Committee on the Rights of the Child

Ninety-fifth session

15 January–2 February 2024

Consideration of reports of States parties

Replies of the Russian Federation to the listof issues in relation to its combined sixth and seventh periodic reports *

[Date received: 11 October 2023]

1.The years 2018–2027 were declared the Decade of Childhood in the Russian Federation, pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 240 of 29 May 2017. In continuation of the plan of basic measures to be carried out within the framework of the Decade over the period up to 2020, a plan of basic measures to be carried out over the period up to 2027 was approved pursuant to Government Order No. 122-r of 23 January 2021. The latter plan includes measures of an institutional and legal nature aimed at creating conditions for the physical, educational, spiritual and material well-being of children and their families.

2.The implementation of the plan involves the participation of the State authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, which have developed and are implementing regional plans of action for the Decade of Childhood, taking into account current demographic, geographical and socioeconomic characteristics.

3.In order to assess the effectiveness of the implementation of the Decade of Childhood, a system of statistical indicators characterizing the progress made with respect to the activities to be carried out within the framework of the Decade was developed. The system was approved pursuant to Government Order No. 1365-r of 6 November 2019 and updated pursuant to Government Order No. 3427-r of 11 November 2022.

4.To ensure interaction between the federal executive authorities, the State authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, local government bodies, voluntary associations, scientific and other organizations in considering issues related to the implementation of the Decade of Childhood, the Coordinating Council for the Decade of Childhood under the Government of the Russian Federation was established pursuant to Government Decision No. 823 of 14 July 2018.

5.The main tasks of the Coordinating Council are to discuss issues related to the practical implementation of the activities being carried out within the framework of the Decade of Childhood; to determine methods and modalities for implementing these activities; to organize interaction between the federal executive authorities, the State authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, voluntary associations, scientific and other organizations on issues related to implementation; to prepare proposals for the definition of priority areas and measures of State children’s policy; and to interact with coordination structures for the implementation of the activities being carried out within the framework of the Decade in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and monitor the progress made in that regard.

6.The amount of the consolidated children’s budget earmarked to ensure the realization of basic guarantees for children and families with children, including the introduction of new support measures and the development of social services and infrastructure for children and families with children, is increasing annually. Thus, the consolidated children’s budget has increased by 1.5 trillion roubles since 2021 and amounted to 7.8 trillion roubles in 2022. Within that budget, both the federal component and the regional components have increased, from 1.7 trillion to 2.4 trillion roubles and from 4.3 trillion to 5.1 trillion roubles, respectively.

7.In order to obtain complete and reliable statistical information on the living conditions of various demographic and socioeconomic groups and strata of the population, the Federal State Statistics Service conducts sample observations on sociodemographic issues: living conditions, population incomes and participation in social programmes, quality and availability of social services, reproductive plans, state of health, dietary intake, daily time use, use of migrant labour and participation in lifelong learning.

8.The comprehensive data-collection system that has been established allows for the generation of information broken down according to the main sociodemographic groups, including by sex, age, disability and other characteristics. Monitoring of the dynamics of changes in children’s living standards, as well as trends in the poverty rate, is organized on the basis of the results of sample observations of population incomes and participation in social programmes.

9.The legal status, main tasks and powers of the Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights and the commissioners for children’s rights in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation are regulated by the Federal Act on Commissioners for Children’s Rights in the Russian Federation, adopted in 2018.

10.With the adoption of Federal Act No. 121-FZ of 20 July 2012 amending a number of legislative acts of the Russian Federation with regard to the regulation of the activities of non-profit organizations acting as foreign agents, the institution of “foreign agent” was introduced, for the purpose of informing the public, and non-profit organizations were the first that could be declared foreign agents. Subsequently, there emerged other types of foreign agent – individuals, unregistered voluntary associations, Russian and foreign legal entities that might also participate in political or information-related activities and receive funds and property from foreign sources.

11.Federal Act No. 255-FZ of 14 July 2022 on Monitoring the Activities of Persons Acting under Foreign Influence was adopted in order to systematize and simplify the entire legal framework related to the activities of different types of foreign agent. The Act, which entered into force on 1 December 2022, introduced criteria for declaring persons to be foreign agents, categories of person that may not be declared foreign agents and a right to appeal to the courts against a decision to include a person in the register of foreign agents.

12.The Ministry of Justice currently maintains a register of foreign agents, which includes, among others, persons previously recognized as such. The register is posted on the Ministry’s website. As at 9 August 2023, the register of foreign agents contained information on 649 persons (471 of them active), of which 226 are non-profit organizations (60 of them active).

13.In accordance with Constitutional Court Decision No. 10-P of 8 April 2014, the phrase “foreign agent” does not imply a negative assessment of such an organization by the State, nor is it intended to promote a negative attitude towards the activities carried out by the organization, and it may not be perceived as an expression of distrust or of a desire to discredit such a non-profit organization and the goals of its activities.

14.Work on improving the legal and regulatory framework related to the activities of persons that are foreign agents is carried out continuously on the basis of data obtained from analysing law enforcement practice, as well as taking into account public opinion, including in the professional and academic communities, with a view to adopting the most effective and optimal solutions regarding legal regulation in the relevant area of activity. The provisions of the legislation on foreign agents are designed to ensure the transparency of the activities carried out by foreign agents in the territory of the Russian Federation.

15.In order to prevent foreign interference in the internal affairs of the Russian Federation, Federal Act No. 272-FZ of 28 December 2012 on Sanctions against Persons Involved in Violations of Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms and of the Rights and Freedoms of Citizens of the Russian Federation allows for the activities of a foreign or international non‑governmental organization to be declared undesirable in the territory of the Russian Federation on the grounds that they pose a threat to the foundations of the constitutional order of the Russian Federation, the country’s defence capability or State security.

16.Given that national legislation already contains provisions aimed at protecting not only the rights of citizens of the Russian Federation, but also those of foreign nationals, including minors, from manifestations of discrimination, the request for the Russian Federation to adopt a comprehensive anti-discrimination law seems redundant.

17.Article 19 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation guarantees equality of human and civil rights and freedoms regardless of sex, race, ethnicity, language, origin, property or official status, place of residence, attitude to religion, beliefs, membership of voluntary associations or other circumstances. Any form of restriction on the rights of citizens on the grounds of social, racial, ethnic, linguistic or religious affiliation is prohibited.

18.Furthermore, in April 2022 the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Higher Education and Science and the Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs approved a set of measures for the socialization and psychological adaptation of foreign minors to be enrolled in preschool, primary general, basic general and secondary general education, secondary vocational education and higher education, covering the period up to 2025.

19.State children’s policy is a priority and is based on the following principles: safeguarding of children’s rights in legislation; support for families in order to ensure children’s education, instruction, leisure and good health; protection of children’s rights; preparation of children for a full life in society; and liability for legal persons, officials and citizens who violate the rights and legitimate interests of children or cause them harm.

20.The goals of State children’s policy are to realize the rights of children provided for in the Constitution; to prevent discrimination against children; to strengthen the basic guarantees of the rights and legitimate interests of children and to restore their rights in case of violations; to establish a legal basis for guaranteeing children’s rights; to promote the physical, intellectual, mental, spiritual and moral development of children; to foster a sense of patriotism and citizenship in children and to promote their self-realization in the interests of society, in keeping with traditions of the peoples of the Russian Federation that do not run counter to its Constitution or federal legislation and bearing in mind the achievements of Russian and world culture; and to protect children from adverse influences on their physical, intellectual, mental, spiritual and moral development.

21.In accordance with article 12.1 (1) and (2) of the Federal Act on Education, students’ instruction as they progress through the basic general education, secondary vocational education and higher education curricula is based on the Federal Work Programme for Education and the federal calendar for educational work (with regard to the delivery of State‑accredited curricula for primary general, basic general and secondary general education) and on the work programme for education and the calendar for educational work, which are incorporated into the curricula.

