The workshop was co-organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) with the topic “Parliaments as human rights keepers: casebook for strong parliamentary human rights committees and development of international principles supporting their work. The workshop was attended by members of parliamentary committees tasked with human rights, IPU and OHCHR representatives and representatives of human rights organisations with a seat in Geneva.

On the occasion MP Videnovic spoke to the participants about the activities of the Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality as regards following the application of international agreements. She stress that it is the common tasks not only of the MPs and the human rights committees, but of the society as a whole to contribute to the development of human rights. “Human rights seem to take a back seat as the global political crisis and challenges bring big political issues to the forefront, yet how people live and how free they are is the most important issue and policy. That is why parliaments have to become and remain the keepers of democracy, and human rights committees their most important part. Civil freedom is the measure of democracy and the best indicator of its state, and that state must never become good enough, we must always strive for better”, said Maja Videnovic.