Juvenile justice must take special circumstances
and needs of children into account
The special needs of thousands
of Iraqi children who find themselves in trouble with the law and being
held in juvenile institutions as well as detention centres was the
focus of a workshop that concluded today. Iraqi Government representatives,
UNICEF and non-governmental organizations partners working with vulnerable
and marginalized groups deliberated the issue for over five days.
” Juvenile justice and protective institutions must take
the particular developmental needs of Iraqi children who do not live
with
their families into account,” stressed Roger Wright, UNICEF’s
Special Representative for Iraq.
“ We know that children
can be taught the difference between right and wrong, and go on to
lead
productive
lives that contribute positively to their communities and society.”
He said that improving juvenile justice was, however, only one element
of a complex and interrelated scenario. “While it is critical
to address how children in detention are being treated, it is also
crucially important to focus on reducing the vulnerabilities and circumstances
that push children to the edge and into lifestyles which often result
in law-breaking and criminality,” he added.
The workshop concluded with a deeper and broader understanding that
will guide approaches towards juvenile justice and institutionalization,
upgrade and strengthen the existing system as well as provide more
child-friendly services. Over the last five days, 20 Government representatives
from orphanages, reformatories and Ministries in Baghdad and northern
Iraq learned more about international standards of juvenile justice
and child rights. Follow-up training will soon be provided to other
personnel, including social workers involved in Iraq’s juvenile
justice system. The beneficiaries of this capacity building will be
children in conflict with the law, those in juvenile reformatories
as well as in detention, and their families.
The juvenile justice system in Iraq has suffered from neglect and
disruption caused by 25 years of crises and conflicts. Acutely aware
of the shortcomings within the current system, in October 2005, the
Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MoLSA) asked for technical support
for the Juvenile Justice Department that would enable it to develop
strategies, policies, programmes and initiatives. The aim was to provide
quality services at international standards oriented toward securing
a more protective environment for children.
According to a representative of the MoLSA, Iraq’s juvenile
justice law and the rules, as well as the regulations for related institutions,
will soon be modified to integrate the principles of the new Iraqi
constitution, which are in line with the United Nations Convention
on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and other international treaties,
as well as to make them compatible with international standards on
juvenile justice. While given certain circumstances, the detention
of children in institutions appears unavoidable, “the pressing
reality,” notes the MoLSA representative is that “families
are the most important people in a child’s life.”
This is a view shared by UNICEF, which advocates reintegrating children
into communities, with familiar settings and faces, rather than placing
them in institutions. Nevertheless, as this may not always be possible,
what is therefore sought is the creation of juvenile justice facilities
that are ‘child-friendly’.
For 60 years UNICEF has been the world’s leader for children,
working on the ground in 155 countries and territories to help children
survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s
largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports
child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic
education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from
violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the
voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and
governments.
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