prijava
SARAJEVO, November 20 (FENA) - The United Nations Universal Children's Day and the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child were the reasons for today’s gathering in Sarajevo for representatives of institutions and organizations, international officials and children at a rally urging awareness-raising on the importance of respect for children's rights and their application for the benefit of the whole society.
The gathering with a motto 'You have misplaced your priorities, put your child first!' was a chance to send out a message that everyone should make decisions that will always be in the best interest of the child.
Minister for Human Rights and Refugees of BiH Semiha Borovac believes that the Convention on the Rights of the Child is now needed more than ever, socially and globally, than at the time it was created.
“Due to numerous challenges facing the youngest, the priorities of the authorities in BiH dealing with the protection of the rights of the child will be focused on creating better and clearer policies that will address the needs of children in BiH,” she said.
Chair of the Institution of the Ombudsman of Bosnia and Herzegovina Nives Jukić, said that the institution insists that the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child must be respected and that specific cases and complaints concerning children are addressed.
She pointed out that this year alone, they had 177 cases related to the education system, provision of adequate health services, social welfare, the difficult situation of children when it comes to conflict divorces and failure to pay alimony which are all recurring problems.
UNICEF representative Rownak Khan recalled the fact that 196 states, including BiH, have ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and warned that under the Convention the primary responsibility falls on the state and domestic actors".
“Investing in children is an investment in the future. So my appeal is: Please put the children and their rights on top of whatever you plan to do,” Khan said.
Bosnia and Herzegovina presented this year the combined 5th and 6th periodic reports on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child to the Committee on the Rights of the Child.
Based on reports from the state, children, non-governmental organizations, as well as a confidential report from UNICEF, the Committee has made a number of recommendations to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
(FENA) S. R.
