Children's Parliament holds its Eighth Session

Children’s Parliament

Children's Parliament is organised by the Parliament of Montenegro and NGO Center for Children’s Rights, on the occasion of 20th November - Day of adopting the Convention on the Rights of the Child. During the sessions, MPs, ministers in the Government of Montenegro, mayors and others answer to questions posed by students of primary and secondary schools from all over Montenegro, representatives of local children’s parliaments.

The project is dedicated to promotion of children’s rights to participate and advocate, as significant social needs and values. It is one of the ways of connecting the youngest population with the parliament. At the same time, it is a mechanism for promoting children's rights and providing the opportunity for their voice to be heard in the highest legislature.

In this manner, the possibility is created for children to give their assessment of respect for rights in the family, school, and local community and to point to the problems and need to be involved in decision-making processes concerning their rights. Furthermore, children from different towns and regions are connecting, the Convention on the Rights of the Child is promoted as well as the necessity for respecting its standards.

Due to the past sessions, children have become more socially visible and they had the opportunity to show to what extent they mastered the skills of rational and realistic observation, argumentative advocacy, and readiness to explore and analyse.

Monday, 20 November 2017 15:17

Children's Parliament holds its Eighth Session

font size decrease font size increase font size
Print
Email
Image Gallery

President of the Parliament of Montenegro, Mr Ivan Brajović, at the Eighth Session of the Children's Parliament that was held today, reminded that the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child laid down the principle that in all decisions concerning the child, the interest of the child always has to be put first. He added that the Convention encompassed in everyday life the obligations of adults, parents, foster parents, educators, social workers and the society as a whole, so that children and young people could get the same chance of growing up to be healthy and stable individuals.

"There is no unique, simple, and universal recipe for the achievement of this serious task, but I am convinced that much more patience, mutual paying of attention, conversation on all topics, active listening to children and adults, can be a good way towards that end", President Brajović pointed out during his opening remarks.

He expressed hope that the next, Ninth Session of the Children's Parliament, would be an opportunity to note progress on all the topics that were discussed today.

"And when you talk about peer violence and other problems, when you talk about a relationship with children with disabilities, I think that we are all ready to listen and think well about what you have suggested to us", President of the Parliament of Montenegro, Mr Ivan Brajović, concluded.

During the continuation of the Session, members of local children's parliaments listened to the presentation presented by the children's Montenegrin delegation in Geneva on October 3 this year in front of the members of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, as well as the presentation made by representatives of the Children's Parliament. The concept of this year's Session was different from previous ones, because there were no questions posed directly to representatives of the Government, so children spoke about personal experiences and their perspectives of certain problems in society, school, local community, family and other areas of importance of unimpeded growth and development of children in Montenegro, pointing out expectations for the next period.

In addition to 50 representatives of local children's parliaments from 21 municipalities, i.e. two representatives coming from each primary and secondary school, including representatives of vulnerable groups of children from all municipalities of Montenegro, the Session was also attended by representatives of MPs groups in the Parliament of Montenegro, the Government of Montenegro, domestic institutions and international organisations dealing with issues of the rights of the child, as well as members of the diplomatic corps.

The VIII Session of the Children's Parliament was preceded by the presentation of artworks done by children from India and the Center "1 June" from Podgorica, in the Hall of the Parliament. The exhibition was opened by the Vice President of the Parliament of Montenegro, Mr Genci Nimanbegu. On that occasion, among other things, he said that this exhibition once again confirmed the extent to which the Parliament of Montenegro was opened as an institution.

The Eighth Session of the Children’s Parliament was organised by the Parliament of Montenegro, in cooperation with the Center for Children’s Rights of Montenegro, with support of the UNICEF Office and the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on the occasion of 20 November, the day of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and recently implemented reporting before the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in Geneva.