At its fifth sitting held on 29 September, the Children’s Rights Working Group discussed the Ombudsman’s Initiative to amend laws concerning the position of children, namely the Law on Games of Chance and the Law on Financial Support for Families with Children. They also talked about the Bill on the Children’s Rights Ombudsman.

The sitting was chaired by Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic, National Assembly Speaker and Working Group Chairperson. Judita Reichenberg, head of the UNICEF Office in Serbia, also took part in the proceedings.

Ombudsman Sasa Jankovic stated that the Initiative to amend the two laws stems from numerous citizens’ complaints and objections. The amendment to the Law on Financial Support for Families with Children proposes that parental support benefit be realised equally by both parents, and allows support for single parents. In addition, the introduction of a new right is proposed – support for families of children with developmental problems.

Jankovic said that the amendments to the Law on Games of Chance were proposed in order to protect children from gambling addiction. It proposes that gambling and betting shops, except for ones in hotels, may not be located closer than 2000 meters by air from school facilities, instead for the 150 meters allowed so far. It also proposes a ban on underage persons entering these facilities and more severe legal penalties for disregarding it. According to the Ombudsman, the Initiative has been forwarded to the Ministries of Labour and Social Policy and Finance.

The members of the Children’s Rights Working Group endorsed the Ombudsman’s initiative to amend said laws, suggesting that the financial possibilities for their realisation be discussed and that some of the provisions be made more specific.

The members of the Children’s Rights Working Group decided to propose that the Working Group tasked with drafting the National Assembly Act and the new Rules of Procedure consider their initiative for the creation of a standing working body on children’s rights issues.

They also discussed the laws currently in assembly procedure, of interest for children’s rights. Among them are the bills on pre-school education and official statistics.

The Working Group members went on to accept the report on the visit to the local self-government of Pirot on 23 and 24 July this year. The Working Group members proposed and endorsed the Initiative for the visit of students of several schools, members of the School without Violence programme, to the National Assembly on 27 October and children from peer teams of the municipal local action plan are to visit the Assembly as well. Thus, during the Children’s Week organised by UNICEF, the National Assembly shall be visited by children from Becej, Kragujevac, Pirot, Kraljevo and Prokuplje.

During the sitting, the National Assembly Speaker, Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic, was presented with the Charter of the Studenica Academy from Kraljevo, awarded by its Coordinating Committee for her great contribution to science and medicine.