CRC/C/15/Add.222 page 3 8. The Committee recommends that the State party continue its efforts to bring domestic law into compliance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child in a more comprehensive and with a stronger rights-based focus. In this regard, the Committee recommends the consideration of drafting and adopting a comprehensive children’s rights act. Furthermore, the Committee recommends that the State party take all necessary measures to ensure the effective implementation of all legislation relevant to the Convention. National Plan of Action, implementation, coordination and evaluation 9. The Committee welcomes the Presidential Decree (8 August 2003) requiring all relevant governmental bodies to take into account and implement the Plan of Action for Children when elaborating plans for social and economic development. However, it is concerned that this Plan is not sufficiently oriented to child rights and that the lack of adequate human and financial resources may seriously hamper its implementation. 10. The Committee recommends that the State party take the necessary measures for a child-rights oriented implementation of the National Plan of Action, provide the necessary human and financial resources, and cooperate closely with international donors and with national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in a participatory process of implementation. It further recommends that the Bureau of Programme Implementation and Monitoring of the State Chancellery be provided with the necessary resources and that there be effective cooperation between this Bureau and the Bureau of Coordination and Monitoring of the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Programme in order to ensure that children are included in the implementation of the poverty reduction strategy paper. Independent monitoring 11. The Committee welcomes the establishment of a Child’s Rights Centre within the Georgian Public Defender’s Office with regional representatives in six regions, but is concerned that the organizational structure and the insufficient capacity of this Centre may prevent it from discharging its mandate effectively and regrets it has not expanded to the remaining regions. 12. The Committee recommends that the State party take the necessary measures for the development of a systematic organization of the activities of the Child’s Rights Centre at the national and regional levels, provide it with adequate human and financial resources and expand its activities to all regions of the country. Allocation of resources 13. The Committee is deeply concerned at the very low budget allocation for the implementation of the Convention, noting particularly the constant decrease in public expenditure on health and education which is now at a very low level despite the reasonably high level of economic growth (5.2 per cent in 2002). The Committee reiterates in this regard its concern at the very poor system of tax collection and, although acknowledging the efforts of the State party to address corruption, at the still widespread corruption.

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