Action Plan for Children in B-H adopted

Save the Children welcomes adoption of the Action Plan for Children of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B-H) adopted at the B-H Council of Ministers session held on June 2, 2015, based on the proposal submitted by the B-H Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees.

The purpose of this, third Action Plan for Children made for the period 2015 – 2018 is continuation of activities that are being implemented in B-H since 2002 related to the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN CRC), including its two Optional Protocols, as well as special recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child.

Recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child and implementation of the underachieved measures from the past Action Plan served as the basis for development of the new Action Plan. Additionally, relevant documents of the UN and European institutions with regard to child rights protection were taken into account.

Save the Children contributed to development of the Action Plan through consultative meetings and recommendations submitted to the B-H Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees.

“Some of the measures foreseen by the Action Plan, which were added based on our recommendations, include programmatic budgeting and ensuring visibility of children in the budgets, with clearly defined funds for meeting children needs and rights. In addition there is the initiative for adoption of the law that strictly bans corporal punishment in all settings, including at home. Also, one of our proposals was the establishment of the framework for inter-sectoral cooperation between relevant government agencies and agencies working on solving the issue of labour exploitation of children, including issues of street involved children. Not less important is also the initiative aimed at ensuring access to education for children with disabilities with focus on their inclusion into regular education process,” explains Save the Children Director of Programmes Ahmed Pjano.

Action Plan foresees: improving legislation in B-H, policies, strategies, coordination and reporting aimed at improving general measures of implementation of the Convention of the Rights of the Child; improving environment for implementation of general principles of the CRC with regard to non-discrimination, best interest of the child and respecting children opinions. The Plan also foresees ensuring conditions for full implementation of human rights and freedoms of children and establishment of specific mechanisms for protection of rights and freedoms; improving mechanisms of child protection and raising awareness aimed at prevention and termination of violence against children and strengthening of family capacities and overall social environment for social welfare and healthcare, as well as education with regard to implementation of the rights of children without appropriate care. The Action Plan provides mechanisms for implementation of the rights of children with disabilities and overall protection of children and standard of living of vulnerable groups, with focus on children refugees, children migrants, street involved children, children in conflict with law and other children.