Praxis, as a member and representative of the Network of Organisations for the Children of Serbia - MODS, since February 2014 has been participating in the work of the Policy Steering Group (PSG), consisting of 16 national networks for children from Europe, led by the pan-European network organisation for children Eurochild from Brussels. The Policy Steering Group works on achieving the common goal of putting the children’s rights and welfare at the centre of policy-making at the European and national levels.

The second meeting of the Policy Steering Group was held in the period 12-13 February 2014 in Brussels, and it was attended by Praxis Deputy Executive Director Jasmina Miković, as MODS representative. On the first day of the meeting, an activity report was presented by the Eurochild Secretariat; the participants then discussed the Eurochild’s strategic plan and activity programme for 2014-2017, overview of national advocacy priorities prepared by national networks, tasks of PSG members and ways of future work. On that occasion, the following activities were highlighted as most important: publishing Child Rights Manifesto, European campaign on deinstitutionalisation Opening Doors for Europe’s Children, joint action investment in children of  European networks and organisations for children and advocacy campaign for ratification of Third Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a Communications Procedure (OP3).

The second day was devoted to the upcoming elections for the European Parliament, i.e. to the possibilities of influencing the elections and committing the members of the European Parliament to ensure proper implementation of existing EU acquis relating to children, and to further improve the protection of child’s rights through the systematic inclusion of issues relating to children in all policy sectors, parliamentary initiatives, legislative and non-legislative activities. In addition, participants had the opportunity to attend an event where a joint UNICEF and Eurochild publication was presented: Realising the Rights of Every Child Everywhere: Moving forward with the EU, whose aim is to influence the European Union to improve the exercise of the right of every child and intensify the European debate on children's rights by bringing together the largest possible number of representatives from Europe, as well as to show the commitment of the institutions and civil society organisations in strengthening the actions of the European Union regarding the children’s rights. On this occasion, the participants were addressed by Viviane Reding, Vice-President of the European Commission, who stressed the importance of this publication. She emphasised that the impressions presented in the publication by those dealing with children’s rights from different perspectives in the European Union represented a valuable insight in the situation where we were today. Viviane Reding also said that building a just and safe environment for children was a priority of the European Commission.

See the news: MODS at the Second Meeting of Eurochild’s Policy Steering Group