22.The Ministry of Education has updated the federal basic education curricula (pursuant to Ministry of Education Orders No. 372 of 18 May 2023 approving the federal curriculum for primary general education, No. 370 of 18 May 2023 approving the federal curriculum for basic general education and No. 371 of 18 May 2023 approving the federal curriculum for secondary general education), including the federal work programmes for education and the federal calendars for educational work.

23.The content of instruction in educational establishments is determined by the fundamental Russian norms and values enshrined in the Constitution. These values and norms define the invariable content of students’ instruction. The variable component of such content incorporates spiritual and moral values drawn from the culture and traditional religions of the peoples of Russia.

24.The Federal Work Programme for Education also defines benchmarks and areas for instruction such as civic, patriotic, spiritual, moral, aesthetic, physical, professional and environmental education, as well as values with respect to scientific knowledge. In the Federal Work Programme for Education, the part devoted to content provides descriptions of instruction within the framework of the main (invariable) modules, in accordance with the legal conditions for the delivery of educational programmes (classroom activities, extracurricular activities and so forth). Modules such as “Self-management”, “Prevention and safety”, “Social partnership” and “Vocational guidance” ensure children’s right to have their best interests taken into account and promote their autonomy.

25.In conformity with the Policy Framework for the Development of Supplementary Education for Children approved by Government Order No. 678-r of 31 March 2022, the goals of the development of supplementary education for children are to create conditions for self-realization and the development of children’s talents and to foster a highly moral, harmoniously developed and socially responsible personality in children. Among the priorities to be addressed in updating the content and methodologies for supplementary education programmes in the social sciences and humanities is the need to create conditions for the involvement of children in the development of society at the global, regional and local levels, the building of a culture of interethnic dialogue, the promotion of leadership skills, the acquisition of financial, legal and media literacy, the practice of entrepreneurial activity, including through the use of game formats and technology, the employment of network communications in the real and virtual environments, and the inculcation in students of skills related to emotional, physical, intellectual and spiritual development.

26.In accordance with paragraph 27 of the Regulations on the activities of institutions for orphans and children without parental care and on the placement of children without parental care in such institutions, which were approved pursuant to Government Decree No. 481 of 24 May 2014, these institutions are obliged to ensure that children enjoy access to information, in a form that is suitable for them, about the rights of the child, about the statute and internal regulations of the institution concerned, about State authorities, local government bodies and their officials working to protect the rights and legitimate interests of minors, about agencies of tutorship or guardianship, internal affairs agencies, the procurator’s office, the courts, the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, the Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights and/or the commissioners for human rights and commissioners for children’s rights in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and the commission for minors’ affairs and protection of their rights, including information about the telephone numbers of the aforementioned bodies and organizations, notably the 24‑hour dedicated numbers offering special (emergency) assistance, and about the addresses of these bodies and organizations, as well as the possibility of communicating unhindered with them and of receiving qualified legal assistance free of charge pursuant to the Federal Act on Free Legal Assistance.

27.It is stated in paragraph 51 (j) of the Regulations that the activities of institutions for orphans also include the restoration of children’s violated rights and the representation of their interests in relations with any natural or legal persons, including in the courts.

28.In accordance with article 15 (8.1) of the Federal Act on the Principles of the System for the Prevention of Child Neglect and Juvenile Delinquency, correspondence between a minor held in a special custodial reform school and the bodies supervising the activities of such institutions, the court, the procurator’s office, the commissioners for human and children’s rights in the Russian Federation and the public monitoring commission established under the legislation of the Russian Federation is not subject to censorship and must be forwarded to the addressee within 24 hours (except at weekends and on public holidays).

29.Correspondence between a minor and a lawyer or other person lawfully providing legal assistance is also not subject to censorship, except in cases where the administration of a special custodial reform school has reliable data indicating that the information contained in the correspondence is aimed at the initiation, planning or organizing of a crime or the involvement of other persons in its commission. In these cases, postal, telegraphic or other communications may be monitored on the basis of a reasoned decision by the administration of the special custodial reform school. A copy of such decision must be sent to the procurator supervising the observance of the law by the institution concerned. Conversations between members of the public monitoring commission established under the legislation of the Russian Federation and minors regarding the upholding of their rights in special custodial reform schools must be conducted in conditions that allow a representative of the administration of the institution to see but not hear those conversations.

30.In accordance with the Federal Act on Civil Registration, the basis for State registration of the birth of a child is the certificate of birth issued by the medical organization where the birth took place, whose doctor provided medical assistance during the birth or which the mother attended after the birth, or a declaration by a person present during the birth of the child in the case of births that take place outside a medical organization and without medical assistance. State registration of the birth of a child born in the territory of the Russian Federation is carried out on the basis of an application by the parents (parent, relative or other person authorized by the parents) and upon presentation of a document confirming the fact of the birth of the child.

31.In accordance with article 29 (1), (3) and (4) of the Constitution, freedom of thought and expression are guaranteed for everyone, no one may be compelled to express his or her opinions and convictions or to abstain from so doing, and everyone has the right freely to seek, receive, transmit, produce and disseminate information by any lawful means.

32.The request to lift the bans and restrictions on social media platforms cannot be unjustified given the large-scale anti-Russian information campaign that has been deployed, which, for residents of a number of countries, has entailed the removal of the prohibition on posting calls for the murder of citizens of the Russian Federation. In view of the discriminatory actions of the Facebook and Instagram social networks, owned by the transnational company Meta Platforms Inc., at the request of the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technologies and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor), access to these social networks has been restricted in the territory of the Russian Federation and the company’s activities have been banned on the basis of a court decision. In addition, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation is investigating a criminal case brought on the basis of evidence of the conduct of extremist and terrorist activities by certain of the company’s managers and employees.

33.In a joint letter, No. MS-P13-070-12363/No. SK-230/04 dated 10 March 2022, the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media and the Ministry of Education recommended the use in the educational process of predominantly domestic software and circulated an indicative list of recommended alternative information resources for use. Methodological recommendations for transitioning to the use of Russian software were approved pursuant to Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media Order No. 21 of 18 January 2023. The restriction on the use of foreign messaging applications thus applies to the provision by educational establishments of relevant State and municipal services in the field of education, for which it is necessary to use Russian software. The Federal Act on the Protection of Children from Information Harmful to Their Health and Development regulates relations with regard to the protection of children from information harmful to their health and/or development, including where such information is contained in information products.

34.Under article 31 of the Constitution, citizens have the right to assemble peacefully, without weapons, to hold meetings, rallies, demonstrations and marches and to picket. These rights are limited by the general constitutional prohibitions on the establishment and activities of voluntary associations whose objectives or actions are aimed at forcibly altering the foundations of the constitutional order and violating the integrity of the Russian Federation, undermining State security, creating armed formations, inciting social, racial, ethnic or religious discord, propagating or promoting hatred and enmity, and propagating notions of social, racial, ethnic, religious or linguistic superiority.

35.In the Russian Federation, the use of physical violence, including against minors, is an administrative and criminal offence (Code of Administrative Offences, art. 6.1.1, and Criminal Code, arts. 111, 112, 115, 116, 116.1, 117 and 118). Under article 63 (1) (o) of the Criminal Code, the commission of a crime against a minor by a parent or other legal representative, as well as by a teacher or other person working with children, is considered an aggravating circumstance.

36.As stipulated in article 15 (9) (1) of the Federal Act on the Principles of the System for the Prevention of Child Neglect and Juvenile Delinquency, the administrations of special custodial reform schools must, in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation and the statute of the institution concerned, provide special conditions for the detention of minors, including by protecting the premises and grounds of the institution, ensuring the personal safety of the minors and affording them the fullest protection from negative influences.

