The project, to which the Government of Norway is a major contributor, will be conducted over two years. The project will examine the situation of vulnerable children in urban areas, and conduct a study on violence in schools. In addition, mechanisms will be developed for assisting children whose rights are violated, as well as joint efforts for the development of legislation to meet new challenges.
In 1981 Norway was the first country in the world that established an Ombudsman for Children. Since then, the Ombudsman for Children in Norway has worked continuously to improve national and international legislation relating to the welfare of children. The Norwegian Ambassador to Kazakhstan Mr. Dag Malmer Halvorsen said during the press conference that Norway attaches great importance to UNICEF's work for children around the world. In his speech, the Ambassador said: "We are pleased to support the long-term cooperation established between UNICEF and the Ombudsman's office, and we are confident that this will strengthen the child protection system in Kazakhstan. Through the support of such programs, we also would like to help in the development of democratic institutions in Kazakhstan. The Ombudsman has the potential to become an important independent observer in society, as seen in many other countries. Today we focus on some of our most vulnerable citizens, children, but the Ombudsman also has a wider sphere of activity. However, our task today is to strengthen existing institutions."
The UN General Assembly’s adoption of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child was also addressed during the press conference. This protocol allows complaints of violations of children's rights to be communicated directly to the UN Committee on the Protection of the Rights of the Child, and is complementary to existing national mechanisms for protecting children's rights.