Saliha Đuderija, Mr. sci. Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees of BiH

 Children as human beings have all their rights guaranteed under different international documents on human rights all of which are based on Universal Declaration on Human Rights.  The most important international source adopted for the purpose of child protection is the Convention on the Rights of the Child from 1989, which was taken over by Bosnia and Herzegovina through succession.  Bosnia and Herzegovina has also become a member and signatory to the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict and Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography.  BiH also signed Millennium Declaration.

 Since its establishment in 2000 the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees of BiH has conducted activities aimed at ensuring more efficient protection of children.  On 18 July 2002 the BiH Council of Ministers adopted the Action Plan for Children in BiH for aimed at strengthening the position of children in BiH.  In accordance with the recommendations of the UN Secretary General, Bosnia and Herzegovina created the first 2007 – 2010 National Strategy for the Fight against Violence against Children, which was adopted in June  This Strategy established the obligation to file reports by making annual reports on the implementation of objectives and measures for every year of implementation.

 Report preparation process included definition and introduction of the monitoring and evaluation system based on inter-sectoral cooperation and multidisciplinary activities.  The First Report on the Implementation of the Strategy for the Fight against Violence against Children for June December 2008, was adopted on 13 January  The Second Report on the Implementation of the Strategy for the Fight against Violence against Children for 2009 was adopted on 14 December  On 4 July 2012 the Council of Ministers of BiH adopted the Report on the Implementation of the 2007 – 2010 Strategy for the Fight against Violence against Children.

INDICATORS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA - Common indicators related to the problem of violence against children in Bosnia and Herzegovina were virtually non - existent after the war. - It was only in 2006 that the first information on violence against children appeared in the Initial Report on Violence against Children in BiH. - These pieces of information covered the reporting period from 2000 until In this reporting period different indicators were determined: - Different forms of violence were recorded, and the trend of sexual abuse especially increased,

- Ratio of boys and girls as victims varies from year to year (for example in 2002 boys were victims in higher number of cases than girls, while in the next two years girls were victims in a higher number of cases than boys); - If sexual abuse is compared to the other forms of violence, such as emotional or physical violence, it is evident that the number of these forms of violence is much lower than the other two forms; - It has been established that the highest percentage of violent offenders come from the same family, and in majority of cases it is the father of a child.

 The trend of increasing the registered cases of violence against children became comparable only after 2007 and therefore these indicators can be tentatively considered as „the first effect of the Strategy“.  1,394 children were recorded to have been exposed to different forms of violence in 2009, while in 2010 a considerable increase of cases of violence against children were recrded in the total of 5,087 cases, but please note that 2010 data include the complete information for the most populated cantons (Sarajevo and Tuzla).

 Gender survey established an equal balance of boys (52%) and girls (48%) as violence victims during the period 2007 –  Children victims of violence in 2007 and 2008 M F

 Neglect (27%) and economic exploitation (26%) are the most common forms of violence. Forms of violence against children Physical violence Psychological Violence Combined violence Negligence Eco. Exploitation

 In 2009 we noticed increased violence against girls, and the trend of decreasing neglect, but we also noticed increased physical violence. Children victims of violence in Type of violence against Children economic physical combined psychological Neglect neglect

 In 2010 equal distribution of all forms of violence was recorded. Neglect and combined violence represent a half of all reported violence cases, while one fifth of cases (21.3%) are psychological violence and economic neglect cases (19%). Type of violence against Children 2010 Economic physical combined psychological Neglect neglect

 According to the age of children who are victims of violence, the major number of them (26%) are between 6 and 10 years of age,  The trend of violence against children of up to 5 yrs. (17%) is a great concern, as well as further increase in violence against children between 10 and 14 for 2009 and Percentage of Children victims of violence in 2009 Percentage of Children victims of violence in yrs y y y y 0-5 yrs y y y y

 When analysing gender balance of children victims of violence, we can say that there is an equal balance of boys and girls victims of violence, and the most common form of violence is neglect (29%) and psychological violence (22%) Children victims of violence in Type of violence against Children economic physical combined psychological Neglect neglect

 In 2010 the number of girls victims of violence increased. Neglect and combined violence constitute one half of all reported cases of violence. Children victims of violence in Type of violence against Children economic physical combined psychological Neglect neglect

CONCLUSIONS  During the monitoring as the continuous process of the strategy monitoring our attention was drawn to the necessity of harmonizing the criminal legislation in BiH.  Priorities were: the criminal offences against sexual freedom and moral and criminal offences against marriage and family, both in terms of definition of these criminal offences and sanctions against those.  Creating the unique database is one of the most pressing issues in BiH in terms of strategic planning. It is necessary to maintain records of the victims of criminal offences which would include separate data for adult victims and for minor victims of the criminal offence, type of the criminal offence, gender of the victim, the course and results of the proceedings.

 One of the pressing issues in treating children victims in general in the previous period is the existence or non- existence of the cooperation between governmental and non-governmental sector  With respect to the cooperation between governmental and non-governmental sector there is no uniform Protocol on cooperation that would be based on professional standards.

RECCOMENDATIONS - Improve the practice of drafting protocols on cooperation( inter-institutional– inter-sectoral) with the relevant institutions for treating the children victims of violence (children violence witnesses – children violent offenders). - Initiate the establishment of analytical monitoring within the health, social protection and education institutions at all levels of government to ensure the collection of the most important information required for the monitoring of prevention of violence against children in BiH. - Initiate measuring of the duration of investigative and court proceedings and collect information aiming at the prevention of secondary and tertiary victimization of victims.

- Harmonize legislation, pronounce more stringent sanctions, pronounce protection measures against violent offenders, harmonize jurisprudence and more efficient court proceedings aimed at more efficient and more effiective protection of children from violence. - Encourage NGO activities aimed at drafting sustainable protocols on recording violence against children through separate proceedings (shadow monitoring)

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!!!