37.To eliminate a legislative gap, amendments were made to the Code of Criminal Procedure, pursuant to Federal Act No. 38-FZ of 6 March 2022, providing for a psychologist to participate during the hearing of evidence in the examination of victims and witnesses aged under 16 years and from 16 to 18 years. Similar provisions had been incorporated previously into criminal procedural legislation with regard to the conduct of questioning, confrontations of witnesses, identifications and verification of evidence with the involvement of a minor victim or witness.

38.The Criminal Code provides for liability for a number of crimes related to the sexual exploitation and abuse of children: rape of a minor, of a victim aged under 14 years and of two or more minors; violent acts of a sexual nature committed against a minor, against a person aged under 14 years and against two or more minors; coercion of minors to engage in acts of a sexual nature; engagement in sexual intercourse and other acts of a sexual nature with a person aged under 16 years; indecent assault of a person aged under 16 years, of a person aged over 12 but under 14 years and of two or more such persons; enticement of a minor to engage in prostitution or coercion of a minor to continue to engage in prostitution; receiving of sexual services from a minor aged from 16 to 18 years by a person aged 18 years or over; and organization of prostitution using minors and persons aged under 14 years.

39.Allegations of violence against women and girls in the North Caucasus, including so‑called “honour killings” and “bride kidnappings”, early marriage and polygamy in the region, are far-fetched. There are no data to suggest that women and girls in the North Caucasus are apprehensive about approaching the law enforcement agencies because of fear of retaliation or stigmatization. In 2022, during a review of evidence obtained in the context of inquiries and criminal cases concerning harm caused to women as a result of genital mutilation, one such case was reported by the investigation department for the Republic of Ingushetia, which had investigated a criminal case opened on 26 July 2019 by the internal affairs agencies on the basis of evidence of an offence contrary to article 115 (1) of the Criminal Code. The case concerned the performance on A., a minor, by N., an obstetrician-gynaecologist at the Aibolit medical centre, of a medical procedure involving the incision of skin in the genital area. It was found that the girl had undergone the procedure in accordance with an agreement concluded by the clinic with her legal representative (her father, T.). The criminal case, in which N. is accused of committing an offence contrary to article 115 (1) of the Criminal Code, was sent for trial, with an approved bill of indictment. On 28 January 2022, a fine was imposed on N. by a justice of the peace.

40.To improve measures to realize the priority right of every child to live and be raised in a family, an action plan (road map) for the prevention of child abandonment for the period 2021–2025 was approved by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection and the Ministry of Health and is being implemented. The key objectives of the plan are to enhance the well-being of families with children and to reduce the number of cases of deprivation or restriction of parental rights and, as a result, the number of abandoned children in the country. Similar plans have been developed in all the constituent entities of the Russian Federation.

41.As a result of the efforts to prevent child abandonment, in 2022 the number of orphans and children without parental care fell by 3.9 per cent compared with the data for 2021, the number of children whose sole parent or two parents were deprived of parental rights by 2.2 per cent and the number of children removed from their parents owing to a direct threat to the life or health the child by 12.7 per cent.

42.In accordance with paragraph 49 of the Regulations on the activities of institutions for orphans and children without parental care, institutions must ensure that children are able to communicate with their legal representatives and relatives, through telephone conversations, correspondence and personal meetings, including for the purpose of normalizing family relations and facilitating the return of children to their families (except in cases where the agencies of tutorship or guardianship have prohibited a child’s legal representatives and relatives from communicating with him or her because such communication would be contrary to the child’s interests, in the circumstances and under the procedure established by the legislation of the Russian Federation), as well as with other persons if that is not contrary to children’s interests, provided that the internal regulations of institutions are respected and children’s safety is ensured, both within and outside the premises and grounds of the institution, proceeding from the children’s interests and taking their views into account. Under paragraph 32 of the Regulations, institutions must create favourable living conditions that approximate those in a family and are conducive to children’s intellectual, emotional, spiritual, moral and physical development.

43.In accordance with paragraph 45 of the Regulations, institutions for orphans must provide comfortable conditions for visits to children by their legal representatives and relatives, as well as by other persons if that is not contrary to the children’s interests, and by persons wishing to adopt a child or become his or her tutor or guardian who have received, under the established procedure, a referral to visit the child in order to become acquainted and established contact with him or her.

44.In accordance with paragraph 56 of the Regulations, in order to facilitate the return of children to their birth families – or, if family reunification is not possible, the placement in a family of each child living in an institution for orphans – individual work is carried out jointly with the agencies of tutorship or guardianship to shorten as much as possible the length of children’s stay in such institutions.

45.The number of orphans and children without parental care who are under supervision in institutions for orphans is decreasing annually. In 2022, the figure fell by 8.8 per cent compared with 2021. In accordance with paragraph 32 of the Regulations, children’s stay in institutions for orphans is organized according to the principles of family-based care, with children living in groups in apartment-type accommodation.

46.In accordance with paragraph 27 of the Regulations, institutions for orphans are obliged to ensure that children enjoy access to information about the rights of the child, in a form that is suitable for them, as well as the possibility of communicating unhindered with the bodies referred to in that paragraph and of receiving qualified legal assistance free of charge pursuant to the Federal Act on Free Legal Assistance. Under paragraph 40 of the Regulations, institutions must ensure that children have individual space for study and leisure and personal belongings to which they enjoy free unhindered access, including clothes, toys, books and other items that can be stored in children’s rooms or other premises allocated for group living, and that such belongings are kept safe. Children are involved in purchasing personal items to the extent possible.

47.In accordance with paragraph 50 (1) of the Regulations, in the event it is discovered that children have been subjected to abuse by employees of an institution for orphans, other children in the institution or third parties, the institution concerned must immediately inform the agency of tutorship or guardianship so that measures can be taken to protect the rights and interests of the children; such measures include placement under provisional tutorship or guardianship and transfer to another institution. In addition, in accordance with the Act on Psychiatric Care and Guarantees for the Rights of Citizens Receiving Such Care, a person may be hospitalized in a medical organization providing inpatient psychiatric care on the basis of a decision by a psychiatrist to conduct an examination or treatment if the person concerned has a psychiatric disorder or pursuant to a ruling by a judge. Thus, a minor’s “misbehaviour” is not a medical indication for his or her hospitalization in any kind of medical organization (not only in a psychiatric institution).

48.Article 24 of the Family Code provides that, when a marriage is legally dissolved, the spouses may submit for the court’s consideration an agreement determining the spouse with whom the minor children will live, the procedure for the payment of maintenance for the children and/or an incapacitated spouse who is in need of financial support and the amount of the maintenance, or the division of the spouses’ common property. If there is no agreement between the spouses, or if it is established that the agreement reached violates the interests of the children or one of the spouses, the court must determine: with which parent the minor children will live after the divorce; from which parent and in what amounts maintenance for the children will be collected; and, at the request of a spouse entitled to receive maintenance from the other spouse, what the amount of that maintenance will be.

49.To protect the rights and legitimate interests of persons leaving institutions for orphans or substitute families, they are given help in obtaining education, vocational guidance and employment, receive advisory, psychological, pedagogical, legal and other assistance and are represented in State authorities and local government bodies. The accessibility of support services provided by the relevant agencies is ensured, inter alia, through the use of remote technologies.

50.To prepare persons leaving residential homes for children with psychiatric disorders for independent living, training apartments have been set up in social service organizations in virtually all regions of the country, as well as social and domestic rehabilitation rooms where classes are held with a view to developing the practical skills required for everyday life.

