UN Committee on the Rights of the Child calls on Poland to eliminate the “windows of life” – Onet.pl

In September in Geneva Poland presented a report on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child before the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. The Committee shall adopt a document containing an assessment of the implementation of the Convention by the State and recommendations for him. Among the many recommendations of the Committee, which gave the ombudsman Marek Michalak defender and a ban on the use of “windows of life” and thereby reinforcing and promoting the existing alternatives.

The Committee recommends – in the end – providing institutions’ anonymous birth “in the hospital. This procedure used eg. In Germany. Mother during childbirth remain anonymous, but its data is stored in the appropriate office and child has the right to know their identity, when over 16 years. The Committee believes that the idea of ​​”windows of life” violates the child’s right to identity and thus incompatible with the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The Committee expressed” deep concern about the lack of regulation and the growing number of “windows of life” for infants that allow the anonymous abandonment of the child “. RPD does not agree with the opinion of the Committee.

– The Committee draws attention to the right to an identity, but remember, that we in this case we are talking about the primacy of the right to life “- said Michalak. He admitted that leaving the child with the” Window of Life “is not the best for his solution and it would be better to leave them in the hospital or go directly to the court or adoption agency.

– But if you were to be abandoned in the forest or other place for him dangerous, of course, “Window of Life” He is a better choice – he stressed. In his view, parents who leave children in the “windows of life”, they may not know that there are alternatives, may also be something to fear.

– You can ask the question: if there were no “windows of life”, what would happen to these children? I think we should create the conditions for the use of other solutions for parents who want to renounce their rights to the child and educate, but we can not eliminate alternatives that can save a child life – rated RPD.

“Window of Life” operate mostly at monasteries, orphanages, hospitals. They allow anonymous leaving the child in a safe place for him. “The windows of life” are usually heated and equipped with alarms that indicate support for leaving the child. Parents are not wanted, and the kids get up for adoption. “The windows of life” exist all over Europe. In Poland there are dozens of them. Their addresses can be found eg. On the sides of Caritas

The task of the Committee on the Rights of the Child is investigating reports of States parties to the Convention with implementation of its provisions. It consists of 18 members – independent experts who participate in the proceedings in its own name (independent of governments).

After defending reports The Committee shall adopt a document containing an assessment of the implementation of the Convention by the State (positive aspects, problems in implementation), and suggestions and recommendations as to how to solve problems. Suggestions and recommendations of the committee are not binding on states, but in the next report should have the information about the implementation of these suggestions and recommendations.

So far, the “windows of Life” in Poland left 77 infants.

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