Backstage side of Children's Rights Month

Baku/21.10.21/Turan: Ombudswoman Sabina Aliyeva circulated an appeal in connection with the announcement of the "Month of the Rights of the Child". She invited every organization dedicated to promoting, promoting and protecting the rights of children to join the event. How are children's rights protected in Azerbaijan? Can the state provide their social protection?

According to the State Statistics Committee, in January-July of this year, the regional (city) registration departments of the Ministry of Justice registered 64,149 newborns.

According to official statistics, compared to previous years, there is a decrease in the number of children in relation to the population. If in 2000, 37 percent of the population were children, then in 2015 this figure fell to 26.7 percent, and now it is up to 26 percent.

On June 2, 2020, President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree approving the "Strategy of the Republic of Azerbaijan regarding children for 2020-2030".

The strategy provides for the improvement of the existing legal framework in the field of child rights, the creation of a functional mechanism for the protection of children, the provision of state support for their development in early childhood, the protection of children in difficult life situations, the growth and upbringing of children in a healthy environment, the development of a system for monitoring and evaluating activities, carried out in relation to children, and in general, the definition of the main goals of children's policy in Azerbaijan.

The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population told Turan that child protection is one of the main directions of state policy in Azerbaijan. "Children are one of the population groups covered by the social security system, which is constantly being strengthened as a result of the successful social policy of President Ilham Aliyev."

The ministry noted that in Azerbaijan more than 10 types of social security are aimed specifically at the social protection of children. “At present, our ministry provides monthly allowances to children under the age of 18 with disabilities, families of martyrs and war invalids, women with more than five children, military personnel in active military service, children of first and second degrees with disabilities in connection with the accident at Chernobyl nuclear power plant or deceased parents, children left without parental care, children under 1 year old from families receiving targeted state social assistance."

The ministry stressed that more than 95 percent of family members who receive monthly social benefits or survivors' pension, and more than 50 percent of family members receiving targeted social assistance, are children. “Guardians of children who have lost their parents and deprived of parental care, insured parents for caring for children under the age of three receive a monthly allowance, and those caring for children under 18 with disabilities receive a monthly stipend.”

It was noted that in general, at present, more than 600 thousand children from the relevant categories are provided with payments for the types of social security. "A one-time allowance for newborns is also paid once a year to children of Chernobyl invalids who are registered at the dispensary."

The ministry noted that providing children with rehabilitation, effective social services is also one of the works being done. “Social service institutions No. 1 and 2, where children with disabilities live, were reconstructed in accordance with modern requirements with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. In general, in recent years, the Ministry has provided up to 8 thousand children with social services in a mobile and stationary form, including within the framework of projects implemented on the basis of social orders."

The ministry added that for the homeless, homeless and minors in a socially dangerous situation, a social shelter and a rehabilitation institution have also been commissioned, this year it is planned to open two more such centers in Shamkir and Gabala.

It was emphasized that over the past period Azerbaijan has ratified the UN Conventions "On the Rights of the Child", the ILO "On the minimum age for admission to work", "On the prohibition of the worst forms of child labor and urgent measures to eliminate them." "The country's legislation prohibits the exploitation of child labor. The minimum age for admitting children to work is 15 years, and it is also prohibited to involve children in activities that could endanger their life and health, as well as their morale."

The head of the women's initiative group, writer Zumrud Yagmur said that the rights of children in Azerbaijan are not ensured from the moment they are born, and the implementation of the adopted strategy is not felt. "The rights of these children are not protected when they are born, go to school, when they have medical problems, and also in some cases when they commit crimes against them."

In her opinion, the social rights of children are not protected in the country either. "There have been rumors for a long time about the provision of the so-called child allowance. In Azerbaijan, only at the birth of a child, an amount of 200 manats is issued. But let's look at the prices in Azerbaijan and these funds. the process of infringement of their rights ”.

According to the expert, it is also necessary to take into account that cash payment must also be made in the maternity hospital. "The birth of a child is no longer seen as the birth of a future citizen, but they are seen as a payment of money in the future."

Yagmur noted that there is no medical insurance for children in Azerbaijan. “Every day we come across messages on social networks about children suffering from any disease. There is neither a center for children with ichthyosis, nor state care in Azerbaijan. There is no education of citizens on this issue. Children with ichthyosis are even taken out of public transport although the disease is not contagious. ”She noted that there are no incentive and assistance packages for children attending school.