Ten difficult years

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Ten Difficult Years

Foto Mare Milin

UNICEF returned to the Republic of Croatia as of November 1991, as the first UN organisation which opened an office here before the
international recognition of Croatia. The end of 1991 and 1992 were marked by direct material aid, such as the purchase of stoves and
kerosene for heating in refugee settlements, notebooks and school equipment, hygiene packages for babies, supplementary food for
young children, medicines and vaccines.
From 1993, when the first annual agreement and joint action plan was signed with the Government, UNICEF carried out most of its
programme activities through the institutions of the system, the competent ministries and state institutes, as well as a few partner
NGOs. It is important to bear in mind that UNICEF endeavours not to take responsibility for the status of children in a country, but to
provide support for the government and public services in fulfilling the obligations they have undertaken in compliance with the
Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) and the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children
(1990). This is why the general public is sometimes unaware of all the activities supported by UNICEF through the work of state
institutions.
UNICEF is funded 100% from donations. During the war and the post-war period the funds spent in Croatia were raised from
individuals, foundations and governments in the developed countries of the world. The total sum spent on programmes in Croatia in
the period from 1992 to 2001 was about 25 million U.S. dollars.
What was done for children in Croatia?
a) Health
Projects for the protection of children's health ranged from vaccination (where UNICEF, through the Institute of Public Health, secured
sufficient quantities of vaccines for children and the necessary cooling equipment for the storage and distribution of vaccines) to
training of physicians, medical staff and parents (e.g. on respiratory diseases in children, the consequences of not enough iodine in
the diet, oral rehydration, the advantages of breastfeeding, etc.), health education materials for children and young people, and aid in
equipping hospital wards and out-patient clinics and setting up a system for monitoring children's health.
In recent years there has been an increased emphasis on reproductive health and high-risk behaviours among youth.
The Baby-Friendly Hospitals project encourages the humanization of medical institutions and services so that children get the best
start in life.
UNICEF has supported a project of peer education for the protection of health, especially the reproductive health of young people.
Educating youth about the risk of AIDS is crucial for the prevention of this devastating epidemic which is now spreading fastest in East
European countries.
b) Nutrition
Especially in the early nineties, considerable funds were earmarked for the direct purchase of food and baby formula (especially for
towns seriously affected by the war) and for vitamins and minerals insufficiently found in the diet. Towards the end of the nineties the
focus shifted to education on a healthy diet, especially the promotion of breastfeeding and activities leading to better support for
mothers in continuing breastfeeding for as long as possible.
Thanks to the cooperation between UNICEF and the Institute of Public Health, Croatia set up a system for the permanent eradication
of iodine deficiency disorders. Iodine deficiency disorders are the major eliminable cause of impaired cognitive development.
c) Education
In this area there is likewise an evident shift away from direct material aid (the purchase of books and school equipment) toward
training for educators and teachers and setting up models for work with children in schools (education for development and
participation, quality schools, active/efficient schools, schools which promote health, education for tolerance and non-violence) and
pre-school institutions.
UNICEF advocates life skills training in schools: communication skills, critical thinking, participation, responsible behaviour, healthy
lifestyles.
d) Advocating for the rights of the child
The work of UNICEF is based on the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Republic of Croatia has ratified the Convention. The
Convention on the Rights of the Child has primacy over national legislation and all legislation must be harmonized with it.
Among the numerous activities on promoting the rights of the child, the following deserve special mention: the work of the
parliamentary subcommittee for the promotion of the rights of the child, the journals Dijete /The Child/ and Dijete i drutvo /The Child
and Society/ and the excellent book Let us Know and Live Our Rights. Through the work of Children's Forums, the Union of "Our
Children" Societies is making a significant contribution to the promotion of children's rights and the exercise of the right to participation.

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Ten difficult years

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http://www.unicef.hr/show.jsp?page=178726

The Council for Children plays a significant role in the promotion and protection of children's rights an is an important advisory
governmental body in which various sectors, NGOs and media are represented.
UNICEF has been supporting the establishment of an Ombudsman for Children from the very beginning.
The Republic of Croatia submitted a report on the protection of children's rights in Croatia to the UN Committee on the Rights of the
Child in 2002.
e) Children who live in especially difficult circumstances
The war created especially difficult circumstances for all children in Croatia, but there was still a need to provide specific forms of aid
to those children who were most directly the victims of war or who were living in towns badly damaged by war. Unprecedented efforts
were directed at the psychosocial rehabilitation of children through programmes implemented in schools, refugee settlements and
settlements for displaced persons, in local communities, public libraries and medical institutions. Large numbers of professionals and
volunteers were involved in implementing psychosocial programmes for children traumatized by war.
UNICEF recognizes that the category of children in especially difficult circumstances includes children who are neglected, abused,
without parental care, children with developmental disabilities and children in conflict with the law. Through programmes implemented
primarily by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, UNICEF endeavoured to contribute to the better protection of these specific
groups.
UNICEF does not support institutional solutions for children, starting from the basic assumption, expressed in the Convention on the
Rights of the Child, that it is best for every child to grow up in a family environment. It is therefore necessary to help parents and
families, and in cases where these do not exist or are unable to care for the child, a foster family should be found.
UNICEF has supported the harmonization of legislation and the introduction of alternative measures for juvenile offenders in line with
contemporary practice.

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