Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Milan Antonijević, met with the new Representative of the UNICEF Office in Serbia, Christina de Bruin, with whom he discussed future cooperation on advancing equality for children and young people, primarily in combating discrimination in education.

The Commissioner stated that the institution’s practice shows that children and young people are most frequently discriminated against precisely within the education system, primarily due to inaccessibility, as well as the insufficient availability of transportation services and personal assistant support.

The meeting emphasised the importance of continuous educational activities in order to teach children critical thinking, as well as how to recognise and respond to discrimination. On that occasion, the work of the Youth Panel of the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality was highlighted as a good example – a group of pupils and students from across Serbia who cooperate closely with the institution and pass on their knowledge to their peers. De Bruin stated that UNICEF is ready to cooperate in activities within the Panel, as well as to provide support in working with professionals from the education system, recalling the successful cooperation on this project in the previous period.

Antonijević and de Bruin agreed that through such activities, young people are empowered to actively contribute to building a society based on empathy, respect for diversity and equal opportunities for all.