Firdavsi Districts of Dushanbe.

111.The Ministry of Internal Affairs has developed laws and regulations for the prevention of juvenile delinquency, such as:

Act No. 1658 of 2 January 2020 on the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency

Government Decision No. 431 of 30 July 2020 on the National Programme for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency for 2020–2024

Government Decision of 27 August 2020 on the Placement Procedure and Period of Stay in the Reception Centre for Minors

112.During the period under review, 63 criminal cases (12 in 2018; 10 in 2019; 14 in 2020; 20 in 2021; and 7 in the first three months of 2022) were opened and investigated pursuant to article 174 (Non-fulfilment of duties with respect to the upbringing of a minor) of the Criminal Code; the perpetrators were convicted. Of the total number of criminal cases, 41 were brought against teachers and 22 against parents.

113.Between 2018 and 2022, law enforcement agencies detected a total of 635 instances of obstruction of basic compulsory education (102 in 2018; 131 in 2019; 146 in 2020; 157 in 2021; and 99 in the first 3 months of 2022) and a total of 502 instances of informal religious education of minors (31 in 2018; 100 in 2019; 58 in 2020; 286 in 2021; and 27 in the first 3 months of 2022); the perpetrators were brought to justice.

114.The National Social Service Centre for Victims of Trafficking in Persons and Domestic Violence, a State institution under the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, provides free temporary accommodation and meals to children who are victims of domestic violence and affords them rehabilitation assistance, including psychological support, initial medical examinations, and assistance in obtaining emergency medical care and primary health care in hospitals and clinics.

Follow-up information relating to paragraph 23 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5

115.In order to implement the National Strategy to Combat Early Marriage, procurator’s office staff, together with representatives of other ministries and departments in cities, towns and districts around the country, conducted 432 meetings and discussions on preventing early marriage and improving the legal awareness of the population, with the participation of a wide range of social actors including heads of rural subdistricts, clergy, education and health workers, mahalla activists, elders, parents and high school students. In addition, 87 articles and reports appeared in the media.

116.According to the requirements of the Family Code, the age for marriage is set at 18. In exceptional cases, the court has the right to lower the age for marriage for men and women by no more than one year, based on the wishes of the parties entering into marriage and taking into account their mental and physical development, capabilities and desire to start a family, provided that normal domestic and social conditions can be ensured.

117.During the relevant period, the courts reduced the age of marriage by one year for 595 people on the basis of applications by the parties.

118.According to the official statistical data, the civil registration authorities registered 74,863 marriages during this period, which constitutes a significant increase – of 7,759 marriages – compared to 2020, when 67,104 marriages (89.6 per cent as many) were registered.

119.In Tajikistan, 13,714 marriages were dissolved during the same period, an increase of 3,178; 10,536 marriages (76.8 per cent as many) were dissolved in 2020. The 13,714 marriages include 10,320 dissolved by court order (compared with 7,649, 74.1 per cent as many, in 2020), as well as 3,331 dissolved by joint application (compared with 2,848, 85.5 per cent as many, in 2020) and 63 at the request of one spouse (compared with 39, 61.9 per cent as many, in 2020).

120.The factors and conditions contributing to the dissolution of marriages are, in most cases, related to problem relationships between parents and children, family disputes between spouses, early marriage, individual cases of polygamy, local customs, a lack of employment in socially useful work, labour migration, citizens’ limited knowledge of laws and religious customs, drug addiction and alcoholism, as well as other causes.

121.During inspections, it was found that, despite the measures taken in this area, there are still cases of parents giving in marriage children who are under marriageable age.

122.During this period, 18 criminal cases (11 in 2020) were opened against parents for giving in marriage children under marriageable age and 10 criminal cases (17 in 2020) were opened for entering into marriage with a person under marriageable age; all the cases were referred to the courts, accompanied by indictments.

123.As statistical analysis shows, despite the fact that the number of offences in this category has not changed, procurator’s office staff, together with representatives of other relevant government agencies, have been instructed to strengthen preventive actions among the population and to take regular measures to eradicate these violations of the law.

Follow-up information relating to paragraphs 24–26 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5

124.The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection constantly monitors how the rights of migrant workers and members of their families are being protected, in coordination with relevant ministries and departments in Tajikistan and host countries. In order to uphold the rights and interests of Tajik citizens, the Ministry works with relevant entities in a number of foreign countries and has so far ratified 14 documents on cooperation that are now in force.

125.Five draft documents on cooperation in the area of migration have been prepared, three of them with relevant agencies of the Russian Federation and two with Korea.

126.The following types of boarding school exist in Tajikistan: public boarding schools for orphans and street children; State boarding schools for children with special needs; State boarding schools; State boarding school sanatoriums; special State boarding schools; and children’s homes for orphans and street children.

127.In 2018, these children’s homes were transformed into family and child support centres, the structure of the establishments was altered and new services such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy were introduced, along with a social support programme entitled “Respite”. These centres provide medical and social care and day-to-day rehabilitation services for children with developmental disabilities. Parents are given training in early intervention. Social support is provided for low-income families with young children. In 2020, with support from UNICEF, the rehabilitation units at these centres were provided with the necessary equipment to rehabilitate children with developmental delays, and staff at the centres were trained in how to rehabilitate and care for such children. Every year, staff at the centres are given training in early intervention methods. Every year, non-governmental organizations are involved in monitoring these centres, while children’s rights commissions are involved in monitoring the work of the centres’ staff.

128.Staff at these centres work with maternity units to prevent children from being institutionalized.

129.In cooperation with the non-governmental organizations Umed and Sarchashma, over the last three years 80 children from these centres have been returned to their biological families, more than 40 children have been saved from institutionalization, more than 400 children have received early intervention services, 120 mothers have taken part in the “Mature Parenting” programme, 30 children have been transferred to ordinary nursery schools, 350 parents have received training in early childhood development and early intervention, and 75 members of staff at the centres have been trained in early childhood intervention.

130.On 29 August 2017, model provisions on State boarding schools were approved by Government Decision No. 411. Article 8 of these provisions stipulates that national residential schools should house only orphans and street children whose parents have been deprived of parental rights by court order. Nationwide there are 1,645 orphans (771 girls) and 36,962 children without one of their parents (17,336 girls), of whom 27,884 (12,824 girls) have no father and 9,078 (4,512 girls) have no mother.

131.Article 44 of the Children’s Rights Act allows for the activities of foster families (carers). However, owing to a lack of procedures regulating foster family (carer) activities in Tajikistan, their activities are not well organized. The Ministry of Education and Science is currently working on amendments to the Children’s Rights Act.

132.One of the alternative forms of childhood care for children left without parental care is adoption. Over the period 2018–2021 and the first three months of 2022, a total of 142 children from four family and child support centres in Khujand, Istaravshan and Dushanbe were put up for adoption.

133.During the reporting period, 215 children were returned to their biological families.

Children returned to biological families, 2018−2022

Year	Total	Put up for adoption	Returned to biological family
2018	198	40	65
2019	200	45	59
2020	168	22	37
2021	180	25	46
2022 (3 months)	169	10	8
Total	913	142	215

Follow-up information relating to paragraph 27 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5

134.The issue of the prohibition on children being adopted by foreign citizens comes under the special supervision of the guardianship bodies, and particular attention is paid to the identity of the adoptive parents when adoptions take place. In this regard, the question of Tajik citizenship is studied carefully. There are no data for the number of adoptions by people with dual citizenship.

135.In accordance with national legislation, the right of foreign citizens to adopt a child is restricted, since a mechanism for the long-term follow-up of adopted children’s welfare abroad has yet to be fully developed. In this regard, before examining the issue of whether Tajikistan will become a party to the 1993 Hague Convention on Protection of Children, follow-up mechanisms like this need to be improved and the corresponding legislative reforms undertaken.

Follow-up information relating to paragraphs 28–29 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5

136.By Decision No. 328 of 21 June 2018, the Government approved the State Programme to Provide Targeted Social Assistance in Tajikistan for 2018–2020 and the procedure for allocating, financing and paying targeted social benefits to low-income families and citizens, in accordance with which targeted social benefits are allocated to every low-income family or citizen in the amount of eight notional units (SM 512), disbursed in quarterly payments in the amount of two notional units (SM 128). The amount of the notional unit is increased every year. Families that include individuals with category I or II disabilities or more than two persons with disabilities, and single parents raising a child with a disability, are given priority when the overall quality of life index for families is determined. Also, in line with increases in the amount of the notional unit, the amount of family benefit (benefit paid for having or caring for a child) is increased, as are benefits for children up to the age of 16 who are infected with HIV or living with AIDS. In order to ensure social protection for children, during the reporting period the amount of the living allowance for children was increased.

137.The State and Contributory Pensions Act and the Children’s Rights Act include the necessary provisions to ensure that children have access to disability living allowance, including social allowances, and at present no amendments are needed to the country’s legislation.

138.Children with disabilities are registered with the competent medical and social authorities, irrespective of whether the child is in receipt of a living allowance. In 2021, the overall number of individuals with disabilities included in the Consolidated Disabled Persons Database stood at 157,933, of whom 31,801 were children under the age of 18.

