At the third sitting held on 27 May, the Children’s Rights Working Group discussed the Report from its second sitting held on 23 April in the form of a seminar. At the sitting, the Working Group considered UN Children’s Rights Committee conclusions and recommendations to the Government of the Republic of Serbia regarding its obligations in the area of children’s rights protection. The sitting was chaired by Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic, National Assembly Speaker.

The Working Group members accepted the report, as well as the proposed conclusions requesting that the tasks in the 2009 Work Plan be fulfilled. They also requested to be included into the work of competent ministries which receive draft laws and bills from the field of children’s rights and that the bills be forwarded into assembly procedure as soon as possible. In addition, they also requested that the competent ministries organize public hearings on the implementation of certain laws in practice and pass the envisioned by-laws in a timely manner.

Judita Reichenberg, director of the UNICEF Office in Serbia, took part in the sitting.

The sitting was attended by representatives of high-school students’ parliaments from Leskovac. Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic, who was chairing the sitting, briefed the students on the work of the Children’s Rights Working Group which was formed with the goal of improving childcare in Serbia and providing better protection of children’s rights. The National Assembly’s prime task is to discuss and analyze the laws from the position of achieving children’s and young people’s rights and be included more into resolving various issues relating to them. Thus, it will show that they are a priority in Serbian society, Assembly Speaker Djukic-Dejanovic pointed out. In an open talk, the Leskovac high-schoolers pointed out the need to be better informed of their rights.