Pristina, July 1, 2024 – On Monday, the People’s Advocate, Mr. Naim Qelaj, took part in the table entitled “Protection of children in the media”, which was organized by the Independent Media Commission.

At this round table, which was aimed at discussing the exposure of children in the media, the People’s Advocate raised his concern about the small number of complaints from children, regarding their rights.Mr. Qelaj said that of the 100 complaints they have received, none is related to the violation of the dignity and privacy of children, and that according to him, although there are no complaints, the violations exist.

According to him, institutions should do more in raising social awareness regarding the respect of children’s right to dignity and independence, especially in cases where they are exposed in the media.

“We have addressed recommendations to the authorities with a special report where we talked about the implementation of the Law on child protection and the issuance of special acts. There are many authorities that have not issued these regulations even when five years have passed and today a large number have not issued these regulations, making the law unenforceable”, he added.

The People’s Advocate added that the Institution he leads, every year, organizes conferences and meetings with children in schools, with the aim of raising awareness and informing children about the protection of their rights and the right to complain. Also, in 2019, the IAP issued a regulation that deals with complaints with appropriate access for children.