139.The registration system for children with disabilities is improved every year: a Medical Centre and education units exist; the activities of centres providing services for children with disabilities are monitored; and regular meetings are held with parents and caregivers. Children take part in a variety of educational and cultural activities and are enrolled in home-schooling or mainstream education in accordance with the procedures established by medical committees.

140.In March 2021, the Government’s Social Insurance and Pensions Agency developed and introduced a new procedure for allocating and paying allowances that makes use of information technology and electronic document management. In connection with this, a classification system for the different types of allowance was developed and the statistical reporting form was amended (improved).

141.The number of day-care centres for children with disabilities is increasing every year: in 2020 there were 42, in 2021 there were 48 and there are plans to increase this to 53 in 2022.

142.The Government’s Architecture and Building Committee monitors and oversees the use of building standards to ensure accessibility for persons with disabilities, older persons, pregnant women and children. In 2021, experts from the State Architecture and Building Monitoring Service of the Committee on Buildings and Facilities under Construction undertook 19 surveys in towns and districts across the country, in accordance with the requirements of the town planning standards and rules set out in GNiP RT 35-01-2012, “Access to buildings and facilities for population groups with reduced mobility”, as a result of which 14 notifications were issued requiring shortcomings to be rectified.

143.Matters relating to accessibility for persons with disabilities and other population groups with reduced mobility are governed in Tajikistan by national laws and regulations, the main ones being:

The Social Protection for Persons with Disabilities Act

The Town Planning Code

The State Accessible Environment Programme for 2021–2025 and the Action Plan to Implement the State Accessible Environment Programme for 2021–2025

Town planning standard GNiP RT 35-01-2012, “Access to buildings and facilities by population groups with reduced mobility”

Town planning standard GNiP RT 30-01-2018, “Town planning: Planning and development of population centres”

Town planning standard GNiP RT 31-01-2018, “Multiple-dwelling residential buildings”

Building standard SNiP RT 35-02-2019, “Social institutions for children with disabilities”

Building standard SNiP RT 31-02-2007, “Public buildings and facilities”

Guidance document for the building standards system of the Republic of Tajikistan RDS RT 11-201-2020, “Content of and procedure for developing working designs for the construction of buildings and facilities”, section 10, “Measures to ensure accessibility for population groups with reduced mobility”

144.Under article 25 (2) of the Social Protection for Persons with Disabilities Act, it is not permitted to plan and develop cities, towns and other population centres, create residential districts and recreation areas or prepare planning decisions on the construction or redevelopment of buildings, facilities and surrounding areas without making them accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities.

145.In 2021, the Committee reviewed building standards SNiP RT 31-04-2021, “Hotels”, SNiP RT 30-04-2021, “Preschool education establishments”, and SNiP RT 30-04-2021, “Landscaping”, in which particular attention is devoted to creating conditions and opportunities for low-income groups in priority areas of life and activity.

146.In 2021, a standards document entitled “Procedure for certifying town planning projects in Tajikistan” was adopted, regulating the procedure for certifying existing social, transport and engineering infrastructure as accessible to persons with disabilities and the form that certificates must take.

147.In resolving issues relating to the accessibility of buildings and facilities for population groups with reduced mobility, the Government’s Architecture and Building Committee works closely with various voluntary associations of persons with disabilities and non-governmental organizations.

148.In 2020 and as part of its objectives for 2021, the Committee prepared a draft Strategy for Developing the Construction Sector in Tajikistan for the period up to 2030 and submitted it for consideration by the Government. One of the key elements for implementing the Strategy is ensuring that buildings present an accessible environment for persons with disabilities and other population groups with reduced mobility.

149.There are currently 7,362 students (2,922 girls) with special needs in general education establishments across the country and 975 children (377 girls) with special needs studying at home.

150.As part of programmes for the delivery of social services, initial and comprehensive evaluations are undertaken continuously to study the needs of children with disabilities, in order to identify them and provide social assistance. So, for example, in 2021 alone social services provided various forms of assistance on 107,966 occasions.

Follow-up information relating to paragraphs 30–31 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5

151.In order to improve the provision of medical services to mothers and children, ensure that organizational and methodological work is carried out and reduce morbidity and mortality rates, a separate annex has been adopted to Decision No. 598 of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of 2 July 2018 on supervisory visits, containing monitoring forms for evaluating the activities of hospital departments and primary health-care services. In addition, in order to monitor the activities of reproductive health centres in cities, towns and districts across the country with regard to antenatal care, a national standard on “Antenatal care during physiological pregnancy” has been adopted.

152.From 2018 to 2021, 68 neonatologists graduated from Avicenna Tajik State Medical University; over the same period, IPOMKT State University provided training to 133 neonatologists.

153.One of the main factors in reducing maternal and neonatal mortality rates is access for pregnant women to high-quality midwifery and neonatal services. In 2019, a perinatal centre opened in the town of Kŭlob, in Khatlon Province; it was built at a cost of SM 93.2 million, with SM 26.8 million spent on purchasing and installing medical equipment.

154.In October 2021, a perinatal centre was opened in Bokhtar, also in Khatlon Province, at a cost of SM 128.1 million, SM 33.2 million of which were spent on buying and installing medical equipment.

155.Another important element of providing high-quality midwifery care is transferring pregnant women from one level of care provision to another. Procedures for the provision of medical assistance to women during pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period at State health-care institutions have been approved to regulate all matters relating to the transfer of pregnant women, women in labour and new mothers.

156.Beginning in 2016, primary health-care facilities have been fully transferred to per capita financing. This reform has allowed for more transparent distribution of funds per capita and, overall, the quality of medical services and the level of funding for the sector have improved.

157.Laws and regulations on the implementation of per capita financing have been drafted and approved by joint orders of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and the Ministry of Finance; they include:

A timeline for the gradual transfer of primary health-care facilities to per capita financing at municipal and district level

Standards for the distribution of budgetary resources to rural health centres and clinics, in line with the principles of per capita financing, that establish recommended minimum per capita financing standards for these institutions, taking into account specific indicators, and are confirmed annually by joint orders of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and the Ministry of Finance

A handbook of legal and regulatory texts and detailed recommendations for per capita financing of the network of primary health-care facilities that includes all laws and regulations on per capita financing

158.At present, there are 88 primary health-care facilities across the country. In 2017, per capita financing was in place at 66 (75 per cent) of them (in 2018, at 77 (87.5 per cent); in 2019, at 88 (100 per cent); in 2020–2022, it was in place at all facilities). The standard amount of per capita financing in 2017 was set at SM 48.24 for municipal facilities and SM 38.47 for district facilities (in 2018, the figures were SM 51.60 and SM 39.68, respectively; in 2019, they were SM 55.96 and SM 45.54; in 2020, SM 59.00 and SM 48.00; in 2021, SM 67.00 and SM 54.00; and, in 2022, SM 74.00 and SM 57.00).

Follow up information on paragraphs 32–33 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5

159.In order to reduce childhood morbidity rates and prevent children from becoming stunted or underweight, tape measures have been distributed across the network of primary health-care facilities in municipalities and districts of Khatlon Province and the city of Dushanbe, with technical support from development partners, so that mid-upper arm circumference measurements can be taken. Report forms for registering children with severe acute or moderate acute malnutrition and leaflets on the distribution of therapeutic food have also been provided. As part of efforts to implement the Community Health Partnership Programme, 17,000 leaflets have been printed on the topical issues of anaemia prevention and healthy nutrition and distributed to pregnant women and women with young children.

160.In municipal and rural health centres in towns and districts across the country, 45,580 people have been to appointments and more than 150,000 information products have been distributed on various aspects of child nutrition, breastfeeding, complementary feeding and preventing micronutrient deficiencies.

161.Through the network of primary health-care facilities in the towns and districts of Khatlon Province, mother and child clinics have been set up, where family doctors and nurses conduct classes on the preparation of healthy food for young children, the timing of the introduction of complementary foods, and quality food for children of different ages. In addition, play clinics have been set up at the departments for physical health of central district hospitals, where mothers of sick children can get information about the care of children, proper feeding and the timing of the introduction of complementary foods.

162.Family doctors and staff of healthy lifestyle centres have developed a number of television and radio programmes on healthy eating and the introduction of complementary foods. The “Ten Days of Breastfeeding” campaign is held annually from 1 to 10 August to inform parents and caregivers about healthy eating, breastfeeding and quality complementary feeding. The meetings and public events organized reach up to 250,000 women each year.

163.Under the Community Health Partnership Programme, which is being implemented in 12 districts of Khatlon Province, public outreach work is being done on healthy eating, micronutrients and healthy complementary feeding.

164.The 2020–2024 National Communication Programme Covering the First 1,000 Days of a Child’s Life in Tajikistan was adopted by Government Decision No. 292 of 27 May 2020. The Programme is aimed at achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2 (food security and nutrition). Activities have been launched to teach parents about healthy eating and the use of complementary foods, and educational programmes on healthy eating and changing dietary habits are being developed.

165.The 2019–2024 Obesity Prevention and Healthy Eating Programme has been adopted to ensure and shape healthy eating in the country.

166.In 2022, SM 5.5 million are envisaged for the implementation of the Strategy for the Sustainable Development of School Nutrition for the period up to 2027 at 42 pilot schools in 24 towns and districts; the aim is to develop nutritional standards for primary pupils (grades 1–4) in general education schools. This measure is a pilot and will be implemented in schools in remote areas of the country’s provinces, towns and districts.

