23 September 2014.Joint siting of the Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality and the European Integration Committee

23 September 2014.Joint siting of the Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality and the European Integration Committee

Tuesday, 23 September 2014

12th Sitting of the European Integration Committee

The Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality and the European Integration Committee held a joint sitting so as to contribute to the ongoing discussion on human rights taking place during Pride Week which precedes the Pride Parade announced for 28 September.


Opening the sitting, Chairman of the Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality Meho Omerovic said: “We do not want this type of discussion to only take place on the eve of the Pride Parade. The state is obliged to ensure that the Parade does happen and send a clear message that every citizen enjoys the same rights”. He told the representatives of LGBT organisations, EU Delegation to Serbia, the diplomatic corps and NGOs that it is paramount that the discussion on human rights continues after the Parade, stressing that all the attending representatives of the National Assembly are in favour of its taking place.

Belgrade Pride is often put in the context of EU accession. However, Tanja Miscevic, Head of the Negotiating Team for the EU accession talks, believes putting the Parade in this context to be completely wrong. “The Parade should take place because of the LGBT population, not the EU accession”, stressed Miscevic.

Milorad Todorovic, Secretary at the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia, said that the Ministry ensures the safety of every citizen and has recently intensified cooperation with LGBT organisations via its LGBT liaison officer.

The sitting focused on the problems LGBT persons face especially in small rural areas. The participants opined that the laws concerning human rights are good, but inadequately implemented.

National Assembly Deputy Speaker Gordana Comic and MPs Sasa Mirkovic and Dragan Sormaz also took part in the discussion. They expressed full support of the LGBT population and the Pride Parade, asking the LGBT organisations to intensify communication with the representatives of the parliament.

The following conclusions were adopted at the sitting:

-The Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality and the European Integration Committee are united in their belief that all citizens have the right to protection of human and minority rights and freedoms, as guaranteed by the Constitution and law, among them the right to public assembly.

-The Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality and the European Integration Committee ask all the relevant state authorities and institutions to employ measures within their scope (and in accordance with security estimates) to ensure the rights and freedom of assembly of the LGBT population, taking care of the safety of all the participants and protecting property. The committees also appeal to all the citizens that these activities take place in the spirit of tolerance.

-The Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality and the European Integration Committee will soon be initiating the procedure to pass a Declaration against violence, hate speech and hate crime.

-The sitting was chaired by the Chairman of the Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality, Meho Omerovic.


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thursday, 28 march
  • 9.00 - consultations of representatives of the parliamentary groups about the election of deputy chairpersons of the National Assembly working bodies (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, hall 1)

  • 10.00 - visit of the students of Stevan Dukic Elementary School to the National Assembly House (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square)

  • 11.00 - visit of the students of Drinka Pavlovic Elementary School Student Parliament to the National Assembly House (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square)

  • 11.00 - press conference of the Green-Left Front – Don’t Let Belgrade D(r)оwn Parliamentary Group (National Assembly House 13, Nikola Pasic Square. Central Hall)

  • 13.00 - the National Assembly Speaker meets with the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Serbia (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, Speaker’s Cabinet)

Full event calendar