51.To improve the quality of the work of institutions for orphans and of support services for substitute families and care leavers, and to increase the number of such persons who adapt to independent living, in 2022 the Ministry of Education developed a system for assessing the effectiveness of the preparation of care leavers for independent living and their success in the post-care period, which was tested in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. To ensure a unified approach to support for persons leaving institutions for orphans, standards for the preparation for independent living of persons leaving institutions for orphans and for the provision of support to such individuals in the post-care period or after the end of a stay in a substitute family will be developed by the end of 2023. The Ministry of Education has prepared draft Federal Act No. 232772-8 to amend a number of legislative acts of the Russian Federation with regard to the protection of children’s rights, under which it is proposed to establish, among other things, support for tutors or guardians and orphans, as well as for persons who have lost their sole parent or both parents during the period of their studies. The draft Federal Act was adopted by the State Duma, the lower house of the Federal Assembly, the parliament of the Russian Federation, in first reading on 29 June 2023.

52.Federal Act No. 461-FZ amending the Federal Act on Additional Guarantees with respect to Social Support for Orphans and Children without Parental Care was adopted on 4 August 2023. Under the Act, persons previously categorized as orphans or children without parental care are to be issued with a personal certificate attesting to their right to receive, from the budget of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation, within the limits of the budgetary allocations for the financial year under way, a one-time sum for the purchase of a home.

53.In accordance with article 124 of the Family Code, the adoption of minor children is permitted provided only if it is in their interests, taking into account the possibilities for ensuring their full physical, mental, spiritual and moral development. The adoption of children by foreign nationals or stateless persons is permitted only in cases where they cannot be placed with families of citizens of the Russian Federation residing permanently in the territory of the Russian Federation or adopted by relatives irrespective of the citizenship and place of residence of those relatives. Under article 125 of the Family Code, the adoption of a child requires a finding by the agency of tutorship or guardianship that the adoption is valid and is in the interests of the child to be adopted, accompanied by details of personal contact between the adoptive parents or parent and the child to be adopted.

54.To develop a system of comprehensive rehabilitation and create the necessary conditions for the inclusion, social adaptation and maximum integration into all spheres of life in society of persons with disabilities, including children with disabilities, as well as to improve their quality of life, the Policy Framework for the Development of a System of Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Habilitation for Persons with Disabilities, including Children with Disabilities, for the period up to 2025, was approved pursuant to Government Order No. 3711-r of 18 December 2021, along with an action plan for its implementation, pursuant to Government Order No. 2253-r of 16 August 2022. With a view to the practical development of a comprehensive approach to the rehabilitation of children with disabilities, a pilot project has been under way in two regions of the country (Sverdlovsk and Tyumen Provinces) since 2022, involving the devising of standards for the provision of comprehensive services to reduce the degree of limitation of everyday activities experienced by children with disabilities. Thanks to the project, children will acquire the skills needed to work in a group and to properly evaluate their own actions in specific life situations.

55.In addition, educational establishments are creating special conditions for children with special needs to receive preschool, primary general, basic general and secondary general education. At the same time, preschool, primary general, basic general and secondary general education for children with special needs may be organized both jointly with other children and in separate groups or separate educational establishments.

56.As part of the national project entitled “Education”, infrastructure is being modernized in organizations carrying out educational activities exclusively within the framework of adapted basic general education programmes, including for students with intellectual impairments. Today, there are about 1,500 such organizations in the Russian Federation. The priority with regard to the modernization of infrastructure in these educational establishments is the updating of supplies and equipment in premises and workshops used for teaching the subject “Technology” so that new types of work training can be introduced, including for students with intellectual impairments, with a view to their socialization and the acquisition by them of skills for independent living.

57.In the federal work programmes on education, the part devoted to supplementary education defines the requirements with respect to the conditions for working with students with special educational needs, the particular objectives of such work and the arrangements for the instruction of such students.

58.The Ministry of Education has developed methodological recommendations for inclusive sessions for children with special needs and children with disabilities at organizations for children’s recreation and recuperation and established a register of model adapted supplementary general education programmes in the arts, social sciences and humanities for children with special needs and children with disabilities. In connection with the adoption in 2023 of the Federal Act amending the Federal Act on Fundamental Guarantees of Children’s Rights and article 44 of the Federal Act on General Principles for the Organization of Public Authority in the Constituent Entities of the Russian Federation, from 1 January 2025 annual quotas will be established in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation for children with disabilities and children with special needs in State and municipal organizations for children’s recreation and recuperation.

59.Special attention is paid to work with children with special needs in school sports clubs. As at 4 August 2023, more than 35,240 school sports clubs had been registered and were operational in general education organizations (that is, in 87 per cent of all general education organizations). These clubs provide recreational and health activities and fun days devoted to physical fitness and health, among other offerings.

60.In 2022, five additional general developmental adapted programmes in physical fitness and sports were developed for children with special needs: chess for children with severe speech impairments and children with visual disabilities; swimming for children with autism spectrum disorder; and a swimming taster programme and basketball programme for children with hearing impairments.

61.The Interdepartmental Comprehensive Action Plan for the long-term development of inclusive general and supplementary education and recreational activities for children and the establishment of special conditions for students with disabilities and students with special needs for the period up to 2030, which was approved on 2 March 2023 pursuant to decision No. 2300p-P8 to replace the plan in place since 2021, is the key tool for structuring the activities of educational establishments and their founders, the State authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and the federal State authorities and organizing interdepartmental cooperation on this issue, including performance targets and deadlines for achieving them. Measures are being taken to ensure the phased introduction of federal State educational standards for the instruction of students with disabilities and students with special needs and federal State educational standards for the instruction of students with mental retardation (intellectual impairments).

62.There is an information portal dedicated to the education and instruction of students with disabilities and students with special needs (https://ovz.edu.gov.ru/). This information is also publicized on the information portals “Living Together”, Rastimdetei.rf, UMKSIPR and the Consolidated National Portal for Supplementary Education for Children (http://dop.edu.ru).

63.In 2023, a professional standard for special education teachers was approved. This standard, in addition to setting out the competencies for working with children with hearing or visual impairments and children with mental retardation (intellectual impairments), also includes generalized job functions for working with young children with locomotor impairments, autism spectrum disorders or severe multiple developmental impairments.

64.As provided in article 19 (3) of the Federal Act on the Principles of Health Care for Citizens of the Russian Federation, the right of foreign nationals residing in the Russian Federation to receive medical assistance is established by the legislation of the Russian Federation and international treaties. Stateless persons residing in the Russian Federation have the same right to medical assistance as citizens of the Russian Federation. The rules for the provision of medical assistance to foreign nationals in the territory of the Russian Federation were approved pursuant to Government Decision No. 186 of 6 March 2013.

65.Efforts to prevent the illegal consumption of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and drug addiction involve the promotion of healthy lifestyles and the testing of students in general education and vocational education establishments, including higher education establishments. Students aged 13 years or over undergo annual preventive examinations with the voluntary consent of one of their parents or, in the case of those aged 15 years or over, with the voluntary consent of the student himself or herself. The Policy Framework for the Prevention of the Use of Psychoactive Substances in the Educational Environment for the period up to 2025 and the action plan for its implementation, covering the period 2021–2025, were approved by the Ministry of Education and are being implemented. All constituent entities of the Russian Federation are developing and/or updating and implementing regional programmes aimed at preventing psychoactive substance use among children and young people and fostering a culture of healthy lifestyles.

66.To improve the system for preventing suicide among minors, a set of measures is being implemented over the period up to 2025 pursuant to Government Order No. 1058-r of 26 April 2021, whereby the measures were approved. One such measure is the provision of emergency anonymous psychological assistance to children through the children’s helpline, which operates around the clock in 79 regions of the country.

67.In accordance with the Federal Act on the Principles of Health Care for Citizens of the Russian Federation, the informed voluntary consent of citizens or their legal representatives is a prerequisite for medical interventions.