167.In addition, there is the National Food Centre, a State institution, to which SM 390,000 were allocated from the national budget for running costs in 2021 and SM 548,100 in 2022.

168.Implementation of the Strategy for the Sustainable Development of School Nutrition for the period up to 2027, the 2020–2024 National Communication Programme Covering the First 1,000 Days of a Child’s Life in Tajikistan and the State Reproductive Health Programme for 2019–2022 is continuously monitored.

169.The Multisectoral Plan to Improve Nutrition in Tajikistan for 2021–2025 was approved by Government Decision No. 25 of 25 February 2021 as part of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) movement, whose main goal is to improve nutrition for mothers and children.

170.Timely implementation of this Plan is helping to reduce the number of stunted, underweight and weak children, reduce anaemia among women of reproductive age and eliminate excess weight in children.

171.As part of the Strategy for the Sustainable Development of School Nutrition for the period up to 2027, eight bakery micro-enterprises were restructured with financial support from the Russian Federation.

Follow-up information relating to paragraph 34 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5

172.The Ministry of Education and Science pays special attention to inclusive education and is seeking ways of addressing this issue, including through the creation of a stable educational and legal framework to improve work with children with disabilities, the provision of qualified social workers, teachers, psychologists and therapists, and the implementation of a sustainable system of initial, refresher and advanced training for all staff.

173.All professional development courses also include classes on psychology and professional pedagogy, where particular attention is paid to the mental health of schoolchildren and adolescents and the role of teachers and parents in this area. Training, monitoring and evaluation activities for school psychologists have been conducted with the Centre for Psychological Support, which is part of the Dushanbe Centre for Professional Development. Analysis shows that problems persist in the work of school psychologists. Thus, there is a need to structure the work of school psychologists at educational establishments, set up a separate subunit dedicated to this area and guarantee working conditions.

174.A total of 436 administrators and psychologists from general education establishments, family doctors, law enforcement officers and specialists from the child protection departments of the State authorities in the provinces, towns and districts have been trained in the prevention of juvenile delinquency and suicide among minors.

175.All professional development courses include four hours of developmental psychology, which essentially involves psychological advice for teachers. These classes explore the nuances of adolescent mental health, how to have complex conversations with students, and the prevention of any crime, especially suicide.

176.Preventing childhood illness is a priority for parents and the responsible State health authorities. Children must undergo periodic medical examinations and must be protected against disease through preventive vaccination.

177.Consultations with psychological, medical and educational specialists take place at clinics in Dushanbe, in Sughd and Khatlon Provinces and in Kŭhistoni Badakhshon Autonomous Province with a view to the timely identification, care, education, social adaptation and integration into society of children with various developmental defects. The clinics are diagnostic and treatment institutions, the activities of which are aimed at the timely identification, care, training, social adaptation and integration into society of children with developmental impairments. All institutions are furnished with the necessary equipment with support from UNICEF. There are currently 10 such institutions in the country.

178.In 2021, pursuant to an order of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, changes were made to the structure of primary health care, whereby comprehensive support centres for families and children were established and equipment was approved for these centres.

179.In 2021, with the support of UNICEF, a Ministry of Health and Social Protection working group monitored the activities of the comprehensive support centres for families and children in Khujand, Istaravshan, Bobojon Ghafurov, Panjakent and Bokhtar. During that process, organizational and methodological assistance was provided to the staff of the centres.

180.One of the most pressing problems in society today is adolescent suicide, and the Ministry of Education and Science is taking steps to recruit psychologists and graduates to work as school psychologists. An action plan has been approved that could play an important role in bringing law enforcement officers, scientists, poets and veterans in the towns and districts into educational establishments to reduce suicide among teenagers and young persons.

181.Considerable work has been done in all types of educational establishment to prevent harmful habits, smoking, drug abuse and suicide, as well as to prevent extremism. Public notices and information leaflets have been provided at such establishments.

Follow-up information relating to paragraph 35 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5

182.Currently, Government Decision No. 748 of 28 November 2015 on the provision of medical consultation services on reproductive health to minors and young persons, including those from at-risk groups, governs the provision of such services to adolescents and young people. In the health sector, there are 21 youth medical advisory departments within reproductive health centres and primary health-care facilities: 7 in Dushanbe, 5 in Khatlon Province (1 each in Bokhtar and in Yovon and Danghara Districts and 2 in Kŭlob), 4 in Sughd Province (2 in Khujand and 1 each in Isfara and Panjakent) and 1 each in Khorugh, Vahdat, Hisor and Tursunzoda, and 1 at the National Centre for Reproductive Health (Dushanbe).

183.All youth medical advisory departments are accountable to the National Centre for Reproductive Health, which monitors their activities annually, including their observance of the rights of adolescents and young persons. The results of monitoring are discussed at a joint meeting with managers, and additional measures are taken to improve the quality of the departments’ services.

184.Young persons aged 10–24 years from at-risk groups undergo voluntary medical examinations. The provision and recording of medical consultation services for adolescents and young persons is confidential, and a special monitoring system (universal confidential code) is used.

185.An interdepartmental working group consisting of specialists from the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Labour, Migration and Employment and the Ministry of Health and Social Protection has been established under the auspices of the latter to review the legislation on the payment of benefits to people living with HIV/AIDS.

186.By 2021, 951 children under 16 years old were living with HIV. In total, 894 (94 per cent) of these children receive social benefits from the local social protection offices in towns and districts. As for the remaining 57 children who do not receive benefits, 12 have left the country, 15 are currently completing their paperwork and 30 have declined benefits.

187.Children with disabilities under 16 years old living with HIV are paid a monthly allowance from the national budget in the amount of seven notional units. In 2021, SM 5.3 million were allocated from the national budget to pay this allowance. The 2022 budget allocates SM 5.2 million for this purpose.

Follow-up information relating to paragraph 36 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5

188.From 2017 up to September 2021, in order to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV, medical institutions in Tajikistan followed the Clinical Protocol for the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, approved by Order No. 152 of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of 9 March 2017.

189.In 2021, the Protocol was revised to reflect new recommendations and approaches for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. One of the major changes in the new Protocol is pregnant women are now required to undergo two antenatal screening tests, which will allow the timely identification of women with HIV and the provision of antiretroviral drugs to prevent mother-to-child transmission.

190.As part of the implementation of the National Programme, training sessions about HIV prevention and treatment have been regularly conducted to better inform medical specialists, including:

Obstetricians and gynaecologists at reproductive health and maternity centres, on HIV testing of women, monitoring of pregnant women who are HIV-positive and care of women at primary health-care facilities

Primary health-care specialists, on support for people living with HIV, and infectious disease specialists from all municipal health centres in Dushanbe

Epidemiologists at AIDS centres, on epidemiological surveillance of the spread of HIV in Tajikistan

191.In the context of projects to help children with HIV and their parents, with support from international partners, particularly UNICEF, a great deal of work has been done to provide psychological assistance to children living with HIV and their parents, training has been conducted locally and self-help groups have been established with the participation of parent activists and specialists (clinicians and psychologists).

192.Three camps were organized for adolescents to provide them with psychological support, prepare them for status disclosure and develop their adherence to their treatment. In total, approximately 120 adolescents living with HIV benefited from the project.

193.Government funding for services for people living with HIV, including children, increases every year. In recent years, funding for social benefits for children under 16 years old has increased, there are plans to allocate funds from the State budget to purchase antiretroviral drugs for the treatment of persons with HIV, increase the budgetary funds for the purchase of screening tests for pregnant women (SM 2.5 million were allocated for the purchase of tests in 2020) and allocate funds from the State budget for the purchase of formula milk for infants born to HIV-positive mothers.

194.A dynamic analysis of the implementation of the Clinical Protocol for the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV shows that primary HIV screening is reaching more pregnant women. For example, while in 2016 this indicator stood at 76 per cent, in 2020 it had risen to 85 per cent. At the same time, the rate of vertical transmission is decreasing year on year, from 5.6 per cent in 2015 to 3.9 per cent in 2020.

195.A detailed report is provided annually on the process of implementing the National Programme to Combat the HIV Epidemic in Tajikistan for 2017–2020. According to the results set out in the report, 98.4 per cent of the Programme had been implemented by the end of 2020.

196.As part of the implementation of the National Programme, quarterly monitoring of AIDS centres in the regions was performed by the National Centre for AIDS Prevention and Control, a State institution, with the participation of specialists from UNDP and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (main financial donor), in order to assess whether all the tasks and actions envisaged had been carried out. Based on the results of the monitoring, review reports were provided to the appropriate authorities on the implementation of all activities.

Follow-up information relating to paragraphs 37–38 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5

197.The population of Tajikistan, as at 1 January 2021, was 9.5 million people, of whom 3.9 million, or 41.2 per cent of the total population, were children under 18 years old. Of this number, 240,880, or 6.2 per cent, were children under 1 year old, and 1.1 million, or 29.3 per cent, were children between the ages of 2 and 5.

198.The National Development Strategy for the period up to 2030 and the related Medium-Term Development Programme for 2016–2020, which identify key areas for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, were approved in 2016 to promote the country’s sustainable economic development.

