Presenting the Report to the Committee members, the Commissioner for Protection of Equality Nevena Petrusic, said that the Report contains an overview of the situation as regards equality protection, review of the Commissioner’s one year of operation and recommendations how to improve the situation and undertake measures to prevent and suppress discrimination. Petrusic also listed the key problems occurring in the field of gender discrimination against women, racial discrimination, discrimination against persons with disabilities and sexual discrimination. She stressed that the complaints the Commissioner had received in the reported period, mostly came from physical entities – 81%, and that 44% of the complaints have been against government authorities. In 2012, the Commissioner gave 117 recommendations to public administration bodies on how to boost equality, three opinions on national legislation and one legislative initiative, said Nevena Petrusic.

Discussing the Report, the Committee members commended the Commissioner’s exhaustive Report and issued recommendations and proposals for the Commissioner’s further activities as regards equality protection. The Committee will rule on the conclusion proposals at one of the upcoming sittings.

The sitting was chaired by the Committee Chairman, Meho Omerovic.