The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has decided to establish the National Council for Guaranteeing the Rights of the Child – an advisory and consultative body that will coordinate state policy in the field of childhood protection and fulfill Ukraine’s international obligations to protect children’s rights. The inclusion of the newly created body was announced by the educational ombudsman Nadiya Leschyk.
It is expected that the National Council will work recommendations, which can subsequently be implemented through government decisions, and the relevant projects will be implemented by executive authorities within the framework of their powers. The main focus of the body’s activities will be on coordinating the actions of state institutions in the field of childhood protection, formulating proposals for state policy, finding ways to solve systemic problems and coordinating the implementation of strategies and reforms related to children’s rights.
The National Council will pay special attention to coordinating state and international initiatives, in particular the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the implementation of the European Child Guarantee. In accordance with the approved regulation, the body will analyze the state of observance of children’s rights in Ukraine, the level of child poverty and social exclusion, assess the effectiveness of the work of government bodies and organizations in this area, and also participate in the development of regulatory legal acts.
Based on the results of its activities, the National Council will submit proposals to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and approve the annual state report on the state of children in Ukraine for submission to the President for consideration. One of the areas of work will be monitoring the implementation of the National Plan for the Implementation of the European Child Guarantee by 2030 – an EU initiative aimed at overcoming child poverty and ensuring equal access to basic services, including preschool education, healthcare, adequate nutrition, adequate housing, and inclusive education.
The government expects that the launch of the National Council will allow for a more systematic approach to protecting children’s rights and accelerate the implementation of international standards in the field of childhood protection in Ukraine.
