Today, at the National Assembly House, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Nikola Novakovic opened the traditional event of Children’s Week. Deputy Speaker Novakovic greeted the guests on the behalf of the National Assembly Speaker, Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic and his own behalf, stressing that he would prefer it if the doors of the National Assembly were open for all the children of Serbia every day. He added that it would be nice to inaugurate a children’s era and children’s century, not only a children’s week, because one week is not enough for children’s rights and care.

High-school students from all over Serbia were also addressed by Rasim Ljajic, Minister of Labour and Social Policy, Ljubivoje Rsumovic, president of the Friends of Children of Serbia, Tamara Luksic-Orlandic, Assistant Children’s Rights Ombudsperson, Judita Reichenberg, director of UNICEF Serbia and representatives of the Ministry of Youth and Sports. Addressing the gathering, the participants of the ceremonial opening talked about the open issues and problems in achieving children’s rights, as well as the state’s efforts to create conditions conducive to the improvement of the position of children in Serbia.

The traditional event of Children’s Week, organised by the Friends of Children of Serbia, shall last from 5 to 11 October. The Children’s Week 2009 Programme was drafted in accordance with the Law on Social Care for Children of the Republic of Serbia with the goal of commemorating the 20^th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and informing the public on the results of its implementation in Serbia.