Experts of the Committee on the Rights of the Child Congratulate Turkmenistan on Achievements in Child Rights, Raise Questions on Stateless Children and Military Schools
The Committee on the Rights of the Child today concluded its review of the combined fifth and sixth periodic report of Turkmenistan, with Committee Experts congratulating the State on all its achievements in child rights, including in legislation, while raising questions on stateless children and military schools.
Sopio Kiladze, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, congratulated Turkmenistan on all its achievements in child rights, including legislation like the law on education 2021 and the law on social services 2021. She also highlighted that Turkmenistan was doing well in terms of economic growth which increased opportunities for children for more budget accumulation, better social services, better education and so on.
Ms. Kiladze asked what mechanisms the State party had in place to facilitate the naturalisation process for stateless children and their family members under the law on citizenship? What was the state of the data collection on stateless children? Was there any cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees with respect to sharing statistics?
Mary Beloff, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator, said in 2010, the recruitment age for armed conflict was aimed to be 18 years of age, but people could be called to do military service at 17. Would the State change this? How did the State ensure that the participation of girls and boys in military schools was voluntary and not due to social or family pressure? How were the conditions in these schools monitored? How could children at these schools report abuse?
The delegation said Turkmenistan had actively participated in a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees programme aimed at the total eradication of statelessness. In November, the State would hold a major regional conference, where citizenship would be allocated to the few remaining persons with no citizenship in the country. The State migration services worked with local agencies and police forces to conduct a census identifying the status of individuals. Where stateless persons were identified, this was noted in the registry and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was informed.
The delegation said there were police and military education facilities established in the country, designed for education for boys. Children voluntarily went to these academies; it was a competitive process, with around 10 to 15 children applying for a single place. Children were provided with free education and three meals a day free of charge. Military schools played an important role in Turkmenistan, training future officers for the armed forces and ensuring a high level of discipline. Any incidents of violence at the schools by students or teachers were strictly punished administratively. There were cameras and CCTV systems which helped maintain safety and order in the schools, as well as a positive education environment. Only those at the age of 18 could be conscripted to military service once they had finished school.
Vepa Hajiyev, Permanent Representative of Turkmenistan to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, presenting the report, said Turkmenistan had adopted several new pieces of legislation, including a new edition of the law on education (2021), a new law on social services (2021), and the amendment of the law on migration (2012) to include a section on children and stateless persons. The National Action Plan on the Implementation of Children's Rights in Turkmenistan for 2023–2028 had been approved and was being implemented.
In concluding remarks, Ms. Beloff thanked the delegation for the efforts made to respond to the many questions, emphasising how important it was for delegations to participate in person in these sessions. There were always issues which could be explored more deeply, and in this case, it was violence against children, which was a problem in every country.
Mr. Hajiyev, in his closing remarks, expressed gratitude to the Committee Experts for their constructive approach and their valuable recommendations. The delegation had listened carefully to the recommendations made by Committee members, and would seek to implement them, with due respect to national priorities and international standards.
The delegation of Turkmenistan was comprised of representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs; the Ministry of Education; the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry; the Prosecutor General’s Office; the Department of the Institute of State, Law and Democracy; and the Permanent Mission of Turkmenistan to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
Summaries of the public meetings of the Committee can be found here, while webcasts of the public meetings can be found here. The programme of work of the Committee’s ninety-seventh session and other documents related to the session can be found here.
The Committee will next meet in public at 10 am on Friday, 30 August, to begin its consideration of the combined sixth and seventh periodic report of Mexico (CRC/C/MEX 6-7).
Report
The Committee has before it the combined fifth and sixth periodic report of Turkmenistan (CRC/C/TKM/5-6).
Presentation of Report
VEPA HAJIYEV, Permanent Representative of Turkmenistan to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, said Turkmenistan had adopted several new pieces of legislation, including a new edition of the law on education (2021), a new law on social services (2021), and the amendment of the law on migration (2012) to include a section on children and stateless persons. Amendments were also made to several laws on State youth policy and the Criminal Code, among others. Between 2015 and 2024, Turkmenistan had acceded to several international treaties, including the International Labour Organization Convention no. 144 and the Marrakesh Treaty, among others.
