Drawing competition for children with refugee status on the occasion of June 1st

Children with refugee or humanitarian status aged 2 to 18 can participate in a drawing competition on the occasion of June 1st - International Children's Day, the State Agency for Refugees (SAR) under the Council of Ministers (CM) announced. The theme of the competition is "Draw my dream".

All children who have been granted refugee or humanitarian status in Bulgaria and/or are in the process of being granted international protection, as well as children from Ukraine who have or are in the process of receiving temporary protection, can participate in the competition, the Agency specified.

The goal of the competition is to encourage the creative endeavors of refugee children and to popularize the right to happiness and well-being for every child, regardless of their nationality, race, and religion, the Agency added. The works should be inspired by childhood, emphasizing its importance as a period of growing up with learning, games, and fun, the organizers pointed out.

A mandatory condition for participation in the competition is the completion of a declaration of informed consent by their parents and guardians. Declarations for participation can be submitted to the email of the SAR press center until May 28, 2026, and the drawings to the address: 114 B Knyaginya Maria Louisa Blvd.

A competent jury will rank the best works, and their authors will be awarded a certificate and material prizes, provided in partnership with UNICEF. The awards will be presented by the Chairman of the SAR, Ivan Ivanov.

International Children's Day has been observed since 1925, following a decision by the World Conference on the Welfare of Children with the participation of 54 states, held that same year in Geneva, Switzerland, where the Declaration of the Rights of the Child was adopted, regardless of race, nationality, and religion. On November 22, 1949, at the conference of the International Democratic Federation of Women in Moscow, USSR, a decision was made to observe June 1st as International Children's Day with the aim of protecting their rights, prohibiting child labor, and guaranteeing children's access to education. As such, the day has been celebrated since 1950 in over 50 countries, most of which were from the former socialist bloc. In Bulgaria, June 1st has been celebrated according to a decree by Tsar Boris III in 1927.