Montenegro is in the process of implementing key reforms and children should be at the center of all relevant policies and investments, said the conference organized by UNICEF on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child.
UNICEF in Montenegro announced that at the conference "Children's rights at the heart of the EU accession process and Agenda 2030", it was pointed out that children's rights must be at the center of every reform process and the foundation for achieving sustainable development.
As they stated, the conference resulted in the publication of a "Call to Action", which includes specific actions to improve the protection and promotion of children's rights in the country.
"Among them are the integration of children's rights into all government strategies, policies, reforms and actions related to the EU accession program and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, and the recognition of children and young people as holders of rights and key actors of change, and the establishment of mechanisms for their regular engagement," he says. in the announcement.
It is stated that the "Call to Action" includes specific actions related to the design, implementation and co-financing of the Research on Multiple Indicators of the State of Women's and Children's Rights in the country next year, in order to obtain new, reliable data on the state of the rights of children and women and the publication of available information about children on the website of the Council for the Rights of the Child.
The "call to action", as UNICEF said, includes actions related to investing in children's rights in the largest possible scope of available resources and implementing budgeting for children's rights to ensure that they are adequately recognized in the state budget.
They said this includes developing and implementing programs to access EU Child Guarantee funds that can be used to tackle challenges such as poverty and inequality.
Mikele Servadei, head of the UNICEF representative office in Montenegro, said at the opening of the event that it is necessary to work closely with the government so that children are a priority and that funds from the state budget are adequately invested in quality services for children.
"First of all, we need new data that can be obtained through a new analysis of the state of children's and women's rights (MICS research)," said Servadei.
In this way, as he said, it will be possible to better direct support to the most vulnerable and obtain reliable data on children with developmental disabilities and violence.
"Allocating sufficient funds from the state budget for that research in the coming year is of the greatest importance," Servadei pointed out.
As he said, UNICEF is ready to support the development of effective programs and provide technical assistance in connection with the accession to new EU aid instruments, such as the EU Child Guarantee and the Growth Plan.
"This will enable Montenegro to speed up reforms for children in key sectors," said Servadei.
EU Ambassador to Montenegro Johan Satler said that the Union has placed the rights of the child at the center of its values and ambitions, as well as that it has taken concrete measures to translate that principle into reality.
"To achieve this, we are working on two main fronts. The first is the protection of children from violence, abuse and exploitation, including online, within the framework of the EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child," said Satler.
As he stated, the second is providing free access to health care, education, quality meals and adequate housing for all children who are at risk of poverty or social exclusion in Europe.
He added that this mechanism is called the European Guarantee for Children.
Satler emphasized that investing in children is one of the smartest things a country can do to eliminate extreme poverty and create the potential needed for social prosperity and economic growth.
"That's why the EU supports children's rights - both in the EU and in Montenegro," concluded Satler.
Minister of Social Welfare, Family Care and Demography Damir Gutić pointed out that the Government of Montenegro is strongly committed to continue intensively and continuously advocating for the promotion of children's rights.
"I appreciate that it is very important to strengthen and nurture cooperation between all countries, as well as with international organizations and the private sector in order to jointly define programs that will help in facing this important challenge, but at the same time ensure the exercise of rights for every child," he said. is Gutić.
According to him, EU accession and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda are complementary processes that can speed up progress in realizing children's rights.
As Gutić said, the EU, through its funds and support, helps the candidate countries in fulfilling the goals related to children and ensures continuous monitoring and evaluation of the achieved results.
The conference was opened by children and young people from Montenegro, who, as reported, used the first panel to share their views on key issues concerning children's rights and to ask questions to the Government and UNICEF.
Sofija Ivanović said that it is important for them to finally become subjects of law, the observance of which is mandated by the Convention itself.
"We are not decoration and we want to actively participate in making important decisions for us, so we are asking you to work together to create a healthy and stimulating environment for every child," said Ivanovic.
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