The Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic took active part in the Conference of Parliament Speakers of Council of Europe Member States, held in Limassol (Cyprus) on 11 and 12 June 2010.

Djukic-Dejanovic spoke at the second session on National parliaments and international human rights protection instruments: application of the anti-discrimination principle.

In her address, the Speaker repeated that Euro-integration is the Republic of Serbia’s clear orientation also evidenced by the Serbian Government’s programmes, the new Constitution of the Republic of Serbia, and, above all, the series of strategic and action documents adopted in the last eight years dealing primarily with the harmonisation of Serbian legislation with European Union regulations.

The Speaker also mentioned that the National Assembly had passed a series of legal documents regulating human rights such as the Anti-Discrimination Law, Gender Equality Law, Strategy for the Improvement of the Position of Roma and the Action Plan for its implementation.

“The National Assembly pays particular attention to the development of parliamentary cooperation in all spheres. I believe that Serbia’s legislative activity in this field can prove a useful expansion of previous experience.”

In addition to the Speaker, the Serbian delegation comprises Dragoljub Micunovic, NARS Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman and Head of the Standing Delegation to the PACE, deputy Nebojsa Randjelovic and Veljko Odalovic, NARS Secretary General.

The Conference is organised by the Cypriot House of Representatives and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). The Conference was attended by about 350 participants including the speakers of international parliamentary assemblies, as well as parliaments holding observer status at the PACE such as Canada, Israel and Mexico.

The first conference took place in 1975. The conference is held every second year either in Strasbourg or the capital of a Council of Europe member state.