22 Ιουνίου: Παρουσίαση της Εναλλακτικής Έκθεσης στην Επιτροπή UN

Στις 22/6 έγινε η παρουσίαση/ συζήτηση της Εναλλακτικής στην αρμόδια επιτροπή στην Γενεύη. Η παρουσίασή μας ήταν δεκάλεπτη ενώ των άλλων δύο ΜΚΟ πεντάλεπτη.

Ακολούθησαν ερωτήσεις από τα μέλη της επιτροπής και εν συνεχεία απάντησή τους/ συζήτηση περίπου τριων ωρών.

Η συζήτηση δεν καταγράφεται και θεωρείται εμπιστευτικού χαρακτήρα.

Η Εναλλακτική αναρτήθηκε στον δικτυακό τόπο του  CRIN [www.crin.org]  και με βάση τη συζήτηση εστάλησαν  Θέματα προς συζήτηση στην ελληνική κυβέρνηση.

H Eπιτροπή επικεντρώθηκε στις ερωτήσεις της στα εξής θέματα:

- στην συμμετοχή των MKO στη σύνταξη της Εθνικής Έκθεσης,

- στην λειτουργία των αρχών που αφορούν το παιδί : Συνήγορο του Παιδιού, Παρατηρητήριο, επιμέρους Υπουργεία,

- στις οικονομικές επιπτώσεις της κρίσης στη λειτουργία των ΜΚΟ και τα φορολογικά μέτρα που τις αφορούν αλλά και τις επιμέρους δράσεις των Υπουργείων που αφορούν το παιδί,

- παιδιά-πρόσφυγες, Ρομά,

- σε στοιχεία για την εφαρμογή του Πρωτοκόλλου Συμμετοχής Παιδιών στις Ένοπλες Συρράξεις [OPAC],

- επίσης έγινε ερώτηση της προέδρου,που αφορούσε στις “πραγματικές επιπτώσεις” της κρίσης στις παρεχόμενες υπηρεσίες στα παιδιά.

Ακολουθεί το κείμενο της παρουσίασης που είναι απόσπασμα των Γενικών Μέτρων με εισαγωγή και κατακλείδα όσα ήδη απασχολούν την ελληνική επικαιρότητα

We represent the Executive  Committee of the Greek NGO’s NetWork for the Convention of Children’s Rights.

It is known that economical crisis in Greece reflects on Govermental  social policies, NGO’s and children. The consequences of  economic and financial crisis are felt by most of the  NGOs as they are facing severe budget, donations and sponsoring  cuts as well as  a new unfair tax system about these, that doesn’t allow  NGO’s any more to  be donated or sponsored  as it happened  before.

Children in Greece also are threaten by poverty: ”One out of five people lives below the poverty line and 22% of them are elderly and 23% of the poor are children under the age of 17. The conclusion was shocking that many people in recent years can not bring sufficient income despite being employed and they live below the poverty line, as it said . According the Statistical Service of Greece, children at the age of 17 are at greater risk of poverty and there is the same risk for 37% of the unemployed” [mentioned  at the conference on policies to fight poverty and the role of civil society, 30.11.2010].

The reference of the National Report to measures that have already been taken in order to implement the Convention is characterized by general comments that touch upon the whole function of institutions and the state. It does not respond to commonly acknowledged needs of adoption of the general measures of the Convention by the Greek State .  It is not making clear refferrences regarding the progress of the implementation with respect of the  protection of the rights of the child:

·        Financing institutions so they can function effectively and fulfill the role/duties assigned to then by the legislation.

·        Founding of institutions and coordination of the bodies which implement the legislation.

·        Decentralization of the institutions so that they apply to the whole territory of the state and especially to areas of the province which are vulnerable to poverty and discrimination.

·        Operation of an observatory that can provide independent supervision and documentation of the progress of the Convention.

·        Broad consultation with social partners for the development of a national policy for effective support and protection of children.

 

The National Report has not relied on a data-base or on a credible source of information because there isn’t such in Greece.

 

The answers indicate that the country had not adopted adequate measures for the protection of the rights of the child during the period 2004-2009, neither has it done so to this day, while it made little use, if at all, of the general measures that had been adopted and are mentioned in the First National Report.

 

NGOs in the country which are active in promoting and protecting the rights of the child, have urged respective Governments to take the following measures for the implementation of the Convention:

·        To ratify the 12^th Protocol of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, this establishes a series of measures for the general prohibition of all forms of discrimination.

·        To ensure the mitigation or/and the elimination of discrimination against  marginalized groups such as  immigrants, unaccompanied minors and  Roma. To take measures for the restitution of discrimination complaints.

·        To offer police officers and all state officials involved in the persecution of human trafficking adequate training, in order to respond fully and effectively to the persecution of those responsible , as well as the effectively protect  the victims, according to the relevant national and international legislation.

·        To reinforce legislation relating to domestic violence.

·         Victims of trafficking should receive protection and assistance  independently of their cooperation with the authorities in cases of legal procedures against their alleged traffickers.

·         To ensure effective, sufficient and discreet assistance for the victims of domestic violence.

·        The National Observatory should be made functional.

·        To draft a National Child Policy with the wide cooperation of social partners, NGOs, care services, child and family care professionals, as well as of state or municipal agents .

·        To form a single national policy/national legislation on child protection.

·        To establish a Documentation and Judicial Research Center, in relation to the data concerning the legislation on child protection, and draft substantial proposals. In our view those proposal should take a legal form, hereby forming  the legal framework of our country in relation to the rights of the child.

·        The Ministry of Education should sign a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Lawyers’ Unions of Athens, Volos, Ioannina and Komotini, so that children labeled as perpetrators or victims, receive free legal aid  by lawyers’ unions, which will henceforth take initiatives in that direction.

·        To reinforce the Juvenile Shelters, in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Education and the work of specialized volunteers.

·        To modify the status of Juvenile Prisons so as to support the social and psychological rehabilitation of children.

·        To support child protection legislation by establishing the corresponding social services (see cases of children with divorced parents).

I would like to close this short presentation ,by underlining ,that the above are “past”…”history”…
The unmet needs,not only remain,but are multiplied!
Today ,the country is facing an economic crisis.
There is a risk for the government, to initiate budget cuts and restructions,affecting fundamental human rights, especially for the most vulnerable groups,as children are..
It is crucial,for all of us,to clearly define,where the” red line”is,speaking of children’s human rights.

για την Οργανωτική Επιτροπή από το  Ελληνικό Δίκτυο ΜΚΟ για την Εφαρμογή της Σύμβασης του Παιδιού

Δίκτυο Δικαιωμάτων του Παιδιού  [Χριστίνα Σκούρτη]

Ελληνική Επιτροπή Unicef [Σοφία Τζιτζίκου]

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