GEORGIA: 2008 WORST FORs4ZPTbreform a priority and has significantly increased

UNCLAS TBILISI 000347 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/CARC, EEB, DOL/ILAB for TINA MCCARTER and DRL/ILCSR for TU DANG E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB EIND ETRD PHUM SOCI USAID SUBJECT: GEORGIA: 2008 WORST FORs4ZPTbreform a priority and has significantly increased expenditures for education over the past few years from 13.2 million USD in 2003 to 282 million USD budgeted for 2008. In 2008, 158 million USD were allocated to support primary and secondary schools (compared to 104 million in 2006). Reforms in the education sector have focused on improving the quality of education, and the creation of vocational-professional education opportunities. The GoG in 2006 provided funds for the construction of 34 new schools and complete rehabilitation of 57 schools, thus improving learning conditions for 300,000 children. These programs further continued in 2007 and ¶2008. Another GoG program focused on the computerization of schools throughout the country, benefiting over 600 schools. According to the government's plan, all schools in Georgia will be renovated and fully equipped by 2010, at a cost of GEL 80 million per year. The U.S. Government will provide assistance in FY2009 to help rehabilitate schools that were damaged or destroyed during the August 2008 war with Russia. ¶19. Georgian legislation mandates compulsory primary and secondary education (nine academic years in total) which is provided for free. Through various initiatives and programs the GoG has started providing free books for new school entrants, as well as free Qproviding free books for new school entrants, as well as free transportation for children in rural areas. However, the high price of school books still remains a serious concern. ¶20. In 2006, the Ministr9QQAUW the framework of a presidwQIQQ\{t and response to this new program has been very positive. In the aftermath of the recent conflict with Russia, more than $1.2 billion in reconstruction projects have been pledged by the GoG and international donors. In July 2008, USAID launched a $2.4 million vocational training program to link two vocational centers in Tbilisi to employers in the tourism and light construction sectors. child labor laws is found to have occurred, Article 42 of the Administrative Violations Code empowers the courts to impose sanctions on the employer. ¶8. At the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, one deputy minister focuses on labor issues; there is also a special advisor to the Minister for labor issues. The Ministry monitors adherence to accepted labor standards and drafts proposals for changes it deems necessary. The Parliamentary Committee of Health and Social Security has general oversight over labor policy and considers labor related proposals submitted by the Ministry. ¶9. Article 171 of the Criminal Code of Georgia imposes punishment for involving a minor in the following activities: -- involving a minor in prostitution or other sexual perversion or persuading a minor into any other anti-social activity is punishable by community service up to 240 hours, by corrective labor for up to two years, by administrative detention for up to three months, or by imprisonment for up to two years; -- involving a minor in abuse of an intoxicant or any other medical substance is punishable by probation for up to three years, or by administrative detention for up to four months, or by imprisonment for up to three years. ¶10. The criminal code prohibits the employment of a minor in prostitution, production of pornographic material or presentation. Also, according to Article 255 of the Criminal Code, the production, sale, distribution or promotion of a pornographic work containing an image of a minor is punishable by fine, by corrective labor for up to three years, or by imprisonment for up to three years. Article 255 also imposes a prison term up to 5 years for involving a minor in the production of pornographic material. If any of the above violations are committed by a business or organization, the punishment includes fines and removal of operating permits. ¶11. In 2007, a group composed of representatives of international donor organizations, Georgia's largest internet providers, the prosecutor's office, Parliament staff, the Georgia National Communication Commission, foreign experts and UNICEF worked on legislation to help the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Prosecutor's office combat child pornography. The law would complement existing legislation and criminalize the possession, distribution, production and advertising of child pornography. It would also provide protection for the identity of the victims, witnesses and the accused, and would impose punishment on media sources for disclosing such information. The draft provides for removal of the child from a harmful situation and his or her placement in the best possible environment. The draft law was submitted for Parliament's approval early in 2008; however, because of the Georgia-Russia war of August 2008 and related political and economic crisis, the hearing of the draft law was postponed and remains pending. ¶12. The GoG relies on donor organizations to raise public awareness and provide training activities on child labor-related issues. In 2005 and 2006, UNICEF sponsored a project, implemented by the NGO World Vision, to support integration