30 March 2021.  National Assembly Speaker Ivica Dacic at the founding meeting of the Parliamentary Digital Security Network

30 March 2021. National Assembly Speaker Ivica Dacic at the founding meeting of the Parliamentary Digital Security Network

Tuesday, 30 March 2021

Dacic: Broadest Possible Social Action Needed to Inform and Warn of Dangers Hiding Behind Digital Curtain

The Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dacic addressed the founding meeting of the Parliamentary Digital Security Network saying that all countries deal with digital literacy and digital security today, both as their lever of development, as well as a risk to basic human rights, combating crime and all other destructive phenomena that threaten the stability of modern society.


Dacic took the opportunity to point out that Serbia is a highly digitalised society, with nearly four million of our citizens using the Internet every day and 80% of households having an Internet connection.

"Of course, we all use the Internet to read the news, as well as to have fun. But all these useful sides of digitalisation hide the big, dark side of virtual space that we are here to address today", said Dacic, adding that the Internet has become a place where serious crimes are committed, where the safety of anyone who does not have the knowledge or awareness that they might become an unwitting victim, is endangered.

He stressed that we live in an age when crime has acquired a new face, it is not on the streets and cannot be suppressed by traditional methods. "It is potentially in the home of each and every one of us, we are exposed to it and we have to find an effective way to protect ourselves”, said Dacic.

The National Assembly Speaker stressed that we desperately need the broadest possible social action to inform and warn all of our people, especially the young, of the dangers that lurk behind the digital curtain.

THE FOLLOWING IS THE SPEECH OF THE SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA IN ITS ENTIRETY:

"Ms. Matic,

Distinguished fellow Members of Parliament,

Distinguished representatives of international organisations,

Thank you for the initiative that brought us together here today. It is but one of the many in this short period of our current National Assembly legislature, yet it is one of the most important that we have launched together so far. Today's establishment of the Parliamentary Digital Security Network is an important response to a society-wide phenomenon that brings with it great challenges. All countries deal with digital literacy and digital security today, both as their lever of development, as well as a risk to basic human rights, combating crime and all other destructive phenomena that threaten the stability of modern society.

Serbia is a highly digitalised society, with nearly four million of our citizens using the Internet every day and 80% of households having an Internet connection. It is a resource without which any activity would be unthinkable today - our schools operate online, a huge part of our business activities happen online, volume of online shopping is growing each year… Of course, we all use the Internet to read the news, as well as to have fun. But all these useful sides of digitalisation hide the big, dark side of virtual space that we are here to address today.

Internet has become a place where serious crimes are committed, where the safety of anyone who does not have the knowledge or awareness that they might become an unwitting victim, is endangered. Be it financial fraud, identity theft, or sexual abuse, hiding behind fake profiles on social networks.

Our country has highly-trained services and top experts who discover the most complicated cases of digital fraud and abuse in the shortest possible time. We have been successfully cooperating with the services of the most powerful countries in the world for years which greatly appreciate and recognise our efforts. I can confirm that from personal experience as former Minister of the Interior.

But neither we nor the most developed countries are able to prevent the amount of violence and criminal behaviour present in the cyber world today. We live in an age when crime has acquired a new face, it is not on the streets and cannot be suppressed by traditional methods. It is potentially in the home of each and every one of us, we are exposed to it and we have to find an effective way to protect ourselves.

That is why we desperately need the broadest possible social action to inform and warn all of our people, especially the young, of the dangers that lurk behind the digital curtain. We all have an important role to play in this - the education system and the media and politicians, but above all our families and friends, as someone who still has the greatest impact on the younger generations and their growing up.

I therefore see today's formation of the Parliamentary Digital Security Network as an important step in animating all segments of society to dedicate ourselves much more seriously than before to protecting our privacy and our security. The National Assembly, as the democratic expression of the political will of our citizens, is most qualified to warn of the great challenge facing our entire society, as well as to offer solutions that will make our lives safer. And all of our lives are happen in cyberspace and on the Internet more and more each day, more than on the street, in society and even within the family. That is exactly what I see as the task and mission of our Parliamentary Network, to be the hub of all good ideas and programmes that will make our digital life safer day by day, and reduce the risks to our daily security.

I wish you a lot of success in the work we are embarking on today and you can count on my full support in all of your activities.

Thank you!"


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friday, 29 march
  • 9.00 - the National Assembly Speaker meets with the Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, Speaker’s Cabinet)

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