Equality represents one of the fundamental values ​​of modern society. Prohibition of discrimination and equal opportunities are the key to everyone’s well-being, and their realization implies the responsibility of all of us, including the private sector, which has great potential to contribute to this goal, said Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Brankica Janković, at the conference “Support of the private sector – from the perspective of refugees”, which was jointly organized by UNHCR Serbia, the Commissariat for Refugees and Migration of the Republic and the International Organization for Migration of the UN in Serbia.

Among other things, the Commissioner pointed out that business and human rights go hand in hand, which is a vision we should share. Only through such initiatives can we ensure a dignified life for everyone, especially those forced to leave their homes and build a new life, said Janković. She stated that in previous years, the Commissioner held training for refugees and asylum seekers on protection against discrimination, and prepared in 2017 the Equality Code for Employers, which contains guidelines for anti-discriminatory business of employers and was recently updated.

As one of the basic human rights, the right to work was the focus of this conference, held after a series of workshops in which refugees identified the problems they face in employment, entrepreneurship, accommodation, and support for children and new talents. The conference’s main goal was to start a dialogue based on the insights gained on how to adequately respond to the challenges and establish improved cooperation between the public and private sectors. The conference was held as part of the European Union project on migration management in Serbia, and the #Zaizbeglice initiative was launched last year as a private sector support network for the economic empowerment of refugees, in cooperation with UNHCR Serbia and the Ikea company.