Australia is a firm supporter of international efforts to encourage all countries to give increased attention to including people with disability in development, through their national development plans and through aid programs and partnerships. To highlight the challenges and opportunities which exist in Bosnia and Herzegovina in this important area, the Australian Embassy will host a reception with UNICEF in Sarajevo on 19 November, the eve of Universal Children’s Day.
20 November marks the day on which the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989. As Article 23 of the Convention notes, “Children who have any kind of disability have the right to special care and support, as well as all the rights in the Convention, so that they can live full and independent lives”.
The 2013 edition of UNICEF’s flagship publication, The State of the World’s Children is dedicated to the situation of children with disabilities.
The Australian Embassy to Bosnia and Herzegovina, based in Vienna, is currently supporting special needs education through two local partners, EDUS – Education for All in Sarajevo and Los Rosales in Mostar, which promote access to education and other services for children with special needs.
The Sarajevo event will promote the provision of disability-inclusive education and other support services for children with disabilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina among key stakeholders from across the country – in government, civil society, the social sector, business and the international community.
(Source: Australian Embassy to B&H)
