International Children's Day is celebrated today, 35 years since the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
On this occasion, messages were sent by state officials, representatives of political parties and diplomatic missions.
Ćulafić: The future is brighter when we jointly build a world tailored to children
Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Development Damjan Ćulafić sent a congratulatory message on the occasion of International Children's Day, emphasizing the importance of protecting children's rights and creating conditions for their healthy and happy upbringing.
He said that International Children's Day reminds us of our responsibility towards the youngest, who are our future and greatest wealth.
"With joint efforts, we must ensure that every child has the right to education, a healthy environment and equal chances for development. Through the policy of sustainable development, we strive to create a world in which children will live in harmony with nature, aware of its importance and responsibility towards the environment," he pointed out. Ćulafić.
He emphasized that investments in education, health and environmental protection are key elements in building a society in which every child will be able to realize their potential.
"We pledge that through the work of the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Development of the North, we will continue to create programs that connect nature protection with care for the generations to come. The future is brighter when we build a child-friendly world together," concluded Ćulafić.
Joković: This land, which belongs to us today, is actually yours
The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, Vladimir Joković, congratulated the International Children's Day.
"Dear children, I want to express my gratitude from the bottom of my heart for the immense joy you bring to this world. As your dedicated representative in the Government, I promise to invest every atom of strength in my department to create conditions in which you can grow up carefree and safe. This country , which belongs to us today, is actually yours. It is our duty to preserve it and hand it over to you in a better, cleaner and fairer way," said Joković.
"Your dignified upbringing has no price. That's why, along the way, your parents must have us as partners and allies, so that together we can build a better society for you," he concluded.
Kovačević: All of us older people should look up to those "small" but great people
The President of the Municipality of Nikšić, Marko Kovačević, congratulated the International Children's Day.
Kovačević pointed out that the local administration, through numerous support services for children and their families, strives to provide children with better conditions for living and growing up in a safe and stimulating environment.
"This day reminds us how important it is to protect the rights of the youngest, to provide them with a happy childhood and to provide them with a safe and healthy environment for growth and development. I wish all the little ones a lot of smiles, play, love and happiness, and for all of us - to work to make the world a better place for them to live and not to forget that we were once children too. All of us older people should look up to these 'small' but great people, because as our famous Serbian poet Miroslav Mika Antić says: 'There are three hundred ways to leave childhood, and only a few remember to remain a child forever,'" he said. is Kovačević.
Borovinić Bojović: Children are our future, but they must also be the center of our present
The President of the Assembly of the Capital City, Jelena Borovinić Bojović, congratulated the youngest men and women from Podgorica on World Children's Day and wished them to have a healthy, happy and carefree childhood in the capital of Montenegro, which they will fondly remember when they grow up, the capital city announced.
"Out of nearly 180.000 inhabitants of Podgorica, according to the recently published results of the population census, over 35.000 men and women from Podgorica are children under the age of 14. All of them and their rights are the focus of attention, work and life of both their relatives and our entire community every day. This day is, however, an opportunity to further consider the importance and ways of ensuring respect for the rights and well-being of every child in our city," said Borovinić Bojović.
"We often say that children are our future, but they must also be the center of our present. The capital is committed to improving the conditions in which the children of Podgorica grow up and develop. The Children's Association, as our institution dedicated to the little ones, as well as all services and companies in their domain, should dedicate themselves to carrying out activities that support the education, health and social inclusion of the youngest," she added.
When we talk about children's rights, I always remember Plato's words: 'You should teach your child knowledge, not by force, but by play'. If we adhere to this, children's rights will not be endangered. For the well-being of our little ones, it is not only important that we have good intentions - they are indisputable - the most important thing is that we respect the human in every child," concluded Borovinić Bojović.
Embassy of Palestine: The children of Palestine in the poverty of the ongoing genocide
This year's World Children's Day will be celebrated by the children of Palestine in the poverty of the ongoing genocide, announced the Embassy of Palestine in Montenegro.
"Only now they do not have the most basic rights and they are deliberately targeted by the Israeli occupation forces. There are currently 2.415.888 children living in Palestine, and since October 7, in just one year, Israel has killed more than 17.300 children, of which about 3.100 were younger of ten years. According to estimates, of the 44.000 Palestinians killed, about 70 percent are women and children," the statement said.