The National Action Plan on the Implementation of Children's Rights in Turkmenistan for 2023–2028 had been approved and was being implemented. The National Action Plan, which followed one of the Committee’s recommendations, outlined goals, objectives, and strategies in all areas relevant to children's rights. By a Presidential decree adopted in June 2024, two new departments were established within the Ombudsman's Office, one for the protection of women's and children's rights, and the other for the protection of human rights in the private sector.
Several strategies and programmes aimed at improving children's health had been implemented in the country to improve the quality of care and services for mothers and newborns. These included the National Programme for Healthy Nutrition of the Population of Turkmenistan 2020–2025, the National Strategy for Early Childhood Development in Turkmenistan 2020–2025, and the National Strategy on Healthy Mother – Healthy Child – Healthy Future 2021–2025.
In Turkmenistan, immunisation was mandatory for all children and was provided free of charge. The vaccination coverage rate was 95.3 per cent overall. In 2020, the Government of Turkmenistan and the United Nations Children’s Fund signed a memorandum which provided for additional national funding to maintain the current level of immunisation from 2021 to 2025. Under this memorandum, the Government was allocating more than 83 million USD to ensure the vaccination of all children in the country against 14 of the most dangerous diseases.
In 2021, the Charitable Fund for the Assistance of Children in Need of Custody was established in Turkmenistan to support the younger generation, particularly children in need of care, to aid in their recovery, and to create favourable living conditions for them. With the support of this fund, numerous successful surgeries had been performed in the fields of cardiac surgery, traumatology, orthopaedics, and neurosurgery.
To further develop the education system in Turkmenistan, several strategic documents were being implemented, including the Concept for Improving Teaching Methods in General Education Programmes until 2028, the National Strategy for Early Childhood Development 2020–2025, and the Programme for Improving the Activities of Preschool Institutions in the Field of Early Development and Preparing Children for School 2020–2025. In 2022, Turkmenistan completed a joint programme between the Government and the United Nations, which aimed to improve the existing system of social services in Turkmenistan, by reaching the most vulnerable segments of the population and meeting their specific needs.
With the change of the minimum employment age from 16 to 18 years, the number of children under the age of 16 employed in Turkmenistan had decreased. The changes in Turkmenistan's Labour Code were made in accordance with the International Labour Organization conventions on child labour. An important step towards preventing the practice of child labour was the commitment of the Government to engage constructively with the International Labour Organization, including through the adoption of roadmaps for cooperation for 2023 and 2024 to 2025.
Turkmenistan had made progress mainly in creating more favourable conditions for family support programmes for children in conflict with the law, and for children who were victims of violence and abuse and those living in alternative care conditions. Turkmenistan’s legislation ensured that migrant, refugee and displaced children had access to universal basic services available in the country. With the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund, the first two child-friendly facilities for conducting pre-trial interrogations were prepared and opened.
Mr. Hajiyev concluded by emphasising that Turkmenistan was conducting targeted work on the practical implementation of the main provisions of the Convention and the norms of national legislation regarding the protection of children’s rights.
Questions by Committee Members
MARY BELOFF, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator, said it was clear from the report and from the detailed presentation that the country had done a lot to implement the Convention and made great headway, including the National Action Plan on the Implementation of Children's Rights in Turkmenistan which concluded in 2022 and the new Action Plan 2023-2028. There had been headway on the legislative and institutional fronts and Turkmenistan had made progress in an articulate way.
BENYAM DAWIT MEZMUR, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, said there had been a lot of activity in the sphere of law reform in Turkmenistan. Did the State see the added value of undertaking a comprehensive study to understand the extent to which all these laws interacted with each other, and with the Convention? Was this planned? How did the budget increase noted in the report fit the needs of children? What could be expected moving forward on disaggregated data to help plan programmes and projects on a more factual basis? Was there a discussion to create a separate child protection department under local authorities? What was the situation of children’s rights on the ground in regard to the business sector?
SOPIO KILADZE, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, congratulated Turkmenistan on all its achievements in child rights, including legislation like the law on education 2021 and the law on social services 2021. She also highlighted that Turkmenistan was doing well in terms of economic growth which increased opportunities for children for more budget accumulation, better social services, better education and so on.
