TBILISI, Georgia, 27 July, 2020. Over 190 representatives of municipalities of Georgia will participate in on-line training sessions on the implementation of Georgia’s new Code on the Rights of the Child. A special event was organized at the parliament with participation of Ms. Sopio Kiladze, the Chair of the Committee of Human Rights and Civil Integration, Mr. Adam Schmidt, Director of USAID/Georgia's Democracy, Governance & Social Development Office, and Dr. Ghassan Khalil, UNICEF Representative in Georgia to discuss the trainings and the role of municipalities in the implementation of the Code. The municipality representatives joined the meeting online.
The training programme was jointly developed by the Committee of Human Rights and Civil Integration, the Georgian Association of Social Workers, and UNICEF, with financial support from USAID. The training sessions will support various professionals, including municipal workers, social workers, and judges in implementing the Code - which will enter into force in September 2020.
“The training programme ensures that all municipal workers engaged in the protection of children have relevant knowledge, skills and operate in the frame of well-functioning administrative processes,” said Dr. Ghassan Khalil, UNICEF Representative in Georgia.
“UNICEF plans to continue supporting municipalities and other actors of the Child Rights Code to ensure the high standards, introduced by the Code, are being translated into operations and actions. And that children are indeed protected in Georgia”, added Khalil.
“USAID is supporting the Government of Georgia in protecting child rights and in implementation of the Code on the Rights of the Child”, said Mr Adam Schmidt, Director of USAID/Georgia's Democracy, Governance & Social Development Office. “USAID is happy to support the initial on-line training for municipal units of child protection. The training focuses on the new responsibilities of local municipalities as well as better understanding of the Code and the environment in which the municipalities will be operating”.
The Code on the Rights of the Child places major responsibility on local municipalities as key actors, principle players, which identify vulnerabilities of families with children as early as possible, and address them to ensure that families, as major social units, provide children with necessary support and care.
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