PHR: ‘For children in Georgia, every day is a struggle for survival’

Tbilisi

On International Children’s Day, Partnership for Human Rights (PHR) said that, despite existing legal guarantees, Georgia still faces serious challenges in protecting children’s rights.

International Children’s Day falls on 1 June. In 1989, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which covers everyone under the age of 18. Georgia joined the convention in 1994 and committed itself to upholding and protecting the rights it guarantees.

PHR stressed that the state’s obligation to protect children’s rights to life, health, development, education, safety, social protection and dignity stems from both Georgian legislation and international conventions. However, the organisation argues that authorities often fail to fulfil those obligations in practice.

In its statement, PHR identified the prevention of violence against children and responses to abuse cases as among the most pressing issues. The organisation says children who become victims of violence often remain invisible to the institutions responsible for protecting them.

As an example, PHR cited the case of a minor who suffered sexual abuse. State agencies learned about the case only after the child managed to escape from home and seek help independently.

Nearly 380,000 children registered in Georgia’s socially vulnerable database

According to the ombudsman’s report, more than 278,000 children receive subsistence allowance

PHR also highlights child poverty as a major concern. According to the organisation, thousands of children still live in conditions that limit their access to education, healthcare, cultural activities and social services. It says children living in the regions, those from socially vulnerable families and children with disabilities face particularly difficult circumstances.

The human rights group also criticises the state’s treatment of minors who take part in protest rallies. According to the statement, children encountered violence and detention during demonstrations instead of receiving special protection. PHR argues that the state has a duty to guarantee their safety and protect fundamental rights, including freedom of expression.

The organisation has also expressed concern over the government’s increasingly restrictive approach towards minors. It points to plans to establish a “Rehabilitation and Support Home for Minors in Conflict with the Law” for children aged between 10 and 14. The initiative would allow authorities to restrict the liberty of children who are still below the age of criminal responsibility.

PHR argues that such an approach contradicts the core principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which prioritises the best interests of the child, treats deprivation of liberty as a measure of last resort and promotes rehabilitation-based policies. The organisation also says that creating closed institutions runs counter to international deinstitutionalisation standards.

The statement gives particular attention to the situation of children with disabilities. PHR cites cases involving children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, whose families have spent months demanding that the state provide life-saving medical care. According to the organisation, when these children and their families gather outside public institutions, police officers often meet them instead of the officials responsible for addressing their concerns.

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For a year, parents of children with a rare and severe genetic condition have been urging the authorities to allow the import of costly medicines.

The human rights group also recalled a case in which authorities suspended social assistance payments to a child with a disability while his mother’s bank accounts were under seizure. According to PHR, the decision deprived the child of financial resources essential for daily life and jeopardised the fulfilment of his basic needs.

PHR says these examples represent only part of the challenges facing children in Georgia today. The organisation also points to limited access to mental health services, rising levels of online abuse, a shortage of adapted services for children with disabilities and shortcomings in the child-friendly justice system.

“1 June serves as a reminder of the obligations that the state must fulfil throughout the year. As long as every day remains a struggle for survival for children in Georgia, this day cannot truly be a celebration either,” PHR said.