The new Criminal Procedure Code of Turkmenistan promises a humane system of justice for children
7 May 2009, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan– UNICEF welcomed Turkmenistan’s adoption of the new Criminal Procedure Code that promises justice not only for adults but also children in conflict with the law. The new Code with a special chapter on children under 18 guarantees their separate trial and detention and indicates the Government of Turkmenistan’s readiness to reform the juvenile justice and establish a system which is based on the rights of the child.
“By establishing an effective system of trial of children in conflict with the law, the Government will also respond to the Committee of the Rights of the Child observations and comply with the Convention of the Rights of the Child which contains several articles that specifically address the issue of juvenile justice,” said Abdul Alim, UNICEF Representative, a.i in Turkmenistan. “UNICEF would like to work with partners on reforming the juvenile system which will apply principles of restorative justice, put the best interests of a child first, focus on prevention as a primary objective, and make custody a sanction of last resort and for the shortest possible period of time while taking into account the effects on the victim and community,” noted Mr. Abdul Alim.
Code articles on children’s justice are in conformity with the United Nations Minimum Standard Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice and other international norms that Turkmenistan legislators were introduced to through UNICEF’s partnership in child protection area. Prior to the Code’s adoption, UNICEF and the National Institute of Democracy and Human Rights carried out numerous consultative meetings and events to educate the national partners on modern concepts, standards and trends in juvenile justice systems around the world.
UNICEF supports and plays an instrumental role in facilitating the Government’s partnership with the Essex Children’s Legal Centre in the UK over the last two years. ECLC has assisted with the review of Turkmenistan’s legislation related to children’s rights and wellbeing as well as proposing a juvenile justice reform strategy document. This year UNICEF will conduct a series of seminars on international standards for juvenile affairs inspectors and the representatives of the central government.
The fundamental reason for setting up a distinct juvenile justice system lies in the fact that, before the age of adulthood, emphasis needs to be placed exactly on assisting a young person to avoid further behaviour that will bring him or her into conflict with law, as opposed to punishing him or her for an offence committed. Juvenile justice system should be focused mainly on non-punitive responses that are constructive for the individual child concerned.
For more information please contact:
Mr. Shohrat Orazov UNICEF Social Policy Officer Email: sorazov@unicef.org
Ms. Gulyalek Soltanova UNICEF Communication Officer Phone: +99312 425681/82/86/86 Fax: +99312 420830 Email: gsoltanova@unicef.org Web: http://www.unicef.org/turkmenistan
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