68.The Federal Act on the Principles of Health Care for Citizens of the Russian Federation was amended pursuant to Federal Act No. 386-FZ of 24 July 2023 to establish a ban on sex changes.

69.At the end of 2022, the poverty rate in the Russian Federation as a whole reached a historic low for modern Russia of 9.8 per cent, which is 1.2 percentage points down on the figure for the same period in 2021. Concerning the structure of the poor population, the number of poor households with children decreased from 6.4 million to 5.3 million. The number of children aged under 18 years living in poor households fell from 7 million to 6.2 million compared with 2021, although it remains quite significant. The improvement in the financial situation of families has been influenced by the increase in the minimum wage and the growth of wages in general, the promotion of parental employment and the implementation of targeted social policies.

70.The development of the social contract, a highly effective tool for increasing citizens’ incomes, is continuing. In 2022, 276,300 social contracts were concluded with 875,600 beneficiaries, of whom about 67 per cent were families with children. Incomes rose for 70.6 per cent of social contract recipients, and 28.7 per cent moved out of poverty.

71.A significant contribution has been made to the reduction of poverty among families with children by the holistic system of support in place for them. As from 1 January 2023, a single benefit was introduced for pregnant women and low-income families raising children aged under 17 years, combining the previous payments for children aged under 3 years, from 3 to 8 years and from 8 to 17 years and the payments for pregnant women. A comprehensive needs assessment allows various circumstances affecting the financial situation of families to be taken into account – care for young children, children with disabilities or elderly relatives, long-term medical treatment – and the specific situations of single-parent and large families are borne in mind. In 2023, the single benefit is being provided to 305,200 pregnant women and 5 million families with 9.2 million children. Expenditure for that purpose was 510.8 billion roubles.

72.A State educational platform, “Russian Electronic School”, has been established and is operational. On the platform, a complete set of interactive video lessons covering the whole range of general education subjects, developed by Russia’s best teachers, has been made available to the public free of charge. The federal State information system “My School” (https://myschool.edu.ru/) provides access to digital educational content for all general education subjects through a service known as the Library of Digital Educational Content. Digital educational content consists of ready-made lessons on different topics, contains materials with automatic testing and homework, and includes methodological recommendations for each stage of the lesson.

73.“Spherum”, an information and communication platform for education used as an auxiliary tool for teacher-student interaction, has been launched and provides online learning opportunities.

74.In accordance with article 14 (1) of the Federal Act on Education, education in the State language of the Russian Federation is guaranteed in Russia, along with the right to choose the language of teaching and instruction within the limits of the possibilities available in the education system. On the basis of article 14 (6) of the Federal Act, the languages of education are determined locally according to the regulations of the establishments conducting educational activities under the educational programmes delivered by them, in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation.

75.In the Russian Federation, in addition to Russian as the State language of the Russian Federation, teaching is conducted in the 24 state languages of the republics that make up the country. Of the languages of the peoples of Russia, 73 are studied as academic subjects. In addition, literature is studied as an academic subject in the languages of the indigenous peoples of Russia, and also geography or local history in some constituent entities of the Russian Federation.

76.Federal Act No. 219 of 13 June 2023 amending the Federal Act on Education requires the State authorities to establish the conditions necessary for numerically small indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation to receive preschool and primary general education in the places of their traditional residence and economic activities. Improving access to educational services for numerically small indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East while taking into account their ethnocultural specificities is one of the fundamental measures aimed at facilitating their sustainable development. Accordingly, federal legislation sets out the specific features of education for nomadic peoples, with a view to ensuring the accessibility of general education in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, and expands opportunities for children of numerically small indigenous peoples to receive education in an environment that is familiar to them.

77.The Code of Criminal Procedure contains a separate chapter (chapter 50) devoted to the specific features of criminal proceedings in respect of minors who are suspected or accused of committing an offence, which, among other things, provides additional safeguards for the protection of the rights of persons aged under 18 years. The chapter expands the range of circumstances that have to be established, provides for the possibility of separating the proceedings in cases in which a crime has been committed by a minor together with an adult, regulates the specifics of summoning for questioning and the procedure for questioning a minor suspect or accused person, requires the participation in criminal proceedings of the defence counsel and legal representative of a minor suspect or accused person, establishes the rules for terminating a criminal prosecution and filing a petition with the court for the application of compulsory re-education measures in respect of a minor and defines the procedure for the detention of a minor suspect.

78.In accordance with article 423 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the legal representatives of a minor suspect or accused person must be notified immediately of his or her detention or remand in custody or of the extension of the custody period. Remand in custody may be applied as a preventive measure in respect of a minor suspect or accused person if he or she is suspected or accused of committing a serious or especially serious offence. In exceptional cases, this preventive measure may be chosen in respect of a minor suspected or accused of committing an ordinary offence. When it is decided whether to impose a preventive measure on a minor suspect or accused person, the possibility of releasing him or her under supervision must be discussed in every case.

79.The State Duma is currently considering draft Federal Act No. 381316-8, which is aimed at limiting the scope for the application of remand in custody as a preventive measure in respect of minor suspects and accused persons. It is proposed to apply remand in custody as a preventive measure in respect of minors accused of committing a serious or especially serious offence and, in exceptional cases, an ordinary offence that is violent.

80.Children are also special subjects of civil procedural legal relations; the provisions of procedural legislation relating to persons participating in a case are applicable to them. Children are fully-fledged participants in legal proceedings and are endowed with equal rights and duties; this contributes to the full realization of their right to judicial protection. In admitting minors to civil proceedings, legislators have not only established a gradation by age, but have also determined the status of minors as participants in proceedings and the legal relations that directly affect them. Under the law, a minor may participate independently in legal proceedings from the time that he or she enters into marriage or is declared to have full dispositive capacity (emancipation). In addition, from the age of 14 years, a minor may personally defend in court his or her rights, freedoms and legitimate interests in civil, family, labour and other matters. However, the courts have the right to invite the minor’s legal representative to participate in such cases. Thus, national procedural legislation does not remove or restrict children’s capacity to assert their legitimate interests in court, either independently or with the participation of their legal representatives and State agencies.

81.In accordance with article 45 (2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, in order to protect the rights and legitimate interests of victims who are also minors, their legal representatives must be invited to participate in the criminal case but may be removed on the basis of a decision by the person conducting the initial inquiry, the investigator or the judge if their actions are detrimental to the interests of the minor victim. Furthermore, a minor aged under 16 years who has been the victim of a crime against his or her sexual inviolability must be represented by a lawyer where a petition to that effect has been filed by his or her legal representative. In accordance with article 191 (4) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, in criminal cases concerning crimes against the sexual inviolability of a minor, a psychologist must be present during the conduct of questioning, confrontations of witnesses, identifications and verification of evidence with the involvement of a minor victim or witness who has not reached the age of 16 years or who has reached that age but suffers from a psychiatric disorder or from mental retardation.

82.When victims or witnesses aged under 16 years and, at the discretion of the court, aged from 16 to 18 years are questioned, the participation of a teacher or psychologist is mandatory. The questioning of minor victims and witnesses with physical or mental deficiencies must, in all cases, be conducted in the presence of a teacher and/or psychologist. In the case of minor victims or witnesses aged under 7 years, questioning may not last for more than 30 minutes without a break and more than 1 hour per day in total; in the case of those aged from 7 to 14 years, more than 1 hour without a break and more than 2 hours per day in total; and, in the case of those aged 14 years or over, more than 2 hours without a break and more than 4 hours per day in total (Code of Criminal Procedure, art. 280 (1)). All citizens, including children, may report crimes or breaches of the law around the clock using the 112 single emergency telephone service or directly to the local agencies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Each such report is checked in accordance with articles 144 and 145 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

83.Pursuant to Federal Act No. 398-FZ of 31 July 2023 amending the Criminal Code and article 151 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, article 2173 was added to the Criminal Code to establish liability for violations of the requirements with respect to the protection of facilities (and their grounds) from terrorism when those violations result in grave consequences.

