OSCE PCUz round table discusses ways of preventing crimes against minors

On 18 December 2024, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz), in partnership with the Children’s Ombudsperson, hosted a roundtable at which experts shared good international practices in preventing crimes against minors.

The event was opened jointly by Children’s Ombudsperson Surayyo Rahmonova (the Authorized Person of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan for the Rights of the Child) and Ambassador Antti Karttunen, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan.

In his opening remarks, Ambassador Karttunen emphasized the need to enhance inter-agency cooperation to combat sexualized crimes against children. He welcomed the recent adoption in Uzbekistan of a law on protecting children from violence, including online abuse.

“This law represents a significant step forward in safeguarding the well-being of children, protecting them from all forms of violence, and ensuring a procedure for issuing protection warrants for children who have experienced violence”, Ambassador Karttunen said.

“When investigating any crime against children, in every instance and at all stages the wellbeing of the child should be the priority”, stressed Ambassador Karttunen.

Some 30 experts from civil society and government offices and agencies attended the event. Participants included officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Prosecutor’s General Office, the Law Enforcement Academy, the National Guard, the National Agency of Social Protection under the President and the Committee of Family and Women.

Children’s Ombudsperson Rahmonova presented a report on a PCUz study visit earlier this month to Helsinki, Finland, undertaken together with the Interdepartmental Working Group on combating sexualized crimes against minors. She and other delegation members shared insights from their visit, highlighting the importance of comprehensive approaches to child-protection strategies.

In addition, roundtable participants reviewed a new manual of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for law enforcement officers working with minors who have been abused. The manual was developed as a PCUz initiative.