Chairperson of the Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms Mr Halil Duković, MD met today with the Head of the UNICEF Office to Montenegro Mr Benjamin Perks.

The topic of today’s meeting was the continuation of the cooperation between the  Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms and UNICEF Office in terms of the forthcoming nineteenth meeting, which would be held on 11 November 2013, on the topic: “Rights of a child – improving the position of a child with the aim of protection from all forms of exploitation”;  the adoption of the decision on implementation of important Committee activity – holding of a regional gathering also with the topic of “Protection of a child rights” was planned at the meeting, as established by the Committee 2013 Activity Plan.

Chairperson of the Committee informed Mr Benjamin Perks that the Committee would implement the activity together with the Delegation of the Parliament of Montenegro to PACE and institution of the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms of Montenegro by the end of November 2013. On that occasion, the Committee and the Delegation would gather representatives of working bodies for human rights and rights of a child from the parliaments of regional countries as well as representatives of the South East Europe Children's Rights Ombudsperson's Network with the presence of representative of international organisations based in Montenegro dealing with the issue and Council of Europe and Save the Children representatives as well.

Mr Benjamin Perks, the Head of the UNICEF Office to Montenegro, voiced pleasure over the previous cooperation with the Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms, emphasising that the joint acting of the Parliament of Montenegro, Government of Montenegro and UNICEF contributed a lot to improvement of children position and protection of their rights in Montenegro. He also praised the planned organisation of regional gathering, at which the invited representatives of regional countries would exchange views and best practices regarding activities taken with the aim of promoting and protecting children rights. 

Having in mind the importance of organising the regional gathering and established cooperation among all institutions engaged in improvement of the position of children in Montenegro and region, Mr Benjamin Perks expressed willingness the UNICEF Office to Montenegro, in accordance with its financial possibilities, to participate in funding of the gathering with the aim of its successful realisation.