NordenBladet —
Under the Bill on the Accession to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a Communications Procedure (534 SE), initiated by the Government of the Republic, Estonian children would acquire the right to submit complaints to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child when their rights have been breached, and the Committee would receive the right to proceed such complaints once Estonia accedes to the Protocol. The Committee will also be able to launch investigations into serious and systematic violations of children’s rights.
The Protocol sets out the competences of the Committee in case of communications procedures, as well as temporary protection measures. Complaints can be submitted by individuals or groups when the rights of a child as provided in the Convention on the Rights of the Child or its optional protocols have been violated, including the provisions on sale of children, child prostitution, or involving children in armed conflicts.
The implementation of the Protocol will take place within the confines of the resources available to ministries and through the drafting of the necessary materials, the costs of which will be covered from the European Social Fund. 52 countries have already ratified the Optional Protocol.
During the debate, Züleyxa Izmailova spoke on behalf of the Social Democratic Party Group and Urmas Reinsalu spoke on behalf of Isamaa Parliamentary Group.
One Bill was dropped from the proceedings
The Riigikogu rejected at the first reading the Bill on Amendments to the Citizenship Act (522 SE), initiated by Isamaa Parliamentary Group, which intended to prevent the granting and restoration of Estonian citizenship to people who have been repeatedly convicted of intentionally committed criminal offences, even if their convictions have been spent. The initiators pointed out that the same prohibition had initially been in the Citizenship Act of 1995 as well.
Under the current Act, in exceptional cases, Estonian citizenship may be granted or restored to a person who has been repeatedly convicted of intentionally committed criminal offences and whose convictions have been spent, with consideration as to the circumstances related to the commission of the criminal offences and the identity of the offender.
The Constitutional Committee moved to reject the Bill at the first reading. 45 members of the Riigikogu supported the rejection and nine were against it.
Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)
Video recording will be available to watch later on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.
Riigikogu Press Service
Karin Kangro
+372 631 6356, +372 520 0323
karin.kangro@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee
Link uudisele: Bill protecting children rights passed the first reading
Source: Parliament of Estonia