In other
European countries, including Ireland, Luxembourg,and Poland proposals for
an independent office for children are under consideration in government.
Wales Now
fully established in law. Actual office (ie buildings and all staff) in
place by March 2002.
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Eastern European Offices:
Georgia The Child Rights Center was established within the
Public Defender’s Office in April 2001. The UN Convention on the Rights
of the Child and international conventions and arrangements on children
provide the basis for the Center’s program of action. The area of
responsibility of the Center is to advocate for the rights and interests
of children and young people in society
Hungary: In the Office of
the Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, the Deputy Commissioner covers
children’s issues and there is a small specialist staff;
Lithuania the idea to establish Children’s Ombudsman
Institution came out of many conferences held by various Children agencies
, institutions and non-governmental organizations. It was decided that to
have only one monitoring body is not enough. An Institution that should
monitor all regional Children’s Agencies was needed. European practice
also made big impact while establishing such an Institution
Macedonia The
role of the Ombudsperson was discussed by many NFOS working the field of
child protection especially when it was just 'new' to them. After Ms.
Krusarovska has received and worked with these NGOs on child rights and is
present at the NGO coalition, a fruitful collaboration among these bodies
has been established
Poland The Ombudsman for Children in Poland was
established by the Law on the Ombudsman for Children passed on January 6,
2000. Implemented therewith was art. 72 par. 4 of The Constitution of The
Republic of Poland.
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Offices in the Rest of the World
Australia: the federal Human Rights and Equal Opportunities
Commission has a mandate which includes the Convention on the Rights of the Child and
dedicated staff covering children’s rights issues; in South Australia the Children’s Interests Bureau opened in 1984, established under the
Community Welfare Amendment Act. But in 1995 it suffered some curbs on its independence,
when it was amalgamated with the Office for Families and the Domestic Violence Unit, to
create the Office for Families and Children;
in Queensland a Children’s
Commissioner with particular child protection functions was established in 1997 by
statute; in New South Wales in 1998 the general Ombudsman
was given some specific functions relating to child protection; in particular to oversee
and monitor the handling of child abuse investigations and convictions against
employees of certain government and non-government agencies providing care
and/or education for children.
Canada: in British Columbia
the
Ombudsman Services created a new post of Deputy Ombudsman for Children and Youth in 1987,
but the specific role for children ceased to exist in 1990 and was absorbed into the
general remit. In Alberta and some other provinces there
are Children’s Advocates set up under child welfare legislation to advocate on behalf
of children who are receiving child protection services.
Costa Rica: the Ombudsman Office for Children was established
under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice in 1987; in 1993 the various specialised
ombudsman offices were incorporated into a national independent Ombudsman Office (Defensor
de los Habitantes de la Republica) which includes a children’s unit.
Guatemala: the children’s ombudsperson, Defensor de
los Derechos de la Ninez, was set up as a special unit of a new government office
established to investigate human rights under the constitution of 1986.
Israel: the Ministry for Education has created an ombudsman
to provide pupils with a telephone information and advice line; the National Council for
the Child (a NGO) provides a "children’s ombudsman" service;
Latin American Countries:
New Zealand: a statutory Commissioner for Children was
created in 1989.
South Africa: the Deputy Chairperson of the South African
Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) also acts as Chairperson of the SAHRC Standing Committee
on Child Rights.
Tunisian Ombudsman Office
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