199.During the implementation of the Medium-Term Development Programme for 2016–2020, reforms were carried out to strengthen public administration, develop human potential, and ensure quality national economic growth, financial stability and tax administration, rational use of natural resources, innovative development of the real economy and accelerated industrialization of the country with the involvement of domestic and foreign investment.

200.Consistent implementation of sectoral and regional programmes, renewal of the real economic infrastructure and strengthening of the financial system over the life of the Medium-Term Development Programme for 2016–2020 allowed sustainable economic growth at an average level of 7 per cent. In 2021, economic growth in Tajikistan stood at 9.2 per cent, or 4.7 per cent more than in 2020.

201.At the same time, economic growth was achieved by increasing fixed-capital investment by 23.3 per cent, industrial production by 22 per cent, passenger transport by 12.6 per cent, domestic trade by 13 per cent, agriculture by 6.6 per cent, freight transport by 2.7 per cent, paid services by 7.9 per cent and foreign trade by 39.5 per cent, including exports by 52.8 per cent.

202.In 2021, State revenue was 104.7 per cent of the budgeted figure and the treasury received SM 29.5 billion, or an additional SM 1.3331 billion, in monetary funds.

203.The poverty rate decreased from 31.3 per cent in 2015 to 26.3 per cent in 2019, and this decrease is to be observed in all regions of Tajikistan.

204.Thanks to the attainment of the goals set in the Medium-Term Development Programme for 2016–2020, and the social projects implemented in that context, maternal and child mortality decreased by 13.1 per cent and 26.9 per cent, respectively.

205.Monitoring of the implementation of the Medium-Term Development Programme for 2016–2020 showed that the activities of government agencies were mostly focused on achieving sustainable growth.

206.To ensure the implementation of the second phase of the National Development Strategy 2030, the Government, by Decision No. 168 of 30 April 2021, approved the Medium-Term Development Programme for 2021–2025, which was endorsed on 16 June 2021 by Decision No. 441 of the Majlis-i Namoyandagon, the lower house of the Majlis-i Oli, the parliament of Tajikistan.

207.It should be noted that the Government constantly monitors the implementation of the strategic documents and regional and sectoral development programmes adopted and of existing national action plans.

208.The National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for the period up to 2030 has been developed and was approved by Government Decision No. 482 of 2 October 2019. Through its implementation, appropriate conditions will be created for addressing the related issues.

209.Under the Government’s social policy, preschool education is a priority for the education sector and the adoption of laws and regulations in this area is contributing to its development.

210.Today, there are 1,645 orphans in Tajikistan (771 girls) and 36,962 children without one of their parents (17,336 girls), all of whom are provided with an education and upbringing at educational establishments.

211.In order to protect public health, maintain the country’s polio-free status and take preventive measures against the emergence or spread of such diseases in the country, pursuant to Government Decision No. 15 of 6 February 2021, from 15 to 20 February 2021 additional immunizations against poliomyelitis were provided to children born between 1 January 2016 and 31 January 2018 and, as a result, 511,725 children were immunized with inactivated vaccine.

212.In total, 1,204 persons (47 more than in 2020) were cared for at specialist institutions for permanent social care, including 632 men, 466 women and 106 children with disabilities.

213.A working group has been established, under the coordination of the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources and with the involvement of representatives of relevant ministries and departments, and, at present, is developing a State drinking-water supply and sanitation programme for the period up to 2030. The international consultancy Hydrophil GmbH (Austria) was engaged to clearly identify existing problems and the real situation with respect to domestic and drinking-water supply and sanitation, collect the necessary data and conduct a survey, and, since November 2021, specialist consultants have been working in different regions of the country.

214.The data collected will help prepare the State Drinking-Water Supply and Sanitation Programme for the period up to 2030, one of the goals of which is to improve the living standards of children by providing drinking water and sanitation.

215.To date, 14 projects totalling $217.3 million have been implemented to improve the living standards of the population, including children, through the provision of drinking water and sanitation. Of this amount, $192.7 million consists of grant funds, $17 million comes from loan funds and $7.6 million is the contribution of the Government of Tajikistan. The goal of these projects is to ensure access to drinking water and sanitation, raise living standards, reduce the use of water from hazardous sources, curb waterborne diseases and improve the services of local health centres.

216.On the basis of the financing agreement signed between Tajikistan and the International Development Association, since January 2022 the Government Committee on Environmental Protection has been implementing the project on Additional Financing for the Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Program for the Aral Sea Basin Project (CAMP4ASB), in the amount of $9 million. The purpose of this project is to assist Tajikistan in increasing resilience to the effects of climate change, addressing the most acute problems caused by climate change and eliminating gaps in the set of adaptation measures in areas whose population is particularly vulnerable.

Follow-up information relating to paragraph 39 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5

217.At present, there are 82 secondary vocational education establishments (colleges) in the country training specialists in seven areas: teaching, medicine, engineering, technology, agriculture, culture and sports.

218.Taking into account the development of secondary vocational education and the needs of the foreign labour market (the Russian Federation, Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, the Baltic States and Central Europe), and in connection with the evolution of social relations, amendments and additions have been made to the Classification of Areas and Specialisms of Secondary Vocational Education and a new edition has been adopted.

219.To bring professional standards, curricula and training programmes into line with modern requirements and international standards, a working group consisting of specialists from educational establishments and organizations and enterprises is developing the structure of the qualification system and the methodology for its application, in cooperation with the Regional Project (GIZ) entitled “Vocational Education in Central Asia”.

220.These specialists have received training on the elaboration of qualifying standards and the development of the remaining specialisms. It is expected that, by 2025, qualifying standards, curricula and training programmes will have been developed at the secondary vocational education level that are consistent with international standards for existing specialisms.

221.In the 2021/22 school year, there were 3,942 general education establishments in Tajikistan (310 primary schools, 426 general elementary schools and 3,204 general secondary schools). There are 156 of the new type of educational institution: 75 gymnasiums and 81 lyceums. Today, 2.2 million students (1.0 million of whom are girls) are studying at general secondary education establishments in Tajikistan.

222.In the 2020/21 school year, the number of primary schools (312) and general elementary schools (430) decreased, while the number of general secondary schools increased (3,169).

223.In the 2021/22 school year, there were 51,316 students at the tertiary level (including 24,427 girls), which was 89 per cent.

224.In the 2021/22 school year, of the 44,765 pupils (20,239 girls) graduating from general education establishments in the towns and districts of Khatlon Province, 479 went abroad, 25,378 were admitted to university through the National Testing Centre of the President of Tajikistan, 1,011 were admitted outside the framework of the National Testing Centre (four universities), 534 (272 girls) entered the country’s secondary and higher vocational education establishments in line with the presidential quota, 6,027 enrolled in targeted college groups (2,842 in medical college, 1,499 in teaching college and 1,686 in other colleges), 1,535 are studying in vocational and technical colleges and 2,409 are taking short-term courses (sewing, spinning, weaving), which makes a total of 37,373 school leavers (14,989 girls) or 83.4 per cent.

225.The number of secondary vocational education establishments in the country’s towns and districts is increasing year on year, which supports the enrolment of young men and women from remote villages. In the 2020/21 academic year, three secondary vocational academies were operational (non-State medical colleges in the town of Bokhtar and in Vose and Danghara Districts); in the 2021/22 academic year, three secondary vocational academies entered into operation (a rural medical college in the village of Kangurt, Temurmalik District, under Khatlon State Medical University, an innovative medical college in the town of Bokhtar and a non-State medical institution in Farkhor District).

226.Preschool education is one of the sector’s priorities and receives regular support from the State. The Ministry of Education and Science pays close attention to this issue and suggests various ways to increase the number of children enrolled in preschool, which will help to gradually increase the number of preschool education establishments and their reach. There are currently 696 preschools in Tajikistan, which are attended by 101,000 children.

227.As part of the State Programme for the Development of Preschool Education in Tajikistan for 2020–2025, in 2020 there were 1,764 child development centres in operation, attended by 49,332 children cared for by foster families, compared with 1,697 centres and 46,304 children in 2018 (an increase of 62 centres and 2,972 children). At present, there are 1,810 such centres in Tajikistan, which 51,265 children attend.

228.Under the State Programme for the Development of Private Preschool and General Education Facilities for 2014–2020, 1,037 private preschools were to be built and enter into operation during the period 2014–2020. Over the life of the Programme, 110 private preschools were built and became operational – 35 in Dushanbe, 9 in Khatlon Province, 50 in Sughd Province and 15 in the centrally administered districts. In addition, there are 200 private preschool institutions and preschool child development centres successfully operating in Tajikistan, attended by 10,593 children.

229.According to the National Development Strategy (2030), the number of children between 3 and 6 years old will reach 1.4 million, an increase of 255,000 compared to 2015, and the proportion of children attending preschool institutions should increase from 15.9 to 50 per cent. In 2021, the number of preschool institutions increased by 16 while the number of children increased by 3,491 compared to 2020.

