In the debate on the proposed Plan the participants discussed possibly organising several public hearings on investments into early childhood development in Serbia, improving the position of single parents, as well as financial support for families with children with a special focus on awarding children’s allowance. In addition to the Committee members, representatives of the UNICEF Serbia Office, Commissioner for Protection of Equality, representatives of the association Parent, Children’s Rights Centre, Incest Trauma Centre an Network of Organisations for Children also took part in the debate. The representatives of the UNICEF Serbia Office shortly outlined their study on the funding and investment into pre-school education, stressing that the data shows that the issue needs to be discussed, and new organisational models need to be found.
The Commissioner for Protection of Equality, Nevena Petrusic, proposed that the Committee on the Rights of the Child should play host to children, activists dealing with the issues of equality and discrimination in their communities, so that they could inform the Committee on their activities.
The Committee members adopted the Decision to organise a public hearing on 9 April 2013, dedicated to the investment into the early childhood development in Serbia, which they will discuss in more detail at the next sitting.
The Committee members went on to agree on the establishment of working groups to tackle different issues, viz.: Working Group for the monitoring of the Law on the Basis of Education and Upbringing, the segment on inclusion, Working Group for the monitoring of the implementation of the Family Law, the segment relating to the protection of children from violence, Working Group for the monitoring of the implementation of the Law on Juvenile Criminal Offenders and Criminal Protection of Juveniles, the segment on the enforcement of educational directives and detainment measures, Working Group for the monitoring of the implementation of the Social Welfare Law, the segment related to the development of community support services for the families of children with developmental difficulties and disabilities, Working Group for the monitoring of the implementation of the Law on Financial Support to Families with Children, the segment related to awarding children’s allowance and the Working Group on Petitions and Proposals. The Committee members agreed that, for the sake of efficiency, each working group should comprise three members.
The Committee also adopted the Decision to launch the initiative for the amendment of article 108 of the Criminal Code. Committee Chairman, MA Nebojsa Stefanovic stressed that the national Assembly had ratified the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse which obligates the signatory countries to adjust their legislation to it, and represents the mere minimum of standards in the protection of children against sexual abuse. The amendment to the Criminal Code would ensure no statute of limitation for the prosecution of the perpetrators of criminal offenses of this kind, stressed the Committee Chairman. In the discussion, the Committee members underlined that the amendment would achieve two goals – reduce the number of sexual offenses and penalize a great many sexual offenders. Women MPs, members of the National Assembly’s Women’s Parliamentary Network, stressed that the group supports the initiative. The Committee members agreed that they would all sign the proposal for amendment of the Criminal Code, and that the Committee Chairman should be the authorised representative of the submitters.

The sitting was chaired by MA Nebojsa Stefanovic, Committee Chairman.