Was there any legislation in place to prevent and respond to discrimination cases affecting various vulnerable groups, including children of ethnic minorities, such as Baluchi, Nohur, Kazakh and Uzbek children? Were there any restrictions for children belonging to minorities such as Uzbek and Kazakh to enjoy the right to education in their mother tongue? How did Turkmenistan ensure that the best interests of the child were taken as a primary consideration for the decisions affecting children for all three branches of the State power? Were there legal proceedings which ensured systems and procedures for social workers and courts to implement the rights effectively?
What mechanisms did the State party have in place to facilitate the naturalisation process for stateless children and their family members under the law on citizenship? What was the state of the data collection on stateless children? Was there any cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees with respect to sharing statistics?
How was the freedom of expression and the media ensured in Turkmenistan, both online and offline? Article 16 (1) of the law on the State guarantees of the rights of the child ensured the right of the child to freedom of speech, which should be highlighted as a positive provision. Could more information be provided about its practical implementation? Were measures conducted to enhance digital literacy for children but also for family members and teachers? How did the State party protect children from harmful content? Was artificial intelligence used when it came to children and their rights? Did Turkmenistan guarantee the independence of the media, free from censorship?
MARY BELOFF, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator, said the Committee was concerned about violence against children. What were the deep-rooted causes behind violence, particularly in the home environment? Were these due to social, economic or cultural reasons? What was the role of local authorities when it came to eliminating violence against children? Was it not strange that despite the mechanisms in place for supporting violence, there were no complaints reported? Did the State party have a way to assess the mechanisms which had been established? The number of children in institutional care had increased in the country; how was the State addressing violence in institutional care?
How did the State respect the right of children to implement technologies while ensuring their safety? What was the specific definition that the State applied for cases of abuse and ill treatment? Perhaps a clearer definition in legislation could contribute to reducing social tolerance for these kinds of practices. The country had made progress on reducing child marriage. Could statistics be provided? Had policies had an impact? What was the role of local authorities in regard to child marriage?
The child-friendly interrogation rooms were a step forward and should be highlighted. What was the follow-up given to child victims? Were victims provided with psychological and medical assistance? Were there specific provisions in legislation for reparation for child victims?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the Tax Code of Turkmenistan had been amended, exempting parents who were bringing up children with disabilities from paying tax. The Act on the Prevention of Infectious Diseases introduced measures for preventing infectious diseases in children’s homes. If a child committed a minor offence, they could not be sentenced for more than one year, for a serious offence it could not be more than nine years, and for a very serious offence, not more than 14 years. All these rules and regulations and others stemmed directly from the rights and provisions of the Convention. An analysis had been conducted and recommendations from the analysis had been implemented on the legislative level. The State was planning another analysis which would delve deeper into the Convention and focus on its full implementation.
There were more than 70,000 children of different ethnicities in Turkmenistan. Education was carried out in the State language. Foreign language lessons were provided in 11 languages, including Russian and English, which were taught at most schools around the country. An Expert Council had been established for digital education. Turkmenistan was striving to address violence in school settings. One of the key instruments of this was a study programme for senior students which aimed at combatting stereotypes and fostering positive discrimination. The programme covered the prevention of all forms of violence, including gender-based violence and bullying.
The National Action Plan on the Implementation of Children's Rights underscored the right of all children to a life free from violence. The State had made efforts to protect children from all forms of cruel and degrading treatment. Any infliction of violence or harm against children was considered unlawful and was prosecuted by law. Beatings or other forms of violence which inflicted physical or psychological harm incurred liability. Laws were in place to protect children from violence and from being drawn into prostitution.
In 2021, the Labour Ministry, together with the United Nations Children’s Fund, conducted an analysis on the work of Turkmenistan’s agencies, including fostering and adoption. As a result, executive authorities received reports to improve the system of protecting children. Recommendations included overhauling legislation relating to adoption. Turkmenistan had made progress in supporting families, especially for children in conflict with the law and those living in alternative care services. To protect children from all forms of violence, all inspectors had specific territories which were set forth at police agencies and were responsible for all minors in that territory. Access to justice was being improved by enhancing the number and quality of social workers, including through training.
