A/HRC/10/78
Page 5
8.
Serbia stressed that it had ratified all international anti-corruption conventions and,
accordingly, had harmonized its legislation, particularly the Criminal Code. Serbia was a
member of the United Nations anti-corruption pilot project. Moreover, the District Court in
Belgrade had been prosecuting several judges and prosecutors on charges of corruption and
organized crime. Serbia indicated that non-governmental organizations had been active in the
field of transitional justice and war crime accountability. One major step was the State’s policy
relating to the engagement of representatives of the civil sector in preparing draft laws in areas of
their special concern and the reform of the judiciary. Cooperation between human rights
defenders and governmental bodies would be institutionalized by signing a memorandum on
cooperation by the end of 2008. The prohibition of discrimination against people with different
sexual orientations would be regulated by the anti-discrimination law currently being prepared.
9.
Regarding the protection of children of detainees/prisoners, social welfare services took
appropriate protection measures in the child’s best interest. On domestic violence, the Family
Law stipulated the measures aimed at separating a violent spouse from the family and/or
prohibiting access to the family. The victims of violence had access to shelters and 24-hour
availability of social welfare services. A general protocol for the protection of children against ill
treatment and neglect, which regulated inter-sector cooperation in the processes of assistance and
support, had been adopted. Serbia reported that broader inclusion of Roma children into the
education system was achieved by affirmative action measures reflected in coordinated action by
the National Council of Roma and Roma assistant teachers on the inclusion of children into the
educational system and the prevention of dropouts; adoption of new instruments for testing the
aptitude of children for primary school enrolment; and functional primary education for Roma
adults. Affirmative action in enrolling Roma in secondary schools led to an increase in the
number of students enrolled (2.5 times higher in 2008 than in 2005). Children with special needs
(disabilities) were included in the educational system by attending classes at special schools with
adjusted curricula.
10.
Serbia stood ready to continue to work intensively on securing durable solutions for
refugees and enhancing the livelihood of internally displaced persons. It had been estimated that,
to solve the problems of refugees, over 180 million Euros would be required, for which Serbia
still needed the assistance of the international community. Serbia was aware that the difficulty of
obtaining certain documents was a major obstacle to the rights of internally displaced persons. In
that context, amendments to the laws on registry books and permanent and temporary residence
had been prepared, as well as a draft law on legal personality. To facilitate the process of
obtaining documents, Serbia adopted a regulation exempting internally displaced persons of
payment of 70 per cent of administrative fees for the issuance of documents. Serbia was
committed to fulfilling its obligations under the readmission agreements and had prepared a
strategy for reintegration of returnees, to be adopted in 2009. However, in the current difficult
economic situation, Serbia does not have sufficient capacities and means to respond to the needs
of sustainable reintegration.
11.
In 2004, the Government established the Anti-Human-Trafficking Council. In
cooperation with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, a human trafficking
victim protection coordination service was established in 2004. In 2006, an anti-humantrafficking strategy was adopted. The Criminal Code is currently being amended to introduce
harsher punitive policies, including for the crime of human trafficking.
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