date: 27.4.2020.

CITY OF BELGRADE, Mayor

11000 BELGRADE

Dragoslava Jovanovica 2

Dear Mr. Radojicic,

The Commissioner for the Protection of Equality was addressed by a letter from the Initiative for Social and Economic Rights A11, stating that it had submitted a request to initiate proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg due to, as stated in the request, “alarming situation in the informal Belgrade statement “Cukaricka Suma “, in which more than 300 displaced Roma men and women live, because the competent authorities of Serbia and the City of Belgrade have not taken a single step of support so far.” Also, the European Court of Human Rights recommended that this organization address once again “all relevant domestic institutions so that they take concrete support measures in the fight against coronavirus.”

We remind you that in addition to the above recommendation of the European Court of Human Rights, the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, acting at the request of the Standing Conference of Roma Citizens’ Associations – ROMA LEAGUE, sent to the Government a recommendation of measures to improve the position of Roma in Roma settlements no. 596/20 of 21 April 2020, due to the very difficult situation in which members of the Roma national minority living in unhygienic settlements found themselves after the declaration of the pandemic. Having in mind the Instruction on prevention and protection measures for coronavirus – COVID-19, as well as other adopted documents, which prescribe that the basic precondition for avoiding the occurrence of influenza and spreading the disease is maintaining hand and respiratory hygiene by cleaning with soap and water, or with an alcohol-based dry cleaning, the Commissioner recommended, among other things, that the Government, as one of the measures to suppress the spread of COVID-19 virus, adopts the obligation to provide local residents with full access to clean water by installing cisterns, plastic tanks, water bottles and the like. Also, regarding the problem related to ensuring the presence of representatives of Roma associations at the meetings of local emergency headquarters, which the ROMA LEAGUE pointed out in its letter, the Commissioner pointed out that their direct participation in creating concrete measures to suppress speeding of this virus that are undertaken at the local level is of great importance for the entire local community, and emphasized that it is important that the Ministry of State Administration and Local Self-Government sent a letter to local self-government units in which it recommended, among other things, that the city/municipal authorities include in their work a coordinator for Roma issues and thus provide additional support to vulnerable groups in their territory.

We also emphasize that the practice of the Commissioner, as well as numerous relevant researches, indicate that the Roma are one of the most frequently discriminated groups of the population, which is at the highest risk of social exclusion and poverty. The Commissioner visited this settlement twice and pointed out to the public the need to take measures for their adequate care.

In accordance with the competencies established by the Law on Prohibition of Discrimination, the Commissioner for Protection of Equality will continue to monitor the situation and continuously point out the more serious problems the most vulnerable categories of citizens face and address to us, and which should be taken in consideration when different measures to suppress the spread of the COVID-19 virus are created.

For the purpose of our present common struggle against the spread of COVID-19 virus in the Republic of Serbia, as well as the need to protect the most vulnerable, please keep us informed on all measures undertaken.

With respect,

COMMISSIONER FOR THE PROTECTION OF EQUALITY

Brankica Janković