In 2008, at the initiative of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the United Nations General Assembly declared 15 September International Day of Democracy. The National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia commemorates the day every year.

The National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia will commemorate Democracy Day this year as well, in addition to the 120^th anniversary of its membership at the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

A conference on Human Rights and Parliamentarians will be organised at the National Assembly House, in cooperation with the OSCE Mission to Serbia, on 6 October 2011, on the occasion of the International Day of Democracy and the anniversary of IPU membership. The Serbian translation of the Handbook titled Human Rights: A Handbook for Parliamentarians, published by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, will be presented in the course of the Conference.

Last year, the Inter-Parliamentary Union proposed that all the parliaments commemorate the International Day of Democracy with the topic Political responsibility: strengthening bonds between the parliament and the citizens. On the occasion, the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic addressed all the MPs in a letter proposing that they get involved so that the National Assembly may, based on the answers to the questionnaire, gain insight into the citizens’ awareness of the work, position and significance of the National Assembly.

The National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia commemorated Democracy Day 2009 by publishing a note on democracy on its website.

“Compared with the world’s long historical experience with democracy, Serbia’s democracy is young and insufficiently developed, and it needs friends. The political factors should make use of the people’s preference of democracy to develop the democratic spirit, strengthen democratic institutions, include as many citizens as possible in the social reform, to create an environment conducive to economic development and better life, exhibiting social solidarity with the most underprivileged, and above all to spread trust in a free and just society”, states the note commemorating Democracy Day 2009, among other things.

A year earlier, in 2008, when the date was established, Serbia commemorated the International Day of Democracy by a Solemn Session of the National Assembly attended by the highest state dignitaries and representatives of the army, religious communities and diplomatic corps. The session was also attended by the UN Resident Coordinator and representative of the UN Development Programme in Serbia David Lance Clark. He congratulated Serbia on its progress in democratisation realised in the previous years.