Voices of youth to be heard before Podgorica elections

PODGORICA, 9 September 2024 – UNICEF Montenegro’s young reporters have launched the campaign #YouthBeforePodgoricaElections to bring youth issues to the forefront of the local elections in the capital this month.

“Many girls and boys will be voting for the first time at these elections. We want them to decide who to vote for based on what each list will do to address the issues most relevant to children and young people in the capital,” UNICEF Montenegro’s young reporter Lana Jovanovic said.

Video messages of young people from Podgorica airing their demands to the next municipal government in the capital will be published on UNICEF Montenegro’s TikTok and other social media channels during the pre-election period.

“We invite all media outlets and journalists to ask the political candidates about what they are going to do to protect and promote child rights, as well as to improve child/youth-friendly services and priority issues. We invite them to use the messages from our youth campaign for this purpose,” UNICEF Montenegro’s young reporter Arsenije Aleksa Mrakovic said.

Resolving issues that affect children and young people will benefit all families and citizens of Podgorica: greater support to children living in or at risk of poverty and those without parental care; equal opportunities and inclusive services for children with disabilities, as well as for Roma and other minorities; better skills development and employment opportunities for adolescents/young people; more regular and free cultural, educational and sports activities for all girls and boys from their first years of life; increasing environmental protection and green spaces; safer streets for all girls and boys – these are some of the demands that Podgorica’s young people have for the next local government, which will be elected on 29 September.                                                                                          

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Montenegro ratified, states that every girl and boy has the right to participate in all the decisions that affect their lives. 

“Through this campaign by young reporters, UNICEF is supporting young people’s political participation during crucial local elections for the country. A healthy democracy is one which listens to children and young people, as equal rights and opportunities need to be provided to all citizens from birth,” UNICEF Montenegro Representative Michele Servadei said.

According to the latest data, children aged up to 18 make up almost one quarter of Montenegro’s population, while children and young people up to 29 years of age make up more than one third of the total population.

Numerous UNICEF analyses and reports on children in Montenegro in recent years point to urgent problems related to child poverty, violence, education and health that need to be addressed at both the local and national levels.

Young people’s messages for the Podgorica elections are available at UNICEF Montenegro's TikTok.