NCJ Number
161814
Date Published
1996
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This paper compares the provisions of Russian family law with the standards set in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Abstract
The Convention entered into force in the territory of the Russian Federation on September 15, 1990. As a result, Russia reviewed its national legislation to bring it into compliance with the Convention and vowed to assess every new legislative act, no matter what sphere of human relations it concerns, to ensure that its effects comply with the Convention. A review of Russian legislation, however, shows that there is no consistent, comprehensive strategy to implement the Convention's mandates. The protection and establishment of minors' rights and interests is fragmentary and unsystematic. This is due largely to the general chaos of Russian life but also to the fact that neither Russian society as a whole nor the legislators are ideologically prepared for the changes. Russian society and culture is just beginning to take children's rights seriously. Particular areas where law and policy must be improved to meet Convention standards are parental responsibility, establishing paternity, the age of majority, children with special needs, and the representation of the child's interests. 42 notes