Honorary award for the Executive Director of BFPA Dr. Radosveta Stamenkova from Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev

35 civil society activists for children’s rights, including Dr. Radosveta Stamenkova, Executive Director of the Bulgarian Family and Sexual Health Association, were awarded honorary distinctions by Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev for their contribution to the well-being of children and families in our country. The diplomas were presented on the occasion of 35 years since the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The presentation of the honorary distinctions took place in the Granite Hall of the Council of Ministers.

November 20, 2024 marks the 35th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified by 196 countries, including Bulgaria. It was on the occasion of the anniversary that Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev, Minister of Education Galin Tsokov and Minister of Labor and Social Policy Ivaylo Ivanov presented honorary awards to experts working in the civil sector for their active civic activity in protecting children’s rights in the Republic of Bulgaria and their proven contribution to the development of policies and services at the local, regional or national level.
For 35 years, much has been achieved in child policies. But there is also much to be built. Children’s policies took their first big steps with the adoption of the Child Protection Act in 2000, at the initiative of civil society organizations and civic activists. Both the child protection system and social services have developed. Civil society organizations were the first to introduce innovative policies such as foster care, health mediators, educational mediators, a network of resource teachers was created, a path was paved for young and new teachers in schools and kindergartens, although slowly and difficult, the project for a National Children’s Hospital is not a dream, but is on its way to becoming a reality. These achievements are being realized, although in recent years, civil society organizations have been working in a more hostile environment and the foundations of civil society have been attacked. And social growth is not possible if the state does not work with civil society organizations and active people, because we are all the state!

November 20 was declared Universal Children’s Day by the UN and UNESCO on December 14, 1954. On the same date in 1959, the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, and in 1989, the Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted. To date, 194 UN member states have ratified the Convention, and Bulgaria is one of the first countries to ratify the Convention by a decision of the 7th Grand National Assembly.