In the modern world knowledge of child's rights and their proper and timely implementation at all levels of society is one of the most important features of a democratic state, and educating society to know and respect child's rights is an integral part of a democratic civic tradition. Children need special protection and care due to their physical and mental immaturity. Children's rights must be particularly protected. Children development, upbringing, education and living conditions must be improved all over the world. Recognizing the rights and interests of children as a special group in society and the paramount importance of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which is the most comprehensive in the world, and its additional protocols and other international instruments relating to children, world leaders are committed to create child-friendly world.
Special ombudsmen institutions are set up to carry out in-depth inquiries and evaluations of the application of the law, to make recommendations for better lawmaking, to formulate and implement policies related to the protection of human rights and freedoms, and to protect human rights. Depending on the Ombudsman's mission to protect human rights, these officials are referred to differently in different countries: human rights commissioners, representatives, defenders, etc., or the international legal term "ombudsman".
Article 73 of the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania declares that special state officials (controllers) operate in Lithuania. In order to ensure the provisions and obligations enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania, other laws and international agreements, on the 2000 May 25th The Law of the Republic of Lithuania on the Ombudsman for Children was prepared and adopted by the Seimas, the main purpose of which is to create legal preconditions, which would ensure implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and other child rights related legal acts in Lithuania, also monitor activities of organizations and individuals that may violate the rights and legitimate interests of the child.
Office of the Ombudsperson for Child's Rights is an independent state institution for the supervision and control of the observance of the rights of the child, maintained from the budget and established by a resolution of the Seimas. The Office of the Ombudsperson for Child's Rights is led and responsible for the activities of the Office by the Ombudsperson for Child's Rights, who bases his activities on the principles of legality, impartiality, publicity, priority of child's rights and legitimate interests and independence in decision-making.
Ombudsperson for Child's Rights is a special legal institution that cannot be assigned to any of the three authorities. One of the main features of the Office of the Ombudsperson for Child's Rights is that it does not have and does not use coercive measures and the implementation of its recommendations is ensured by
the authority of the Ombudsperson for Child's Rights. Recommendations made by the Ombudsperson for Child's Rights are authoritative and impartial conclusions, the purpose of which is not to punish individuals who violate child's rights and legitimate interests, but to prevent such violations by drawing attention to the reasons for violations of legitimate interests and possible ways of solving problems and eliminating (avoiding) violations.
The implementation of the recommendations of the Ombudsperson for Child's Rights, especially addressed to state and municipal institutions, shows the level of recognition and respect for the rights and legitimate interests of the child and the desire to ensure their proper implementation, protection and defense. The Ombudsperson's for Child's Rights main criterion for the implementation of the recommendations is the authority of this official, therefore it is very important that the Ombudsperson for Child's Rights is independent. It should be noted that although the Ombudsperson for Child's Rights is most closely connected with the Seimas, the relations between the Office of the Ombudsperson for Child's Rights and the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania must not be based on the principle of subordination. The Seimas only grants the powers necessary for the effective operation of the Ombudsperson for Child's Rights and the implementation of recommendations.
Ensuring the principle of the Ombudsman's independence allows seeking and gaining the trust of the public and institutions, bodies, organizations at various levels and the objectivity and impartiality of research, analysis and evaluation, decisions.