The State budget was socially oriented. Seventy per cent of the funding was focused on social spending, including implementing programmes associated with the protection of individuals and creating better conditions for children. A Presidential decree established a 10 per cent increase in stipends for social protection, including for children with disabilities.
Turkmenistan had actively participated in a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees programme aimed at the total eradication of statelessness. In November, the State would hold a major regional conference, where citizenship would be allocated to the few remaining persons with no citizenship in the country. Over the past 10 years, around 35,000 people had received Turkmen citizenship, including children. A programme was in place which conducted the registration of stateless persons. The State migration services worked with local agencies and police forces to conduct a census identifying the status of individuals. Where stateless persons were identified, this was noted in the registry and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was informed.
Victims of violence were provided with psychological support. The Government and civil society were engaged in this area. Under Turkmenistan’s legislation, 18 was the threshold for marriage, but in some isolated cases, this could be reduced to 17. Early marriage for children was not an urgent widespread problem in the State, and as such there had not been a need for urgent measures to address it. However, Turkmenistan had adopted cross-cutting policies to cut down on cases of early marriage. The digitalisation of education in Turkmenistan was being integrated at a high speed in all schools and universities across the country.
Questions by Committee Members
MARY BELOFF, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator, asked if the practice known as “propiska” was still in effect in the country. Did this impact children from certain minorities more than others? What were the causes behind violence against children? What were the reasons behind the lack of visibility of this problem?
BENYAM DAWIT MEZMUR, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, asked what the 2019 Constitutional amendments meant for children’s rights the Convention?
SOPIO KILADZE, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, asked if ethnic minority children could access concrete classes regarding their language? Because Turkmen law prohibited double citizenship, were documents provided to ensure there was not a second citizenship?
A Committee Expert asked about the degree of penetration of smartphones and the internet for children in Turkmenistan. How did blocked social media sites impact the rights of children?
Another Committee Expert asked how long it would take for the Government to implement the Committee’s recommendation dating 10 years ago to set up a reporting mechanism for children? What were the challenges in this regard? How would police inspectors react if a child appeared in a police station, claiming they had been abused?
One Committee Expert asked if the Office of the Ombudsperson was empowered to receive complaints from children? Did children have to lodge complaints themselves? What was the role played by the Ombudsperson when it came to the promotion of the rights of the child?
An Expert asked for the updated vaccination rate? Was there a programme to ensure children caught up on missed vaccinations? How were child victims of violence cared for by specialised staff? How many social orphans were there in the country?
A Committee Expert said there were early unions in cultures all over the world. Turkmenistan had explained that although child marriage was prohibited by law, there were exceptions made when there was consent from the parents. Were there statistics on the actual number of cases of child marriages? Was the State envisaging prohibiting such exceptions?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the National Human Rights Institute could not receive complaints from children; if received, these were sent to the Ombudsperson’s Office. The Institute coordinated work for various national action plans and also monitored their implementation, including positive aspects and implementation gaps. The Institute focused on raising awareness among the population and fostering a culture of legal awareness among young people. There were resource centres on human rights which were well equipped with technology and literature, and were spread across five regions of the country.
The “propiska” system was merely a system for registering the place of permanent residence. Citizens could reside temporarily in different parts of the country. The system did not have an impact on mobility. Turkmenistan did indeed request a document attesting to the absence or existence of a different citizenship. This applied to all citizens. All citizens needed to prove they had no other nationality. Basic education was provided to representatives of different population groups in Turkmen and Russian. All representatives from ethnic minorities could study linguistic programmes online. The Office of the Ombudsperson could receive complaints from children first hand, or from their parents.
Questions by Committee Experts
SOPIO KILADZE, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, asked if the State party undertook measures to strengthen the system of family support to prevent abuse, neglect and abandonment? What was the current status of the deinstitutionalisation process? Had a strategy been adopted? It was an issue in many countries that children were separated from their biological families due to poverty. Did Turkmenistan consider this issue comprehensively? Were there sufficient family-based and community-based alternatives for children? Did the State party conduct capacity building training for professionals working with children? Was there a centralised system for the registration of adoptions? How effective was legislation around adoption, so that adopted children knew about their biological parents?
