UNICEF presents the initial findings of the Review and Analysis of the current legislation
UNICEF works with the Government of Turkmenistan to upgrade the normative base and professional capacities in law enforcement and social protection entities oriented to child protection.
Ashgabat, 2 December - UNICEF together with the Mejlis of Milli Gengesh of Turkmenistan convened a roundtable to discuss the preliminary results of the review and analysis of legislative and normative frameworks of Turkmenistan concerning children in contact with the law, in particular victims and witnesses in criminal proceedings, children in conflict with the law and children involved in civil proceedings.
The event brought together the country’s Government officials and international experts to discuss over initial findings of the situational analysis of the current Turkmenistan legislation regarding children in contact with the law and its compliance with international justice for children standards. The participants of the roundtable also discussed the draft recommendations derived from the review and analysis aimed at strengthening the child-friendly justice in Turkmenistan.
The review and analysis of the national legislation have been conducted with the participation of representatives of various institutions, including the Supreme Court, the Mejlis of Milli Gengesh, Ministry of Internal Affairs, General Prosecutor's Office, Institute of State, Law and Democracy and Office of the Ombudsman within the workplan of the Inter-departmental Commission on the Implementation of International Obligations of Turkmenistan in the area of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law and UN.
Based on the analysis, the Turkmenistan legal system provides important key elements of a child justice system in line with international standards, including a commendable high minimum age of criminal responsibility , widely granted fair trial rights, restrictive criteria for the imposition of pre-trial detention, and availability of alternatives to deprivation of liberty.
In order to reach a fully comprehensive and child-friendly system, the participants of the event proposed to make joint efforts to develop a roadmap on justice for children system enhancement within a new National Plan of Action for Child Rights in Turkmenistan.
“Turkmenistan is successfully going through the stages of improving the legal and judicial system as part of the implementation of the SDGs, and UNICEF values the important role of the Government in strengthening the justice system and ensuring access to justice for children in contact with the law as one of the most important priorities.”- said Alexandru Nartea, Deputy Representative of UNICEF in Turkmenistan.
UNICEF works with the Government of Turkmenistan to upgrade the normative base and professional capacities in law enforcement and social protection entities, covering a broader group of children in contact with the law and improving procedures and services for their protection.
