Esteemed Mr. Minister,

Honoured Mr. Kypreos,

Mr. Degert,

Mr. Goodstein,

Fellow deputies,

Dear guests,

It is my pleasure to greet you all on the behalf of our deputies and welcome you to the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia.

The topic gathering us today – combating human trafficking – in practice requires a concentrated effort of all state authorities, primarily the Ministry of Interior, the judiciary and prosecutorship, international and non-governmental organisations, without whose partnership there could be no efficient opposition to this severe form of crime which at the same time represents a multiple violation of fundamental human rights. That is why the National Assembly’s hosting of this conference is particularly significant, as is the deputies’ joining in the activities undertaken on the national level, in order to ensure the state’s comprehensive response to the problem.

Today’s Conference is all the more important as today, 18 October, is dedicated to the fight against trafficking in human beings in all European Union countries, and for the third consecutive year, in October, the Republic of Serbia organises numerous forums and seminars and implements appropriate activities aimed at suppressing this serious social problem.

The Republic of Serbia inherited the international legal obligations undertaken by the signing of the United Nations Convention Against Transitional Organised Crime and the Protocol for the Prevention, Suppression and Punishment of Trafficking in Persons, particularly Women and Children.

The National Assembly is a significant partner in the implementation of the national mechanism for the prevention of human trafficking, because without concrete laws there can be no successful processing of those who exploit others, nor successful protection of the victims.

So, in the past few years, the National Assembly passed laws which had provided the state authorities with a solid basis for combating human trafficking.

In 2009 alone the Law on the Confirmation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings was adopted which, inter alia, aims to prevent and suppress this type of crime, protect the victims’ human rights and ensure efficient investigation and criminal prosecution. Other laws significant for the field are the Law on the Confirmation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the EC and the Republic of Serbia, Law amending and modifying the Criminal Code which tightens the provisions for the criminal offense of human trafficking, Anti-Discrimination Law, Law on Organ Transplantation, Health Care Law, Law on the Protection Programme for Participants in Criminal Proceedings, Law on Seizure of the Proceeds from Crime etc.

In addition to its legislative role, the National Assembly’s role in the field is also of key importance from another aspect i.e. monitoring the Government’s work. In the sittings of competent committees charged with the combat against human trafficking, the deputies can not only follow, on the behalf and for the benefit of the citizens, if and how much the legal solutions are implemented, but also adopt conclusions and propose measures to improve their implementation, as well as adopt new documents. Under the new Rules of Procedure the committees can organise public hearings which enable the non-governmental sector, expert public and citizens to have their say in the drafting of laws that concern them thus participating in the creation of legal policy which is an important segment of a country’s democratic life.

Additional guidelines for the deputies’ activities in the field will also be provided by the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s Handbook on Combating Trafficking in Persons which will be presented. The handbook has been designed so that it prompts the deputies to join in the fight against human trafficking, and it also contains recommendations for the harmonisation of the national legal system with international standards.

Finally, I would like to stress that today’s topic is important for me both personally and professionally as I have, in my clinical practice as a neuropsychiatrist, worked with victims of human trafficking in the process of care and protection, so I am familiar with all the horrors and sufferings the victims go through and the trouble and effort needed for their successful re-integration.

Dear fellow deputies, esteemed guests,

I wish you success in your work and express certainty that we shall in future jointly implement the measures necessary to maximally reduce the incidence of human trafficking in our country and establish better cooperation between countries, adequately sanctioning this type of crime and providing protection to the victims.

Thank you for your attention.