A Committee Expert said children with disabilities faced many challenges, including access to infrastructure and tools and limited access to high quality care. Children with disabilities faced many obstacles to get an education. Eighty per cent of children with mental issues did not attend school. What steps were taken to allow all children with disabilities to fully enjoy their right to education? Was there a programme which allowed children to live in safe family environments, rather than be placed in institutions? What was being done to help poor families where there were children with disabilities, to provide them with better care? Did children with disabilities have access to mechanisms to participate in their society and their communities.
Turkmenistan had good health services which were widespread and children had free access to healthcare. What was being done to improve the skills of academic personnel? Was there a national policy for social protection? If so, did it have a significant budget to support it? Were social workers sufficiently qualified? What measures were being taken to fill in gaps in assistance to the most vulnerable children and their families?
BENYAM DAWIT MEZMUR, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, said Turkmenistan could be congratulated for numerous things in relation to the environment, including the Climate Change Strategy from 2019. What was the extent to which children’s participation was envisaged in climate change policies? To what extent was disaggregated data collected on children at risk of disasters? There had been reports of agricultural activities which had an impact on water quality. What actions had been taken on this and how were children being protected? Were there policies planned for early warning systems and to what extent did they pay attention to children’s needs?
There was no reporting on dropout rates; why was this the case? The strategy in place on childhood education was commendable. What could be expected moving forward? Turkmenistan was one of the few countries which did well not to discontinue education during COVID-91. What steps were being taken to address some of the challenges faced.
MARY BELOFF, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator, asked if there were refugees from other countries in Turkmenistan? How was non-discrimination of children ensured in these circumstances? What was the State position on children whose parents emigrated? Were the children institutionalised? There was no mention in the report of children in street situations. Why was this the case? It was commendable that Turkmenistan had adopted a less punitive approach to juvenile justice. Was restorative justice used in cases of sexual abuse against teenagers? What was the duration of the time that minors were kept in institutions, particularly those under the age of 14? Was Turkmenistan considering changing the maximum term of imprisonment depending on the age of the offender?
In 2010, the recruitment age for armed conflict was aimed to be 18 years of age, but people could be called to do military service at 17. Would the State change this? How did the State ensure that the participation of girls and boys in military schools was voluntary and not due to social or family pressure? How were the conditions in these schools monitored? How could children at these schools report abuse? Had the State considered criminalising the use of children in armed conflict?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said there had been changes in Turkmenistan’s Constitution in recent years. Articles were changed to introduce the position of the Ombudsperson and to create a law in this regard. Changes had been introduced in 2020 which simplified the registration for civil society organizations in Turkmenistan. Today, there were 134 civil society organizations in the country.
In Turkmenistan, there were vaccinations against 14 dangerous infections. The coverage rate to date was 98.5 per cent. The small percentage of children not vaccinated were those with severe disorders who had medical reasons as to why they could not be vaccinated. Turkmenistan had successfully eradicated mumps, measles, rubella, polio and malaria thanks to the successful vaccination programme. Clinics targeted children with locomotive disorders and speech impediments. A sanitarium near the sea provided places for up to 500 children at a time with the chance to recover. A rehabilitation centre of 400 beds had been built for children who needed to recover from surgery. A fund had been created for children in need which made it possible to acquire dialysis and lung screening equipment for in-patient facilities.
A law had been adopted which promoted and supported breastfeeding. The State also took part in a global conference by the World Health Organization on breastfeeding and disease control. Medical and social support for adolescents was a priority, and special measures were taken to preserve their reproductive health. A reproductive health centre for adolescents was being created, the first of its kind in the country. The centre would work with adolescents to address issues related to their age group.
The act on changes to the Social Protection Act brought the definition of disability in line with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Action Plan on the Rights of the Child for 2023–2028 included a section to ensure that persons with disabilities could access media information. The Marrakech Treaty set out the obligations of the State to ensure there was sign language interpretation and that buildings were accessible for the blind. There were rehabilitation centres in all of Turkmenistan’s regions. Children with disabilities could study there and also care for their health. Monitoring of these centres was undertaken every year, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund.
