Minister Delegate Negrescu: Child rights to be Romania's priority during EU Council's Presidency

Next year, during Romania's Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the child's rights will be our country's priority, on Wednesday night said the Minister Delegate for European Affairs Victor Negrescu, at the UNICEF Romania 2018 Gala. 

'It is paramount to work together alongside the UNICEF, alongside these important events that are carried out at national and international level to protect the young. (...) Everything we do is important, each gesture we make is important, each look we address is important. Everything that happens, in particular when it is about the interaction with a child is important and this proves that it is possible, that we can give hope. (...) And here I wish to emphasise the UNICEF motto: For each child! Yes, each child should have the chance and opportunity to achieve his dream. (...) Next year, during Romania's Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the child's rights will be a priority for Romania, will be a priority assumed by Romania, because it is important at European level to talk about what we can do together. Or, unfortunately, at European level, we don't talk enough about the children, about their rights, about the guarantees we could implement together to support those policies that could bring the child's welfare,' Victor Negrescu stressed. 

'We need common moves, in particular because we shall talk about the future European budget, next year, the strategic agenda (...) in the next five years. Why not, we must influence together these papers so they talk to the children. I want to say something that most of you probably do know: Not everybody believes that the child should be placed on the agenda. I don't know why they find this not significant. Perhaps they believe that other topics are more important than this. And this is why it is important for us to take action, to work together (...), it is important to put this topic as higher as possible on the European agenda, so as to make joint decisions, together and with a real impact,' Negrescu added. 

The Minister Delegate also said that it is as important to give the children the chance to participate in the decision-making process, giving as example the fact that Romania's logo for its January-June 2019 Presidency of the EU Council has been chosen after a contest won by a 15-year old boy. 

The UNICEF Gala brought together representatives of the national and local bodies, MPs, gov't officials, and of the diplomatic corps and beneficiaries of the organization. 

The event, moderated by one of the UNICEF's ambassadors of Romania, Andreea Marin enjoyed the presence of the other two Romanian ambassadors of the UNICEF, Andrei Maria (Smiley) and Horia Tecau, not to mention the UNICEF's representative to Romania, Pieter Bult.