Wednesday, 16 February 2011

Thirteenth Sitting of the Committee on Interethnic Relations

At the sitting of 16 February, the Committee on Interethnic Relations considered the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights 2010 Activity Report, the part pertaining to minority rights.



At the sitting of 16 February, the Committee on Interethnic Relations considered the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights 2010 Activity Report, the part pertaining to minority rights. The sitting was chaired by Committee Chairman Miletic Mihajlovic.

Elaborating the report, Minister of Human and Minority Rights Svetozar Ciplic said that the past year was marked by the Ministry’s activities on the implementation of the Law on National Minority Councils, resulting in the election of 19 councils, 16 of which have been constituted. He is sure that the elections for the Bosniak national minority council, scheduled for April, will prove successful and result in the constitution of said council.

Minister Ciplic stressed that Serbia is a multiethnic and multicultural state and the ethnic minorities have not lost their respective identities, adding that interethnic conflicts have been on a decline. In addition, last year the Ministry was very busy representing Serbian citizens before the Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

The Committee members objected that in practice the national councils are too politicized even though they are simply subjects of cultural autonomy.

In addition, they objected that the Report did not list any data on interethnic incidents, nor on the number or persons returned to Serbia under the European Parliament’s decision on readmission.

The Committee declared that in 2010 the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights worked within its competencies and was extremely active on the preparation, organisation and implementation of the elections for national minority councils in line with the Law. The Committee suggested that the Ministry should soon propose amendments and modifications to the Law on National Minority Councils so as to remedy the flaws in its implementation and resolve the issue of financing of the national councils. In addition, the Committee members believe the Ministry, along with other competent ministries, should be more active on resolving the current problems of the Roma minority so as to realise the obligations set out in the Strategy on the improvement of the position of Roma.


Committees related to this activity



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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