The central UNICEF event “Communities that work: Commitment and joint action for every child” marked World Children’s Day in Sarajevo today, with messages about the importance of equal rights for all children, investments in early development, quality education and child protection systems.
The representative of UNICEF in BiH, Marc Lucet, said on the occasion of World Children’s Day that all children, regardless of where they live, have the same rights and that it is the joint responsibility of institutions, teachers, social and health workers to protect and enable these rights.
“When I say rights, I mean specifically the right to education, health care, identity, the right to safety and security, these are the rights of every child to develop and integrate into society,” pointed out Lucet.
He stated that World Children’s Day is an opportunity when we plan for the future, assessing that in Bosnia and Herzegovina that future remains uncertain for many children.
Lucet stressed that year after year we witness the same worrying patterns: the most vulnerable children are left behind, their potential is hampered by fragmented, underfunded and slow systems.
“At UNICEF, we believe that the future of every child depends on three key promises: a stable foundation in the earliest years, quality skills for a fulfilling life and a safe, protected childhood. As we mark this day, we must also face the difficult truth that for thousands of children in Bosnia and Herzegovina, these promises have not been fulfilled,” said Lucet.
He called on the authorities in BiH to strengthen coordination in the field of children’s rights, invest in early child growth and development, and enact a law on children’s rights.
“In order to have good policies and to implement our promises, we need to adopt key laws, namely the Law on Children’s Rights, which will ensure a safe space for every child. Here I call on institutions, the public, parliament, decision-makers to enact a law that will ensure, among other things, foster families,” Lucet emphasized.
On World Children’s Day, he called on leaders at all levels of government to invest in community services and support for families so that every child has the best start in life, to invest in inclusive, quality education that provides all students, regardless of background or abilities, with the skills they need to thrive.
Minister for Human Rights and Refugees of BiH Sevlid Hurtić said on this occasion that children in BiH are extremely talented and that adults must give them more attention and space to express their needs, attitudes and dreams.
He said that the celebration of World Children’s Day is the result of the project “Growing Up Together – Child in Focus”, emphasizing that children ask honest and principled questions that many parents do not have answers to.
Hurtić emphasized that adults should be guided by what children want, not what adults think is best for them.
He also recalled the importance of remembering all children who died, both in BiH and in other wars around the world, stating that the goal of institutions is to ensure greater protection of children through laws.
The representative of the Children’s Parliament from Bijeljina, Dajana Vasić, says that the goal of that parliament is to hear the voice of children and to present their problems together and to solve them together.
Vasić further explains that the Children’s Parliament in Sarajevo and Bijeljina is a positive example and that it needs to be replicated in all other cities of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
As some of the problems children face, she mentioned physical and psychological violence at school, and that talking and working with children would significantly help with these problems.
“I would certainly recommend that young people get active and get involved in activities, because it’s very nice to hang out together and make our voices heard, Vasić pointed out, Federalna writes.
