Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Brankica Janković, participated in the international conference marking 30 years of work of the High Commissioner for National Minorities of the OSCE in The Hague.
In the panel dedicated to the results and good practice in achieving the active participation of national minorities in social and economic life, Janković stated that there are over 40 different national minorities in Serbia, which make up about 13% of the total population, and that 24 national councils of national minorities have been established, through which the exercise of the right to self-government in culture, education, information and the official use of language and scripts is facilitated. She added that the Commissioner is preparing a new cycle of training for members of national councils of national minorities, which is aimed at effective protection against discrimination.
In the current socio-political circumstances in a world where inequalities are growing, crises and conflicts are becoming daily life, and the environment is increasingly endangered, it is important that we significantly increase our efforts and truly hear and understand the voices of vulnerable and minority social groups and ensure that everyone can achieve basic human rights – the right to a dignified life, the right to freedom, protection from violence and discrimination, the right to basic health care and bodily integrity. Society is not a homogeneous group, and there are different groups with different needs and problems within it, and that is how they should be approached – in a targeted and effective manner, especially when there is a large number of national and ethnic affiliations, Janković pointed out.
The Commissioner presented the Institution’s practice in protecting national minorities from discrimination, with a special focus on the problems of Roma, and especially Roma women, who are often multiply discriminated. She stated that the Commissioner uses all mechanisms available by law to improve the position of vulnerable and minority groups.
The conference was opened by Ambassador Kairat Abdrakhmanov, OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities, and opening speeches were also given by Bujar Osmani, OSCE Chairman-in-Office for 2023 and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia, Helga Maria Schmid, OSCE Secretary General, Ilze Brands Kehris, Assistant Secretary General of the UN for Human Rights, as well as Paul Van den Ijssel, Ambassador for International Organisations at the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Four previous OSCE High Commissioners for National Minorities also participated in the conference.
