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Initiative moving forward for children’s ombudsman in Serbia
Belgrade,
9 May 2005
Serbian Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Policy Slobodan Lalovic stated today that the Serbian government has coordinated its position regarding a separate children’s ombudsman law, which should be adopted by the end of the year.
At an international conference on children’s rights focusing on experiences of ombudsmen for children, Lalovic said that besides adopting adequate laws, it is vitally important to raise awareness of the rights of children in order to protect them.
Serbian Minister of Health and President of the Serbian Children’s Rights Council Tomica Milosavljevic reminded that the Council had adopted the National Action Plan for children at the beginning of 2004. Its goals are, among others, poverty reduction, better health care and protection of children with special needs. Milosavljevic also underlined that it was important to specify the manner in which the children’s ombudsman would be chosen.
Children’s ombudsmen from the EU and countries in the region presented their experiences to their hosts in Serbia. It was also stated that Sweden elected its ombudsman in 1993, Poland in 2000, and Croatia in 2003.
The ombudsmen and their office representatives said their work has largely influenced the improvement and protection of children’s rights in their countries.
It was emphasised that children’s rights are still endangered in Serbia, because of wars, crises, and the poor economic situation, which is why it is necessary to establish the institution of a children’s ombudsman.
Serbia-Montenegrin Minister of Human Rights and Minorities Rasim Ljajic said that the Serbian parliament would adopt at its current sitting the Ombudsman Law, whose bill the Serbian government should adopt on Thursday. The law envisages the introduction of a general ombudsman and several deputies for certain areas, including children’s rights.
Ljajic assessed that considerable progress was made in Serbia-Montenegro in the area of human rights and underlined that the state union’s Ministry of Human Rights and Minorities would submit a report this year on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child for the period from 1993 to 2003. He explained that the report would then present guidelines for all state bodies in this area.
It was pointed out at the gathering organised by the Children’s Cultural Centre in cooperation with the Serbian government and the Serbia-Montenegrin Council of Ministers, that both Montenegro and Vojvodina already have a children’s ombudsman.
Serbian Minister of Health and President of the Serbian Children’s Rights Council Tomica Milosavljevic reminded that the Council had adopted the National Action Plan for children at the beginning of 2004. Its goals are, among others, poverty reduction, better health care and protection of children with special needs. Milosavljevic also underlined that it was important to specify the manner in which the children’s ombudsman would be chosen.
Children’s ombudsmen from the EU and countries in the region presented their experiences to their hosts in Serbia. It was also stated that Sweden elected its ombudsman in 1993, Poland in 2000, and Croatia in 2003.
The ombudsmen and their office representatives said their work has largely influenced the improvement and protection of children’s rights in their countries.
It was emphasised that children’s rights are still endangered in Serbia, because of wars, crises, and the poor economic situation, which is why it is necessary to establish the institution of a children’s ombudsman.
Serbia-Montenegrin Minister of Human Rights and Minorities Rasim Ljajic said that the Serbian parliament would adopt at its current sitting the Ombudsman Law, whose bill the Serbian government should adopt on Thursday. The law envisages the introduction of a general ombudsman and several deputies for certain areas, including children’s rights.
Ljajic assessed that considerable progress was made in Serbia-Montenegro in the area of human rights and underlined that the state union’s Ministry of Human Rights and Minorities would submit a report this year on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child for the period from 1993 to 2003. He explained that the report would then present guidelines for all state bodies in this area.
It was pointed out at the gathering organised by the Children’s Cultural Centre in cooperation with the Serbian government and the Serbia-Montenegrin Council of Ministers, that both Montenegro and Vojvodina already have a children’s ombudsman.
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