On the occasion of 20 November, International Children’s Day, Commissioner for the Protection of Equality Brankica Jankovic congratulates all children and states that we all have the obligation to work on elimination of all obstacles for their full inclusion and achievement of their right to education. “It is necessary that children and young people in Serbia know that they can expect every kind of help and that they have someone to share their thoughts, insecurities and problems with, especially having in mind that many children today are facing poverty, different types of violence, as well as discrimination and exclusion, primarily children with disabilities and children with poor property status. We all have the responsibility to hear those children, to talk with them and to develop in them ideas of solidarity, tolerance and accepting others and different, stressed Commissioner.

“Policies in the area social and legal protection of family should be particularly directed to decreasing of poverty, necessary support and help for the family, together with constitution and development of existing services for supporting children and family”, said Jankovic.

At the ceremony held on the occasion of the International Children’s Day titled ”Children are decoration of equality”, the exhibition of children’s art works about respecting of variety was opened, while the members of Youth Panel of Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, who are also promoters of tolerance and human rights in schools all over Serbia, discussed the challenges related to the achievement of equality.

Director of UNICEF in Serbia Regina De Dominicis said that children are great inspiration and that she believes in partnership with children through Youth Panel of Commissioner for the Protection of Equality. She emphasized the significance of participation in the decision making process, as on of the most important right in the Convention on the Rights of a Child. Regina De Dominicis also pointed to the importance of continuous cooperation with the institution of Commissioner for the Protection of Equality.

Ceremony was also attended by Vice President of the Parliament and member of the Board for Children’s Rights Veroljub Arsic, as the representative of the National Parliament of Serbia, Head of OSCE Mission in Serbia Andrea Orizio and Ambassador of Canada Kati Csaba.