Tajikistan to present UN child rights report in Geneva in September

August 13, 2026 at 04:11 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Tajikistan will present its official report on implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, covering 2017–2022, to the UN Committee in Geneva in September. Civil society organizations updated an alternative report covering 2017–2025 in July 2026 and say violence against children, sexual abuse and early marriage remain underreported.

Official and Alternative Reports

Tajikistan's official report covers 2017–2022 and reviews legislation, programmes, funding and measures introduced in response to previous recommendations from the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. Its presentation to the committee in Geneva was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and is now expected in September. The alternative report prepared by civil society organisations covers a broader period, from 2017 to 2025, and was updated in July 2026.

Violence and Underreporting

The alternative report says the true scale of violence against children in Tajikistan is likely underestimated and lists early marriage, child suicide and discrimination against children with disabilities among concerns. According to the 2023 Demographic and Health Survey cited in the report, around 3.6% of young women aged 15–19 and about 2% of girls aged 15–17 had experienced physical or sexual violence. The report notes that Tajikistan adopted amendments to the Law on the Protection of Children's Rights in 2024 but that there are no adequate safeguards specifically for child victims and witnesses of violence, and the Criminal Code lacks a separate provision directly criminalizing violence against children. The authors recommend making violence against children a separate criminal offence and improving training for teachers and child rights commissions.

Sexual Violence and Legal Gaps

The report raises concerns about sexual violence against children, noting that many cases may never be reported because children remain silent or families conceal abuse out of fear of stigma. It points to shortcomings in investigation and prosecution, a shortage of psychologists trained to work with child survivors, and repeated encounters between children and alleged perpetrators during legal proceedings. In the first six months of 2026, authorities confirmed seven cases of sexual violence, though it was not specified how many involved children. The Committee on Women and Family Affairs has said amendments providing tougher penalties for sexual crimes against children, including pedophilia, are being prepared.