DPM Pažin meets with UNICEF's Perks

Podgorica, Montenegro (20 January 2017) – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Zoran Pažin met today with Head of the UNICEF Office in Montenegro Benjamin Perks. The two officials stated that the cooperation between the Government and the UNICEF Office in Montenegro, which has lasted for more than 10 years, is characterised by good results in improving children's rights in Montenegro, as an integral part of the rule of law.

The new campaign of the Government of Montenegro and UNICEF on violence against children began in July last year with a focus on violence on the Internet, in accordance with the global campaign by UNICEF "Stop Violence Online." Perks pointed out that Montenegro has set good institutional framework for protection of children from violence and exploitation, but there are many challenges confronting empowerment of digital culture and it is necessary that the protection of children from violence on the Internet is one of the priorities of the ongoing reforms in the protection of children's rights. Perks took the opportunity and announced the continuation of the campaign "Stop Violence" through activities that will be implemented in the future.

Mr Pažin thanked the Head of UNICEF Office in Montenegro for the support to the Government of Montenegro and the Ministry of Justice in the field of improving children's rights in Montenegro, especially referring to the legislative framework in the areas of strengthening the juvenile justice system, the protection of the rights of juvenile delinquents in criminal proceedings, protection of domestic violence. He highlighted the importance of the activities carried out during the work on the amendments to the Family Law and its harmonisation with the relevant international standards.

The two officials expressed a common vision regarding the priorities in this area for the following period, above all, the expansion of the concept of protection of the rights of the child in court proceedings through the articulation of children's interests at an early stage, further strengthening the human resource capacities of professional services to help children in the courts and prosecutors' offices in Montenegro, as well as strengthening the institutional and social framework for the protection of children from violence by promoting positive parenting.