Council for Children of BiH: How to Overcome Peer Violence

The Council for Children of Bosnia and Herzegovina held a session in Sarajevo today, focusing on activities aimed at combating peer violence. Council members reviewed the implementation of the Action Plan for Children of BiH 2015-2018 and, with the aim of implementing measures to combat peer violence, adopted the following conclusions:

- The Council for Children of BiH will organize thematic expert meetings with the competent ministries in the entities, cantons, and Brčko District with the aim of presenting these and other measures established by the Action Plan for Children and other documents and international standards: to improve the implementation of the Action Plan for Children, to better coordinate the competent institutions in BiH and other organizations and bodies involved in the implementation of the Action Plan for Children, to provide support to institutions in planning concrete activities to improve the protection of children from peer violence, and from violence in general, based on already adopted plans, guidelines, and strategies in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In accordance with the initiatives adopted in December 2015 by the Council for Children of BiH, which were sent to the competent institutions and relate to measures to reduce violence against children, the competent institutions and organizations are called upon to take appropriate measures and submit information as soon as possible (within 60 days) so that within 90 days the Council for Children of BiH can prepare a special Report on the problem of peer violence and continuously monitor progress in these activities.

The Council for Children of BiH calls on the competent ministries of education and pedagogical institutes to urgently, based on the initiative of the Council for Children of BiH and in accordance with the Action Plan for Children of BiH, prepare a concrete plan of measures for preventing peer violence in schools, and to submit information on the activities carried out in this regard.

We propose that the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council, in cooperation with the entity and cantonal prosecutor's offices and the Prosecutor's Office of the District, conduct an analysis of the number of reported and prosecuted cases of child abuse and neglect in 2015.

We propose that the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees accelerate the implementation of measures 4, 5, and 6 from the Action Plan for Children related to violence against children, and prepare a Report on the implementation of the Strategy for Combating Violence against Children in BiH and a Report on the implementation of the Guidelines for Action in Cases of Violence against Children in BiH, which were adopted based on this Strategy.

The Ministry of Security of BiH needs to initiate activities related to the protection of children and the prevention of violence against children through information and communication technologies in BiH after 2015.

The Ministry of Justice of BiH, the Ministry of Security, and the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of BiH need to consider the possibility of drafting a new Strategy for Combating Juvenile Delinquency.

All institutions, organizations, and associations working with and for children (in all areas, e.g., education, health, social protection, culture, sports, security, justice, and others) should adopt codes of conduct for employees and ensure continuous training and application of the codes.

The Network "Stronger Voice for Children" should prepare Guidelines for Determining the Best Interest of the Child in each area and distribute them to public and private social welfare, education, health institutions, courts, administrative bodies, and legislative bodies to improve the actions of professionals in institutions in the best interest of children in BiH.

In the best interest of children, the Council of Ministers of BiH, the competent governments of the entities and cantons, and municipalities should ensure adequate human, technical, and financial resources so that the implementation of the Action Plan for Children of BiH 2015-2018 is achieved in a comprehensive and consistent manner throughout the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

11. The public should be continuously informed, at least quarterly, about the implementation of these measures by the Council for Children in cooperation with the competent ministries and organizations involved in the work of the Council for Children of BiH.