At the invitation of the German Bundestag’s Commission for Children’s Concerns, the following NARS Children’s Rights Working Group representatives are also visiting Berlin from 27 to 30 September 2010: NARS Deputy Speakers Nikola Novakovic (G17 Plus), Bozidar Delic (SNS) and Judita Popovic (LDP), as well as deputies Meho Omerovic (SDP), Snezana Stojanovic-Plavsic (G17 Plus), Jelena Budimirovic (SNS), Nikola Krpic (PUPS), Zlata Djeric (NS), Milica Vojic Markovic (DSS), Snezana Sedlar (G17 Plus) and Gordana Paunovic Milosavljevic (SRS). The visit is realised in partnership with the UNICEF Belgrade Office.

During the visit, the Serbian parliamentarians met with the members of the Children’s Commission, Ekin Deligöz, deputy leader of the Federal Parliament’s Green Party and member of the German UNICEF Committee, Sibylle Laurischk, Chairperson of the Committee on Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, and visited the Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk, children’s participation programme.

It was noted that the NARS Children’s Rights Working Group and the German Bundestag’s Commission for Children’s Concerns are similar in the their comprising all the deputy groups and arguing that children’s policy is an inter-sector issue. In the discharge of their legislative duty both strive to analyse laws from the children’s rights perspective and submit amendments when necessary so as to improve the text of the law.

The Serbian parliamentarians and their German colleagues considered the further steps in the two parliamentary bodies’ cooperation in the protection of children’s rights. They exchanged experiences in the field, more precisely how the parliament and its working body are working on improving children’s rights, cooperation with UNICEF and other organisations, cooperation with the executive power, and they intend to incorporate the positive experiences into the work of the Serbian Assembly’s Children’s Rights Working Group.

Even though it was created just recently, the NARS Children’s Rights Working Group chaired by Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic and already recognised by relevant international institutions as an important partner in achieving this goal in Serbia, it can pride itself on the fact that, along with the German Bundestag’s Commission for Children’s Concerns with its 22-years of experience in the field, it has achieved the best results in the world.