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Czech Human Rights Minister Michael Kocab has outlined his plan for an 'office of the public protector of children's rights' at a cabinet meeting this week. The office would investigate complaints for violations of children's rights, influence legislation to incorporate child rights principles, and supervise the observance of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the Czech Republic. The postholder would also, it is envisaged, encourage politicians to work with children. The office would also be independent. S/He is to be chosen by parliament and would be accountable to parliament, Kocab proposes. The Czech Government's Council for Human Rights, NGOs and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child have long pointed out that there is no body in the Czech Republic to defend and promote children's rights, Kocab's ministry writes in the document the government is to discuss. The supervision and oversight of the Convention in the Czech Republic has been left to the Government Human Rights Council's committee for children's rights. The UN committee, however, has criticised the Czech committee's activities and describes its powers as totally insufficient. The Committe has also criticised the fragmentation of children's isseus within the Czech state administration system, Kocab's ministry says in its report. The system of social and legal protection of children falls in the jurisdiction of the Labour and Social Affairs Ministry, the Education and Youth Ministry and the Health Ministry. None of them have children's rights within their mandate. Further information