Institutions must find a way to protect every child from psychological, and especially from physical violence, which includes severe physical punishment - hitting, beating and sexual violence, said the President of the Assembly Aleksa Bečić.
The head of the parliament opened a panel discussion on the topic "Violence against children", which, as a central event on the occasion of World Children's Day, was organized by the Assembly and the UNICEF representative office in Montenegro.
Bečić, stressing that any form of violence against children is completely unacceptable, said that the Parliament, "in addition to opening its doors wide for all citizens, including children and the promotion and protection of their rights", remains in the mood for all constructive proposals that include the world's best practices for improving the legislative framework in the fight against violence against children.
He recalled the recently held educational program "Simulation of the work of the parliament", organized by the Assembly and UNICEF, which, as announced by the parliament, is only one of the results of quality and substantive cooperation between the two entities, and noted that the program was also an opportunity to "high school students are teaching us a lesson" - how to lead a dialogue, how to address with respect and how to debate argumentatively, with the possibility to hear and respect the other side, without arguing ad hominem, but treat the interlocutor's personality with maximum respect.
On that occasion, Bečić pointed out, "we were convinced that Montenegro and this parliament have a future and that children and young people are really our strength, our foundation and our most valuable future".
"That is why it is always a special pleasure for us when we try to overcome some pressing social challenge with the support of an organization that is synonymous with the promotion and protection of the rights of the youngest generation. "That's why today's event represents a chance to improve the attitude towards children, after considering a comprehensive analysis on a topic that seems to be more relevant today than ever," he said.
He emphasized, as announced by the Assembly, that "it is not enough and it has never been enough to just have a certain negative emotion when we hear statistics about violence against children, it is not enough to be appalled, to cringe, to get angry, it is not even enough to come up with different plans and strategies and to analyze them", because if, as he pointed out, all the institutions and bodies of the executive power, each in their own jurisdiction, do not start as soon as possible to use concrete examples, in everyday life, to fight against this phenomenon that has roots deep in history; "if we don't start to implement what we adopt, what good will the analysis do? What good will the story about the story?"
"Of course, the assessment of the implementation of a strategy by key points, the analysis of everything that means the fulfillment of steps and stages on the way to the goals set in a strategy - is important, I would say necessary, but only if these conclusions are acted upon and towards to reach the set goal much faster and more decisively than before. Institutions must find a way to protect every child from psychological, and especially from physical violence, which includes severe physical punishment - hitting, beating and sexual violence. But just about everyone. If even one child grows up with trauma of this type, we cannot say that we have achieved our goal. But we have to go towards it - every year take a step forward compared to the one behind us," Bečić pointed out.
Stating that "it is not the same for every child, nor can it be the same circumstance, whether it is in a stable, economically developed, confidential and friendly environment, devoid of socio-political turbulence and turmoil and with a tendency to reduce poverty, or in one that is the complete opposite of above mentioned", he pointed out that the economic-political and overall social climate is one of the factors on which the respect for children's rights depends.
"Therefore, it is up to us, and I am particularly referring to the members of this upper house and those who carry out our decisions, to do everything to at least try to deprive the environment in which we live of risk factors that can encourage an environment that some violent person would take as a mitigating circumstance - real or pronouncing", said Becic.
He pointed out that he was happy that "what I promised the children during the celebration of last year's Children's Day and which was my first initiative as the president of the Montenegrin Parliament" was fulfilled.
"I am happy that this year we passed historic laws that introduced free textbooks for all elementary school students in Montenegro and returned the child allowance for children up to the age of six, and I hope that by the end of the year we will go one step further and adopt a legal project that every child in Montenegro will be entitled to child allowance", said the president of the parliament.
Assessing that these are big steps and historical achievements of the current convocation of the Assembly, Bečić said that for a successful solution to the problem "and the topic that brought us together today, many more joint and united institutional responses are needed where not a single link will fail".
"For the suppression of violence against children, which includes not only various forms of abuse, but also exploitation for work and begging, bright colors and more decisive action are needed by those who implement the established strategies and plans adopted for this purpose," he said.
The Assembly, he emphasized, remains in the mood for all constructive proposals that include the world's best practices for improving the legislative framework in the fight against violence against children.
"It's the least we can do. Also, the supervisory and control function of the Assembly and its competent committees for this topic must come to the fore more strongly in the period ahead. And from this place, I encourage the holding of a greater number of control and consultative hearings of those bodies and institutions that are entrusted with the application of laws and other acts that treat this crucial area for the development of a healthy individual and the entire social community," said Bečić.
Emphasizing that children "are our greatest asset", and that any form of violence against them is unacceptable and leaves unfathomable consequences for their psycho-physical integrity and health, Bečić said that it is therefore important "to start from this very place with breaking the wrong narratives and behaviors that emerge from those forms of narrowed consciousness".
"Ask the beaten children and those who suffer severe consequences and trauma, whether the beating has left heaven!? No! They'll tell you it's not. Batina is out of hell! It is up to us to return it to hell by applying laws and other acts and by sanctioning violence and unacceptable behavior against children. And that once and for all," concluded Bečić.
In the opening part of the panel discussion on the topic "Violence against children", in addition to the president of the parliament, the head of the UNICEF representative office Juan Santander, the head of the European Union delegation Oana Kristina Popa and the young UNICEF reporter Milena Keković also spoke.
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