To the UN Committee on theRights of the Child Center for Human Rights, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland;
 
Tel.: (41-22) 917-9301, (41-22) 917-1234, Fax: (41-22) 917-0118.
Russian NGOs’ Alternative Report
Comments to Russia’s Federal "Third Periodic Report on Realization in Russian Federation
of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in1998-2002"
Accompanying Letter
10 February, 2005

Dear Sirs/Madams,
According to the Article 45(a) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child we- Russian non-governmental organizations working in the interests of children - submit to the Committee on the Rights ofthe Child this Alternative Report - Comments to Russia’sFederal "Third Periodic Report on Realization in Russian Federation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1998-2002", which was presented tothe Committee in 2002. In this Alternative Report wedid not limit ourselves by comments to Federal Report written more than two years ago, but following the structure and logic of the Third Federal Report tried to enlighten the updated situation.

We confirm the permission to distribute this Alternative Report in any open for public way, including electronic database of NGO reports that have been submitted to the Committee on the Rights of the Child. And of course members of the Committee may refer to this source during their discussion with the Governmentof Russia. This Alternative Report will be published in Rus-sian original soon and will be distributed among responsible official departments and personalities and also among public. Two of members of the Coalition plan to participate in the Working group meeting. We also have a pleasure to informthatpublic event – Hearings dedicated to the upcom-ing “Russian” meeting of CRC in September 2005 are already scheduled for June 2005.
 
In addition to Alternative Report –2005 we prepared Comments to fulfilment by Russian Federation of the Committee’s Concluding Observations – 1999(attached as separate docu-ment). Like it was done in the previous Alternative Report – 1998 the Alternative Report – 2005 is also finalized by the concluding Chapter “OurProposals” which this timeare however much more detailed and elaborated. Wetried to do ourbest to follow the “Main points” ofCRC Guide for NGO reporting; the only violation is the size of the Report, which we sincerely apologize for.

NGOs– authors of the Alternative Report possess sorich information that it proved to be impos-sible to reduce it artificially eliminating most essential points.Actually chaptersofthe Alternative Report dedicated (1) to children with disabilities, (2) to children-refugees, migrants and internally displaced children and (3) to children in systemofjustice on affairs of minors may be considered also as separate special reports. The detailed Table of contents will be helpful hopefully.

On behalf of NGOs - authors ofthe Alternative Report – 2005:
Boris Altshuler,
Head of the “Right of the Child” NGO,
Coordinator of Section on Protection of Children’s Rights in the Expert Council of Ombudsman
on Human Rights of the Russian Federation,
Member of Coordinating Council of the All-RussianUnion of NGOs working in the interests of
children “Civil Society –for Children of Russia”,
Member of the Moscow Helsinki Group.

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