BEGINNING OF THE PATH  UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989  Council of Europe – Croatia is member state from 1996  Accession to the numerous international documents which strengthen the rights of the child  National Strategy on Protection from the Domestic Violence  National Plan of Activities for the rights and interests of the children  Novelty of the Penal Code 2006

SIGNING OF THE LANZAROTE CONVENTION  Contribution in the creation of the Lanzarote Convention  Croatia signed it on 25 October 2007  Legislation largely harmonized with the Convention’s provisions  Further harmonization needed

FROM SIGNATURE TO RATIFICATION  Improvement of the legislative framework:  Criminal Procedure Code 2008 – protection of the child victim  Juvenile Act – in force from 1 September 2011  Penal Code – crimes of sexual abuse and exploatation of children  Contribution of the Ministry of family, veterans and intergenerational solidarity, Ombudsman for children, UNICEF, NGO’s

THE RATIFICATION PROCESS  Together with the Penal Code  July 2011 – Lanzarote Convention voted in Parliament, in force from 1 January 2012  October 2011 – Penal Code voted in Parliament  National Data on convicted sexual offenders – no reservations, Ministry of Justice in charge in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior

FUTURE CHALLENGES  Evaluation of the Convention – Croatian participation in the Committee of the Parties  Raising the awareness on the need to fight sexual abuse and sexual exploatation of children  Further development of legislative and institutional framework  Cooperation of the institutions in charge for the implementation of the Convention, Ombudsman for children, UNICEF, NGO’s