84.Placements for evacuated children are arranged, first and foremost, at their request and with their consent, taking into account the special needs and interests of children in accordance with the requirements of international and national law. Most evacuated children have arrived in the Russian Federation with their families, accompanied by their parents, tutors and guardians. They have been placed in temporary accommodation centres, found shelter with relatives or, if possible, rented housing.

85.The evacuees also included children from national residential institutions for orphans and children without parental care (about 2,000 in total), whose legal representatives were directors or employees of those institutions. In keeping with the principle of ensuring the best interests of the child, the President of the Russian Federation gave instructions for the immediate removal of legal barriers to the placement of such children in family-based care, primarily under the provisional tutorship or guardianship of citizens of the Russian Federation. The evacuees from national residential institutions for orphans and children without parental care included children with Ukrainian citizenship. In this connection, attention is drawn to the fact that those children resided permanently in the territories of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics and had been in the Republics’ institutions for at least three years and, in individual cases, for five years or more. It is worth noting that, previously, the Ukrainian authorities were not concerned about the fate of these children, their life, health and harmonious development, and began to point to a possible violation by the Russian Federation of various international norms only after the possibility of placing these children in Russia was raised.

86.It must be emphasized that adoption of children from the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics by citizens of the Russian Federation has never been considered as a possible form of placement. Placement under provisional tutorship has been identified as the preferred option, given the possibility that minors may be reunited with their blood relatives – if any are found. The priority for the Russian Federation is to reunite children with their kin. In the event that parents or legal representatives express a desire to collect a minor, the issue is considered immediately. At the same time, many children declare that they are unwilling to return, in some cases because they do not know the would-be guardians and are not related to them.

87.The Russian side did not and does not prevent children from maintaining contact and communication with their relatives and loved ones, or from being reunited with them, regardless of their place of residence. On instructions from the President, an interdepartmental group was set up to develop a set of measures for reuniting minors with their families. The Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights maintains a database of children who need to be reunited with relatives and provides direct, free-of-charge assistance in this process, including translation and notarization of documents, purchase of tickets, payment of transfers and hotel accommodation, and provision of means of communication and DNA testing (if it is not possible to document kinship).

88.As at mid-September 2023, 34 children from 23 families had been reunited with their relatives living in Ukraine and other States with the direct involvement of the Commissioner for Children’s Rights.

89.Thus, it appears that the approach adopted by the Russian Federation in placing evacuated children is also consistent with the norms of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which recognizes that the child, for the full and harmonious development of his or her personality, should grow up in a family environment, in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding. It must be mentioned that, in foreign media coverage of this issue, a terminological error, whether deliberate or inadvertent, has become widespread. When referring to the placement of children, the media use the term “adoption”, whereas the term correct term would be “guardianship” (or, more conventionally, “foster care” or “custody”).

90.Issues related to the economic, social and legal guarantees for the protection of the rights and legitimate interests of refugees or asylum-seekers in the territory of the Russian Federation are regulated by the Federal Act on Refugees. When asylum is granted or another legal status is determined for persons aged under 18 years who arrive in the territory of the Russian Federation unaccompanied by parents or tutors, the interests of the minors are taken into account in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Act on Refugees, once information has been obtained about their legal representatives. The decision to grant asylum in the territory of the Russian Federation is made on the basis of: the existence of objective factors preventing the applicant’s return to his or her own country; the applicant’s individual circumstances and state of health, taking into account the internal political and social situation in the country of origin; and the need to prevent the violation of the principle of “family unity” enshrined in the Convention for the Protection of Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, concluded on 4 November 1950.

Number of children registered who have been granted asylum in the territory of the Russian Federation, broken down by age

Age	As at 31 December 2021	As at 31 December 2022	As at 30 April 2023
Refugee status	Temporary asylum	Refugee status	Temporary asylum	Refugee status	Temporary asylum
0–5 years	13	454	14	4 068	10	2 655
6–15 years	61	1 446	43	8 908	44	6 413
16–17 years	1	336	4	2 048	5	1 481

91.As at the end of 2022, 773,700 persons under the age of 18 had been placed on the migration register, and 239,300 in the first half of 2023. Information on children of foreign nationals registered as migrants is necessary in order for them to be enrolled in educational establishments.

92.Owing to the ongoing political situation, citizens of the Russian Federation who also have Ukrainian citizenship and have no political or legal ties to Ukraine have been deprived, for reasons beyond their control, of the opportunity to renounce their Ukrainian citizenship and thus acquire the full range of rights and freedoms proper to citizens of the Russian Federation. For children, including orphans and children without parental care, Ukrainian citizenship may serve as an obstacle to their making lives in the territory of the Russian Federation. In this connection, the Federal Constitutional Acts on the Admission of the Donetsk People’s Republic to the Russian Federation and the Establishment of a New Entity, the Donetsk People’s Republic, within the Russian Federation, on the Admission of the Lugansk People’s Republic to the Russian Federation and the Establishment of a New Entity, the Lugansk People’s Republic, within the Russian Federation, on the Admission of Zaporozhie Province to the Russian Federation and the Establishment of a New Entity, Zaporozhie Province, within the Russian Federation and on the Admission of Kherson Province to the Russian Federation and the Establishment of a New Entity, Kherson Province, within the Russian Federation, as well as the Federal Act on the Specific Features of the Legal Status of Citizens of the Russian Federation Having Ukrainian Citizenship, grant these persons the possibility of submitting a declaration stating that they do not wish to retain their Ukrainian citizenship and or to be considered citizens of Ukraine.

93.Citizens of the Russian Federation who are minors and have reached the age of 14 years may submit such a declaration independently, while declarations in respect of children aged under 14 years, as well as orphans and children without parental care, may be submitted by their legal representatives, who act in their interests. The submission of this declaration is a right, not an obligation, of citizens of the Russian Federation, including legal representatives. Under article 36 (3) (4) of the Civil Code, tutors and guardians must perform their functions taking into account the opinion of their ward or, where it is not possible to establish it, information about his or her preferences.

94.As at 31 July 2023, 168 declarations had been accepted pursuant to the Federal Act on the Specific Features of the Legal Status of Citizens of the Russian Federation Having Ukrainian Citizenship in respect of children with Ukrainian citizenship, and 3,825 applications pursuant to the Federal Constitutional Acts, including 2,925 in respect of children aged under 14 years. At the same time, according to the departmental statistical reports of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which contain information broken down by citizenship on foreign nationals and stateless persons, in the period from 1 April 2022 to 31 June 2023, the number of Ukrainian children who acquired citizenship of the Russian Federation was 46,886.

95.According to the information available to the Ministry of Education, no adoptions of children who are citizens of Ukraine have been recorded in the Russian Federation in the period since 24 February 2022.

96.Under article 165 (1) of the Family Code, when a child who is a foreign national is adopted in the territory of the Russian Federation by citizens of the Russian Federation, the consent of the child’s legal representative and of the competent authority of the State of which the child is a national must be obtained and, if so required by the legislation of that State, the consent of the child to the adoption.

97.In accordance with article 3 (1) of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, States parties to the Optional Protocol must ensure that the sale of children, the use of children for child prostitution and the circulation of child pornography are criminalized. An analysis of the Criminal Code shows that virtually all the provisions of the Optional Protocol are being implemented in practice: liability has been established for buying or selling a minor and other transactions in respect of a minor, as well as for the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of a minor for the purpose of exploitation, the receipt of sexual services from a minor, the production and circulation of materials or objects containing pornographic images of minors and the use of a minor in the production of pornographic materials or objects. In addition, with the adoption of Federal Act No. 538-FZ of 19 December 2022 amending a number of legislative acts of the Russian Federation, the requirements for persons wishing to use assisted reproductive technologies in the form of surrogacy, as well as for surrogate mothers themselves, have become stricter, which ultimately prevents trafficking in children, among other phenomena.

