12 September 2014 The Chairman of the Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality, Meho Omerovic, took part in the conference on LGBT rights

12 September 2014 The Chairman of the Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality, Meho Omerovic, took part in the conference on LGBT rights

Friday, 12 September 2014

Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality Committee Chairman Meho Omerovic Takes Part in Conference on LGBT Rights

The Chairman of the Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality, Meho Omerovic, took part in the conference co-organised by LABRIS and the Hirschfeld-Eddy-Foundation, titled “The future belongs to us: LGBT rights on the road to the European Union”. The Conference is taking place in Belgrade on 12 and 13 September.


On the occasion, he stressed the importance of human and minority rights in the European Union accession talks, as well as the role the National Assembly plays in the process. He also reminded that human and minority rights are the cornerstone of every democratic society, with the right to equality and protection from discrimination based on personal traits, including gender identity and sexual orientation, being a fundamental human right.

He reminded that the National Assembly had passed the Anti-Discrimination Law, Gender Equality Law and other legislation containing the principle of non-discrimination, some of which expressly ban discrimination based on sexual orientation such as the Law on Social Welfare, Labour Law and Law on Broadcasting. The Law amending and modifying the Criminal Code considers hate crime, among other things that committees based on sexual orientation or gender identity, an aggravating circumstance i.e. special circumstance that affects sentencing.

He also noted that though the appropriate legislative and institutional framework has been set up to a great extent, this has proven not enough. The examples and concrete problems the members of the LGBT community have to deal with are many ranging from physical violence based on real or assumed sexual orientation, threats and, hate speech to discrimination. That is why all the relevant authorities should concentrate their efforts on an efficient implementation of the adopted legislation.

In conclusion, Chairman of the Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality Meho Omerovic said that this was a complex issue requiring a broader approach which should include efforts to change the awareness of the entire society, first and foremost in the family, school, police and healthcare.



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thursday, 28 march
  • 9.00 - consultations of representatives of the parliamentary groups about the election of deputy chairpersons of the National Assembly working bodies (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, hall 1)

  • 10.00 - visit of the students of Stevan Dukic Elementary School to the National Assembly House (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square)

  • 11.00 - visit of the students of Drinka Pavlovic Elementary School Student Parliament to the National Assembly House (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square)

  • 11.00 - press conference of the Green-Left Front – Don’t Let Belgrade D(r)оwn Parliamentary Group (National Assembly House 13, Nikola Pasic Square. Central Hall)

  • 13.00 - the National Assembly Speaker meets with the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Serbia (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, Speaker’s Cabinet)

Full event calendar