In 2024, the budget allocations for education were increased by nine per cent compared to the previous year. Four normative texts had been compiled on young people working in enterprises, aimed at helping the social and professional integration of children into society. Two important laws had been developed to regulate fostering and adoption agencies. Programmes supported by international organizations such as the United Nations Children’s Fund aimed at improving social protection services for children.
The rights of children were taught in classrooms. Seventeen schools were functioning in the country for children with disabilities. A project had been developed which included a detailed plan for improving living standards and education for children who needed State support. The key objectives included systematic monitoring, the identification of target groups of children needing support, and improving data on children needing alternative care. Piloting foster families and implementing new mechanisms dictated by social needs had also produced a new list of measures and actions. In cases where the financial status of the family did not make it possible to provide care, State structures rendered material assistance or allocated educational services.
Systematic non-attendance of school resulted in Government raids, which investigated the reasons children were not attending school. During these activities, the State spoke to children and the parents and developed special measures, particularly for those in risk zones, to stop children falling out of the education system. Preventive work was a key component in preventing school dropout.
There were police and military education facilities established in the country, designed for education for boys. There were 500 students enrolled in the first military lyceum in Ashgabat. All students were boys in these academies; however, the teachers were mostly women. The curricula of these academes included basic military training, general discipline and general courses, ensuring the full development of the children as well as their military training. Children voluntarily went to these academies; it was a competitive pro0cess with around 10-15 children applying for a single place.
Children in these academies were provided with free education and three meals a day free of charge. They had an intensive regime but maintained connection with their families and were able to spend time with them on holidays. Military schools played an important role in Turkmenistan, training future officers for the armed forces and ensuring a high level of discipline. Any incidents of violence at the schools by students or teachers were strictly punished administratively. There were cameras and CCTV systems which helped maintain safety and order in the schools, as well as a positive education environment.
The Turkmenistan education law stipulated inclusive education. The law on youth policy stipulated tolerance in society towards people with disabilities.
Thanks to the stable economic situation in the country, violence against children did not have a deep-rooted nature. There were individual cases of domestic violence, and the State ensured the perpetrators were brought to account. There had been no reports of violence against children in Turkmenistan. According to existing legislation, 18 was the minimum age for marriage, but in exceptional situations it could be lowered to 17. It could only be lowered by one year. This exception was made to support the concept of a fully-fledged family, with a mother, father and child.
There were two centres for children who had been totally neglected. The aim was to foster their reintegration into a family. Children were placed in these centres temporarily, while the State aimed to find their parents and guardians and address the issues which led to them leaving. This was not a widespread phenomenon in Turkmenistan. Only those at the age of 18 could be conscripted to military service once they had finished school.
There had been a recommendation to establish a monitoring mechanism for violence against children. An assessment of the protection of children in Turkmenistan had been carried out, with results presented to government bodies containing recommendations on how to further enhance the child protection system. When there was a crime against a minor, a prison sentence of five to 10 years was foreseen. If the victim was under 14, this could lead to a 10-to-20-year term of imprisonment.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert asked if girls were prohibited from studying in military schools? Were there any restrictive access conditions? How old were children when they were first trained in the use of weapons? Could boys enrolled in military schools leave the schools if they desired, or were they required to stay and follow a military career?
MARY BELOFF, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator, said it would be useful for the Committee to know how many children were in institutions and how long they remained in them. In other countries, some children committed suicide within institutions. Did Turkmenistan monitor suicides of children in institutions? What progress had Turkmenistan made in terms of progress under the Optional Protocol?
A Committee Expert asked about the adolescent health centre; did the services of this centre provide for adolescent pregnancy and abortions? Were abortions legal in Turkmenistan? Did the Government fund such procedures? Had studies been conducted to look at the reasons for school dropout? When children dropped out of school, was it in the higher-level classes or lower classes? If a child got pregnant, were they allowed to continue schooling?