The Embassy of Palestine added that "more than a million children in the Gaza Strip are in a devastating situation due to the ongoing Israeli genocidal war marked by widespread destruction, merciless attacks, displacement and severe lack of basic necessities."
"Children in the Gaza Strip face the deadly consequences of disease and malnutrition because Israeli aggression has cut them off from safe water, food and medicine. There is no safe place left for Palestinian children - their homes are destroyed and their families are separated. Both in Gaza and in In the West Bank and Jerusalem, Palestinian children live in constant fear and terror under the long-term Israeli military occupation, a fear based on lived traumatic experiences of the killing of loved ones. persons, torture, brutal military raids, mass arrests and imprisonment," said the Embassy of Palestine.
They say the number of children imprisoned in Israeli prisons has reached 280.
"Children living near illegal Israeli settlements report harassment while traveling to and from school, and illegal settlers have been known to attack schools with weapons while classes are in session. Such acts of aggression by Israel against the Palestinian people, especially children, are normalized or justified , must be stopped. We repeat that the selective application of international law is unacceptable and causes great harm not only to the Palestinian people but also to the order based on international rules," said the Embassy of Palestine.
They say that "urgent steps must be taken to hold Israel, its army and settlers accountable for crimes against Palestinian children."
"There is no other way to end Israel's crimes and finally put an end to this blatant historical injustice. Palestinian children are entitled to their human rights, they are entitled to protection, security, dignity and freedom. UN international agencies and individual countries as well as civil society organizations have a collective responsibility to protect and implement international law, especially the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.Therefore, the international community has a legal and moral obligation to end this unbearable nightmare that our children are living through every day and take all measures to hold Israel, the occupying power, accountable for its heinous crimes," said the Embassy of Palestine.
Šćekić: The Council for Children's Rights will continue to undertake activities to improve the position of children
The President of the Council for the Rights of the Child and the Minister of Sports and Youth, Dragoslav Šćekić, congratulated the International Children's Day.
"On November 20, 1959, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Declaration on the Rights of the Child, and in 1989 the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was ratified by 193 countries, including Montenegro. The Convention is based on four basic principles, namely: the child's right to life, survival and development, non-discrimination and the best interest of the child we are improving the realization of children's rights guaranteed by the Convention on the Rights of the Child," said Šćekić.
He said that the Council for the Rights of the Child will continue to undertake activities to improve the position of children, paying special attention to children from sensitive and discriminated groups.
"Preventing violence against children and discrimination, providing equal conditions for life, health care, social welfare, play and socializing is the task of each of us, not only parents and employees in institutions. It is also the responsibility of all of us to listen to children, to we talk with them and develop ideas of solidarity, tolerance and respect for others and different people," he added.
"Every child has all the rights from the Convention on the Rights of the Child, regardless of where they live, what job their parents do, what language they speak, and what culture or religion they belong to. Dear children, happy holidays," concluded Šćekić.
Forward Movement: Efforts must be made to create an environment in which every child will grow up safe, healthy and educated
The Naprijed movement congratulated November 20, International Children's Day, to all the children of Montenegro, wishing them to spend their childhood carefree, in happiness, joy and socializing with their peers, the party announced.
"Unfortunately, today it is necessary to remind of the fact that every third child in Montenegro is at risk of poverty, and that this risk is even greater for children living in the north of the country, where the poverty rate is as high as 45 percent. Although Montenegro , as a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, obliged to provide all children with the right to a life without poverty, the situation in the country is far from desirable for the youngest," it is stated.
They pointed out that in addition to this problem, there are other problems faced by the young generation, the most important of which are unequal access to education and peer violence.
"The state still has not provided an adequate response to these difficulties, so it is necessary to make additional efforts to create an environment in which every child will grow up safe, healthy and educated," it added.
"Caring for children is caring for the future, so we appeal to all social factors to work together to improve the position of our youngest. In this sense, it is crucial that everyone understands that children are the greatest wealth of a society and that it is necessary to do everything to protect them and provided them with the best conditions for growing up, education and life. Their happiness and well-being must be the point around which we will gather and reach agreements and solutions, with the sole aim of providing them with an environment in which they will be able to develop and become valuable members of the community." , they concluded from the Forward Movement.
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