A few more comments on the establishment and operation of baby boxes in the Czech Republic
Karel Attl
University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Health and Social Studies, České Budějovice,
Czech Republic
Korespondenční autor: Karel Attl (judr.attl@seznam.cz)
ISSN 1804-7181 (On-line)
Full verze:
Submitted:28. 2. 2012
Accepted: 5. 10. 2012
Published online: 28. 6. 2013
Summary
The purpose of this article is to respond to the recommendation set by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child on 22 June 2011. The UN Committee invited the Czech Republic to follow the given initiative and terminate the operation of baby boxes. The author’s article defines the issues related to the subject of baby boxes in the Czech Republic in 2010. It is necessary to emphasize that several years before this; experts in family law had also shown their interests and expressed opinions on the issue in question. Until now, the legislative bodies of the Czech Republic have not considered the given matter, despite the fact that baby boxes have been established and in operation since 2004. This situation has led to strong criticism on the part of the UN. The first and last reaction to the establishment of baby boxes, where new-borns can be left, came from the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic in 2006. The observation was published in the form of an article with a specific methodological guideline. The aforesaid Ministry is the central body of public administration for a number of areas, e.g., the area of social care, children and family care. The most important area of responsibilities includes the preparation of draft bills on matters under the competence of the Ministry and the monitoring and implementation of tasks resulting from international conventions and treaties. In my opinion, at this moment in time, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic owes a great deal to the amendment of legislation on the abandonment of children in baby boxes and to the protection of their rights.
Keywords: baby box; Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic; Convention on Human Rights in Biomedicine; UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
Literatura
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