Another Expert said with the privileges provided, the State was creating a high demand for a military career for boys. Did boys express free consent at these schools? What about their parents’ consent? Did the curriculum provide for civil education? Was there a military education in mainstream schools for adolescent children? It was disappointing that Turkmenistan had come to Geneva with a soft approach to data, with no statistics on violence and school dropouts, among others. How was the State making their policies and legislation without knowing the magnitude of these phenomena?
A Committee Expert asked about the types of places where children could be deprived of their liberty? Were children detained in places where adults were also detained?
Another Expert asked what had been done to implement the research by the United Nations Children’s Fund on children and climate change? Turkmenistan criminalised sexual behaviour between males. What happened to male children who engaged in homosexual behaviour?
An Expert asked if there had been a study to outline the rate of children with disabilities? What was the situation of HIV/AIDS in the country? What was the exact rate of child mortality per 1,000 births? What measures were taken for cyber security and protection for children when they were using technology?
A Committee Expert asked what was meant by “antisocial behaviour”? Were there special provisions if an offender was a child?
Another Expert was concerned about early marriages. There had not been an answer about the cases on which there could be unions on the side of the law for cultural reasons.
Questions by a Committee Expert
A Committee Expert asked what practical measures had been put in place to combat child labour? How were cases of children involved in cotton harvesting investigated? Had there been any sanctions of people who had involved children in the cotton industry?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said there was no ban on girls studying in military schools. Academies had been established where women and men trained together. Currently girls had not yet shown an interest in studying in military schools. A citizen of Turkmenistan could hold a weapon once they reached the age of 18. Pupils of military schools could cease their education there if they desired and continue in a normal school. A military school differed from mainstream schools in that it prepared pupils for entering a military academy. Pupils were only taught to use weapons with study guns, which were harmless and could not be used as real weapons.
Turkmenistan made political decisions informed by data, and as such, took data collection very seriously. The State would continue to improve their statistics. In October 2022, the new law on combatting human trafficking was introduced which included a comprehensive set of measures for protecting and rehabilitating victims. Human trafficking, specifically the trafficking of children, was not currently a major problem in Turkmenistan. Not a single case had been detected in 2022. However, the State was working on this front in cooperation with international organizations. Civil society was also involved in the work where necessary.
Young offenders were held in correctional institutions, and it was aimed to ensure they were reintegrated back into society. When a convict turned 18, they served out the remainder of their sentence, but not past the age of 21. If a suicide was identified in an institution, this triggered an investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office. In March this year, United Nations Children’s Fund experts conducted an assessment in Turkmenistan, which found that the number of children in institutions had declined. It was not a mass problem. The Ombudsman had the authority to conduct visits in all institutions in the country, including police and military facilities.
The Health Ministry of Turkmenistan had since 2017 organised a programme which worked to conduct awareness raising on pregnancies and reproductive health. Teenagers in schools had the right to receive free contraceptive services and reproductive health surgeries. All pregnant women were required to undertake free HIV/AIDS testing. Patients with serious illnesses, including children, were also given free HIV tests. Turkmenistan had become one of the countries in the world with the best breast-feeding practices.
Over the past few years, Turkmenistan had cooperated proactively with the International Labour Organization, and as such had adopted two roadmaps. Under the current roadmap, there were the provisions for a complaint mechanism for labour violations. Two channels for reporting on labour violations had been laid down during the current cotton harvest period. At the completion of this pilot scheme, the State would review how it functioned and find ways to improve it. Legislation was being developed around natural disasters, in consultation with partner countries in the region and international organizations.
In schools, classes were taught on reproductive health. Key aspects of reproductive health, including prevention of early pregnancy, were included in the curriculum. Sex education was also provided for in schools.
Concluding Remarks
MARY BELOFF, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator, thanked the delegation for the efforts made to respond to the many questions, emphasising how important it was for delegations to participate in person in these sessions. There were always issues which could be explored more deeply, and in this case, it was violence against children, which was a problem in every country.
VEPA HAJIYEV, Permanent Representative of Turkmenistan to the United Nations Office at Geneva, expressed gratitude to the Committee Experts for their constructive approach and their valuable recommendations. The delegation had listened carefully to the recommendations made by Committee members, and would seek to implement them, with due respect to national priorities and international standards.
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