A new generation of young advisers to the Ombudsman for Children in Croatia has been elected in September 2024, based on the tender published in May 2024. Twenty-five young advisers will have a three-year mandate within the Network of Young Advisers (NYA), while sixteen advisers will have a two-year mandate with the Youth Forum 16+ (YF 16+), during which they will be engaged as counsellors, associates and ambassadors of the Ombudsman for Children in Croatia.
The young advisers will be able to suggest topics for discussion and closer monitoring, as well as participate in important events (e.g. roundtables, conferences, discussions, etc.) and working groups referring to the enhancement of children’s rights and everyday life of children and youth in Croatia. Their role is very important as many initiatives launched by the Office of the Ombudsman for Children are based on their valuable insights.
In addition to cooperating with children during official visits to institutions where children reside and when children visit the Office of the Ombudsman for Children, the Office of Ombudsman for Children has the Network of Young Advisers to the Ombudsperson for Children – NYA (in Croatian: Mreža mladih savjetnika – MMS), a permanent advisory body that has been active since 2010, as well as the Youth Forum 16+ since 2021. Children apply for the NYA/YF 16+ membership on their own, through a public competition. They are chosen by the former members of the NYA/ YF 16+ with the help of the expert team of the Office of the Ombudsman for Children. When electing members of the NYA/YF 16+, the intention is to achieve the representation of children from all parts of Croatia, with different backgrounds and from a variety of living conditions and situations.