Office of the commissioner for fundamental rights of hungary

The modernisation of the Balassagyarmat-based Ipolypart Fészek Children’s Home was completed as part of the ombudsman’s children’s home renovation programme. Similarly to the previous years, this year, it was again the National Headquarters of the Hungarian Prison Service (BVOP) and the state forestry companies, including Ipoly Erdő Zrt that took part in the refurbishment of the building. In the delivery of the revamped building, Commissioner for Fundamental Rights of Hungary Dr. Ákos Kozma, State Secretary for Forests and Land Affairs of the Ministry of Agriculture Mr. Péter Zambó, as well as the representatives of the National Headquarters of the Hungarian Prison Service took part.

In his speech, Ombudsman Dr. Ákos Kozma thanked for the efforts taken by the leaders and staff members of the participating institutions, and he also expressed his hope that a high number of children’s homes would still be refurbished as part of this programme, which can be considered good practice.

State Secretary for Forests and Land Affairs of the Ministry of Agriculture Mr. Péter Zambó explained that after the region of Szombathely and Veszprém, as well as that of Baranya, now it is in Nógrád County that the programme has achieved tangible results. This is the fifth time when an institution for children has been renovated with support from a state-owned forestry company. The cooperation well illustrates that the forestry companies manage their funds by serving the public good. They take part in a high number of important social missions for which a stable basis is provided by their forest management activities.

The Commissioner for Fundamental Rights of Hungary pays special attention to rights of children. In this spirit, he continuously monitors the enforcement of children’s rights in Hungary, so, among others, he pays regular visits to Hungarian child protection institutions. The report issued in the wake of the Ombudsman’s visit to the special children's home in the village of Rum in the summer of 2021 disclosed some deficiencies in the condition of the building housing the institution. In order to remedy this situation and give direct assistance, in addition to his rights protection activity, the ombudsman’s children’s home renovation programme was launched at the initiative of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights in 2021, with the participation of National Commander of the Hungarian Prison Service, Prison Lieutenant General Dr. Tamás Tóth and State Secretary for Forests and Land Affairs Mr. Péter Zambó.

In the ombudsman’s children’s home renovation programme initiated by Dr. Ákos Kozma, so far, several children’s homes have been renewed: the Rum Special Children’s Home, the Veszprém-Gyulafirátót Temporary Children's Home e, the Ipolypart Fészek Children’s Home in Balassagyarmat, as well as the Baja and Szentlőrinc Group Homes of the Saint Ágota Child Protection Service of the Szeged-Csanád Diocese.