of street children into society. Training was provided to both NGOs and government authorities and a public-awareness campaign was conducted. ¶13. To improve the situation of vulnerable children in Georgia, EU TACIS is implementing a Support to Child Welfare Reform project. The project is intended to build the Government of Georgia's capacity to reform the national child care system according to the Qcapacity to reform the national child care system according to the principles and standards of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Activities include drafting secondary legislation and a child welfare policy framework, building capacity at the national and lower administrative levels to plan, manage, and monitor the reformed child care system, including specialized bodies for ensuring that standards and norms are met; and building capacity at the lower administrative level to offer child care services to vulnerable children and families. ¶14. ILO does not have a national representative in Georgia, but it opened a small office to coordinate its projects that focus on anti-trafficking in persons (TIP) activities. The GoG has agreed with the ILO to undertake an assessment of child labor. A Joint Rapid Assessment issued by ILO, Save the Children and UNICEF focused on conflict-affected (August war) children rather than on general child population and their issues. ¶15. Since 2004, Government funding for alternative children care services increased by 450 percent (from $480 thousand to $2.67 million). During the same period, the number of state social workers providing family support, reintegration and foster care services increased by from 51 to 178, and the number of children in state child care institutions decreased by 51% (from 5200 to 2690). Boarding schools have been reorganized to give children the opportunity to integrate and study at the public schools. The Government set national minimum standards for family support and adopted family substitute services. The Government also provided Higher Education Grant programs for children who have been deprived of care (full coverage of Tuition and stipend) and provided emergency assistance to families (medical or other). ¶16. The GoG implemented the following programs in 2007-2008: -- A program to Support Orphans and Children Deprived of Parental Care that has six subprograms aimed at providing higher and professional education to children who are graduates of child care institutions, to assist with their socialization and integration into society; assisting local government bodies with implementing foster care; cash assistance to vulnerable families to prevent abandonment of children; and improving equipment at children's homes and boarding schools. -- A Family Support Program aimed at consultation and psychological service for socially vulnerable families and their children, and for teaching handicrafts to 14-16 year olds; -- Children's Village and Day Care Centers aimed at improvement of conditions, educational opportunities and health care provision for abandoned and disabled children; -- Reorganization of four residential institutions in Tbilisi; -- Government support for USAID, UNICEF and Save the Children's Rebuilding Lives Project for street children, to use it for designing an appropriate strategy to respond to problems of this vulnerable group. ¶17. The main results of the Prevention of Child Abandonment and Deinstitutionalization Program as of the end of 2008 were: -- Sixty new Social Workers recruited; -- Five day care centers financed (Rustavi, Tianeti, Akhmeta, Tbilisi); -- Six small group homes financed (Telavi, Kutaisi, Batumi, Rustavi, Ozurgeti, Mtskheta); -- Four hundred new foster care cases opened; -- Three hundred new reintegration cases opened; -- Nine hundred new prevention/protection cases opened. -------------- Social Programs to Prevent Involving Children in the Worst Forms of Child Labor -------------- ¶18. The GoG, through the Ministry of Education and Science, has made education reform a priority and has significantly increased expenditures for education over the past few years from 13.2 million USD in 2003 to 282 million USD budgeted for 2008. In 2008, 158 million USD were allocated to support primary and secondary schools (compared to 104 million in 2006). Reforms in the education sector have focused on improving the quality of education, and the creation of vocational-professional education opportunities. The GoG in 2006 provided funds for the construction of 34 new schools and complete rehabilitation of 57 schools, thus improving learning conditions for 300,000 children. These programs further continued in 2007 and ¶2008. Another GoG program focused on the computerization of schools throughout the country, benefiting over 600 schools. According to the government's plan, all schools in Georgia will be renovated and fully equipped by 2010, at a cost of GEL 80 million per year. The U.S. Government will provide assistance in FY2009 to help rehabilitate schools that were damaged or destroyed during the August 2008 war with Russia. ¶19. Georgian legislation mandates compulsory primary and secondary education (nine academic years in total) which is provided for free. Through various initiatives and programs the GoG has started providing free books for new school entrants, as well as free Qproviding free books for new school entrants, as well as free transportation for children in rural areas. However, the