On World Children’s Day, 20 November, UNICEF and its partners in Uzbekistan called for reforms that would offer alternative ways of justice for children than detention and only resort to detention as a last resort.
The call was made at a round table hosted by the National Human Rights Center of Uzbekistan, children’s ombudsperson and UNICEF, with participation of deputies of the Legislative Chamber and members of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis (parliament), representatives of state bodies, civil society institutions and international organizations, UNICEF said.
Among the issues discussed were promoting international standards on the administration of justice for children in Uzbekistan, as well as making justice fairer and safer for children.
“Currently, children in Uzbekistan face the same types of punishment as adults, including fines, community service and even detention. In many countries, laws allow children who have committed offenses to receive support instead of entering the justice system, helping them to rebuild their lives and reintegrate into society,” the statement noted.
“UNICEF believes that children involved in legal cases — as victims, witnesses or those accused of a crime — need justice systems that protect their well-being, not systems designed for adults”, UNICEF representative in Uzbekistan Regina Castillo stated.
The UN Committee on the rights of the child has recommended that Uzbekistan introduce options such as counseling, mediation and community service instead of detention. Right now, Uzbekistan’s legal system has only limited alternatives for children, UNICEF stressed.
“It's important to have options other than detention,” an international judge and former chairperson of the UN Committee on the rights of the child Renate Winter, who attended the forum, said. “Detention should be a last resort, used only when absolutely necessary, and must be reviewed regularly.”
“We advocate for effective child-friendly justice systems that enable children to feel safe in various situations of conflict with the law or when their rights are violated. This approach, built on the best interests of the child, allows for detention only in the rarest of cases”, child rights ombudsperson Surayyo Rahmonova said.
Participants of the round table shared ideas for how to introduce these community-based options into Uzbekistan’s national legislation, with a focus on ensuring the effective implementation of these reforms in practice.
