Deputy Prime Minister Šćekić hosts UNICEF delegation

Deputy Prime Minister for Demography and Youth and Minister of Sports Dragoslav Šćekić, along with his associates, hosted a delegation from UNICEF led by Juan Santander, the Head of the UNICEF Office in Montenegro.

The meeting was convened to discuss the organisation of the Conference for the Children's House, with Montenegro as the host country, as well as the formation of the Council for Children's Rights, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Šćekić. Additionally, the evaluation of the Youth Strategy 2019-2023 and the drafting of a new Sports Strategy were on the agenda.

As the chairman of the Council for Children's Rights, I have an additional responsibility to advocate for the rights and equality of all children in Montenegro. Children are the present and future of our country, and creating favourable conditions for their existence is one of the key priorities of this Government and myself as Deputy Prime Minister for Demography and Youth. I see our colleagues from UNICEF, as true advocates for children's rights worldwide, as our closest partners in achieving our goals, stated Šćekić.

UNICEF will continue to support the Government's Council for Children's Rights to accelerate reforms for children in education, health, social protection, police, and judiciary through multisectoral coordination, said Santander.

To achieve sustainable, positive changes in the lives of all children in Montenegro, it is crucial for the Government to ensure that employees in various sectors have continuous support to adopt necessary knowledge and skills, that sufficient funds from the state budget are invested in services for children and families, and that there is a system of accountability for all employees for their work. The Council for Children's Rights can support this process, added Santander. He also mentioned that UNICEF will continue to collaborate with the Ministry of Sports and Youth to provide every child with the opportunity to engage in sports within the school.

Moreover, it was discussed that the Work Programme for Children's Rights for 2023 and 2024 will be revised to reflect on what has been accomplished, as well as what needs to be realized or aligned with current needs, once the necessary information is gathered from relevant institutions.