230.Analysis shows that, in rural areas, enrolment of children in preschools is very low. In order to foster the conditions for children from low-income families to attend, State institutions are becoming involved in preschool education, with the support of preschool directors. Some children from low-income families can enrol in preschool education paying 50 per cent of the cost of tuition. Education departments are working effectively with private entrepreneurs to boost children’s enrolment and provide financial assistance to low-income families. For example, entrepreneur Akbar Gulomov opened a private kindergarten with 315 places in the Yovon District of Khatlon Province, and 10 orphans are receiving a free preschool education at the facility. A private kindergarten with 120 places, Nasli Oriya, opened in the Paldorak Subdistrict of Mastchoh District. This private educational establishment has admitted 12 children from low-income families free of charge.

231.To ensure school readiness among children who are not enrolled in preschool education, under Government Decision No. 783 of 21 January 2015 on the enrolment of 7-year-old children in general education schools in August, the Ministry of Education and Science has developed a one-month programme to prepare children 6–7 years old for grade 1. Each year, a certain number of children are enrolled in general education schools in August to meet the requirements of this programme. It should be noted that short-term preschool education prior to the start of schooling at general education schools covers 6–7 year old children who have been excluded from preschool education owing to poverty or other social factors.

232.Progress is being made in the computerization of instruction at secondary vocational education establishments. There are 5,045 computers, 378 projectors, 263 electronic whiteboards, 328 scanners and 464 photocopiers in such establishments, which are widely used in the classroom. In the classrooms and corridors of the teaching buildings at colleges, including most vocational and technical colleges, cameras have been installed to monitor the learning process.

233.Educational centres and technology parks are located at secondary vocational education establishments. For example, the medical colleges in Kŭlob have a pharmaceutical and dental centre, while the Khujand Medical Centre has a pharmaceutical centre, a national surgical training centre, a training pharmacy, a medical equipment and machinery repair training centre, an ozone therapy room, a medicinal plant collection and processing centre, a pharmaceutical training and production centre, and a dental training and production centre; these facilities are widely used by students.

234.It should be noted that there are treatment and rehabilitation centres at secondary vocational education establishments, which are financed from the special accounts of the educational establishments.

235.The Ministry of Education and Science, together with development partners, is working on a draft policy framework on inclusive education, which is expected to be approved by the Government of Tajikistan by the end of 2022.

Follow-up information relating to paragraph 40 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5

236.On 8 and 9 June 2021, at Fayzi Istiqlol camp, a seminar was organized with the participation of representatives of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions, the Government Social Insurance and Pensions Agency, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, the Committee on Emergency Situations and Civil Defence, the Government Communications Service and the Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting, as well as camp directors. The seminar addressed the establishment of safe conditions and safety measures, compliance and monitoring in the area of sanitary conditions and personal hygiene, and, with the participation of students from the town’s general education establishments, the scenario for the opening and closing of the camp was presented. In cooperation with international organizations such as UNICEF, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), training seminars for educators were organized at 450 general education establishments, which were attended by 29,784 students and 866 teachers. During the summer, autumn and winter holidays, sports and wellness, educational and other activities – such as competitions in checkers, chess, futsal, International Taekwon-Do Federation taekwon-do, Muay Thai, kick boxing and volleyball, a girls’ talent contest, and contests for best handywoman, best reader and so on – were organized at institutions providing supplementary education in the towns and districts of Tajikistan.

237.In 2021, there were 3,555 camps in the country, including 34 out-of-town camps, 1,195 pre-sessional school camps, 490 vocational camps, 1,403 educational camps, 347 sports camps, 43 wellness camps, 42 camps at boarding schools and 1 at a sanatorium. A total of 253,077 teenagers attended the camps, including 98,275 who attended pre-sessional school camps and 18,429 who attended out-of-town camps.

238.Performances and other events take place regularly at State and regional theatres. For example, the State Puppet Theatre presented the following children’s performances: “We Are Followers of the Leader of the Nation”, “Festival of Puppets”, “Snowflake”, “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves”, “The Cunning Fox”, “Fish”, “Hocus Pocus”, “The Magic Garden”, “The Cat, the Fox and the Rooster”, “New Year on Ice”, “Sun and Snowmen”, “The Fairy Tale Teremok”, “Dandelion” and “The New Year Tiger Gift”. At the same time, to mark International Children’s Day, the Theatre’s creative team put on an interesting show and festive programme at Children’s Home No. 1 in Dushanbe. Muhammaddjon Kosimov Experimental Young Spectators’ Theatre, a State institution, presented the plays “Children Are Our Future” and “The Three Little Pigs”. In addition, the Tajik State Circus presented a free circus show called “The Tajik Circus Show” at Family and Child Support Centre No. 2 to mark International Children’s Day.

Follow-up information relating to paragraph 41 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5

239.Officials of the Division for Citizenship Affairs and Work with Refugees in the Ministry of Internal Affairs receive ongoing training on the procedure for granting refugee status to asylum-seekers, international protection of the rights of asylum-seekers and refugees, and the special treatment afforded to and protection of unaccompanied and separated children, taking into account General Comment No. 6 (2005) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the treatment of unaccompanied and separated children outside their country of origin and observing the basic principles of non-refoulement, safeguarding of the interests of the child when seeking short- and long-term solutions, non-discrimination and the right to education, among others.

240.Particular attention is also paid to children during placement in the Temporary Accommodation Centre for Asylum-Seekers established with the help of the Danish Refugee Council’s office in Tajikistan. Thus, the Regulations on the Centre set out criteria for priority placement in the Centre of certain asylum-seekers such as unaccompanied minors, single mothers, and pregnant and breastfeeding women and their minor children.

241.Refugees and asylum-seekers in Tajikistan in the period 2017–2021 and the first three months of 2022:

Year	Number of refugee and asylum-seeking families/persons	Men	Women	Boys	Girls
2017	2 630/7 890	3 940	3 950	2 627	2 634
2018	2 673/8 019	4 002	4 017	2 668	2 678
2019	2 853/8 559	4 260	4 299	2 840	2 861
2020	2 553/10 212	3 404	6 808	2 262	4 530
2021	2 519/10 886	3 628	7 258	2 419	4 787
2022	2 370/10 104	3 368	6 736	2 246	4 491

242.Children of asylum-seekers and refugees are provided with every opportunity to receive an education at general education schools, lyceums and higher education institutions in Tajikistan. Dushanbe has the Somoniyon School for Afghan refugee children.

243.Accession to the Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons is being studied. In particular, an appropriate action plan has been developed and an analysis has been conducted to determine the economic feasibility of implementation by Tajikistan of the provisions of the 1954 and 1961 Conventions.

Follow-up information relating to paragraph 42 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5

244.Monitoring and evaluation by the country’s social services show that children of persons belonging to minorities (especially the Roma community) who are in difficult situations or in need of social protection receive the necessary assistance without any restrictions.

245.There are currently 1,083 Roma children enrolled in general education establishments in Tajikistan. There is no separate school for Roma, and their children go to the same schools as other children.

246.Data show that, in the Bobojon Ghafurov District of Sughd Province, 114 Roma children, including 26 girls, study in general education establishments Nos.18, 19, 32, 58 and 76. In the town of Panjakent, 61 Roma children are enrolled in general education establishment No. 15.

247.According to the Khatlon Provincial Education Department, 472 Roma children are currently attending schools in the towns and districts of Khatlon Province. Of these, 203 grade 11 pupils attend Vose’ District general education establishment No. 68. A total of 269 Roma children study in schools in the District of Jaloliddin Balkhi. Of these, 107 attend general education establishment No. 6, 125 attend general education establishment No. 8 and 37 attend general education establishment No. 14.

248.In centrally administered towns and districts, persons from the Roma community were registered only in the towns of Vahdat and Hisor and in the Districts of Varzob and Rŭdakí.

249.According to the Vahdat Education Department, preschool No. 122 has 64 [Roma] pupils, including 26 girls; general education establishment No. 97 has 104 [Roma] pupils, including 44 girls; and general education establishment No. 66 has 4 Roma children. In Hisor, 146 Roma children (49 girls) study in general education establishment No. 96; 114 (39 girls) are pupils of general education establishment No.46 in Varzob District; and 65 are enrolled in general education establishments Nos.12, 38 and 173 in Rŭdakí District.

Follow-up information relating to paragraph 43 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5 and paragraphs 20–21 of concluding observations CRC/C/OPSC/TJK/CO/1

250.The procuratorial authorities and representatives of other relevant government bodies have carried out joint inspections in markets, factories and small private farms in order to prevent and eradicate the use of child labour. During such inspections, it was found that there remain cases in which parents say that, owing to the family’s straitened circumstances, they send their children to work in markets and service centres.

251.During the period under consideration, the internal affairs agencies conducted 4,978 raids and joint operations; 15,351 minors were identified and registered for committing various offences, including 4,497 of them for vagrancy, 794 for begging, 371 for working as porters in markets, 271 for collecting fares in passenger transport, 276 for washing vehicles in unauthorized places, 556 for trading and 8,586 for other types of offence.

252.In order to eliminate the offences that came to light, 15,178 parents and other responsible persons were prosecuted under the Act on Parental Responsibility for the Education and Upbringing of Children and article 90 of the Code of Administrative Offences.

253.The Labour and Employment Agency has established a Child Labour Monitoring Group under the auspices of the Ministry. This Group is responsible for devising and introducing a child labour monitoring system and acts as the secretariat of the Interdepartmental Coordinating Council for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour.