high price of school books still remains a serious concern. ¶20. In 2006, the Ministry of Education announced it was making vocational education a priority. Twelve centers of vocational education were set up in different areas. Starting in 2006, rehabilitation of vocational educational institutions began within the framework of a presidential program. In 2008, the GoG allocated 5.2 million USD for financing vocational schools. The program aims at attracting students by providing a quality education that corresponds to labor market requirements. Industry interest and response to this new program has been very positive. In the aftermath of the recent conflict with Russia, more than $1.2 billion in reconstruction projects have been pledged by the GoG and international donors. In July 2008, USAID launched a $2.4 million vocational training program to link two vocational centers in Tbilisi to employers in the tourism and light construction sectors. Industry interest and response to this new program has been very positive. In the aftermath of the recent conflict with Russia, more than $1.2 billion in reconstruction projects have been pledged by the GoG and international donors. USAID has increased the funding of its current vocational training program to $4.1 million to train approximately 20,000 Georgian workers to fill job opportunities created by post-conflict reconstruction projects as well as secondary support industries through rapid, intensive courses that directly meet the needs of employers. These training courses are open to adults and youths above the age of 16 years. ¶21. As the lead coordination agency in the field of education, UNICEF spearheaded an initiative to ensure that all children had access to school at the start of the new academic year. This has been done through coordination and oversight of activities in the areas of rehabilitation and supplies for schools; registration of internally displaced children in local schools; assistance to the Ministry of Education and Science in providing alternative schooling arrangements for communities where schools are being used as collective centers; the provision of Mine Risk Education in schools in conflict-affected areas; training and support for teachers and staff from Educational Resource Centers and general support to the Ministry of Education and Science. UNICEF, and its partner organizations, are working with schools and municipal authorities to ensure that lack of documentation and undefined status do not act as barriers to education for displaced children. UNICEF is also working with the Ministry of Education and Science to deliver day care activities and identify alternative preschool facilities where local kindergartens are still occupied by IDPs. -------------- General Situation on Child Labor -------------- ¶22. In general, the employment of minors under age 16 is not considered to be a problem in Georgia given the high rate of unemployment and concurrent availability of an adult labor force willing to work in low paying jobs. The most visible form of child labor is street begging in Tbilisi. Many of these children are ethnic Roma. ¶23. According to a 1999 UNICEF study, there were an estimated 2,500 children living and working in the streets at that time. A 2007 study of street children by the NGO Save the Children indicates that the number has significantly decreased since then. The study found 700-800 children on the street in the entire country, with about half of them living in Tbilisi. The risky lifestyles of children living on the streets expose them to alcohol and drug abuse, HIV/STD infection and exploitation. Studies indicate that street children are involved in a variety of activities: selling foodstuffs, begging, heavy labor (e.g., unloading railway carriages, in which some children sleep),stealing, and prostitution. Most appear to have homes and to give their earnings, or some part of them, to their families or to adults who direct their activities. Children on the streets and those in special shelters are especially susceptible to crime. ¶24. Many minors under age 16 work and perform chores on home farms in rural areas, though this activity is not considered harmful and is not governed by labor legislation. Currently, the GoG lacks any mechanism that would allow reasonable assessment of numbers or working conditions for these children. ¶25. The Association of Employees of Georgia contracted a research Q25. The Association of Employees of Georgia contracted a research group to conduct a survey "Child Labor in Agricultural Sector" to study the effect of employment on the development of working children in one of the spheres of agriculture, namely, fruit growing. The survey interviewed 200 households, both parents and children. Main employment practices included care of sister-brother and other family members, cleaning/tidying up the yard, feeding domestic animals, chopping wood, soil cultivation and gathering harvest. Almost all such children are occupied in their own households. The study focused on issues such as the effect of employment on children's health and education. Only one in ten children said that employment hinders them from studying. However, the study observed a negative impact on children's health. Adolescents who are involved in agricultural sector get sick more often than other children. The study did not confirm a hypothesis that orking children are less involved in social activities. LOGSDON