Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Brankica Janković, participated in the annual ECRI seminar for representatives of national equality bodies in Strasbourg, which was dedicated to practices and strategies for combating racism in healthcare and structural discrimination.
The seminar was an opportunity to mark 30 years of ECRI’s work. ECRI is an independent supervisory body for protection against discrimination made up of impartial experts for protecting human rights appointed by member states of the Council of Europe.
Before the seminar, the new Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, organized a meeting with representatives of the equality bodies. At the meeting, the priorities regarding the protection of human rights and the fight against discrimination, as well as the improvement of cooperation with national equality bodies, were discussed.
On that occasion Commissioner Janković said that the institution of the Commissioner strives to keep all important topics in focus as well as to act as the voice of those who do not have equal access to resources, information, health, social, and other services, such as Roma, older people, people with disabilities, refugees, migrants, women, especially from rural areas, convicted persons and other groups at increased risk of discrimination. She pointed out the proactive approach of the institution as a good example because it does not just wait for citizens to come and file complaints, but visits are paid to informal settlements, local self-governments, villages, and vulnerable individuals.