98.During the investigation of criminal cases involving minors (trafficking in children, enticement into prostitution and so forth), the investigators take urgent action to organize cooperation with civil society, voluntary and other community organizations that are engaged, inter alia, in the search for missing children and the provision of medical, psychological and other assistance to minors and their families. An interdepartmental procedure for cooperation between State agencies, voluntary organizations and volunteers in organizing and carrying out searches for missing citizens, including minors, has been approved. In 2023, the Investigative Committee published a practical guide to conducting initial investigative measures in cases involving crimes against the sexual freedom and sexual inviolability of minors committed via the Internet.

99.Investigative and verification measures involving minors who have suffered violence or been victims of cruel treatment are carried out with the participation of a psychologist, who, if necessary, makes recommendations on the approach to be taken when working with the minor. If there are grounds for so doing, a decision is made as to whether to place children in social shelters or provide affected minors and their families with ongoing psychological assistance not limited to the preliminary investigation stage. Since 2012, the V.P. Serbsky State Scientific Centre for Social and Forensic Psychiatry has operated a department offering psychiatric care for victims of crime, including trafficking in persons. This assistance is provided free of charge, including, if necessary, on an inpatient basis.

100.In accordance with the Federal Act on Military Duty and Military Service, male citizens aged from 18 to 27 (and, from 1 January 2024, up to 30 years old) are subject to conscription.

101.Article 208 of the Criminal Code provides for liability for organizing or participating in an illegal armed formation, as well as for participating in an armed conflict or hostilities for purposes contrary to the interests of the Russian Federation. In 2022, the sentence for recruiting, training, financing or providing other material support to a mercenary under the age of majority and for the use of such person in an armed conflict or hostilities was increased to 20 years’ imprisonment (Federal Act No. 260-FZ of 14 July 2022 amending the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure).

102.Information on the laws and regulations adopted is presented in annex 1.

103.Regarding recently adopted strategies and programmes, the Strategy for the Comprehensive Safety of Children in the Russian Federation for the period up to 2030 was approved pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 358 of 17 May 2023. The Strategy defines the main directions of State policy in the area of child safety and is aimed at: safeguarding children and strengthening the well-being of families with children; developing modern safe infrastructure for children; preventing the commission of crimes by and against minors; establishing a safe information environment for children; and strengthening the institution of the family, preserving and supporting traditional Russian spiritual, moral and family values.

104.The available statistical information requested is presented in annex 2.

Annex 1

List of laws and regulations adopted to protect the rights and interests of children and families raising children:

1.Presidential Decree No. 16 of 5 January 2021 establishing the Circle of Goodness Foundation to support children with severe life-threatening and chronic diseases, including rare (orphan) diseases;

2.Presidential Decree No. 573 of 4 October 2021 on Fathers’ Day;

3.Presidential Decree No. 411 of 28 June 2022 on the Day of Family, Love and Faithfulness;

4.Presidential Decree No. 809 of 9 November 2022 approving the Principles of State Policy for Preserving and Strengthening Traditional Russian Spiritual and Moral Values;

5.Presidential Decree No. 358 of 17 May 2023 on the Strategy for the Comprehensive Safety of Children in the Russian Federation for the period up to 2030;

6.Federal Act No. 455-FZ of 21 November 2022 amending the Federal Act on State Benefits for Citizens with Children;

7.Federal Act No. 219-FZ of 13 June 2023 amending the Federal Act on Education;

8.Federal Act No. 398-FZ of 31 July 2023 amending the Criminal Code and article 151 of the Code of Criminal Procedure;

9.Federal Act No. 461-FZ of 4 August 2023 amending the Federal Act on Additional Guarantees with respect to Social Support for Orphans and Children without Parental Care, which is aimed at expanding the forms of accommodation for orphans, children without parental care and individuals in those categories and the mechanisms for providing such accommodation;

10.Federal Act No. 475-FZ of 4 August 2023 amending the Federal Act on Fundamental Guarantees of Children’s Rights and article 44 of the Federal Act on General Principles for the Organization of Public Authority in the Constituent Entities of the Russian Federation;

11.Government Decree No. 2330 of 16 December 2022 on the procedure for the allocation and payment of monthly allowances in connection with the birth and upbringing of a child (together with the Rules for the allocation and payment of monthly allowances in connection with the birth and upbringing of a child, which cover cases not provided for in the Federal Act on State Benefits for Citizens with Children, and the list of documents (copies of documents, information) required for the allocation of monthly allowances in connection with the birth and upbringing of a child);

12.Government Order No. 122-r of 23 January 2021 approving the plan of basic measures to be carried out within the framework of the Decade of Childhood over the period up to 2027;

13.Government Order No. 1058-r of 26 April 2021 approving a set of measures for the period up to 2025 to improve the system for preventing suicide among minors;

14.Government Order No. 3711-r of 18 December 2021 approving the Policy Framework for the Development of a System of Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Habilitation for Persons with Disabilities, including Children with Disabilities, for the period up to 2025;

15.Government Order No. 678-r of 31 March 2022 approving the Policy Framework for the Development of Supplementary Education for Children and rescinding Government Order No. 1726-r of 4 September 2014 (together with the Policy Framework for the Development of Supplementary Education for Children for the period up to 2030);

16.Government Order No. 3427-r of 11 November 2022 approving the system of statistical indicators characterizing the progress made in implementing the activities to be carried out within the framework of the Decade of Childhood and rescinding Government Order No. 2631-r of 6 November 2019;

17.Government Order No. 2253-r of 16 August 2022 approving the Action Plan to Implement the Policy Framework for the Development of a System of Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Habilitation for Persons with Disabilities, including Children with Disabilities, for the period up to 2025;

18.Ministry of Health Order No. 1122n of 6 December 2021 approving the national vaccination schedule, the vaccination schedule in case of epidemics and the procedure for the conduct of vaccination campaigns;

19.Ministry of Health Order No. 274n of 21 April 2022 approving the Procedure for the provision of medical care to patients with congenital and/or hereditary diseases;

20.Ministry of Health Order No. 275n of 21 April 2022 approving the Procedure for the conduct of periodic health assessments for orphans and children without parental care, including adopted children and children placed under tutorship or guardianship or in a foster family or temporary family placement.

