Georgia and the Convention of the Rights of the Child

The report highlights the enormous gains Georgia has made for its children in recent years, con?rming that the situation of children is far better now than it was a decade ago. As we indicated in the article on news on the net, child mortality has reduced signi?cantly. Access to pre-school is increasing, although there is still room for improvement. Advances in child protection and participation have been signi?cant. Fewer children are in institutions and more children are being registered at birth. In recent years, the Government of Georgia has actively sought to put children at the centre of its reform efforts. The Child Welfare Action Plan (2008-2011) has guided the childcare reform process and a supplementary plan covering 2011-2012 is a roadmap to closing the remaining large institutions for children. The Social Service Agency has intensi? ed its efforts to reach the most vulnerable families and their children with social assistance. Yet signi?cant challenges remain – challenges that we must tackle in the next ?ve years if we are to adhere to the Convention of the Rights of the Child, meet the Millennium Development Goals and attain the vision outlined in the Millennium Declaration by the year 2015. More than a quarter of Georgian children live in poverty; ongoing reforms in the social protection system are critical. Social exclusion needs to be addressed, especially for children with disabilities, who tend to be excluded and isolated. Timely identi?cation and response to violence against women and children is also a priority. The international community will continue to review the progress achieved in meeting these goals in the coming years, while Georgia should maintain the momentum of recent gains for children. It is the children of today who will continue building the country’s democratic future.