On Friday, June 1, 2018, the fourth session of the Children’s Rights Council of the Government of the Republic of Serbia was held.
At the meeting, the UNICEF representative Aleksandra Jović and MODS Director Saša Stefanović informed the Council about an initiative to improve the measurement, monitoring and reporting on public spending on children in line with the recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child.
Source: Tanjug.rs
The members of the Council also got acquainted with the Road Map for Achieving the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, with a proposal of the Action Plan for the Implementation of the Strategy for the Prevention and Protection of Children against Violence (2018-2022). The members also got informed on the recommendations of the UN Human Rights Council in the field of children’s rights after the presentation of the Report of the Republic of Serbia for the Third Cycle of the Universal Periodic Review.
The Children’s Rights Council session was also attended by children and activists of Friends of Children of Serbia. On the International Children’s Day, the youngest members of the association Friends of Children of Serbia pointed out that violence and poverty are the most significant challenges faced by children in Serbia, and the Minister Slavica Ðukić Dejanović pointed out that the goal is to ensure that every child has equal chances and that we cannot be completely satisfied with what has been achieved so far. The Director of the UNICEF Office in Serbia Michel Sen Lo pointed out the importance of the access to quality healthcare and education for children in Serbia, as well as doubling the allocation of funds for children with disabilities.
The session of the Council reiterated that investment in children is an investment that will return to society as much as it invests in children.