The Ombudsman Diana Kovacheva was the last guest speaker in the first course of the National Program “Governing Skills”. Together with Dimitar Tsvetkov, Director of “TOGETHER” shelter, they spoke about children’s rights and the child protection policy in Bulgaria. The topic is the first of a total of three for each cohort of trainees related to child policies that the BSoP has consistently included in its program over the last four years.

The conversation with the National Ombudsman was particularly emotional as it also coincided with the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The document, according to which all children should have the best opportunities for life and development, was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 20.11.1989 and ratified by Bulgaria in 1991.

To the BSoP’s trainees Diana Kovacheva noted that children have almost the whole palette of adult rights and in this sense they are small adults. That is why there are countries where they even consult children when drafting laws related to them. The Ombudsman also said that 300 complaints related to children were received in the first ten months of this year. They are about problems in the family environment and alternative care related to inclusive education and violence. The Ombudsman’s institution has the capacity to influence by carrying out checks, giving opinions and making recommendations, coming out with specialized reports, and contacting institutions in person. The main group of children who are always in the Ombudsman’s attention are children in institutions and children in formal care.

The BSoP’s trainees of Class 2020 asked Diana Kovacheva many questions. After answering them, she did not fail to mention that she was always pleased to return to the Bulgarian School of Politics, which she graduated in 2006.

After the lecture, the freshmen from the National Program received individual homework related to the problems of children on the local level.