LE COMITÉ DES DROITS DE L'ENFANT EXAMINE LES RAPPORTS DU MONTÉNÉGRO SUR LA CONVENTION ET LES DEUX PROTOCOLES FACULTATIFS (en anglais seulement)

The Committee on the Rights of the Child today concluded its review of the initial periodic report of Montenegro under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its initial reports on the two Optional Protocols on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict and on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography.

In introductory remarks to the Committee, Suad Numanovic, Minister of Labour and Social Welfare of Montenegro, said the 2007 Family Act contained a section especially devoted to children's rights and several pieces of legislation were currently being drafted, including the Juvenile Justice Act and the Act Amending the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms Act. The Government had also developed a number of strategies and action plans on children's rights, including the 2003-2007 Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy, the 2005-2008 Strategy for Permanent Solution of the Status of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons in Montenegro, the National Action Plan for the “Roma Inclusion Decade 2005-2015”, and the 2008-2012 Strategy of the Social and Child Protection System in Montenegro. The Office of the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms as well as the Council for Children’s Rights had also been established.

In preliminary concluding remarks, Committee Expert Dainius Puras, serving as Rapporteur for the report under the Convention, said Montenegro was well positioned to successfully implement the Convention and ensure human rights more generally. As a newly independent country, Montenegro had the momentum to implement its strategies.

Also in preliminary concluding remarks, Committee Expert Hadeel Al Asmar, who served as Rapporteur for the reports of Montenegro under the Optional Protocols, said the dialogue had been very fruitful and had allowed for the discussion of some key issues. However, improvements could be made in terms of data collection, legislation, sustainable budget allocations, and improving the delivery of services.

Concerning the report under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Experts asked whether the government of Montenegro planned to develop a comprehensive Children’s Rights Act; to what extent Montenegrin children were involved in decision making processes at school; whether adolescents had rights regarding delicate problems of privacy and seeking medical services; and whether Montenegro had a children’s rights sensitiv