At the beginning of the event, the MPs and guests were welcomed by Nadia Cuk, Deputy Head of the CoE Office in Belgrade, who recounted the history of the organisation’s work in Serbia. Consultations, exchange of ideas and experiences and today’s “workshop of ideas” are the way to reach an answer to the question of what kind of society we want to live in, concluded the Deputy Head of the CoE Office in Belgrade

Greeting the gathering, National Assembly Speaker Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic Dejanovic opined that the National Assembly’s delegation to the PACE has been very active. In 2011, the PACE adopted six resolutions directly important for Serbia, held 12 roundtables and realised nine study visits for the MPs and five for the National Assembly’s Service. Djukic Dejanovic reminded that the National Assembly was also taking part in the project “Joint Initiative to Support Parliamentary Institutions”, realised in cooperation with the PACE. The Speaker stressed that the National Assembly was also involved in the Council of Europe Campaign for the prevention of sexual abuse of children, based on the Lanzarote Convention the National Assembly ratified last year, adding that the Children’s Rights Working Group paid special attention to the topic.

Prof. Dr Dragoljub Micunovic, Head of the Delegation of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia to the PACE, stressed that the Council of Europe was the only European house where we felt comfortable and equal. He added that the Council of Europe was at the same time a free and the bravest European house evidenced by its investigation of secret prisons, condemnation of the war on Iraq, condemnation of concentration camps and launching an investigation based on Dick Marty’s report on trafficking in human organs. Micunovic stated that observing the rule of law, which is crucial for further social development, was an issue which needed to be addressed. Today should be about adherence to human rights, the rule of law and development of democracy, concluded Micunovic.

Antje Rothemund, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade, thanked the National Assembly and National Assembly’s delegation to the PACE, state authorities, independent agencies, civil society and individuals for their devoted work during the many years of cooperation. We can achieve results only if we work together and reach full social consensus, said Rothemund.

In the continuation, the guests watched a documentary titled "What kind of society do we want to live in?", directed by Irena Fabri, followed by a workshop on “Towards a Culture of Human Rights: Vision for Serbia”.