DP Pažin hosts newly appointed UNICEF’s Representative to Montenegro Osama Makkawi Khogali

Podgorica, Montenegro (21 September 2017) -- Cooperation between the Government of Montenegro and UNICEF is excellent, today's meeting between Deputy Prime Minister Zoran Pažin and Osama Makkawi Khogali, the newly appointed Head of the UNICEF Office in Montenegro, concluded.

DPM Pažin congratulated Mr Khogali on his new appointment and thanked him for the support the UNICEF has been providing to Montenegro for many years in the field of child rights protection. He reminded of the special importance of support provided by UNICEF in improving the normative and legal framework in the following areas: strengthening the system of juvenile justice, protecting the rights of juvenile delinquents in criminal proceedings, protection against domestic violence. It is especially important that during drafting the Family Law, thanks to expert assistance from UNICEF, the most important international legal standards were implemented, DPM Pažin emphasised.

Mr Kogali said that Montenegro has made tremendous progress in the area of child rights protection and pointed out that UNICEF, under his leadership, will continue to support Montenegro, especially in the areas of implementation of the legal framework, capacity building, education and raising awareness about the importance of children's rights. He stressed that Montenegro is an example in the region when it comes to the protection of children's rights.

Both sides presented a common vision regarding the priorities in the area of protection of the rights of the child for the following period, and agreed that there is room for further progress of Montenegro in that area, adding that the partnership between the Government of Montenegro and UNICEF should be further strengthened.

OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER