Committee on the Rights of the Child

Seventy- fourth session

16 January-3 February 2017

Item 4 of the provisional agenda

C onsideration of reports of States parties

List of issues in relation to the fourth periodic report of Georgia

The State party is requested to submit in writing additional, updated information (10,700 words maximum), if possible before 15 October 2016.The Committee may take up all aspects of children’s rights set out in the Convention during the dialogue with the State party.

Part I

1.Please provide information on measures taken to develop a comprehensive national policy and strategy for the implementation of the Convention. Please include updated details on the quantitative and qualitative indicators used for monitoring such implementation.

2.Please clarify the role, the mandate and the resources (human, technical and financial) allocated by the State party to theChild’s Rights Centre of the Office of the Public Defender. Please include details on whether the Public Defender is empowered to issue legally binding decisions. In addition, please provide information on complaints mechanisms specifically addressing children’s rights. Please include details on measures for ensuring that such mechanisms are independent and child-friendly and promotethe participation of children.

3.Please provide detailed information on the definition of the child under the State party’s legislation. Please include updated details on the minimum age of marriage and the legal status of children who are above 16 years of age and married.

4.Please provide updated information on the legal definition of the best interests of the child under the civil legislation of the State party.

5.Please provide detailed information on measures to ensure adequate safeguards against the torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment of children by police in the State party. Please include updated details on complaints mechanisms dealing with such conduct, the number of prosecutions of law enforcement personnel for such misconduct and the sanctions imposed on perpetrators.

6.Please provide information on measures taken to effectively implement the State party’s child protection referral procedure in cases of children suspected of having been subjected to abuse, neglect or violence, including sexual abuse and sexual violence. In doing so, please include details on measures taken to ensure that social workers and health and education professionals are familiar with the procedure and their responsibilities underit.

7.Please include information on any measures taken to raise awareness of the consequences of child marriage and on measures taken to ensure the effective prosecution of persons forcing children to marry.

8.Please provide information on regulatory and monitoring measures for private, including religiously affiliated, institutions and small group homes for the care of children.

9.Please provide updated information on the legal status of direct adoption. In addition, please provide information on measures taken to provide training for adoptive parents and on follow-up measures for ensuring the well-being of children who have been adopted.

10.Please provide updated details on measures taken to effectively implement inclusive education. Please include information on measures to ensure that the multidisciplinary teams of the Ministry of Education and Science receive adequate training and resources (human, technical and financial). Please also include information on measures for the deinstitutionalization of children with disabilities.

11.Please provide detailed information on measures taken to address infant and child mortality. Please include details on measures taken to improve antenatal and perinatal care services, particularly in rural areas.

12.Please provide information on measures, including legislation, taken to ensure that early childhood care and education is provided and subject to adequate monitoring and regulation.

13.Please provide information on measures taken to prevent the economic exploitation of children. Please include information on children of ethnic minorities,children in an irregular migrant situation and children involved in domestic or informal work.

14.Please provide information on measures taken by the State party to fulfil its reporting obligations under the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict and the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.

Part II

15.The Committee invites the State party to provide a brief update (no more than three pages) on the information presented in its report with regard to:

(a)New bills or laws, and their respective regulations;

(b)New institutions (and their mandates) or institutional reforms;

(c)Recently introduced policies, programmes and action plans and their scope and financing;

(d)Recent ratifications of human rights instruments.

Part III

Data, statistics and other information, if available

16.Please provide consolidated information for the past three years on the budget lines regarding children and social sectors by indicating the percentage of each budget line in terms of the total national budget and the gross national product. Please also provide information on the geographic allocation of those resources.

17.Please provide, if available, updated statistical data disaggregated by age, sex, ethnic origin, national origin, geographic location and socioeconomic status, for the past three years, on:

(a)Cases of discrimination received by the Public Defender and related prosecutions;

(b)Parents, guardians or staff working in care institutions accused, indicted and convicted of child abuse, including sexual abuse and corporal punishment;

(c)Cases of child neglect and abuse, especially in institutions and alternative care settings;

(d)Children with disabilities in regular schools and classes;

(e)School completion rates, up to the tertiary level;

(f)Children in detention facilities and penitentiary institutions, including closed correctional facilities;

(g)Child victims of trafficking and abduction.

18.Please provide data disaggregated by age, sex, socioeconomic background, ethnic origin and geographic location regarding the situation of children deprived of a family environment, for the past three years, on the number of children:

(a)Separated from their parents;

(b)Living in single-parent households;

(c)Placed in institutions;

(d)Placed with foster families;

(e)Adopted domestically or through intercountry adoptions.

19.Please provide data, disaggregated by age, sex, type of disability, ethnic origin and geographic location, for the past three years, on the number of children with disabilities:

(a)Living with their families;

(b)Living in institutions;

(c)Attending regular primary schools;

(d)Attending regular secondary schools;

(e)Attending special schools;

(f)Out of school;

(g)Abandoned by their families.

20.Please provide the Committee with an update of any data in the report that may have been outdated by more recent data collected or other new developments.

21.In addition, the State party may list areas affecting children that it considers to be of priority with regard to the implementation of the Convention.