254.Information about the work done to eliminate the worst forms of child labour, as well as information about the meetings of the Interdepartmental Coordinating Council for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour and about the Ministry’s activities is regularly posted on the Ministry’s website at www.mehnat.tj.

255.In recent years, a number of laws and regulations have been adopted that meet international standards and reflect the interests of children and adolescents as set out, inter alia, in the International Labour Organization (ILO) Minimum Age Convention, 1972 (No. 138), and Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182), the 2014 Protocol to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (P029), and the Worst Forms of Child Labour Recommendation, 1999 (No. 190). The important role of local self-governance bodies’ children’s rights commissions must be noted. In this regard, we believe that, in the future, it is in the interests of the Commission on Rights of the Child to take over supervision of the child labour monitoring system and draft the report on child labour. It is therefore essential to amend the statute of the Commission on the Rights of the Child to heighten the effectiveness of its work and promote a favourable environment for close cooperation with the children’s monitoring unit.

256.On 14 May 2019, the Majlis-i Namoyandagon of the Majlis-i Oli adopted a decision concerning the 2014 Protocol to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (P029).

257.In Tajikistan a number of laws and regulations have been adopted to eliminate the worst forms of child labour and create favourable conditions for child development. They include a list of harmful and unsafe working conditions in which persons under 18 years of age may not be employed. Recommendations on the methodology for applying and regularly updating the list of harmful types of work for persons under the age of 18 have been drawn up for incorporation into methodological guidance entitled “The duties of an inspector of the State Labour, Migration and Employment Service when monitoring child labour”, which is used by specialists. Nevertheless, the Research Institute of the Ministry of Labour, Migration and Employment is currently conducting additional research on other kinds of activity that may be harmful to children.

Follow-up information relating to paragraph 44 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5

258.In order to prevent juvenile delinquency and crime and to detect and prevent truancy and undesirable phenomena such as suicide, officials of education departments have organized and conducted meetings on juvenile affairs with law enforcement agencies on juvenile affairs in cooperation with police departments.

259.During the 12 months of 2021, 763 cases of breaches of the law by minors were recorded, an increase of 9 cases or 1.1 per cent over 2020 (754). Of these, 141 occurred in Khatlon Province, which was 65 fewer cases or a drop of 46 per cent compared with 2020, when there had been 206 cases; 205 cases occurred in Sughd Province, compared with 205 in 2020; and 10 cases were recorded in Kŭhistoni Badakhshon Autonomous Province, compared with 17 in 2020, that is 7 fewer. In centrally administered districts, 244 cases were registered against 152 in 2020, an increase of 92 cases or 60.5 per cent; and in Dushanbe, 159 cases were registered against 171 in 2020, a fall of 12 cases or 7.5 per cent.

260.In accordance with the requirements of the Act on Parental Responsibility for the Education and Upbringing of Children and of article 90 of the Code of Administrative Offences, 12,282 reports of administrative offences committed by parents and officials were sent to municipal and district courts, compared with 13,419 in 2020:

8,040 individuals who failed to fulfil their responsibilities for the education and upbringing of children were fined a total of SM 1,346,599 (in 2020, 7,267 individuals were fined a total of SM 1,076,756)

3,076 individuals were put on notice (compared with 3,624 in 2020)

1,166 cases were under review (compared with 2,528 in 2020)

Follow-up information relating to paragraph 45 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5 and paragraphs 8, 9, 18–19, 24–28 and 32–33 of concluding observations CRC/C/OPSC/TJK/CO/1

261.Legislation in Tajikistan criminalizes child trafficking, child prostitution and child pornography. Chapter 16 of the Criminal Code (Crimes against life and health) covers such crimes as murder in order to harvest the victim’s organs or tissue (art. 104 (2) (m)), intentional infliction of grievous harm to health for the purpose of harvesting the victim’s organs or tissue (art. 110 (2) (m)) and forced harvesting of human organs or tissue for transplantation (art. 122). Chapter 17 of the Criminal Code (Crimes against personal freedom, honour and dignity) deals with kidnapping for the purpose of sexual or other exploitation, or for the removal of organs or tissue from the victim for transplantation (art. 130 (3) (b) and (c)), trafficking in persons (art. 130.1) and unlawful deprivation of liberty for the purpose of sexual or other exploitation (art. 131 (3) (b)). Chapter 18 of the Criminal Code (Crimes against sexual freedom or sexual inviolability) concerns rape (art. 138), violent acts of a sexual nature (art. 139), coercion to engage in acts of a sexual nature (art. 140), sexual intercourse and other acts of a sexual nature involving a person under the age of 16 (art. 141), indecent assault (art. 142) and sexual intercourse, other acts of sexual nature or indecent assault committed by abusing feelings and religious beliefs (art. 142.1). Chapter 20 of the Criminal Code (Crimes against the family and minors) covers inducing a minor to commit a crime (art. 165), inducing a minor to commit antisocial acts (art. 166), trafficking in children (art. 167), giving in marriage a girl who has not reached the legal age for marriage (art. 168), entering into marriage with a person who has not reached the legal age for marriage (art. 169), child substitution (art. 171) and illegal adoption (art. 172). Chapter 25 (Crimes against public order and morality) concerns enticement into prostitution (art. 238), establishing or keeping a brothel, procuring or pimping (art. 239), production and circulation of pornographic materials or articles containing images of minors (art. 24.1) and use of minors to produce pornographic materials or articles (art. 241.2).

262.The following articles of the Criminal Code were amended pursuant to Act No. 1554 of 2 January 2019: 130.1 (Trafficking in persons), 138 (Rape), 139 (Violent acts of a sexual nature), 141 (Sexual intercourse and other acts of a sexual nature involving a person under the age of 16), 167 (Trafficking in children), 239 (Establishing or keeping a brothel, procuring or pimping), 335 (Illegal crossing of the State border), 335.1 (Organization of the illegal entry of aliens or stateless persons into Tajikistan or of their illegal transit through the territory of Tajikistan), 351 (Perjury) and 352 (Refusal to attend or give evidence, including submissions or translation). For example, according to the new wording of article 167, trafficking in children is deemed to be any act or transaction through which a child is illegally handed over by his or her parents, another legal representative or other person (or group of persons) who has permanent or temporary custody of the child to another person (or group of persons) for pecuniary gain or other compensation for the purpose of his or her exploitation, or for receiving a material or other advantage, or for the purpose of illegal adoption, regardless of the means used. Paragraph 2 (e) of this article contains a provision on trafficking in children for the purpose of removing organs or tissue from the victim for transplantation, as well as their illegal use for reproductive purposes or in biomedical research. It is gratifying that the following sentence was added to paragraph (1) of the commentary to article 347: “Likewise, a victim of trafficking in persons shall not be held criminally liable for failure to report an offence or for concealing crimes related to her status as a victim of trafficking provided there was no prior agreement to do so.” A second paragraph added to the commentary to article 351 reads: “A victim of trafficking in persons shall not be held criminally liable for false testimony in connection with a crime related to her status as a victim of trafficking.” A second paragraph added to the commentary to article 352 states that: “A victim of trafficking in persons shall not be held criminally liable for refusing to appear before bodies conducting an initial inquiry or investigation or a court, or to give evidence concerning a crime related to her status as a victim of trafficking.”

263.In order to identify victims of trafficking in persons and arrest the traffickers, officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs regularly conduct operations at Dushanbe airport on the Dushanbe-Dubai/Dubai-Dushanbe and Dushanbe-Istanbul/Istanbul-Dushanbe routes and on other foreign routes, especially involving destination countries for trafficking in persons. In Dushanbe international airport, officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are on duty round the clock.

264.The anti-trafficking centre of the Ministry of Internal Affairs has been running a 24-hour hotline on 227-07-07, +992980-10-55-55 (WhatsApp, IMO, Viber, Messenger) with the support of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe since 2021.

265.Pursuant to the Trafficking in Persons and Assistance to Victims Act, a local State-run centre providing social services for victims of trafficking in persons was set up in Dushanbe under Government Decision No. 280 of 27 May 2020. In 2021, the centre was renamed the National Social Service Centre for Victims of Trafficking in Persons and Domestic Violence. The centre provides free board and lodging for victims of trafficking and domestic violence, legal assistance, psychological support, an initial health examination and assistance with obtaining rapid medical and primary health care in hospitals and clinics, including for women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period.

266.The Information Analysis Centre of the Ministry of Internal Affairs recorded 91 crimes related to trafficking in persons between 2017 and 2021.

No.	Article of the Criminal Code	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021
1	Abduction (art. 130 (3) (b) and (c))	−	−	−	−	1
2	Trafficking in persons (art. 1301)	22	32	14	12	11
3	Unlawful deprivation of liberty (art. 131 (3) (b))	1	−	1	−	1
4	Trafficking in children (art. 167)	11	12	13	8	9
5	Use of minors to produce pornographic materials or articles (art. 2412)	−	−	1	−	−
6	Illegal crossing of the State border of Tajikistan (art. 335 (3))	−	−	−	−	−
7	Organization of the illegal entry of aliens or stateless persons into Tajikistan or of their illegal transit through Tajikistan (art. 3351 (3))	−	−	−	−	−
8	Organization of illegal migration (art. 3352)	3	2	8	36	30
9	Theft of or tampering with documents, printed material or stamps (art. 339 (3))	−	−	−	−	−
10	Forgery or transfer of documents, State awards, stamps, printed materials or fake forms (art. 340 (3))	−	1	2	−	−

267.In 2021, the Ministry of Internal Affairs did not record any cases in which victims of trafficking in persons were returned.