Annex 2

Statistical information

	Consolidated budget expenditure for children billions of roubles
	2020	2021	2022
Consolidated information for the past three years on the budget lines regarding children and the social sectors, with the percentage of each budget line in terms of the total national budget and the gross national product	Gross domestic product (GDP) (Current prices)	107 658.1	135 295.0	153 435.0
Expenditure from the consolidated budget of the Russian Federation and State extrabudgetary funds	42 503.0	47 072.7	55 182.0
	Share of GDP	5.8%	4.7%	5.1%
	Share of total expenditure from the consolidated budget of the Russian Federation and State extrabudgetary funds	14.6%	13.4%	14.2%
	Expenditure from the federal budget	1 908.8	1 692.2	2 397.7
	Share of GDP	1.8%	1.3%	1.6%
	Share of total expenditure from the consolidated budget of the Russian Federation and State extrabudgetary funds	4.5%	3.6%	4.3%
	Share of total consolidated budget expenditure in respect of children	30.8%	26.8%	30.7%
	Expenditure from the consolidated budgets of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation	3 973.9	4 289.9	5 104.0
	Share of GDP	3.7%	3.2%	3.3%
	Share of total expenditure from the consolidated budget of the Russian Federation and State extrabudgetary funds	9.3%	9.1%	9.2%
	Share of total consolidated budget expenditure in respect of children	64.2%	68.1%	65.3%
	Expenditure from State extrabudgetary funds of the Russian Federation	308.0	321.0	312.1
	Share of GDP	0.3%	0.2%	0.2%
	Share of total expenditure from the consolidated budget of the Russian Federation and State extrabudgetary funds	0.7%	0.7%	0.6%
	Share of total consolidated budget expenditure in respect of children	5.0%	5.1%	4.0%
Available updated statistical data for the past three years, disaggregated by age, sex, ethnic origin, national origin, geographical location and socioeconomic status, on:
Cases of abuse and violence perpetrated against children, including torture, inhuman and degrading treatment, all formsof corporal punishment, sexual abuse in and outside the home, domestic violence, bullying and online sexual violence andabuse, as well as prosecutionsand sentences handed down in such cases	The law enforcement system of the Russian Federation has a coordinated and well-functioning set of measures to identify, suppress and investigate crimes involving violations of the freedom, honour and dignity of children, as well as against their sexual inviolability.
In 2020–2022, crimes perpetrated against minors did not exceed 5.2 per cent of all crimes committed against citizens (there were 90,374 in 2020; 103,335 in 2021; and103,185 in 2022). The bulk of criminal offences committed (more than 50 per cent) in the periods under analysis were related to non-payment of child maintenance by one of the parents (Criminal Code, art. 157). In the previous three years, the number of crimes against the life or health of minors fell by 6.3 per cent (there were 9,365 in 2020; 9,103 in 2021; and 8,776 in 2022); murders fell by 9.8 per cent (there were 327 in 2020; 328 in 2021; and 295 in 2022).
The active efforts of actors in the system for the prevention of child neglect and juvenile delinquency to curb intrafamily violence have made it possible to reduce cases of child cruelty by 14.4 per cent (from 1,288 in 2020 to 1,102 in 2022). At the same time, the number of offences detected against the sexual inviolability of minors increased by 4.5 per cent (there were 15,822 in 2020; 16,887 in 2021; and 16,527 in 2022), in part owing to the concerted efforts of the internal affairs agencies to investigate online occurrences of such offences.
Children in street situations	The Federal Act on the Principles of the System for the Prevention of Child Neglect and Juvenile Delinquency defines the procedure for placing unsupervised adolescents, according to which they are to be referred to specialized social rehabilitation institutions (art. 13) pending the location of their legal representatives and the transfer of the adolescents back to their families. At the same time, the Federal Act establishes an obligation for all social rehabilitation organizations to take in and care for lost, abandoned and other children around the clock and to undertake medical examinations of minors (art. 18 (1) (4)).
	In 2020, 37,907 persons aged under 18 were brought to the internal affairs authorities, in 2021, 38,045, and, in 2022, 36,367. The bulk (over 95 per cent) of minors found by police officers unsupervised on the streets are lost children or adolescents who have run away from home owing to a youthful desire to spend their time as they wish, including at night.
Data for the past three years, disaggregated by age, sex, socioeconomic background, ethnic origin, national origin and geographical location, regarding the situation of children deprived of a family environment and on the number of children who are or who have been:
Placed in institutions, as well as data on the number of institutions and on children by institution	The total number of orphans and children without parental care supervised in institutions for orphans and children without parental care at the end of 2022 was 34,077 (compared with 35,291 in 2021 and 37,373 in 2020).
There were 1,088 institutions for orphans and children left without parental care operating in the Russian Federation (compared with 1,127 in 2021 and 1,198 in 2020).
In 2020, 26,359 persons aged under 18 were referred by internal affairs agencies to specialized institutions for minors in need of social rehabilitation (compared with 29,060 in 2021 and 28,978 in 2022).
Placed with foster families	In 2022, 47,179 orphans and children without parental care were placed in families (compared with 49,183 in 2021 and 45,708 in 2020).
Data for the past three years, disaggregated by age, sex, type of disability, ethnic origin, national origin and geographical location, on the number of children with disabilities who are or who have been:
Attending primary schools, secondary schools, receiving individualized support, attending special schools	There is a focus in legislation in the sphere of education on two categories of student:
Persons (children) with disabilities, that is, persons with a health condition and persistent impairment of body function caused by a disease, injury or defect and resulting in the limitation of everyday activities and the need for social protection
Persons (children) with disabilities, that is, persons with a health condition and persistent impairment of body function caused by a disease, injury or defect and resulting in the limitation of everyday activities and the need for social protection
	Students with special needs, that is, individuals with deficiencies of physical and/or psychological development, confirmed by the psychological, medical and pedagogical commission, that prevent them from receiving education without the provision of special conditions
	There is no exhaustive list of diseases giving rise to the recognition of students as persons with special needs. The psychological, medical and pedagogical commission decides jointly on its findings, taking into account the special educational needs and individual developmental situation of students.
	If a person (child) with a disability does not require special conditions for receiving education and is benefiting from rehabilitation services provided in other spheres (health care, social protection), then he or she is not considered a student with special needs.
	At the same time, the same student can be both a person with a disability and a student with special needs.
	In accordance with federal statistical observation forms, in 2022, 810,038 students with special needs (including 246,436 students with disabilities) and 111,088 children with disabilities were receiving education in general education organizations:
	In 2021, the figures were 762,491 students with special needs (including 233,647 students with disabilities) and 112,823 children with disabilities
	In 2020, the figures were 734,069 students with special needs (including 227,025 students with disabilities) and 104,100 children with disabilities
	All students with special needs, including those with disabilities, are provided with psychological and pedagogical support during the period of study in educational establishments.
	Psychological and pedagogical support of students (children) with disabilities who do not have the status of students with special needs, is provided at the request of their parents (legal representatives) and may be of a one-time nature.
Out of school	Each year, the number of those who do not attend classes in general education establishments is falling. The number of children aged from 7 to 18 years not attending classes in general education establishments has fallen by 5 per cent (in 2022, there were 6,700 (of whom 2,480 were girls), compared with 7,100 in 2021, which itself is 14.16 per cent fewer than in 2020, when there were 8,300).
	At the same time, of the total number of children aged from 7 to 18 years not attending classes in general education organizations in 2022:
	703 were students with special needs
	939 were children with disabilities
Available updated statistical data for the past three years, disaggregated by age, sex, type of offence, ethnic origin, national origin, geographical location and socioeconomic status, on children in conflict with the law who have been:
Held in pretrial detention	According to statistical observations, 824 juveniles (as at 1 July 2023) were being held in remand centres and facilities operating as remand centres (compared with 771 in 2022, 822 in 2021 and 888 in 2020).
	As at 1 July 2023, 321 juveniles were being held in pretrial detention (compared with 273 in 2022, 301 in 2021 and 343 in 2020).
Convicted and are serving a sentence in detention, with data further disaggregated by the length of the sentence		2020	2021	2022	1 July 2023
Age:
14–15 years	37	27	27	36
16–17 years	637	551	518	488
18–19 years	275	264	271	278
Length of sentence:
Up to 1 year	31	29	33	32
From 1 to 3 years	425	362	337	309
From 3 to 5 years	322	294	288	306
	From 5 to 10 years	171	157	158	155
Type of offence committed:
Murder	118	116	90	95
Intentional infliction of serious harm to health	51	38	33	28
Rape, violent acts of a sexual nature	227	203	225	209
Theft	94	83	64	56
Aggravated theft	105	76	59	48
Robbery	103	80	47	61
Racketeering	14	10	10	7
	Hooliganism	-	-	1	1
Offences related to drug trafficking	161	164	217	236
Terrorism	1	1	4	4
	Other crimes	75	71	66	57