Minister Svetlan Stoev participates in online events within the General Debate of the 76th session of the General Assembly of the UN
22 September 2021 News
The Minister of Foreign Affairs Svetlan Stoev participated in online events within the General Debate of the 76th session of the General Assembly of the UN, dedicated to dealing with the consequences of violence against children during the crisis and the current challenges to democracy.
In the framework of the High Level Forum on Violence against Children in Crisis, organized by Bulgaria, Luxembourg and Jamaica (co-chairs of the Group of Friends of the Child and the Sustainable Development Goals), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children (SRSG-VAC), the increased risks to young people and possible ways to respond effectively were discussed, including in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Today, we face many crises affecting the human rights of the most vulnerable groups, and children in particular. We must not allow a reversal of the progress made in this area in recent decades, especially with regard to children's access to health, services, education and shelter. Efforts to provide protection against all forms of violence against children are crucial," said Minister Stoev.
He stressed that restrictions on the spread of the coronavirus could lead to an increased risk of violence. Measures to manage the crisis and ensure better protection of children's rights in a safe environment are crucial to this.
Our Foreign Minister pointed out that in the context of the COVID-19 crisis, the Bulgarian government has strengthened its cooperation with non-governmental organizations for the protection of children. Among the measures taken at the national level, he highlighted the creation of a special section "Child" in the unified information portal on coronavirus, as well as a 24-hour free national line for children, which provides access to the expertise of the best child psychologists and educators. In connection with the increased use of online platforms in distance learning, safety rules have been developed. An advisory body "Children's Council" has been established at the State Agency for Child Protection, with the participation of over 250 children from all over the country.
„In recent years, Bulgaria has achieved significant results in the field of social inclusion by applying a comprehensive and integrated approach," said our Foreign Minister and stressed that in order to consolidate these achievements, in 2020 a National Strategy for Poverty Reduction and Promotion of social inclusion was adopted
"The Bulgarian government will continue its work for the protection of children and their rights, and we are ready to cooperate with all governments, international and human rights organizations and the media," said Svetlan Stoev, adding that joint efforts are an essential prerequisite for successful coping with all forms of violence, especially in crisis and emergency situations.
Also in the framework of the General Debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, our Foreign Minister represented Bulgaria in the Tenth Ministerial Conference of the Commonwealth of Democracies (CD). It was held under the title "Democracy and Sustainability: Shared Goals" and was organized by Romania in its capacity as Chair of the CD.
"The Commonwealth of democracies is based on shared values and shared goals. For more than 20 years, it has brought together all nations with the same mind-set in a global intergovernmental coalition of democracies and acted as a platform for dialogue with many stakeholders," Stoev said in a video address broadcast during the conference.
He stressed that the COVID-19 pandemic has posed extreme challenges to our societies and economies. "In these difficult times, respect for democracy and the rule of law are becoming more important than ever," Stoev said, calling for support for the basic democratic principles and practices enshrined in the Warsaw Declaration of 2000. The need for joint efforts in multilateral cooperation and unconditional solidarity with the world's weakest, poorest and most vulnerable.
The key to strengthening global democracy is inextricably linked to respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, which in turn is an important prerequisite for security and a successful recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Bulgaria pays special attention to building the resilience of society. It goes hand in hand with the firm protection of our democracies from various threats and attacks," said the Bulgarian Foreign Minister. Efforts must be directed against the spread of false news and conspiracy theories, including on pandemics and vaccines. Maximum determination is also needed in response to the increasingly frequent and severe malicious cyberattacks globally.
Our Foreign Minister stressed that the unification for the common goals makes the chances of success in tackling the global challenges of the 21st century greater.