The institution of the Ombudsman for Children was established in 2003 as the first specialised institution of its kind in the Republic of Croatia, with the aim of protecting and promoting the rights and interests of children.
The Ombudsperson for Children in the Republic of Croatia is Ms Helenca Pirnat Dragičević and she was appointed on 17 November 2017.
The scope and means of operation of the Ombudsman for Children is laid down in the Ombudsman for Children Act (Official Gazette 73/2017), in accordance with which the Ombudsman for Children safeguards, monitors and promotes the rights and interests of children in the Republic of Croatia, based on the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, other international documents and the legislation of the Republic of Croatia.
The Ombudsman for Children acts on the basis of complaints received, or on his or her own initiative, whether in responding to individual violations of children’s rights and interests, or in general. The Ombudsperson for Children is appointed by the Croatian Parliament for a period of eight years, acts independently and autonomously, adhering to the principles of equity and morals, and no-one may instruct or order him or her in his or her work.