The Municipality of Gabrovo has launched a procedure for electing members of the Children's Council, which is an advisory body to the Chairman of the State Agency for Child Protection (SACP). It works to implement the basic principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Child Protection Act. Its aim is to encourage children's participation in the processes of developing policies for children and making decisions related to their life and development. Children will be elected to the Council to represent their peers from across the country in the process of creating and implementing measures and policies aimed at children and young people.
Representatives from each administrative area, including children from vulnerable groups, participate in the Council, and this participation gives them the opportunity to exchange knowledge and skills and share values and interact with governmental and non-governmental organizations at national and regional levels.
Children from 13 to 16 years inclusive have the right to apply for inclusion in only one of the following areas:
• members of school forms of self-governance, according to Art. 171 of the Law on preschool and school education, or of children's/youth councils, parliaments, etc.;
• representatives of children's and youth initiatives and programs financed by business;
• representatives of non-governmental organizations working with children, as well as users/volunteers in social services for children;
• individual applications.
According to a procedure approved by the Chairman of the DAPS, the Mayor of each municipality selects candidates for members of the Children's Council on the territory of the municipality and offers them to the Regional Governor. The Regional Governor selects from the applications submitted by all municipalities and presents three nominees for the field of applications in each direction of the Chairman of the SAPD.
The commission, appointed by the Chairman of the DASP, ranks the applications received from the regions according to the criteria described in Art. 5 of the procedure.
The composition of the Council is formed by one representative of all 28 administrative regions, which include 4 quotas for children from vulnerable groups and 1 quota for a representative of children who have received international protection in Bulgaria.
Candidates for Council members must meet the following criteria
· Activity;
· Creativity;
· Tolerance;
· Commitment to a common cause;
· Ability to conduct negotiations and participate in group discussions;
· Orientation to results;
· Organizational skills;
· Proven skills to work, motivate and unite children from the district;
· Ability to express a position on behalf of the other children in the district;
· Ability to travel unaccompanied (does not apply to children from vulnerable groups who need support).
Requirements for refugee children
– The child has received international protection;
– The child must know the Bulgarian language well enough to be able to communicate with all members of the Council;
When applying, it is necessary for the child to have a current address on the territory of the municipality of Gabrovo.
Deadline for submission of documents – 17:15 on May 31, 2023.
All information on applying according to the established procedure, as well as the application forms for electing members of the Children's Council, are published on the website of the Municipality of Gabrovo.
Application forms can be downloaded from here.
Procedure for electing members of the Children's Council can be downloaded from here.
You can get more information about the procedure at https://sacp.government.bg/съвет-на-децата.
Documents are submitted to the Information Center of Gabrovo Municipality at 3 "Vazrazhdane" square, every working day from 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.
Applications can also be sent by post to the same address or electronically to: iivanova@gabrovo.bg.
Telephone for additional information: 066/818 442; 066/818 381.