268.In order to receive initial assistance and rehabilitation, 15 victims were referred to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and 5 were referred to Femida.

269.The following articles of the Code of Administrative Offences refer to wrongful acts related to children and minors:

Article 90 (Dereliction by parents or other legal representatives of minors of their duties to maintain, educate and bring up minors)

Article 91 (Abuse of tutorship and guardianship rights)

Article 92 (Violation of the procedure or deadlines for providing information on children in need of a foster family or on orphans or children left without parental care who need placement in an institution)

Article 93 (Unlawful acts related to the adoption of a child, or his or her tutorship or guardianship or placement in a foster family)

Article 93.1 (Breaches of the law on the prevention of domestic violence)

Article 94 (Breaches of labour law)

Article 130 (Prostitution)

Article 463.2 (Sale of cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco products to minors)

Article 464 (Involvement of minors in antisocial acts)

Article (Admission by natural or legal persons of minors to nightclubs, discotheques, betting shops, gambling centres or premises where computer games or Internet services are provided)

Article 551.1 (Non-compliance with the law on the protection of minors during the production, positioning and distribution of advertisements)

270.The following laws and regulations have been adopted to prevent juvenile delinquency:

Act No. 1658 of 2 January 2020 on the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency

Government Decision No. 3431 of 30 July 2020 on the National Programme for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency for 2020–2025, which is now in force

271.With a view to enabling members of juvenile law enforcement agencies to prevent the commission of administrative offences and crimes by minors, to identify street children and take them into custody and to prevent school dropout, truancy, suicide and attempted suicide, in the course of this year the Ministry of Internal Affairs have held 5,218 briefings and meetings, made 71 radio and television broadcasts, given 3,864 talks in general education schools and 397 in vocational and technical colleges, 492 in places of residence and 201 in enterprises and organizations, and held 148 conferences and seminars.

272.The procuratorial authorities constantly study and analyse criminal cases related to trafficking in persons, including newborns. The victims of this category of crime are mainly newborn children who are acquired by childless parents for the purpose of subsequent adoption. The perpetrators are single mothers who are unable to keep and raise their newborn children. During the period under review, eight cases of trafficking in minors were recorded, which led to the initiation of criminal investigations under article 167 (Trafficking in minors) of the Criminal Code. Charges were preferred in all the cases and a court convicted the guilty persons.

Follow-up to paragraphs 46–48 of concluding observations CRC/C/TJK/CO/3-5, paragraphs 28–29 of concluding observations CRC/C/OPSC/TJK/CO/1 and paragraphs 15, 25 and 29 of concluding observations CRC/C/OPAC/TJK/CO/1

273.Tajikistan attaches particular importance to juvenile justice and, in that connection, has made some progress with respect to juvenile justice reform in the country. The Juvenile Justice Reform Programme for 2017–2021 was adopted by Government Decision No. 322 of 29 June 2017 and has been successfully implemented.

274.An interdepartmental working group on reforming the juvenile justice system was set up by Order No. 32/10-177 of the Chief of the Executive Office of the President of 18 August 2017 in order to implement this Programme and further reform the juvenile justice system.

275.Between 2017and 2021, the Ministry of Justice, acting as the body coordinating the reform of the juvenile justice system, with the technical support of the UNICEF office in Tajikistan, organized and held 15 meetings of the working group. During the meetings, consideration was given to the implementation and monitoring of the Juvenile Justice Reform Programme for 2017–2021, the improvement of legislation in the field of juvenile justice, the formulation and adoption of a national programme for the prevention of juvenile delinquency for 2020–2024 and a programme for the rehabilitation and social reintegration of juveniles who have served custodial or semi-custodial sentences for 2020–2024; an analysis was made of the conditions in which minors in conflict with the law are held in places of deprivation or restriction of liberty; and short psychology courses were run, among other activities.

276.The Ministry of Justice, in cooperation with the UNICEF office in Tajikistan, has analysed legislation in the field of juvenile justice to see whether it complies with the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (the Beijing Rules), the United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty, the United Nations Guidelines for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency (the Riyadh Guidelines), the Guidelines on justice in matters involving child victims and witnesses of crime, etc. This analysis sought to identify priority issues and make recommendations for further reform of the juvenile justice system and to make it consistent with international standards.

277.The Beijing Rules, the Riyadh Guidelines and the Guidelines on justice in matters involving child victims and witnesses of crime have been translated into Tajik by the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights in Tajikistan. A compendium of major international and national juvenile justice instruments was published as part of the implementation of the Human Rights Education Programme for 2013–2020.

278.An interdepartmental working group comprising staff of the Supreme Court, the Office of the Procurator General, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Statistics Agency was set up under Order No. 5-45 of the Procurator-General of 10 March 2020. The working group has drafted guidelines on a mechanism for collecting statistics on children who are offenders, witnesses or victims of crime or violence. This project is currently being coordinated with the relevant ministries and departments.

279.Act No. 1811 amending the Code of Criminal Procedure was adopted on 23 December 2021. The Act supplemented the Code of Criminal Procedure Code as follows:

A minor suspect must be questioned immediately, within 12 hours of actual arrest

A minor may be held in custody for no more than 48 hours from the time of arrest. Upon expiry of that time limit, the detained minor must be released from custody, or another preventive measure must be applied to him or her

A minor witness or victim under the age of 7 may not be questioned without a break for more than 30 minutes and a total of 1 hour per day, those aged between 7 and 14 may not be questioned without a break for more than 1 hour and a total of 2 hours per day, those aged between 14 and 16 may not be questioned without a break for more than 1 hour 30 minutes and a total of 3 hours per day, and those aged between 16 and 18 may not be questioned without a break for more than 2 hours and a total of 4 hours a day

The duration of the questioning of a minor witness or victim who, owing to physical or mental disabilities, is unable to defend his or her rights and legitimate interests independently is determined by the investigator on the basis of a recommendation from a teacher or psychologist

280.Act No. 1665 amending the procedures and conditions for the custody of suspects, accused persons and defendants was adopted on 2 January 2020. Thus, rules allowing the detention of minors together with adults have been excluded from the legislation of Tajikistan. The legislation now completely prohibits the joint detention of minors and adults. In accordance with these amendments, when a submission is received about the use of violence against a minor, a mandatory medical examination is carried out by at least three medical workers who are independent of the institution where the minor suspect, accused person or defendant is being detained, in order to record the degree of bodily injury inflicted, signs of violence, the use of torture or incidents of ill-treatment.

281.Since 2017, regular training programmes on the protection of children’s rights and international standards on juvenile justice have been developed and conducted at the Supreme Court, the Office of the Procurator General, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Justice’s Central Penal Enforcement Department.

282.Between 2017 and 2021, in accordance with the plans approved by the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, professional development courses on topics relating to the protection of children’s rights and juvenile justice were organized and held for regional inspectors and employees of the Ministry’s Department for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency and its subdivisions. In total, in 2017–2021, 508 employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs took professional development courses at the Ministry’s Training Centre.

283.In 2017–2018, the Bar Association of Tajikistan, with the assistance of UNICEF in Tajikistan and the Legal Initiative Foundation, held 12 training courses for 235 lawyers. Seven of the training courses took place in Dushanbe and five in Khujand. The main topics of the training courses were “The Protection of Minors in Criminal Proceedings” and “Psychological Factors in Interviewing Minors”.

284.In 2017–2021, the Supreme Court Judicial Training Centre, in accordance with the approved training programmes for judges, conducted a number of professional development courses on “National and International Standards of Juvenile Justice”, “The Criminal Responsibility of Minors” and “Procedures for the Conduct of Criminal Proceedings against Minors and for Their Sentencing”. A total of 909 persons, including 827 judges, 58 trainee judges and 24 court officers, have undergone professional development.

285.In 2017–2021, the Supreme Court Judicial Training Centre, with the assistance of UNICEF in Tajikistan, held a number of seminars and training sessions on “Juvenile Justice”, which were attended by 159 persons, including 96 judges, 54 trainee judges and 9 court officers.

286.The Ministry of Education and Science conducted an analysis of the role of psychologists in the juvenile justice system, which resulted in the appointment of full-time psychologists at educational establishments nationwide. Currently, 1,058 psychologists work in educational establishments: 14 in Kŭhistoni Badakhshon Autonomous Province, 88 in Khatlon Province, 728 in Sughd Province, 116 in Dushanbe and 112 in the centrally administered towns and districts.

287.The Ministry of Justice, with support from the UNICEF office in Tajikistan and the Central Asia office of Penal Reform International (PRI), conducted two reviews of detention conditions for juveniles in conflict with the law, in 2020 and 2021, at the following four institutions:

1.Juvenile Correctional (Educational) Colony Y/S 3/12 of the Ministry of Justice in Dushanbe;

2.The Juvenile Reception and Placement Centre of the Ministry of Internal Affairs;

3.The National Special School of the Ministry of Education and Science in Dushanbe;

4.The Special Vocational and Technical Lyceum of the Ministry of Labour, Migration and Employment in Dushanbe.

