2. GENERAL ASSESSMENT OF THE OBSERVANCE OF CITIZENS' RIGHTS IN 2019 Human rights are the language of basic human needs, and their observance and protection affect the daily lives of citizens, especially members of vulnerable groups: women, victims of violence in family and intimate partner relationships, children and youth, persons with disabilities, persons deprived of their liberty, the elderly, members of LGBTI population, members of national minorities, primarily the Roma, refugees and other migrants. The Protector of Citizens notes that during the reporting period citizens2, most frequently complained about the violations of economic-property rights, violations of principles of good administration and social-cultural rights. CHILD RIGHTS The limitation to the employment in public sector introduced in 2014 endangered and aggravated the exercise of child right and to a great extent crumbled already sensitive systems where the protection to the most sensitive groups of people is provided. Therefore, the number of employees at centers for social work since 2014 was reduced by almost a fifth, while the number of beneficiaries in the same period was increased by 11 percent. Especially concerning is the information that the number of cases of domestic violence reported to the centers for social work was increased by 161 percent in comparison to the year of 20143. The prohibition of employment in public sector influenced also the education system, so the number of professional associates at educational institutions is not even sufficient for the provision of services of additional support to children and students. Therefore, the service of the personal attendants is not available to all the children who need it – a great number of local self-government units did not implement the personal attendant service and in the city of Belgrade there still are “waiting lists”. The Protector of Citizens issued recommendations4 to the Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, especially in the field of the protection against violence. The Ministry of Labor, Veteran and Social Affairs, acting upon the recommendations of the Protector of Citizens, submitted the request for additional employment, but it was not adopted. Even apart from the assurance that as of January 2020 the situation will change, the rigorous and linear limitation of employment was prolonged5 without the implemented assessment of the influence to children, which endangers and aggravates the exercise and protection of child rights. Children in families where domestic violence takes place are not recognized as victims of domestic violence and therefore no adequate measures of protection toward them are not planned or applied and children victims are exposed to secondary traumatization. According All terms which are expressed in the text in grammatical masculine gender refer to natural masculine and feminine gender of persons they refer to. 3 Available at: http://www.zavodsz.gov.rs/%D0%B1%D0%B8%D0%B1%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%B A%D0%B0/%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%88%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%98%D0%B8%D0%B8%D0%B7 %D1%81%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BC%D0%B0/%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%88% D1%82%D0%B0%D1%98%D0%B8%D0%B8%D0%B7%D1%81%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BC%D0 %B0-2018/. 4 Available at: https://www.ombudsman.rs/index.php/2012-02-07-14-03-33/5985-u-vrd-ni-pr-pus-i-u-r-du-n-dlznih-u-bl-s-i-z-sh-i-zr-v-u-sluc-vi-p-r-dicn-g-i-p-r-n-rs-g-n-silj. 5 Article 4 Paragraph 2 of the Law on the Amendments to the Law on Budget System “Official Gazette of RS“, no. 72/19. 2 -6-