The Republic of Moldova made progress in implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, but there are yet many challenges. We need to make the progress for children more equal and reach the most vulnerable groups, such as Roma children, young children in institutions, and children with disabilities, UNICEF Representative to Moldova Nune Magdasaryan said in a national conference held in Chisinau on December 8, IPN reports.

According to Nune Magdasaryan, Moldova made progress in ensuring health services for children and the reintegration of children into families, but a lot is yet to be done.

 “One of the important recommendations is that the Republic of Moldova should have specialized bodies for protecting the rights of the child and should have an ombudsperson for children’s rights. We have worked for the authorities to name a person to this post for three years already,” said the UNICEF Representative.

People’s Ombudsman Mihail Cotorobai said the fact that many children in the Transnistrian region do not have identification papers is serious. “I also want to highlight the problems related to children under the age at which these can be prosecuted, who remained unsupervised, and those related to the education of minors who are in detention,” he stated.

As regards the implementation of the UN Convention, political will existed not always, said the UN Resident Coordinator in Moldova Dafina Ghercheva. “There are yet shortcomings in the legal and normative framework in the field. That’s why we must join efforts and sensitize the lawmakers and strengthen the capacities of the institutions that are responsible for implementing this Convention,” she stated.

Moldova became a party to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990. The document took effect in 1993.