288.In the course of these reviews, 92 minors and 57 employees from the above-mentioned institutions were interviewed. In general, the conditions for living, learning and personal development at the institutions analysed were satisfactory, and no cases were identified of torture or ill-treatment of children at these institutions.

289.The Ministry of Justice pays special attention to the issue of professional development for staff of Juvenile Correctional (Educational) Colony Y/S 3/12, where juvenile offenders serve their sentences.

290.Juvenile offenders constitute a special category of inmate, and a high level of professional knowledge and skill is required from staff of these institutions to find ways and means of advancing their personal development. The Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Labour, Migration and Employment, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Education and Science organize and conduct regular professional development courses to boost the skills of the staff of institutions where young offenders serve custodial or semi-custodial sentences.

291.The Programme for the Rehabilitation and Social Reintegration of Juveniles who Have Served Custodial or Semi-Custodial Sentences for 2020–2024 was adopted by Government Decision No. 387 of 25 July 2020.

292.The National Programme for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency for 2020–2024 was adopted by Government Decision No. 431 of 30 July 2020.

293.Interdepartmental groups have been created to implement these programmes and the activities of the relevant government agencies in this area are continuing.

294.A working group at the Office of the Procurator General has drafted a new Criminal Code, which is being considered by the parliament. Under chapter 14 of the new draft Code, sanctions for juvenile offenders are mitigated in the best interests of the child.

295.The Strategy to Combat Extremism and Terrorism in Tajikistan for 2021–2025, which was approved by Presidential Decree No. 187 of 1 June 2021, defines the goals, objectives and main thrust of State policy to combat extremism and terrorism and is aimed at bringing together the efforts of State authorities, local self-governance bodies in settlements and villages, civil society institutions and international organizations in this sphere.

296.The Office of the Procurator General is responsible for coordinating the activities of government agencies, civil society institutions and international organizations to implement this Strategy. The Office, under a departmental action plan to strengthen procuratorial oversight of action to counter extremism and terrorism and prevent the involvement and participation of citizens – particularly young persons and adolescents – in the activities of extremist organizations, is taking the necessary organizational and operational measures in this regard.

297.On 30 April 2019, 84 children whose parents were victims of foreign military conflict outside the country were returned to their homeland from Iraq and Syria at the initiative of the President of Tajikistan. All of them were placed in educational and therapeutic institutions of the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, and the Ministry of Labour, Migration and Employment and provided with schooling and medical treatment.

298.The Office of the Procurator General, together with other relevant government agencies, specialists and psychologists, has worked on the reintegration into and adaptation of these children to normal life, as well as inculcating in them a sense of patriotism and respect for their country. Children who have been returned to the homeland receive schooling and medical treatment at the above-mentioned institutions, hot meals, seasonal clothing and footwear, and teachers and carers use a variety of pedagogical means and methods to return the children to their normal lives and continually observe them in daily life. The measures taken and the favourable conditions created for the children have fostered in them a sense of self-awareness, patriotism, national pride and respect for others. Analysis showed that the speech and character of the children changed drastically, they formed attachments to other pupils and appeared socialized in normal life situations, and their emotional and mental state improved. The medical, legal, social, psychological and pedagogical rehabilitation of children and adolescents returned from combat zones has been carried out by the relevant ministries and agencies on the basis of a specially devised educational and development programme for their integration into and adaptation to normal life. Currently, the health status, education and personal development of children and adolescents returned from combat zones to institutions of the authorized State ministries and agencies is being monitored continuously by law enforcement agencies and local self-governance bodies.

299.Training courses on juvenile justice for staff of the procuratorial authorities were held at the Institute for the Study of Legality, Law and Order and the Professional Development of the Procuratorial Staff.

Follow-up information relating to paragraphs 22–23 of concluding observations CRC/C/OPSC/TJK/CO/1

300.In order to prevent and suppress child prostitution, procuratorial staff frequently participate in joint raids with representatives of other government agencies.

301.For example, in the course of joint raids with the internal affairs agencies during 2018–2022, 31 minors engaged in prostitution, mostly from troubled families, were identified and placed on a preventive register.

302.Internal affairs officers carry out annual preventive operations, under the code name “Morality”, in accordance with Ministry of Internal Affairs Order No. 108 of 2 October 2007 on strengthening efforts to combat offences against morality. In 2017, seven preventive operations were carried out (in 2018, five; in 2019, eight; in 2020, six; and, in 2021, six), during which 18 minors who had engaged in prostitution (in 2018, 6; in 2019, 10; in 2020, 10; in 2021, 1) were brought in for preventive conversations in the presence of their relatives and representatives of the Government Committee for Women and the Family.

303.The Office of the Procurator General, together with other relevant bodies, is taking the necessary measures to identify messages and information distributed on the Internet with the aim of enticing children into prostitution and the commission of other unsavoury acts. During monitoring of the Internet, the distribution of pornographic materials, child pornography and scenes of cruelty was uncovered. As a result, in the last two years alone, access to 277 websites (in 2020, 160; in 2021, 117) has been terminated by the Government Communications Service, on the basis of orders of the Office of the Procurator General.

304.At the same time, in order to expose and condemn the mercenary motives of the authors of such videos and photos, which are distributed in Internet forums and through live feeds, constructive conversations were organized with other bodies and with the involvement of a wide range of researchers and experts, and video messages were prepared and distributed. Work on prevention and outreach in this area continues.

Follow-up information relating to paragraphs 30–31 and 34 of concluding observations CRC/C/OPSC/TJK/CO/1 and paragraphs 22–23 of concluding observations CRC/C/OPAC/TJK/CO/1

305.In order to strengthen international cooperation, Tajikistan concludes international treaties and agreements with other countries.

Follow-up information relating to paragraphs 17 and 19 of concluding observations CRC/C/OPAC/TJK/CO/1

306.By Order No. 211 of the Head of the Military Lyceum of the Ministry of Defence of 16 May 2018, a working group was set up, consisting of officers and employees of the Military Lyceum, to work on training programmes on children’s rights, the Regulations of the Military Lyceum and a plan to implement the recommendations contained in document CRC/C/OPAC/TJK/CO/1. Based on the plan, annual activities are held, including information events, talks and meetings to prevent young people and teenagers from joining extremist parties and movements and from falling into the clutches of exploitative individuals, along with meetings for the students with representatives of the military, police and security forces and the military procurator’s office. There are also regular talks and meetings on children’s rights for the students of the Military Lyceum, and they are provided with the necessary information on the Convention at morning musters.

307.Every year, by order of the Minister of Defence, an admissions committee is set up at the Military Lyceum and the Military Institute of the Ministry of Defence to handle admissions to these educational institutions. Pursuant to an order of the Minister of Defence, a subcommittee is created on instructions from the heads of the military educational institutions, to determine the age of students and cadets.

308.In accordance with the requirements of the Regulations on the Military Lyceum of the Ministry of Defence, male citizens aged 15–16 years old are admitted for training. Under the curriculum, students of the Military Lyceum learn about the use and general construction of weapons and ammunition, but they are not allowed to participate in armed conflict until they reach the age of 18 years.

309.In order to disseminate information about the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the additional Protocols thereto, detailed information on the topic is provided to personnel of the Ministry’s military units during the briefing held every Saturday and during activities carried out with the State Committee on National Security and the Central Military Procurator’s Office under the joint action plan.

Follow-up information relating to paragraph 27 of concluding observations CRC/C/OPAC/TJK/CO/1

310.The Tajik National Mine Action Centre, a State institution, organized and conducted mine risk education for 560 teachers at selected schools exposed to the risk of mines and unexploded ordnance.

311.More than 672 animated films about the dangers of mines and unexploded ordnance were provided to schools in selected villages at risk of mines and unexploded ordnance in Kŭhistoni Badakhshon Autonomous Province, Khatlon and Sughd Provinces, and the Districts of Tojikobod, Sangvor and Lakhsh.

312.A total of 64,277 persons (35,468 boys and 28,809 girls) benefited from activities warning of the dangers of mines and unexploded ordnance.

313.Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and decreased funding from humanitarian organizations, no summer rehabilitation camp for child victims of mines and unexploded ordnance was held in 2021.

Follow-up information relating to paragraph 32 of concluding observations CRC/C/OPAC/TJK/CO/1

314.The ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on a communications procedure is currently being studied at the ministerial and departmental levels.

315.The texts of international documents, national reports, recommendations and national action plans are posted in a timely manner on the websites of the Government Commission on International Human Rights Obligations (www.khit.tj), the Commissioner for Human Rights (www.ombudsman.tj), the Commissioner for Children’s Rights (www.vhk.tj) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and on the websites of local non-governmental organizations.

316.In order to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the National Action Plan to Prepare for Ratification and Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was approved by Government Decision No. 116 of 27 February 2020. The Plan contains implementation measures (annexes) for the period up to 2024. The Plan’s implementation will contribute to the gradual preparation of the socioeconomic conditions required for ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, including the adoption of legislative, administrative and other norms that are in keeping with the Convention and the abandonment of those that contradict it.