Slovenian children's representative at the 58th session of the Human Rights Council

A blog by Petra Zega, Professional Associate at Slovenian Association of Friends of Youth.

At the invitation of the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Livia Zara, the President of the Slovenian Children's Parliament, attended the 58th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva in March.

Supported by Eurochild member Slovenian Association of Friends of Youth, during the Convention, Livia Zara gave a speech in which she emphasized the importance of early childhood and children's rights. Specifically, she mentioned some recommendations for challenges faced by children in Slovenia:

• More accessible services for all children, especially those from socially disadvantaged families, from rural areas, and children at developmental risk. A major challenge is the shortage of pediatricians and long waiting times for specialist examinations.
• Strengthening cooperation between healthcare, social welfare, and education sectors to enable faster identification and support for children who need additional assistance.
• Raising awareness about the importance of early childhood development, particularly in reducing screen exposure, limiting the use of phones as a calming tool for children and promoting physical activity from an early age.

Livia Zara: "We want a world where every child grows up in a safe and supportive environment — where we can learn through play, explore and be heard, understood and supported in our dreams."

On the sidelines of the session, Livia Zara, together with children from Belgium, Lithuania, Moldova and Malta, participated in a meeting with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Violence against Children, Najat Maalla M'jid. These meetings provided an important opportunity for direct dialogue with high-level representatives of international organizations shaping children's rights policies.

Livia Zara also attended a meeting of the Informal Group of Friends of the Rights of the Child, hosted by the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Slovenia to the United Nations. The event was led by Slovenia, with the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Violence against Children, Najat Maalla M'jid, also in attendance.

Livia Zara's presence at such high-level meetings reflects a step in the right direction towards greater child participation in shaping policies that affect children's futures.

For further information, please contact Petra Zega, Professional Associate, at the Slovenian Association of Friends of Youth.