Tuesday, October 29, 2013

International workshop “Current issues of children’s rights protection in the practice of the Russian Federation and Finland”

October 24-25, 2013, the RF Ministry of Education and Science together with Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia held the International workshop “Current issues of children’s rights protection in the practice of the Russian Federation and Finland”.
Participants of the 2 days’ workshop were experts of the Education departments and Child welfare agencies of Russia and Finland, children’s rights ombudsmen, teachers and specialists training staff and implementing technologies in the field of preventing social orphanage and children’s rights protection.
The plenary meeting was opened by the welcoming words of director of the RF Ministry of Education and Science Department of State Policy in the sphere of children’s rights protection Evgeny Silyanov, Rector of Peoples’ friendship university, academician of the Russian Academy of Education professor Vladimir Filippov, Authorized representative of RF MFA on human rights, democracy and rule of law Konstantin Dolgov and Deputy Head of the Department of International legal aid of the Ministry of Justice of Finland Merja Norros.
Reports were made by First deputy chairperson of the State Duma Committee on the Issues of family, women and children O.Batalina, Deputy director of the Department of International law and cooperation V.Lysak, senior researcher of the RAS Institute of State and Law O.Khazova, member of the UN Committee for children’s rights M.Shellyuto, chief researcher of the RF government Institute of Legislation and comparative legal studies, A. Abashidze, Doctor of Legal Science, Professor, Head of the Department of International Law of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, Chairman of the International Law Commission of the Russian Association of the UN assistance, member of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, V. Kartashkin, Doctor of Law, Professor, senior researcher of the Institute of State and Law, Russian Academy of Sciences, Honored Lawyer of the Russian Federation, A. Solntsev, PhD, Associate Professor, Deputy Head of the Department of International Law, Peoples' Friendship University of Russian, representatives of the RF Ministry of Education and Science, RF Public Chamber, RF President’s Plenipotentiary on children’s rights, Ministry of Justice of Finland, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health Care of Finland, Helsinki Administrative court, State-legal administration of the RF President, Department of children’s rights of the RF Ombudsman for human rights, Department of Social protection of the citizens of Moscow, Federal Institute of Mediation, social-rehabilitation centers and public organizations.
Participants discussed topical issues of Russian-Finnish cooperation in the field of implementation and protection of children’s rights in the context of applying the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of Child Abduction and 1996 Convention on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law, Recognition, Enforcement and Co-operation in respect of Parental Responsibility and Measures for the Protection of Children.
The agenda of the international workshop included exchange of experience in the field of children’s rights protection, discussions and round tables on key aspects of preventing social orphanage, promoting adoption of children, facilitating access to information about children who can be adopted and the organization of services for preventing social orphanage.
All participants got information files and certificates.