The meeting was organised in cooperation with the Government’s Office for Cooperation with Civil Society, Multi-Sector Coordinating Body for the execution of the National Action Plan for the implementation of UNSC Resolution 1325 and civil society organisations in the spheres of security, defence and gender equality.

The meeting was opened by the Director of the Office for Cooperation with Civil Society, Ivana Cirkovic who said that today’s meeting focuses on discussing the best mechanisms for cooperation with civil society organisations in order to establish a systemic approach to improving the status of women in the Republic of Serbia.

The Chairperson of the Commission Monitoring the Execution of the National Action Plan for the Implementation of UNSC Resolution 1325 - Women, Peace and Security in the Republic of Serbia (2010-2015), Zlata Djeric, briefed the participants on the Commission’s activities as a supervisory body and its manner of reporting to the National Assembly. She spoke of the legislative framework in place in the Republic of Serbia regulating the sphere of human rights, gender equality and especially the status of women, the amendments and modifications of laws aimed at improving the position of women and the participation of women in the work of the National Assembly working bodies and the Women’s Parliamentary Network.

The President of the Multi-Sector Coordinating Body for the execution of the National Action Plan for the implementation of UNSC Resolution 1325, Vesna Nikolic, presented the activities of the Multi-Sector Coordinating Body as the Government’s operative body, set up in 2011 to make sure that the Action Plan goals are pursued. She emphasised the importance of the establishment of a single list of indicators for the implementation of the NAP, adding that the Multi-Sector Coordinating Body submits semi-annual reports to the Government and the National Assembly, and that it has achieved inter-sector cooperation with the non-governmental sector and international organisations.

Part of the meeting was also dedicated to the presentation of civil society organisations taking part in the implementation of Resolution 1325 – Women in Black, Belgrade Centre for Security Policy, Roma Women’s Centre Bibija, Public Policy Research Centre, Autonomous Women’s Centre, Astra, Law Scanner, YUCOM, Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, Atina and UN Women. The representatives of the non-governmental sector exchanged experiences with the MPs, Commission members, Government and Multi-Sector Coordinating Body representatives, related to human and women’s rights and shared suggestions on how to improve future cooperation. They also pointed out the need for closer communication between the non-governmental sector and state authorities, activities that need to be undertaken so that the Action Plan goals could be implemented at the local level, education of all the participants taking part in the Action Plan implementation process and the need to secure domestic funds to finance the Action Plan and Strategy.

The meeting will be followed by conclusions and recommendations to be forwarded to all the participants.