Mr. Atanasovski briefed the Committee Chairman on the regional programme, conducted by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) from April 2019 to October 2021, aimed at establishing a parliamentary network of committees on human rights and gender equality in the Western Balkans, monitoring the implementation of laws related to these issues and strengthening parliamentary oversight over human rights and gender equality legislation. The programme is supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In the course of the realization of the programme so far the participants have established the informal human rights and gender network (HUGEN), managed from the regional centre in Belgrade in cooperation with other WFD offices, and begun with the post-legislative scrutiny. Some of the key activities covered by the programme by March 2021 are: presenting individual analyses following the post-legislative scrutiny launched in January 2021, building parliamentary oversight capacities and preparation of post-legislative scrutiny training handbooks.

The Committee Chairman praised the WFD programme’s former engagement and cooperation with the Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality, stressing the importance of regional cooperation for issues relating to human rights and gender equality. He also stressed the importance of the parliament’s oversight role and the support the WFD programme provides to the parliaments in the region to strengthen this parliamentary function, especially through the preparation of analyses of related legislation in force in the region. In that sense, thanks to WFD’s engagement, an analysis was prepared of the implementation of the Law on Prevention of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities, in force in the Republic of Serbia, whose presentation is expected in the coming period.

Finally, the participants of the meeting concluded that even amidst the difficulties caused by the COVID-19 virus pandemic to regional cooperation, it is essential to continue with the exchange of opinions, experiences and practices between the parliaments in the region.