The special report on “Child Rights Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Related State Measures in Georgia” reflects the results of a study conducted by the Public Defender's Office on Covid-19 related preventative state measures impact on children’s rights.The research was carried out by the Office of Public Defender of Georgia, based on the initiative of the Eu­ropean Network of Ombudspersons for Children (ENOC), also initiative and support of the United Nations Children’s Fund’s Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (UNICEF ECARO), and the United Nations Children’s Fund’s Georgia Country Office.

The study is based on the Child Rights Impact Assessment Methodology which is a tool that enables the assessment of what impact government decisions and actions have had or might have on the protection of children’s rights.To ensure that children’s opinion was heard, they have been involved in the information collection process.

The study covers state measures that were gradually introduced in response to the pandemic form March 2020 until May 2021. The researchers analyzed those measures that had the most significant impact on children’s rights. Among those rights are protection from violence and ill-treatment, the right togeneral education and protection of child right’s in state care.

Findings of the study reveal that during the pandemic the distance learning and isolation increased the risks of violence against children. Moreover, when schools shifted to distance learning, it became difficult to observe emotional, physical signs of violence towards children. This was either reflected in the reduction of the referral rate or the trend of referrals remained unchanged.

The assessment of the impact of state measures in the context of the realization of children’s right to general education shows that one of the main challenges related to distance learning was lack of awareness among teachers, students and their family members/legal representatives on the use of relevant electronic platforms. It is noteworthy, that in socio-economically vulnerable families and in regions where internet was not widely accessible, severe problems related to children’s accessibility to general education were revealed. Moreover, a big challenges were identified regarding the effective involvement of children with disabilities and with special educational needs in the educational process.

In relation to the protection of the child’s rights in state care during the pandemic, the study shows that the facilities encounter difficulties in managing covid-19 cases.The isolation has affected children's behaviour. Consequently, significant problems were identified in terms of children’s mental health and behaviour challenges. Effective involvement of children with disabilities in distance learning also turned out to be a major challenge.

The report also delivers the Public Defender's recommendations on the need for the state to establish effective mechanisms/regulations for the realization of children’s rights. This provides an effective solution to the challenges posed by the pandemic or other crises. The greater emphasis is made, on the importance of ensuring that the views of children are heard and that they are involved when taking any child-related decisions, including the development of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.