Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Milan Antonijević, participated in the final Regional Conference of the Horizontal Facility Programme for the Western Balkans and Türkiye III, “Advancing Reforms through the Partnership between the European Union and the Council of Europe – Lessons Learned and Vision for the Future”, held in Tirana. The conference provided an opportunity to exchange views on the programme’s impact on advancing reforms in line with European standards and supporting EU accession.
The conference was an opportunity for representatives of Serbian institutions to engage in discussions with colleagues from the Western Balkans and Türkiye, with the aim of establishing stronger cooperation in the areas of promoting equality and respect for human rights.
Serbia’s priority is to continue reforms and ensure the full protection of equality for all citizens, Commissioner Antonijević said during a session dedicated to combating discrimination and protecting vulnerable groups, moderated by Evgenia Giakoumopoulou, Deputy Head of the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade.
On this occasion, the Commissioner highlighted the contribution of the project “Combating Discrimination and Promoting Diversity in Serbia”, reflected in amendments to the Law on the Prohibition of Discrimination and the adoption of the Action Plan for National Minorities. He identified the implementation of European standards in protection against discrimination and the establishment of an institutional framework for combating hate speech and racism, alongside strengthening regional and local cooperation, as key tasks for the coming period. “Local institutions and civil society need clear procedures for identifying incidents, recording motives and supporting victims, particularly in minority communities. In addition, Serbia should cooperate with partners from the Western Balkans to jointly address cross-border challenges and exchange good practices,” Antonijević said.
The conference was opened by Christophe Galand, Deputy Director of the Directorate for the Western Balkans within the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, and Claus Neukirch, Director of the Directorate of Programme Co-ordination of the Council of Europe, while the opening address was delivered by Megi Fino, Deputy Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the host country. Also speaking as part of the Serbian delegation was Assistant Minister of Education, Professor Snežana Vuković, responsible for the prevention of and protection against violence and the inclusion of vulnerable groups in education. She presented Serbia’s experiences in developing inclusive and safe education, combating discrimination and strengthening democratic culture in schools through the Horizontal Facility Programme.
