“Human rights are not a matter of ideology, but a matter of dignity, and through stronger cooperation between institutions and civil society organizations, we can contribute to a substantial improvement in the quality of life of all citizens,” emphasized Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Brankica Janković, at the Ninth Regional Conference of Equality Bodies of Southeast Europe.

The topic of the conference was cooperation between equality institutions and civil society organizations, which, as agreed by the participants, should be systemic rather than dependent on the goodwill of individuals.

Speaking on one of the panels, Brankica Janković also pointed out the many challenges faced by civil society organizations working to protect human rights in these highly complex times, when human rights are often the first to come under attack.

“For us at the institution of the Commissioner, civil society organizations are extremely important partners in preventing and protecting against discrimination in various areas of social life, because thanks to their submissions we have been able to better understand and adequately respond to the needs of citizens who are at greater risk of discrimination and social exclusion,” stated the Commissioner.

The Ninth Regional Conference of Equality Bodies of Southeast Europe, titled “Strengthening Cooperation Between Equality Bodies and Civil Society Organizations,” was held in Split and organized by colleagues from the human rights protection institutions of the Republic of Croatia — the Ombudsperson for Persons with Disabilities, the Ombudswoman of the Republic of Croatia, the Ombudswoman for Gender Equality, and the Ombudswoman for Children.