BRATISLAVA, June 1, (WEBNOVINY) — Education Minister Dusan Caplovic said on Friday he was open to a debate on the strengthening powers of the Ombudsman, Jana Dubovcova, to include responsibilities towards the protection of children’s rights and freedoms. He said this on the occasion of International Children’s Day, which is celebrated today. He believes a children’s ombudsman should be part of the existing structure of the Ombudsman office in Slovakia. „The Minister believes that these objectives will be included in upcoming amendments of related legislation,“ said the spokesman of the Education Department Michal Kalinak.
According to Minister Caplovic, the Ombudsman should hold out a protective hand over the rights of children, because it is necessary for the formation of a modern open society. Caplovic draws particular attention to threats in virtual space, which now often replaces leisure time activities and communication for children. „We should perceive the Internet as source of various information, but often also as a means manipulation, inciting crime, spreading pornography, and other ills of the modern world. This is something parents should not forget whose kids spend lot of time at the computer, without any control,“ said Caplovic.
Slovakia’s public guardian of rights, Jana Dubovcova said in mid-May that Slovakia can expect a serious warning from the UN because it has still not established the post of a specialized children’s ombudsman. According Dubovcova, it is high time to provide the needed financing and staffing for the Office of the Ombudsman in order to enable it to deal with issues of human rights and fundamental freedoms in full and ensure their protection at the highest, i.e., the constitutional level.
SITA