Translated with AI
The first meeting of the Children's Council under the Commission of Commissioners for Children's Rights (Ombudsmen) of the Member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States took place on November 14, 2025, in Minsk, the press service of the CIS Executive Committee reported.
The composition of the Council and its work plan were approved yesterday at the sixth meeting of the Commission of Commissioners for Children's Rights (Ombudsmen) of the CIS Member States, which was held at the headquarters of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
According to the ombudsmen, the creation of the Council will help strengthen cooperation among CIS countries on children's rights. It includes two young representatives each from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. Alexandra Chernova, representing Russia, became the Council's Secretary.
Addressing the meeting participants, Alexander Matyushonok, Chairman of the Commission of Children's Rights Commissioners and Head of the Department of Social, Educational, and Ideological Work of the Main Directorate of Educational Work and Youth Policy of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus, noted that the creation of the Council will allow children to become even more involved in decision-making and discussions of issues that affect their interests.
"I sincerely wish the Children's Council success. May you succeed in creating conditions for strengthening friendly relations and mutual understanding between children in the CIS countries. I hope you will be able to involve as many children as possible in joint efforts to protect their rights and interests.
"It's also crucial to improve the legal literacy and culture of young people in our countries. May you succeed in creating and implementing mechanisms to protect children's rights so that every child can freely express their ideas. We, in turn, will strive to convey these ideas to our Commission and discuss them together," emphasized Alexander Matyushonok.
At their meeting, young leaders discussed the Commonwealth's experience in implementing children's rights to active participation in society, approved the agenda for the second meeting of the Children's Council, and determined the date and location of the meeting.
