A/HRC/10/78 Page 3 Introduction 1. The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, established in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 of 18 June 2007, held its third session from 1 to 15 December 2008. The review of Serbia was held at the 10th meeting, on 5 December 2008. The delegation of Serbia was headed by H.E. Mr. Svetozar Čiplić, Minister for Human and Minority Rights. At its meeting on 10 December 2008, the Working Group adopted the present report. 2. On 8 September 2008, the Human Rights Council selected the following group of rapporteurs (troika) to facilitate the review of Serbia: Ukraine, Pakistan and Ghana. 3. In accordance with paragraph 15 of the annex to resolution 5/1, the following documents were issued for the review of Serbia: (a) A national report submitted / written presentation made in accordance with paragraph 15 (a) (A/HRC/WG.6/3/SRB/1); (b) A compilation prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), in accordance with paragraph 15 (b) (A/HRC/WG.6/3/SRB/2); (c) A summary prepared by OHCHR, in accordance with paragraph 15 (c) (A/HRC/WG.6/3/SRB/3). 4. A list of questions prepared in advance by the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden was transmitted to Serbia through the troika. These questions are available on the extranet of the universal periodic review. I. SUMMARY OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE REVIEW PROCESS A. Presentation by the State under review 5. H.E. Mr. Svetozar Čiplić, Minister for Human and Minority Rights, introduced the national report. He noted that, as a successor of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro, Serbia had continued membership of all international human rights instruments that the predecessor States had ratified. He gave an update on ongoing efforts to report to treaty bodies and reported that Serbia recognized the competence of relevant treaty bodies to examine individual complaints. He emphasized that Serbia fully supported the work and was open to cooperation with the special procedures of the Council, as borne out by its standing invitation to all thematic procedures of 11 October 2005. The new Constitution of Serbia was promulgated in November 2006, the entire second part of which is devoted to human and minority rights. Serbia banned all discrimination, whether direct or indirect, on all grounds. In addition, the Constitution regulated in more detail the equality of men and women. Institutional mechanisms for gender equality were established at different levels of Government. Various laws contained provisions stipulating the arrangements and mechanisms for action in the child’s best interest. He stressed that, under the Constitution, physical and mental integrity was inviolable and nobody would be subjected to torture. The Constitution had established the Protector of Citizens (Ombudsman) at the State level as an independent public authority to protect the rights of citizens and exercise oversight over the activities of administrative bodies. The Ombudsman was appointed in June 2007, while his four deputies, specialized in the protection of the rights of persons deprived of liberty, gender equality